Two new management team members have joined the ranks at the Aurora Public Library District (APLD). Mark Salem joined the administration team as our new finance manager and Monica Boyer was recently hired as our new senior manager of Children Services. We sat down to learn more about them, what
Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry will be host to a 13-hour, three-location radiothon fundraiser from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, July 8. The live radio broadcast from multiple locations will be by 95.9 The River. The broadcast schedule is 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., Scott Mackay live at the
June is Bustin’ Out All Over! It is greater than the 95 degrees, or projected 99 degrees, this week. June is bursting, or, busting with special days. Music fans may recall June is Bustin’ Out All Over, the 1956 Broadway musical, Carousel, courtesy of famed Rodgers and Hammerstein. June has
Another mass shooting. In a school. Oh, my. Thoughts and prayers. End of story. Until the next time. There will be a next time, dear reader, some where in these Disunited States of America. No community is immune any more. Even here in River City, we’ve had our own mass
The word election is magnetic. It raises eyebrows, draws interest of a majority, and draws disdain from a disinterested minority which wants no part in conducting its civic duty, even if some of the contested entries can be skipped for any reason. A few candidates claim poor counting by election
June 12 is Loving Day, which marks the day when the U.S. Supreme Court, in 1967, unanimously ruled in favor of Mildred and Richard Loving, and made states’ laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional. • “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination
Sheltering in place during the pandemic offered old duffers like me, nearing 81, plenty of time, maybe too much, to reflect. I wonder if other mature readers have been reflecting: Old friends around me are dropping like flies, and others are hobbled by physical and cognitive problems that lack good
Memorial Day photos reflect the traditional remembrance of the occasion when the focus is on those military personnel who make life’s transition, either in the service of the Nation, or in succeeding years. The Voice is filled with meaningful Memorial Day photos this week, however, other important items, which ordinarily
Last of two parts Winona LaDuke writes about Alex White Plume a leader of the Ogala Lakota tribe in the Spring 2021 edition of Yes! magazine. “More than 20 years ago, Alex White Plume, a leader of the Oglala Lakota, planted his first hemp crop on Wounded Knee Creek, on
On one side of the door, the north side, the triangular vase of lilies of the valley cascaded down the wood. On the other side of the door was a draft-stopping bear, legs akimbo, to keep out the Spring winds. How can it be that the opposites of one door
Musings: • Got baby formula, ladies? Sure, you do; it came with the baby, but you forgot you had it. It’s called “breast milk,” and you have a plentiful supply to fulfill the baby’s needs. Few women talk about it anymore, which is unfortunate, because the original product is more
Ever wonder what drives the placement of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and who will benefit from them? What about the working-poor and minority communities? Will they be able to take advantage of electric vehicles, their benefits, and the glut of associated technologies? As General Motors and other U.S. automakers
Summer unofficially will begin with Memorial Day and joyfully (hopefully) work its way through Labor Day, the unofficial end of Summer. With Memorial Day we enjoy activities and must pause to understand reasons in memoriam why we have a Memorial Day. As a society we should be dedicated to minimize
First of two parts Winona LaDuke writes about Alex White Plume, a leader of the Ogala Lakota tribe, in the Spring 2021 edition of Yes! magazine: “More than 20 years ago, Alex White Plume, a leader of the Oglala Lakota, planted his first hemp crop on Wounded Knee Creek, on
When Louis XIII succeeded as French king in 1610, Versailles was a prosperous hamlet set in an upland valley which was only partially cleared for cultivation. There were 200 residents near this primal woodland. The Latin word vertere means to turn the soil and immortalizes the “hard grind of the
Did you hear Donald Trump is writing a book? (I like to start out with something funny just like Joel Osteen.) Trump said it, so it’s probably not true. If it is, his biggest hurdle is that he’ll actually have to read a book to find out what goes into
The next special day and holiday on the horizon is Memorial Day, May 30, which was changed in 1969 as a federal holiday to the last Monday in May. Memorial Day is more than picnics, baseball games, and family gatherings. It is based on memorials for soldiers who died and
Reprinted from May 7, 2020 My first impression of Indians, which we now describe as Native Americans, wasn’t very positive. Our community movie theater ran many Friday night specials which starred cowboys who were always the good guy and fighting for justice against the bad-guy Indians. It was easy to
The deep blue waters of Lake Huron have seen the passage of Native American, French explorers, missionaries and fur traders. As early as 1000 A.D., Native Americans were summering on Mackinac Island and nearby Bois Blanc Island. They planted corn, came to fish, worship and bury their dead. It is
You’re an old-timer in Aurora, dear reader, if you: Knew the sites of the original City Hall and the original Post Office. Rode the Aurora city buses. Bought a hamburger at Prince Castle (two locations). Patronized the Sylvandell bowling alley. Drank an ice-cold root beer (with a half inch head
