Any 10th anniversary is worthy of acknowledgement. The Aurora Downtown Alley Art Festival, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, throughout downtown, will be in its 10th year. Aurora will emerge from its quiet atmosphere because of the COVID-19 to celebrate, carefully! As a society, we mix masks with no
First of two parts Mail-in voting has become a popular topic for the November 3 elections. Sue Halperin, staff writer for The New Yorker Magazine, submitted the following article to the magazine. “Recently Donald Trump casually suggested on Twitter that the November election should be delayed because universal mail-in voting
Invited to share the ironmonger’s dinner of black bread and soup and sour red wine, Galileo was already searching for a patron for his inventions. The ironmonger had let Galileo forage for parts from his stockpile of junk items. Galileo was too poor to continue his medical studies. He wondered
Gather around, children, for your first lesson in Climatology 1.0.1. We shall begin with the basics, of course. Climate upon the Earth is governed by three geophysical motions in which our planet takes an active role. The first is the spinning upon its axis, resulting in a continuous cycle of
It may have been a bit unusual. We live in unusual times. Three members of the Illinois U.S. House of Representatives, on a break from convening in Washington, D.C., were in Aurora Tuesday afternoon. They were a part of the group which held a media conference for the press and
Second of two parts James Ellsmoor, a former contributor to Forbes magazine and founder of the Virtual Island Summit, wrote: “The United States spent 10 times more (money) on fossil fuel subsidies than education. “The combination of the fossil fuel industry’s investment within its sector and the high profit margins
Last of three parts The second part is available at thevoice.us/absorbing-a-european-trip-in-1979-paris-vienna-bonn My 11-year-old daughter, Suzanne, and I, arrive in Wimbledon, United Kingdom, almost three months since we left America, and enjoy accommodations at a bed and breakfast home. We took the train into London many times. Enjoyed Westminster Cathedral and
I’m departing from my usual disjointed ramblings this week to focus on something that’s been on my mind, as opposed to things that have never crossed it. Because of what I’ve written here in the past, it may appear to you readers that I have a very low opinion of
Times change, however, in spite of an element of marketing practices, new is not always better. The United States Postal Service (USPS), an imperfect vehicle, unjustly comes under criticism. Its strength is that it has a mandate to deliver to all addresses. Big business competitors would focus only on the
First of two parts James Ellsmoor, a former contributor to Forbes magazine and founder of the Virtual Island Summit wrote: “The United States spent 10 times more on fossil fuel subsidies than education. “The fossil fuel lobby actively has worked in many countries to protect their subsidies and avoid the
Second of three parts The first part is available at thevoice.us/recalling-a-special-trip-to-europe-with-her-daughter Traveling throughout Europe with a Eurilpass allowed us unlimited first class travel. The European trains are fast, efficient, immaculately clean rolling wheels of steel. There is a restroom on every car that is big enough to accommodate wheelchairs. After
Shameless self-aggrandizement department: By the time you read this, dear reader, The Chas will have observed a major milestone. To wit: the big 8-0. How he got to this point in his life, he cannot say. The big 8-0 seemed to have sneaked up on him while his attention was
Editor’s note: Rick McKay, Joe Masonick, and Jack Karolewski, have been annual travel companions for more than 50 years to a variety of sites with many goals. By Rick McKay This story is about an enduring friendship, an ongoing quest for adventure and knowledge, and a mutual search for the
Every day decisions must be made in our lives which deviate living from the norm. Much of it is stimulated by the results of the pandemic COVID-19. Schools and school boards must make decisions in uncharted areas. Online only, or a hybrid, or, blend? In the most recent week many
Last of three parts The second part is available at thevoice.us/prison-reform-rooted-in-care-better-than-punishment Mary Rinaldi and Ashish Prashar posted the following article in Fast Company. “Imagine a world without prisons. It may sound radical, but for millions of black and brown Americans, this fantasy is urgent and necessary. “Programs based on this
First of three parts “Younger than Springtime are you. Gayer than laughter are you.“Sweeter than music are you.” —Richard Rodgers Spring cleaning had come early due to the stay-at-home directives in the Spring. Closets, drawers, garage, pantry all were involved. I came across my journal entries from the Eurail Pass
As millions lose their $600 unemployment checks and coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths realize new highs, I’ve been thinking about my teeth. Not because I have any major dental problems other than my bicuspids occasionally bursting into flame for no apparent reason, but because I’ve been wondering what would happen to my
Intolerance, insensitive, incapable. Likely we can offer improvement as individuals in at least those three areas. Perhaps it is easier to see those flaws in others than in ourselves. In these highly-political days, too many of us see society through our own lens and fail to understand more thoroughly another
Second of three parts First part is available at thevoice.us/beginning-the-long-journey-significant-change-in-prisons Mary Rinaldi and Ashish Prashar posted the following article in Fast Company, a business magazine in print and online. “Imagine a world without prisons. It may sound radical, but for millions of black and brown Americans, this fantasy is urgent
When Robert Louis Stevenson, romancer, essayist, writer of adventure stories, analyst of the moral ambiguities of man, tried to explain his ideas about the differences between morality and religious institutions to his father, he tried in vain. Stevenson said he accepted the ideals of Christian morality while repudiating the Church
