By Dani Rae Ristau Lisa Carter, in Montgomery has what she calls “The Boulder Hill Keychain Library.” It’s similar to a Little Free Library, but instead of books, she’s built a small stand at the end of her driveway filled with handmade keychains. Neighbors are invited to “take one or
The Library of Things is part of a growing movement among public libraries to move “beyond books.” At the Aurora Public Library District (APLD), our Library of Things collection has grown to include something for everyone, at any stage of life, with whatever talent level they possess. From musical instruments
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, Here is more information about the Fox River. From southeastern Wisconsin to the Chain O’ Lakes in northern Illinois, the Fox is a sleepy river passing through marshland. South of the Chain O’ Lakes, the natural river bottom from Stratton Dam in McHenry drops 10
Big news for makers, tinkerers, and crafters! The Aurora Public Library District’s Makerspace at the Santori Library just got even more accessible and exciting! We are thrilled to announce that you no longer need an appointment to use Makerspace equipment. Now you can walk in anytime during posted hours and
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, Hopefully everyone is doing well. This week, I want to touch on the subject of dam removal, along the Fox River. There are groups supporting removal of nine dams, from Carpentersville to Montgomery on the ”Mighty“ Fox River. Then there are groups of individuals against
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, This week, I’m starting with Aurora’s special bicycle lanes on S. River Street, from North Avenue, north to W. Downer Place. The lanes are a great idea for an eco-friendly city, and one that had so much money that they could still burn it in
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, Just to expand on last week’s article, the original Luigi’s at 1431 E. New York Street, was run by Mrs. Duncan in 1953, as a sandwich and soup shop. Later that same year, pizza was added to the menu, because pizza was becoming a mainstream
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, I wanted to add some humor and a hands-on life experience to last week’s article, where I talked about The Blue Lantern Restaurant. In the summer of 1974, and soon going into my sophomore year at East Aurora High School, my brother and I were
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, As I started to write this article, I read that Wyckwood House in downtown Aurora, is closing after seven years. The Asian Fusion restaurant has closed, but may reopen in the near future. Sadly, I wonder how many more of the 30 new restaurants in
Recently I switched my prescriptions to Walgreens, because the medical plan I’m on said to do that. So I did. It has saved me money and my only complaint is with the big honkin’ plastic bottles the pills come in. Thirty little pills bounce round at the bottom of the
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. This week, I’m writing about old buildings in Aurora’s downtown. Let’s start with the tallest building in Aurora, and at one time, the second tallest building in Illinois, behind the Sears Tower, in Chicago, the “The
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, The article this week is the second of two parts on how Aurora’s government has altered the downtown over many decades. I’ll start with the public park at 27 S. Broadway. The park, between Galena Boulevard and Downer Place replaced abandoned buildings. They were torn
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, The article this week on Aurora’s history continues with the focus on downtown Aurora. Readers 50 years and older might remember places I’m writing about. Not that I’m omitting the younger generations, but they didn’t have a chance to see or experience Aurora the way
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, This week we’re taking a cruise in the Tour Bus to E. Downer Place (aka Fox Street), to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Memorial Hall in Aurora. As an historic octagonal limestone building that served as a tribute to Union soldiers after the
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, Most individuals agree about the importance of the bridges that cross over the Fox River that divide the east and west side of Aurora. I often thought they would have taken Sullivan Road east of Mitchell Road to Farnsworth Avenue, to reduce the traffic from
Musings: •The Sins of Donald J. Trump (chapter nine). He has: Reduced the funding of all indigenous colleges and universities; Ended the Transportation Security Administration’s “Quiet Skies” programs which monitored passengers in airports and on airplanes who might pose a security risk; Eliminated half a billion dollars in grants to
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, This week, we’ll finish the history of Aurora’s bridges. The bridges over the Fox River in Aurora, have significantly impacted the City’s development and character. Bridges were initially built to overcome the Fox River, connecting the east and west sides of Aurora, to enable easier
Ever since I was a little kid in a highchair and randomly painted my face with creamed rutabaga, I wanted to be an artist. My teachers thought I had the talent for it and my parents thought I was wonderful at it (when a kid is in the single-digit age
By Ricky Rieckert Welcome readers, As we start this week, I was pleased to see the last edition, with my birthday, July 10, on it. I received several phone calls, texts and cards from several people. To them: Thank-you. This week, as promised, we’ll be looking at the history of
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, I hope everyone enjoyed the Fourth of July weekend, which is traditionally a time spent with family and friends, often including cookouts, parades, and fireworks. As we start the final part of North Avenue in Aurora’s history, I hope you have enjoyed the memories so
