Downtown Auroran Fall/Winter 2013

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LOC A L CU LT U R E

FALL / WINT ER 2013

art poetry recipe calendar graffiti artist cers +

downtown living

Issue 14

Downtown Auroran www.downtownauroran.wordpress.com Marissa Amoni Publisher and Editor

Do you ever wish that you could just wake up and

stumble down the street to a coffee shop? Or walk to the corner and grab some snacks and beverages? I do. I would love to be in the center of it all and have everything conveniently located at my fingertips, or at least within walking distance.

When we moved from an apartment into a house just over a year ago, I dreamt of living downtown Aurora and being just steps away from restaurants, parks, and entertainment, but alas, we fell in love with an old bungalow on the West Side. We now live about 10 blocks from downtown and it’s not close enough, although it is a nice bike ride – even with the hill.

Living downtown is a reality for many, and in this issue, we share stories from those who call downtown “home.” We hear from a generous couple who moved downtown for accessibility, and we get answers from a transplant from Kentucky.

In our cover story, we list several downtown living options, and once again, the myth of downtown as a wasteland is shattered to pieces. Not only does downtown Aurora offer a variety of apartments and lofts, but many are located in renovated historic buildings that offer unbridled charm.

Living downtown is a convenient choice for many, but it’s also a more sustainable living option. And with more public spaces, parks, nearby community gardens, and rooftop gardens, downtown living is greener and more approachable than it might have once been.

But, really, living in downtown is a hub of excitement where you can be surrounded by art and entertainment. There’s never a lack of things to do in downtown, as you’ll see in this issue’s Culture Shock calendar. And with First Fridays in downtown Aurora bringing energy and feet to downtown Aurora’s streets every month, downtown – whether visiting or living – just keeps getting better.

Dave Sobotka at Kelmscott Communications Graphic Design Tony Scott Max Balding Copy Editors Frank Patterson Contributors Advertising and Submissions: E-mail downtownauroran@gmail.com.

Spring Issue deadline: Feb. 8, 2014.

On the Cover: Photos by Marissa Amoni; Collage by Dave Sobotka Downtown Auroran Magazine is a local and independent operation. We focus on the downtown and its success – especially the growing arts and culture movement.

Opinions are encouraged and expressed, but they are not necessarily those of the magazine.

Downtown Auroran magazine is published three times a year, and over 2,000 copies are distributed free of charge throughout downtown and select locations in the Aurora area. Share it and recycle it, or add it to your collection.

Join us on Facebook! Spring Issue 2014 issue is available March 1.

See you downtown!

Please support the businesses that support us. Keep it local!

Copyrighted 2013

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Downtown Auroran

Fall / Winter 2013

Untitled

index

c over st ory

By Juan Montano

Downtown Living Marissa Amoni

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features Juan Montano, 21, attends Waubonsee Community College where he is involved in the photography club. Montano sees himself as a licensed dietician in the future; right now he enjoys taking self-portraits in abandoned houses.

Michigan Woods Stacee Cummings

Self Portrait No. 9

A u ro r a n Wo rd s

By Chris Evans

Chris Evans lives in an idyllic sixties neighborhood on Aurora’s West Side with his artist wife, a dog and three daughters. Evans illustrated the cover of the fall/ winter 2012 issue of Downtown Auroran magazine. He is wellversed in the music of the day.

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A r t i s t P ro f i l e

Historical Notes

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Table of Contents

Check our Facebook page for free community events 43 E. Galena Blvd.

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DTA Profile: Cers

page

Mention this ad and receive $1 off any book!

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4 auroran words

11 artist profile

5 locust report

12 recipe

6 cover story

13 culture shock

9 downtown voices

15 historical notes

Books. Music. People. Culture.

Fall / Winter 2013

Downtown Auroran

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Auroran Words A Sunny Fox River Valley Saturday

Autumn’s allure

By Anthony Stanford

Now in the autumn of life, my appreciation for fall has matured.

By Frank Rutledge

I spoke of a break in the clouds A river passing without care The grass played a breezy tune Fishes slid by on cello waves A choir of passing birds hummed Fourteen bicycle wheels turned The thoughts of children set free Games played all over the park field A traffic signal commanding Order, making tidy the wild, Hectic lanes of a crazy day.

The coffee and blueberry daybreak Spread all over town like conversation The happy morning inflated Like a cartoon parade balloon As the lazy leisure hours piled up Like the items on the things-to-do list

In my youth, beyond the wonderment of it, I didn’t realize autumn’s rank among the seasons.

When young, I delighted in fall’s visual ecstasies, her sounds and smells, but youth prevented an appreciation of her nobility.

Autumn patiently awaits summer’s yield.

She allows her predecessor time to bask because she knows that the glow of Indian summer will add to her abundance.

Her brilliance fading, summer relents, surrendering her famed winds and morning dew to autumn’s serenity.

I now realize that autumn’s rapture extends beyond its visible pleasures.

It is not like wintertime, coming quietly in the night to blanket the landscape, or like the spontaneous splash of springtime’s shower.

Frank Rutledge is an Aurora poet and fiction writer. His writing has appeared in chapbooks and the “Foxtales” anthologies. Besides being a writing group facilitator and the host of Harmonious Howl Open Mic at Graham’s 318 in Geneva, he is also a frequent reader at various venues in the Chicago area.

Autumn rustles, stirring souls with her brisk winds and soothing every melancholy.

Her refrain haunts those who try to capture her splendor.

When autumn leaves, we’re left with a peaceful acceptance of our decline.

Anthony Stanford is a writer and newspaper columnist based in Aurora. Stanford’s book “Homophobia in the Black Church: How Faith, Politics and Fear Divide the Black Community” was released this year, and Stanford appeared on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight in October.

A Good Critic

By Aisha Mahmoud

To take a heart And split the sole To take the stomach And replace it with coal To burn the morals And free the mind Is to be a good critic Forever unkind

Michigan Woods

By Stacee Cummings

Aisha Mahmoud is a junior at the American International School of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. She formerly attended West Aurora High School where she ran on the cross country team.

Mahmoud continues to run and is now on the varsity volleyball team.

Atomic Haiku

By TJ Jones

Atomic fairy Tales speak the language of the Three-eyed hummingbird.

Jones lives in Montgomery and works with developmentally disabled adults in Aurora. In his free time he enjoys listening to public radio, reading pulp fiction, and watching artsy-fartsy movies.

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Stacee Cummings, of Oswego, received an art degree from North Central College. Cummings enjoys photography as well as painting, drawing, sculpting and working with mixed media. She can’t live without her Sharpie markers.

Downtown Auroran

Fall / Winter 2013

The L o c u st R ep o r t Reporting the News and Gossip in Downtown Aurora •C ulture Stock’s head book keeper Nicole Mullins (executive director of the used bookstore’s backing non-profit L.I.F.T. Aurora) announced at the end of the summer that L.I.F.T. Aurora is in the process of merging with Cultural Creatives, the group, and later non-profit, that ran the now defunct Aurora ArtWalk. Mullins said it makes sense to not compete for the same resources. L.I.F.T.’s mission is to provide a creative environment that supports the arts. The two organizations are currently working with a consultant group to combine forces.

• Andrea Dawn is working on her second full-length album for release this spring. Dawn’s new project promises to be more intimate and experimental. The downtown songstress successfully released her first full-length album in 2012. The album, “Theories of How We Can Be Friends,” received nationwide attention and hit the airwaves of many local and college radio stations. Be on the lookout for Dawn’s latest album to debut at Kiss the Sky Records in Batavia on Record Store Day on April 19.

• I f you’ve noticed the many vibrant windows in downtown Aurora, it is thanks to the year-and-a-half old and allvolunteer Vacant Window Project. A handful of windows are filled with colorful artwork and creative displays throughout downtown, including the old Conservatory Building and historic Silverplate Building, both on Stolp Avenue. New this fall is the addition of the Roots Aurora festival mural courtesy of Family Focus at the Hobbs Building at the northwest corner of Galena Boulevard and River Street.

•F irst Fridays in downtown Aurora unofficially kicked off in September with a handful of downtown businesses hosting art openings with hundreds in attendance. First Fridays are known in many cities as a night of art, food, music and community. Aurora artist Lisa Gloria organized the popular ArtBar at Two Brothers Roundhouse on first Fridays last year and recently handed the reins to artist and Hecho en Aurora organizer Javi Terrazas. Now with more art venues opening their doors in downtown Aurora, such as If These Walls Could Talk and VARA Design and Studio, First Fridays has grown and taken on a life of its own albeit independently organized.

•R estaurant Row update: Virginia, There are these magical things called TIF funds that help things to happen in downtown Aurora. Just because no one understands them doesn’t mean they aren’t real. Believe!

•V ietnam at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center brings no bombs or protests. Brought to you by the Aurora Historical Society, Aurora in the Vietnam Era offers up lots of history, memories and commemoration. Friday, Nov. 8 kicks off the exhibit at the DLP with extended hours that weekend in conjunction with The Moving Wall at West Aurora High School from Nov. 7 to Nov. 11.

Fall / Winter 2013

•C akes will be looking prettier in the Aurora area now that Knightsbridge PME School of Cake Decorating is open in the old bank building at 35 N. Broadway. The cake school hails from England and brings certified teachers and professional cake decorating equipment to the first floor location. They celebrated with a grand opening in October.

• River Street Plaza officially unveiled the new section of river walk that stretches along the Fox River behind the condos and up to Benton Street in September. As the new condo owners, Centrue Bank celebrated the completed river walk with local food vendors, music and tours. If you can judge by appearances, it looks like Centrue Bank is doing a bang up job of reaching out to the community. Will it pay off A new stretch of river walk in leased storefronts? Only time behind River Street Plaza is paved and complete. (and a new library) will tell.

•W e’re going to miss seeing one of our favorite faces downtown Aurora now that longtime Aurora Historical Society volunteer Evelyn Rackmyer retired from her duties at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center. Rackmyer helped keep the DLP’s gift shop open during city cutbacks, and her friendly smile made it a welcoming place.

•G ravity Building hasn’t quite lifted off the ground yet, but that doesn’t bother entrepreneur Evelyn Rackmyer Jimi Allen. Allen, of Jimi Allen Productions, spent the last four years dreaming up his vision of coworking in downtown Aurora, so a few extra months is nothing when it comes to planning for the future.

Allen said the big challenge is getting everyone involved (i.e. the bank and the city) on the same lofty vehicle, so to speak. “We are really dreaming a big dream and it takes a lot of time for people to dream in the same direction,” Allen said. In reality, Allen said they have already met their initial membership projections, and they will start construction in mid-November. If the momentum is right, then the doors at 56 S. LaSalle St. could open in early March and welcome tenants such as FreshGround Roasting, Remote Link, and possibly you.

Downtown Auroran

• A list to like on Facebook: Aurora Art Revolution, Culture Stock, Two Brothers Coffee Roasters, Aurora Historical Society 5

Downtown River Breeze Lofts 60 S. River St. An early 20th century three-story addition to the Frazier Block, the building that houses nine renovated lofts once manufactured horse buggies. Owner Dan Hites rehabbed the building just a few years ago. Hites combined vintage and contemporary elements that magnify the character of the old spaces. The third story has large dome windows, and the first story serves as an indoor parking lot for residents.

Stolp Woolen Mill Dye House 20 W. Downer Pl. Dating from 1858 to 1860, the Dye House situated behind River’s Edge Café is the oldest building on Stolp Island. Dan Hites, the building’s owner, turned it into his family home and now rents out the residential two-bedroom property. The open floor plan offers spectacular views of the Fox River.

River Street Plaza 100 S. River St. A relatively new riverfront condominium community, River Street Plaza has seen many changes since being built in 2007. The economy hasn’t been kind to the upscale condos, but luckily Centrue Bank recently stepped in and saved the day by buying the property. The open layouts and spacious balconies invite city dwellers to rethink their options, and the views, along with convenient ground-floor restaurants, welcome the strictest urbanite to settle in.

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Graham Building 33 S. Stolp Ave. The Graham Building, built in 1926, was designed by George Grant Elmslie in a Prairie School style. The eight-story brick building features terra cotta horizontal banding on both the street-facing side and the riverfacing side. The contractor for the building was William Graham, who also owned the building until his death in the 1950s. Now the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers convenient living for many urban dwellers.

Downtown Auroran

Fall / Winter 2013

Living Andrea Dawn does it. Chris Hamilton does it. Dianne and Dean Morrissette do it. It's accessible, convenient, urban, and ever-so fashionable to do it. Lots of hip folks live in downtown Aurora. Here is a primer on the places that can be called “home” in downtown.

North Island Apartments 2 N. Stolp Ave. Constructed in 1917, the eight-story Aurora Hotel was the first large hotel in the city. In a severely deteriorated condition, the building was saved by a grassroots effort, and in 1996 was restored to its original magnificence.

The building contains 56 units ranging from studios to two-bedrooms. The units, along with an amazing shared lobby and second-floor balcony, are now enjoyed by residents over age 55. Since 55 is the new 35, this treasure is worth looking into.

Fox Island Place 7 S. Stolp Ave. Built in 1928 as a first-class hotel and entertainment center, the Leland Tower is 22 stories high. It is downtown Aurora’s tallest building and boasts two-story lofts in the old Sky Club on the 19th and 20th floors. New management cleaned up the historic building several years ago, and now Fox Island Place is full of first-rate apartments and offers a sensible living option to many.

Downer Place Lofts 220 E. Downer Pl. Built in the late 1800s as the Chapman Block, this four-story building was rehabbed into residential units in 1995.

The chic-industrial lofts boast open spaces with a contemporary feel.

Fireplaces and other refined touches make the lofts inviting. The building features a popular rooftop deck for resident use and gated parking. Studio units are a bargain at about $90K. Editor’s note: Many of the building descriptions in the cover story were culled from the 2009 Living Downtown tour sponsored by Aurora Downtown.

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Downtown Auroran

Photos by Jill Amoni and Marissa Amoni 7

Fitzpatrick Properties, LLC rental properties

For all your printing needs Go by foot, by car, by bike, or kayak instead.

Go Downtown. Go! It ’s green ahead.

Adrienne Sandman Property Manager asandman@yahoo.com

Aurora Fastprint

481 Willow St Sugar Grove, IL 60554

54 E. Galena Blvd.

(630) 896-5980 www.aurorafastprint.com

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(630) 631-2686

Downtown Auroran

Fall / Winter 2013

D ow n t o w n V o ic es Meet the Morrissettes

Q &A: Chris Hamilton on living downtown

After just moving from

C

hris Hamilton was hired as the executive director of the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2011. A newbie to the area, Hamilton chose to live in downtown Aurora just a few blocks from his office, which is located on the ground floor of the River Street and Galena Boulevard parking garage. He resides on the fifth floor of the historic Graham Building on Stolp Avenue.

When did you move to downtown Aurora and why?

I moved to Stolp Island two years ago from Lebanon, Ky. I wanted to be close to my office and I really liked all the amenities within walking distance. I found affordable living there and continue to discover more features that really appeal to me.

What is it like living in downtown Aurora?

It’s incredible being so close to culture, entertainment and daily needs. I can have a great meal at Tecalitlan Restaurant, catch a show at Riverfront Playhouse and hear live music at Ballydoyle Irish Pub one night then visit SciTech Hands On Museum, eat pastries at La Central Bakery and jog the trails along the Fox River the next day. I can recreate itineraries like that using other businesses - Paramount Theatre, David L. Pierce Art & History Center, Two Brothers Roundhouse, and Hollywood Casino. The list is long - every weekend. Plus, my dentist is on one corner, I can grab milk at the little store near my apartment and get my photos framed at If These Walls Could Talk.

What is the best thing about living in downtown Aurora?

I think it’s my neighbors and the good spirit of the people who fill the downtown area when events are happening, which is often. The people who live and work downtown are courteous and friendly. Familiarity exists that you don’t find in a lot of other areas. And when people come for concerts at RiverEdge Park or festivals, such as Fiestas Patrias, there is energy and good vibes all over the place. There is also this terrific art scene that makes the downtown a unique experience.

What is the worst thing about living in downtown Aurora?

Honestly, that’s very difficult to answer. I guess it would be nice to see some growth in shopping opportunities, but that seems to be happening slowly over time anyway. I can buy jeans in one shop and designer sunglasses in another already. I can even take classes for just about anything, hire a personal trainer and get my Christmas cards printed, all within walking distance. That makes for very attractive living conditions.

I don’t like the gnat-like bugs that swarm the area pretty bad at night. I think that might be the worst thing but it’s not horrible by any means.

Have you seen anything unusual while living in downtown Aurora?

One morning, while walking to work, there were people fishing along the banks of the Fox River, a guy fishing from a kayak, and two guys in waders.

It was pretty cool seeing all those people enjoying a typical rural outdoor activity in the middle of an active downtown.

If you had to convince someone to move to downtown Aurora in four words, what would they be?

Convenient. Fulfilling. Entertaining. Educational.

Fall / Winter 2013

Downtown Auroran

downtown to a house in the country, Dean and Dianne moved back into River Breeze Lofts after Dean required a w h e e l c h a i r- f r i e n d l y living space. The couple is finding city life to be inviting once again.

Dianne even landed a job as the lead wig stylist at Paramount Theatre.

Dean: The downtown for the most part fits my lifestyle very well. I came here for that. When I got hurt, we lived in the country along the creek in Oswego. We quickly found out that the grassy acreage and the gravel drive were not going to work with my wheelchair. We immediately moved back into Dan Hites’ building and are happy to call it home. The indoor parking and elevator are perfect. Outside, the concrete and blacktop as far as I can see makes my life much easier. Within seconds I can be on the Fox River Trail, which of course will lead me to Wisconsin if I choose to ever run away. The new bridge and sidewalk (on Downer) allows me to get into the River’s Edge Cafe, which I couldn’t do previously. For the most part, the downtown is very accessible. I avoid Broadway entirely; every intersection is a tip hazard. I still can’t get into several businesses without help. All of the downtown cobblestone is beautiful but makes my life miserable. Overall though, my life is much easier because of the downtown. And, of course, it is beautiful and friendly down here. I find it to be extremely safe.

Dianne: I love the people! For being the second largest city in the state, it has the feel of some tiny town where everyone knows everyone. We never go out without running into a friendly neighbor.

While living downtown, the Morrissettes started bringing sandwiches and clothing to homeless people in the area. Dianne said they go out two or three times a day to make deliveries.

Since word spread among family, friends, and coworkers, the couple has been gratefully inundated with donations. “It’s kind of a pay it forward mission, but more so something we want to do because we both have a heart that breaks for them. They all have their own story of how they got there. They have been some of the sweetest and most grateful friends we have ever met,” Dianne said.

Editor’s note: In 2011, Dean fell from a tree while hunting and severed his spine and spinal cord becoming paralyzed from the waist down. He gets around downtown in a wheelchair.

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Watch our building “grow!” Go to aurorapubliclibrary.org and click on the link!

winter

LIGHTS

Friday, November 22 from 5:00 - 7:30p.m.

More than a cup of coffee... a place for minds to meet!

Homemade soups, sandwiches and baked goods

TRY OUR DAILY SPECIALS!

River’s Edge Café

Check out our new catering menu online or come pick one up!

14 W. Downer, Ste. 18 between River and Stolp 630.897.3343 theriversedgecafe.com

A FREE, family friendly event featuring, art, music, lights and holiday cheer on Downer & Stolp in Downtown Aurora!

Shop at the David L. Pierce Art & History Center browse holiday treasures from numerous vendors on display for purchase. Stroll streets aglow with holiday lights while sipping hot cocoa from the local cafe and listening to holiday carols.

The Fox Valley Festival Chorus will kick off the festivities at 5:30 pm. At 5:50, Mayor Tom Weisner will announce the winner of the Holiday Lights Window Decorating Contest. At 6:00, he will be joined by Santa and Mrs. Claus along with Miss Merry Christmas and Jack Frost in lighting The City of Lights Holiday Tree.

Immediately following the tree lighting, Santa and his elves will lead a merry procession along the Paramount Promenade to Downer Place where Santa will be available for photos on the steps of the GAR Museum near the Victorian Christmas Tree, so be sure to bring your camera.

Experience bright holidays in the City of Lights.

For more information: 630.256.INFO www.aurora-il.org

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Downtown Auroran

Fall / Winter 2013

A rt is t P r o file DTA profile: Cers Interview by Frank Patterson

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ocal artist Cers takes his name from the Spanish word “cer,” which means “being,” as in, human being.

He added the “s” so people wouldn’t call him “sir.”

In everyday life he goes by the name, Allen Rangel.

Although he works in various art styles - including realism - Cers has become most closely associated with graffiti or urban art, but does it the legal way, he says. It’s a style with which he is comfortable, having worked in it since he lived in Mexico City over 10 years ago.

In Mexico, he and a group of fellow artists, calling themselves the “B4S crew,” would literally paint the town in the late 1990s.

The B4S crew adopted their name from a place, Fourth Street in Mexico City. The “B” stands for “brutally.”

While the word “graffiti” may conjure up images of hooliganism, Cers receives permission before applying paint to walls, he said.

Cers, who lives in Aurora with his family, has recently become very active in Aurora’s art scene, showing his work at festivals and art shows, including Hecho en Aurora, Alley Art Festival, and Roots Aurora. Currently, his paintings are on display in the Paramount Theatre’s art gallery. He plans to show his work soon at the Art Bar, a pop-up art gallery that appears the first Friday of each month at Two Brothers Roundhouse.

For Cers, art is a way to communicate ideas and feelings with others. Conflict is a recurring theme in his work, because he sees it as representative of the time in which we live.

Cers likes Aurora because of its relative quiet compared with metropolises like Chicago and Mexico City. He also likes the art community here.

In Mexico City, artists are on their own when it comes to creating and displaying their work, he said. In Aurora, he finds artists to be supportive of one another.

“This would be a good place for a gallery.” Or he will think, “I would like to paint a mural on this wall.”

Cers looks to the future with dreams of one day operating a gallery of his own. He will see a building and think,

Fall / Winter 2013

Downtown Auroran

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash Contributed by Kate Purl – west of downtown

This fun squash makes for a great little side dish. Since making this, it is now my favorite way to eat spaghetti squash. My family loves this versatile, fun cucurbit. This recipe is cheap, easy, and pretty good for you.

Ingredients: • 1 spaghetti squash • 3 T olive oil • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded, plus extra for finishing • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Rub one-and-a-half tablespoons of olive oil onto flesh of the squash.

Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Roast face up on a baking sheet until squash is fork tender, approximately one hour. Remove from oven and let cool. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, separate the strands using a fork.

In a sauté pan, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook while stirring for about five minutes. Add squash and toss to coat.

Continue cooking until squash is hot, then remove from heat and stir in one half cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately, with extra cheese available for topping.

Kate Purl is an amazing person who generously donates her time to cook for Hesed House in Aurora. Purl whips up creative and healthful recipes for her family of four on a regular basis and chronicles the fun on her blog: thereluctanthippie.wordpress.com

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Downtown Auroran

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C u l tu r e S h o c k NOVEMBER

DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION Sat Nov 2 from 1 to 6 Storytelling, bread making, music, Azteca dancers, and more.

Water Street Mall between Downer and Galena, downtown Aurora. Rain location: Aurora Township Youth Center, 313 Gale St. REVITALIZING AURORA’S DOWNTOWN (RAD) BUSINESS WORKSHOP Sat Nov 9 from 9 to 12 Help revitalize downtown Aurora at this round table workshop. Aurora Downtown’s Business and Retention Committee is sponsoring the morning. North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd. auroradowntown.com VETERAN’S DAY PARADE Mon Nov 11 at 10:15 Step off at Benton and Broadway. Parade ends with a remembrance ceremony at G.A.R. aurora-il.org.

STORYTIME AT THE CAFE Mon Nov 18 at 11 The Aurora Public Library hosts an off-site storytime for children with books, dancing and fun, plus a free treat. Free. River’s Edge Cafe, 14 W. Downer Pl. Suite 18. No reg. needed. aurorapubliclibrary.org.

FAMILY READING NIGHT Thurs Nov 21 at 6:30 Celebrate family reading night for an hour at the Aurora Regional Fire Museum hosted by Aurora Public Library. Free. 53 N. Broadway Ave. (630) 264-4123. aurorapubliclibrary.org.

WINTER LIGHTS Fri Nov 22 from 5 to 7:30 Get your holiday spirit on in downtown Aurora!

Mingle with Santa, shop at the DLP, enjoy ethnic foods, and watch the tree lighting.

Downtown Aurora. aurora-il.org.

GINGERBREAD FIREHOUSE CONTEST AND EXHIBIT Sat Nov 30 from 1 to 4 thru the end of Dec Grab the sugar, grab the spice and stop, drop, and roll for the annual fire-themed gingerbread building contest. Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway. auroraregionalfiremuseum.org.

DECEMBER

STORYTIME AT THE CAFE Mon Dec 16 at 11 The Aurora Public Library hosts an off-site storytime for children with books, dancing and fun, plus a free treat. Free. River’s Edge Cafe, 14 W. Downer Pl. Suite 18. No reg. needed. aurorapubliclibrary.org.

WINTER GARDEN OF YOUTH Opens Fri Dec 13 from 5 to 7 An annual exhibit of works of art by Aurora students in grades K through 12. Thru Jan. 24. Open Wed-Sat, noon to 4. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. (630) 9060654. www.aurora-il.org.

JANUARY

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Suggested venues: Ballydoyle, Paramount Theatre, Hollywood Casino, Two Brothers Roundhouse, Chef Amaury at 33 West, La Quinta de los Reyes

LIMITED RUNS & SHOWINGS

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF COMICS Thru Nov 22 Brought to you by downtown Aurora’s own Rotten Apple Studios, several notable and local comic book artists show off their flair for the superhero and more. Open Wed-Sat, noon to 4. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. (630) 906-0650. aurora-il.org AURORA IN THE VIETNAM ERA Nov 8 thru Dec 28 An exhibit sponsored

by Aurora Historical Society of Aurora life during a time that brought us Scooby Doo, miniskirts, the Beatles, women’s lib, civil rights and war. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. (630) 9060650. aurorahistory.net BROAD STROKES: WOMEN WHO HAVE INFLUENCED DOWNTOWN AURORA’S ART SCENE Dec 1 thru Jan 31 Paramount Theatre’s Grand Gallery displays works from notable local women such as Rena Church, Cassidy Alexander, Maureen Gasek and more.

Opens Friday, Dec. 6. Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. paramountaurora.com THE AURORA STORY Continuing The Aurora Historical Society exhibit on the 2nd floor of “The DLP” tells the history of Aurora with fun, vintage displays. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E.Downer Pl. (630) 9060650. aurorahistory.net ART AT CITY HALL: GREATER GENEVA ART GUILD Nov 4 thru April 26 City Hall features works of art on every floor. Open Mon-Fri, 8-5. City Hall, 44 E. Downer Pl. aurora-il.org LITTLE WOMEN Nov 8 thru Nov 30 Friday and Saturday 8 p.m. Riverfront Playhouse, 11-13 Water Street Mall, is a 90-seat, not-for-profit theatre located next to City Hall on the Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora. $15-$17. (630) 897-9496. Reservations recommended. riverfrontplayhouse.com

MUSEUM ROLL CALL

David L. Pierce Art & History Center 20 East Downer Place Aurora Regional Fire Museum 53 North Broadway SciTech Hands On Museum 18 West Benton Street Grand Army of the Republic Museum 23 East Downer Place

Old Train Station

By Mary Rodriguez

ONGOING EVENTS

DAMES Every Monday from 9 to 11 Join other Downtown Aurora Moms Engaged in Society with or without kids. Drink coffee and chat while the kids have fun in the play corner. River’s Edge Cafe, 14 W. Downer Pl. Suite 18.

Need more art and culture?

Visit our blog at downtownauroran.wordpress.com and click on the EVENTS tab to view Marissa’s Calendar.

Fall / Winter 2013

M.U.S.I.C. MONDAYS Mondays from 6 to 7 Local musicians perform in the bookstore. Free. Culture Stock, 43 E. Galena Blvd. M.U.S.I.C. Mondays on Facebook.

CLASSIC MOVIE MONDAYS Mondays at 7 Great, classic movies screen every Monday. $1. Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. paramountaurora.com AURORA LANGUAGE TABLE Wednesdays from 6 to 7 Practice English and Spanish in an informal setting. Free.

Culture Stock, 43 E. Galena Blvd. Culture Stock on Facebook.

DAAM! First Thursday of the month at 8 Join artists of all kinds at informal Downtown Aurora Arts Mixers. Various locations in downtown Aurora. Everyone is welcome. Find the Downtown Auroran group on Facebook for more information.

FIRST FRIDAYS IN DOWNTOWN AURORA: NOV 1, DEC 6, JAN 3, FEB 7 First Friday of the month at 6 Art is alive in downtown Aurora. Enjoy several art openings in one glorious night. Various venues in downtown, including If These Walls Could Talk, Paramount’s Grand Gallery, VARA Design & Studio, The Yetee Gallery, Allen and Pepa, the DLP, and the originator The ArtBar at Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway. auroradowtown.com

Downtown Auroran

Mary Rodriguez lives in Aurora, and with her two children grown, she spends most of her free time volunteering at Hesed House and Triple Threat Mentoring. Her photography won the People’s Choice award at the Aurora ArtWalk in 2012.

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Downtown Auroran

Fall / Winter 2013

Hi s t o r ic a l N o t e s 116 W. Galena Blvd.

Galena Hotel, circa mid - 1800s

By Marissa Amoni

T

he vintage-patterned tile floors and wood phone booth aren’t what one might expect when venturing into the Galena Hotel in downtown Aurora. I’ve been by the old brick building thousands of times without much thought to the interior aesthetics, but I was somehow still surprised by its quiet quaintness.

included the land where the Fox River House once stood. Huntoon rebuilt the hotel as the Huntoon House in 1862.

It was then that the much grander hotel took off as a place to visit and be seen. In 1872, the Huntoon House was extensively remodeled; Huntoon ran it for 26 years before selling it.

At the end of the 1800s, the hotel was known as the Northwestern, and then became the Grand Hotel in 1907. It was sold in 1961 and was renamed the Galena Hotel. It is the oldest hotel still standing in Aurora, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Today, guests stay in rooms equipped with a bed, a telephone, and a television; each floor has a shared bathroom and shower. Only the fourth-floor retains the former hotel layout.

I find it refreshing that Galena Hotel adds not only history but also an urban element to downtown Aurora. As for out-oftowners, they’d be better to not let the name fool them, but instead appreciate the folklore (it is rumored that Lincoln recited a speech from the second-story balcony, but our sources deny the claim, and say the timing would make it impossible since Lincoln only visited the area in the early 1850s) and former prestige of the brick and limestone hotel.

Photos and historical information are courtesy of the Aurora Historical Society. The Aurora Historical Society is located at two sites: Tanner House on Aurora’s West Side and the David L. Pierce Art and History Center in downtown Aurora. aurorahistory.net

The brightly painted first-floor visiting area contains old-world sentiments like an antique grandfather clock and a poster of all of the U.S. presidents, including Barack Obama’s portrait taped up at the bottom. Signs posted on the walls inform guests of local resources and of hotel rules: No smoking. No profanity.

No visitors allowed in rooms.

There was nothing alarming about the place other than one’s own thoughts running wild about the possibilities of a hotel that rents rooms by the week. My visit was brief, just a quarter of an hour on a free morning, so I can’t speak of the single residency rooms on any of the four floors that are rented out for $145 per week. I can only relay the appearance of strict management and low tolerance for aberrant behavior.

Galena Hotel, once known as the Huntoon House, lived a very different life in the mid-1800s when it served as the preeminent place for large parties and civic dinners. Horse-drawn carriages would pull up outside of the hotel, and weddings were performed there frequently in the late 1800s.

The hotel was originally built in 1857 as the Fox River House for A. N. and G. W. Pierce, but a fire destroyed the two-story brick structure and its full-length porches in 1860. Two years prior to the fire, Edward “E. D.” Huntoon purchased 240 acres for $400 that Fall / Winter 2013

Downtown Auroran

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