Downtown Auroran Fall/Winter Issue 2012-2013

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Downtown Auroran FALL/WINTER 2012 - 2013

The New Dozen

12 Who Make Downtown Tick

An Artist Gains Her Husband’s Magic • An Electrified Downtown

art • po etry • re cipe • calendar + more

L OC AL CU LTU RE

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

What a year! Some really great things have happened in Aurora since the start of 2012. Not only have we spent almost the entire year celebrating the city’s 175th anniversary with festivities almost every month, but it was decided that the parking meters are for sure (fingers crossed) going and a new library is coming (keep those fingers crossed).

What I have really enjoyed are all the fantastic new events in downtown. Along with continuing the cherished Louche Puce Market and one-of-a-kind Alley Art Festival, downtown welcomed Flavors of Aurora: Stirred, Not Shaken at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center. Starting in June on a monthly basis, the Aurora Historical Society sponsored the festive evenings filled with food, drinks, dancing, and history. That same month, Two Brothers Roundhouse threw a hugely successful party commemorating their annual Hop Juice beer.

Also this summer, Waubonsee Community College celebrated their first anniversary in downtown Aurora, and Downtown Auroran magazine published its tenth issue.

In the six years that I’ve been back home in Aurora, the downtown has seen a real transformation. From the Holbrook Mill to the Waubonsee campus to the Downer Place bridges, we’ve seen a physical transformation before our eyes, but change also occurred in buildings, in streets, and within tree-lined alleys.

Many of us have seen brilliant movies on the big screen at both the Paramount and Copley Theatres thanks to Tim Rater and Jeanne Norris. We’ve experienced a more family-friendly and eventful farmers market with credit going to city employee, Dee Basile. In October, the Aurora ArtWalk, for the first time, moved just north of downtown to include the popular Broadway corridor, courtesy of Melissa Mercado.

For every great event, there is a dedicated person or group of people to thank for it. Whether it’s a small business or restaurant in downtown Aurora that you are thankful exists, or an annual festivity that you will never miss – there are countless folks who make our downtown tick.

In the eleventh issue of Downtown Auroran magazine, we introduce you to a dozen outstanding folks who are committed to the success and vibrancy of our downtown. We owe them our thanks, but, likely, all they want to see is your presence in our spectacular downtown.

See you downtown!

On our cover is “The Downtown 50,” Aurora artist Jen Evans’ local take on The Downtown 500 - a group of familiar faces among the arts scene in New York City in the 1980s that included artists Keith Haring and Jean–Michel Basquiat.

Fre e d o m

f ro m

Pa i n

Dave Sobotka at Kelmscott Communications Graphic Design Tony Scott Max Balding Amy Roth for the Aurora Public Library Copy Editors Don Picton Amy Perry John Jaros Jason DeLancey Contributors Advertising and Submissions: E-mail downtownauroran@gmail.com.

Spring Issue deadline: Jan. 20.

On the Cover: “The Downtown 50” by Chris Evans.

A Jen Evans production.

Downtown Auroran (DTA) is a local independent operation. We are focused on the downtown and its success – especially the burgeoning arts and culture movement. Opinions are encouraged and expressed, but they are not necessarily those of DTA. 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 2013 issue is available March 1.

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

Copyrighted 2012

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Downtown Auroran

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

Sunken Gardens

index

c over st ory

By Fernando Velázquez

The New Downtown Dozen

By Marissa Amoni

page

6

features What Your Outsides Look Like

Fernando Velázquez lives in Aurora and attends Waubonsee Community College, where he studies art.

By Miguel Saenz

Nina

By Jen Evans Jen Evans lives in an idyllic sixties neighborhood on Aurora’s West Side with her husband, a dog and three beautiful and bright young ladies. Evans was featured in the Winter 2010 issue of Downtown Auroran magazine.

A u ro r a n Wo rd s

page

4

DTA Profile: Cassidy Alexander

page

11

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

Electric Rails in Downtown Aurora

By John Jaros

Celebrating 10 years in

Aurora

Chef Amaury at 33 West

Historical Notes

page

15

Table of Contents

Live Right. Eat Well. in Downtown Aurora Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

33 W. New York St.

4 auroran words 5 locust report 6 cover story 9 comic 10 downtown voices

10 book review 11 artist profile 12 recipe 13 culture shock 15 historical notes

630.375.0426 www.chefamaury.com

Downtown Auroran

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Auroran Words NYC 2000-2005

How to make a Clown

By Tia Brooks

By Aisha Mahmoud Take soil And earth A little of mirth

And some smiles left behind Add some water And some honey To make the mixture kind Get a red nose And some big red shoes With paint that shows For the clown to use Get a big tie and bind it tight Put it to bed And kiss it goodnight Aisha Mahmoud is a sophomore at West Aurora High School. She enjoys running, and acting. Her favorite books are the “Moomin” series by Tove Jansson. She might be listening to Mother-Mother, Interpol, or The Shins.

What Your Outsides Look Like

By Miguel Saenz

Attraction, asset, benefit, boon.

Attitude, aggressive, spectacle.

Skinny. Real Skinny.

Ingenuity and art.

Mama’s and the MoMa. Naked Cowboys and St. Marks.

Wanderlust.

Williamsburg versus Astoria.

24 hour tomato picking stirs my mind.

Creative outlet stifles my thought.

Rejection, reduction, decay.

Everything Flaring.

My world rejects me.

Strangers.

Walk on the right, but don’t walk four across.

My city moves without me.

Tia Brooks presently lives in Oswego after living in Chicago, New York City, and London. She’s at home in prairieland and with the horses she photographs. Brooks showed her vibrant equine photos on the first floor of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum at the last Aurora ArtWalk in October.

What is Culture Stock?

That’s up to you!

Now open in downtown Aurora at 43 E. Galena Blvd.

412 n lake street, aurora

Books. Music. People. Culture.

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Downtown Auroran

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

The L o c u st R ep o r t Reporting the News and Gossip in Downtown Aurora •Y ou wanted a bookstore in downtown Aurora, right? The gods listened. Or Jeannie Norris did, which is close enough. Norris worked with the nonprofit organization L.I.F.T. Aurora to open Culture Stock at 43 E. Galena Blvd. in the Vargas Building at the north end of Water Street Mall. The used bookstore opened for business on Oct. 15 and is enlisting volunteers, teachers, musicians, and more to complete the vision of a cultural and media center in downtown Aurora.

Find Culture Stock on Facebook.

• Art. Academics. Athletics. Triple Threat Mentoring is empowering Aurora’s youth. The organization that emphasizes sports, arts, and friendships is now back where it started five years ago – in downtown Aurora. Executive director Caleb Luper moved the non-profit from LaSalle Street to the Fred Rodgers Center a couple of years ago and now “3T” is moving once again to the Pocus Building at 100 S. River St. Expect a lot of excitement at the southeast corner of Benton and River Streets in the coming months.

• Aurora transplant and “Charlotte Avenue” crooner Jeremy Keen is leaving Wayne’s World for the sunshine state. Keen, a singer, and songwriter who collaborated with Andrea Dawn in The New Automatics, called the move bittersweet. In Florida, he has the opportunity to assist Habitat Humanity’s ReStore community in creating a support model that will ultimately help push more unrestricted funds toward the mission of eradicating substandard housing around the world. “I will certainly miss the love and support of the Aurora community. I have had an amazing few years getting to know the musicians, artists and community activists who all make this a great place to call home,” said Keen, who grew up in Richmond, Texas and moved to Aurora six years ago. Keen is playing a farewell show with The New Automatics on Nov. 9 at Two Brothers Roundhouse.

the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency boasts wide, rounded sidewalk bump outs that will include rain gardens and native plants.

•D o your shopping at Aurora Aglow this holiday season. Aurora Aglow is a pop-up emporium filled with art, crafts, vintage wares, and more at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. in downtown Aurora that starts Dec. 1. The DLP will be open extended hours for your shopping pleasure: noon to 5 p.m.

Wednesday through Sunday and open until 8 p.m. Thursday.

• Aurora is full of legendary folks, but local author Jo Fredell Higgins was faced with the task of narrowing them down to 150 in her new book “Legendary Locals: Aurora.” The book highlights 150 Aurora leaders, past and present, who have made a significant difference in our community. Join Fredell Higgins as she unveils the 128-page book from 1 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 8 at The DLP. •W ord on the street is that Knightsbridge PME School of Cake Decorating purchased the old bank building that formerly served as Unibanc Mortgage Company at 35 N. Broadway. The nearly 8,000-square-foot historic building on the southeast corner of Broadway and New York Street could soon be home to the top notch school that hails from the United Kingdom. If so, it’ll be the sweetest corner in town with two Mexican bakeries just east of the intersection on Galena.

•T he bridges are almost done, or they are finished, depending on when you pick up this magazine. The massive concrete bridges along Downer Place were originally slated for completion by the end of October. That hopeful date was pushed back a month after some construction delays. When the bridges are reopened, expect to travel both east and west on both Downer and Benton as the streets change over to two-way. A new streetscape on Downer paid for in part by

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

Downtown Auroran

•D owntown Aurora lost one of the great ones.

On Sept. 16, just three days before his 59th birthday, Jack Schultz died of a heart attack at Rush-Copley Hospital. Many of us knew Jack from The Riverfront Playhouse where he wrote and directed several plays. We’ll miss his humor and dedication. Our thoughts are with his wife, Sherry, and his children, Heidi and Jackson. Jack was a brilliant man.

• A list to like on Facebook: Aurora Downtown, Paramount Theatre, Yetee Gallery, Free Things to Do in Aurora, IL, Soul Platform.

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Meet the folks who are bringing life to downtown Aurora.

No

developers.

O n e c i t y e m p l o y e e . Tw o f r o m o u t - o f - t o w n . Tw o f r o m o u t - o f - s t a t e .

S e v e n t h i r t y s o m e t h i n g s . Tw e l v e w h o l o v e d o w n t o w n A u r o r a .

H e r e i s (in no particular order) …

The New Dow Words by Marissa Amoni - Image by Jason DeLancey

1. Nicole Mullins, 33, is the executive

director of L.I.F.T. Aurora, the non-profit organization that runs Culture Stock bookstore at 43 E. Galena Blvd. Mullins lives in Miami, Fla. and frequently travels back to her hometown of Aurora since starting L.I.F.T. nearly two years ago. Mullins plans to culture creativity for the entire community within the doors of Culture Stock by offering cultural events, activities, workshops and more. She proves to be a young woman who accomplishes what she sets out to do.

“It feels like the community is making this project their own and the L.I.F.T. board is just leading them on the journey,” Mullins said of Culture Stock in downtown Aurora.

2. Mike Mancuso, 33, quit his day

job a few months ago to dedicate himself to selling and distributing t-shirts out of The Yetee headquarters in the lower level of the Graham Building on Stolp Avenue. He now works with world-famous niche artists on The Yetee’s popular pop culture t-shirts and soonto-launch posters. Mancuso also curates themed gallery art shows in his studio and, at some point, he hopes to open a full-time gallery and retail location in downtown Aurora.

Mancuso is one to watch in the coming months.

“It would be really great to have a store open so people could pop in and pick up some nerdy shirts, or cool art. [I’m] just looking for that perfect spot right now,” Mancuso said.

3. Melissa Meisch-Mercado, 48,

was born and raised in Aurora, and she now lives in North Aurora. She was the go-to person at the Paramount Theatre when she served as the theater’s marketing director until recently. Now Mercado is back running her own graphic design firm, Loco Logos, and does a stellar job as the president of Cultural Creatives, the outfit that puts on the Aurora ArtWalk twice a year. Mercado spent the last five years getting to know downtown Aurora and she knows it well.

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“I wanted to see the arts flourish in downtown Aurora. [Cultural Creatives] had this whacky idea about putting on an ArtWalk in old buildings and it sounded cool. I’ve been with it ever since,” Mercado said.

4. Tim Rater, 37, was hired as the executive director of the Paramount Theatre just over two years ago. The theater has not been the same since. Rater and the posse he brought in had big ideas to produce their own Broadway shows, and it keeps getting bigger and better with almost a season and a half under his belt. Rater relocated to Aurora, and he wants to see downtown develop as a cultural and artistic hub with plenty of shopping, artists, and restaurants – a place where everyone wants to be. His goals for the historic theater are never ending.

“I want the Paramount to be the largest regional theater in Chicago, then the nation. Soon, the Paramount Theatre will produce new works that will be Broadway bound and be around for generations to enjoy,” Rater said.

5. Jeff Noblitt, 35, is the executive

director of marketing and communications at Waubonsee Community College; he also serves as the vice chairman of Aurora Downtown, an organization of downtown property owners. For the last year, Noblitt, who lives on Aurora’s West Side, has worked on strategic planning, budgeting, and marketing for Aurora Downtown. His two roles provide him with a unique perspective on downtown; Noblitt is inspired by the buzz WCC’s new Aurora Campus has created and wants to keep that energy going.

“There’s a strong core of devoted downtown ambassadors. I want to help spread our enthusiasm so that more Aurorans and visitors from surrounding communities come downtown to shop, dine, and play,” Noblitt said.

Downtown Auroran

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

Dozen

nt o w n 6. Jennifer Putzier, 32, lives in

Oswego, but plays daily in Aurora as the decade-long curator at the Aurora Historical Society. Putzier also creates and sells jewelry and is the brainchild behind the revived campaign featuring the 1960s graphic of Andy Aurora as well as this year’s inaugural Aurora Aglow, a pop-up emporium at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center. Planning events is part of her job, but Putzier’s out-of-the-box thinking got to shine through to a wider audience this year due to the city’s 175th anniversary. It’s all in a day’s work to Putzier.

“It is my job to preserve the history of Aurora. I’m helping future storytellers see how their lives fit in and are built upon the lives of Aurorans past,” she said.

7. Chris Bauler, 31, is helping to make

downtown Aurora rock with his position as entertainment coordinator for Two Brothers Roundhouse. Bauler once parked cars for the Roundhouse when it was under previous ownership. Now he books notable local and national acts for the intimate stage in the Roundhouse’s tavern. Bauler is tirelessly dedicated to seeing Two Brothers succeed at the Broadway location, and he assisted in planning the summer’s popular Hop Juice Fest. He’s insistent that good beer, good food, and good music go well together.

“I would love to see Aurora become the live music and craft beer capital of Illinois while retaining our multi-cultural identity,” Bauler said. He added, “I’d like to see Two Brothers Roundhouse be the catalyst for growth and change in downtown Aurora.”

8. Benjie Hughes, 35, is a downtown entrepreneur. Hughes, who lives downtown, quit his job as a reporter at the Beacon-News in 2003 to start Backthird Audio, a recording and production studio at 67 S. Stolp Ave. in downtown Aurora. Recently, Hughes produced both “Made in Aurora” albums

and two albums by Father Peter Bowes. In the past, Hughes organized Tiny Candle, a holiday music concert; he still opens the studio up for the occasional Aurora ArtWalk. Currently, Hughes is repurposing the structure of Backthird Audio into a member’s studio, so that fee-paying members can use the studio at their leisure.

“My dream is a community of artists who are living the creative life, actually making things they are proud of on a daily basis and trying to serve the world by doing so - and with a much broader community of arts lovers and patrons who support and appreciate them enough to make this possible,” Hughes said.

9. Jeannie Norris, 58, has been shaking

up downtown Aurora for about the last six years. The daytime educator and after-school program director spends almost every free minute sharing her love of art, books, film, and vintage goods with the downtown community through events like Aurora ArtWalk, Alley Art Festival, Copley Cinematheque, and Louche Puce Flea Market. Norris’ vision of a cultural center in downtown was fulfilled this year with the opening of Culture Stock bookstore.

Norris sits on the board of L.I.F.T. Aurora and helped guide the way for the cultural and media center at 43 E. Galena Blvd.

“This city is full of the best people, and I think we owe each other a good quality of life,” she says.

10. Delia “Dee” Nila Basile, 62,

has worked for the city of Aurora for a dozen years in several roles. Her latest is as special events coordinator in which she is responsible for coordinating city parades, dedication ceremonies, Fourth of July festivities, and Aurora’s farmers markets. Her first year on the job brought the planning of the market’s 100th anniversary and a new location for the downtown market. Basile is also a behindthe-scenes liaison for Alley Art Festival. No matter what, Basile will find a way to serve the community she loves. Her mantra is “Don’t say no.”

continued on page 8

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

Downtown Auroran

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T h e N e w D o w nt o w n D o z e n

continued from page 7

“It’s about synergy, and we all need to be on the same team working toward one goal: having a vibrant and enterprising city,” Basile said.

11. Jimi Allen, 41, started his own production studio in 2002 out of a co-working space on LaSalle Street in downtown Aurora.

Since purchasing the Coats Garage building at 56 S. LaSalle St. last year, Allen wants to create that same opportunity for other creative types.

Aside from filling the massive building with his own production company and new, reimagined-media business, Bureau Gravity, Allen is in the process of renting out up to 48 co-working spaces to writers, designers, and other freelancers. He is excited to work with other artists and help them. Allen says he enjoys turning creative sparks into flames, and LaSalle Street is a great place to do just that.

“I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I’ve seen so many places and art districts and I’ve been all over and LaSalle Street feels just right. It’s just so fun. We’re all going to see something. We have to be patient and watch for it,” Allen said.

12. John “Yahya” Blassingame, 41,

introduced spoken word to Aurora.

Blassingame is a community activist and poet who produced dozens of spoken word shows in downtown Aurora and beyond over the last few years. Blassingame, who grew up on Aurora’s East Side, spent time in prison for “gangbanging, guns and drugs.” After he was released in 2001, Blassingame made it his mission to introduce the creative arts to the community, so he could give both children and adults an avenue to channel their energies.

Even though he recently transferred to Ohio for his job as a warehouse worker, Blassingame still returns to Aurora on a regular basis to keep spoken word alive.

“I hope to make a change in downtown by creating a more diverse atmosphere downtown that caters to all genres, in hopes to bring more local support to our beautiful downtown area,” he said.

To learn more about The New Downtown Dozen, visit downtownauroran.wordpress.com.

If you’re reading this magazine, you know as well as we do that a lot is happening in downtown Aurora. Founded in 1975, Aurora Downtown is an association of approximately 250 property owners within the neighborhood.

We are a Special Service Area governed by a 24-member board of directors.

Aurora Downtown contributes to the success of the neighborhood through numerous initiatives such as: • Advocacy for the downtown community • Street planters, hanging baskets, trees and landscaping • Sponsorship of events, including Blues on the Fox, Downtown Alive!, Aurora ArtWalk and many others • Holiday street decorations

• Lobbying to remove downtown parking meters • Homeless assistance • Award-winning cell phone tour detailing the history of our neighborhood • Sharing all of the exciting news about our downtown

Contact Bob Reuland for more information at (630) 336-1310 or info@auroradowntown.org.

Check us out online at www.auroradowntown.org.

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Downtown Auroran

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

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9

D ow n t o w n V o ic es DTA Q & A: Derby Girl

Book Review

Name: Kelly Krupa Derby name: Cherry Sleezecake Derby status: A team prospect on the Aurora 88s roller derby league.

Age: 25 Town: Aurora Married: Nope Children: Two, if my cats count.

Best known for: Big hair, red lipstick, and being sassy!

Something that you’ve done that you want to do again: Travel, I used to do one vacation a year, but life has since caught up to me.

Something that you’ve done that you never want to do again: Eat brussels sprouts, no matter how much butter you put on them, they’re still nasty.

Favorite piece of derby apparel: Who doesn’t love fishnet stockings?

How did you “pick” your derby name? I’ve always been obsessed with cherries and have them tattooed on the backs of both of my legs, so it just made sense. I’m probably one of the least sleazy people around so it became more of a facetious alter ego. Alas, Cherry Sleezecake was born!

Why did you want to join the derby team? My fellow league member, Eve Ill (Cheryl Kastle) introduced me to it, and I fell in love. At first, I was pretty intimidated by all of the talented ladies and how I would stack up. I’ve since come to realize everyone is super welcoming and supportive, and we all have room to grow and improve on our skills.

Have you been injured yet and how? Nothing more than a few blisters, bruises, and the occasional rink rash.

What is your favorite derby move? I’m newer to this sport and have recently been learning to booty block. I have to say making contact and hitting chicks is pretty exciting.

What do you hope children get out of derby? I don’t have any children of my own, but my boyfriend’s daughter is four and she absolutely loves roller derby! She’s always telling me that she wants to play roller derby when she’s a grown-up and gets super excited when she gets to wear her Aurora 88s shirt. I think it’s a very empowering sport, and it makes me very proud that she looks up to me for it.

Why should women consider joining a roller derby team? It’s like going to anger management while simultaneously getting in shape. It has given me more confidence than you can even imagine. And above all, it’s FUN!

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The Passage

By Justin Cronin

You can forget about Bella and Edward. Those so-called vampires in the Twilight series that the kids go gaga over do not stand a chance against the blood-thirsty monsters Justin Cronin features in The Passage. Although Cronin doesn’t stray too far from historic traditions of vampires (keeping with tales that vampires get destroyed in the sun and can only be killed with a shot to the heart), the storyline is fresh and is set in a not-so-distant future America.

The Passage, the first installment of a vampire trilogy, begins with a breach in a top-secret U.S. government experiment that unleashes a horrific vampire virus.

Within days, the virus spreads across the continental United States, creating immense destruction and the end of civilization as we know it; human beings are no longer on the top of the food chain. Cronin tells the story of the human fight for survival through a cast of many unique characters: FBI agent Brad Wolgast, Amy Harper Bellafonte, a six-year-old orphan on whom the survival of humankind depends, and Peter Jaxon, an individual waiting to come into his own.

The Passage is not merely a gruesome slasher-thriller, but instead a suspenseful, well-written, on-the-edgeof-your-seat adventure that chronicles the struggle for survival. If you are a fan of The Walking Dead series and other apocalyptic fiction, this book is a must.

I highly recommend The Passage to anyone looking for a suspenseful thriller that is rich with character-driven storylines. It’s also a great read for vampire lovers. Twilight fans beware.

--- Frank Murray, Aurora Public Library

630.897.3343 • theriversedgecafe.com 10

Downtown Auroran

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

A rt is t P r o file DTA Profile: Cassidy Alexander Interview by Amy Perry

F

rom a very young age, pencil in hand, Cassidy Alexander was an artist. She continues to pursue her art in the form of memorial portraits, pet portraits, pastels, and silhouettes. It was later on, after she met her late husband and magician, David Alexander, that she would delve into the world of magic and publishing. Since her husband’s death, she continues to accomplish and create and overcome.

A native of California, Alexander recently learned how to ride a bike in her neighborhood on Aurora’s West Side. She grew up in the Hollywood Hills with inconducive streets and “blind curves.” She spent most of her time inside drawing.

Downtown Auroran: When did you realize portrait drawing was your calling?

Cassidy Alexander: I loved drawing as a child, and when I was about 12 or 13, I really focused on faces. I drew them everywhere, all over the margins of my homework, on every scrap of paper I could get my hands on. My neighbor, who was an art director and a wood sculptor, noticed I had a gift for portraiture and encouraged me, as did my parents.

When I went to college the emphasis was on abstract art and wild ideas. I learned about art history and various styles and movements, but I was very unhappy there, so I studied privately with artists whose work I admired, and that is how I learned. I even studied anatomy, composition, perspective, and color theory privately.

DTA: What have been some of your favorite commissions?

CA: I’ve had thousands of portrait commissions over the course of 35 plus years, but there are always a few that stand out. The portrait I did of my brother-in-law for his funeral was the hardest one I ever did, for the sheer emotional toll it took on me, but it meant a lot for the family and began my determination to donate portraits to law enforcement departments and families whenever I could. Memorial portraits have an extra meaning, an extra burden, to get them exactly right. Each time I do police or deputy sheriff portraits, I am moved to work especially hard because I know what it means to the families.

DTA: What other forms of art do you enjoy creating?

CA: I work with oil, pastel, charcoal, and graphite in my work, and have studied still life and landscape as well as portraits, so I do like to do them occasionally. Within the last year, I have taken up the art of silhouette cutting to continue where David left off. After all, I watched him cut for so many years, and I have all the special materials that it takes. It was very frustrating at first. When you are used to a pencil or brush, and now you have to look and cut with scissors only - no preliminary drawing - well, it’s like trying to draw left-handed looking in a mirror! But I persevered and have had several gigs now, to good reviews.

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

DTA: How did you and David meet?

CA: David was a Private Investigator when I met him. He was working for a private company under their license, but only worked as a PI for about six years.

He mainly was a magician, and never really gave up “I suppose I’m used to having performing. David and I several projects going at once met by computer dating.

- that’s how we always lived. It Each of us had filled out makes for an interesting life, and a questionnaire about I hope to keep finding ways to ourselves and the person make life interesting.” we’d like to meet. We met in early 1975 - a blind

Cassidy Alexander date. This was the earliest computer dating ever - no videos or even photos! We liked each other immediately and after two other dates (I had made a lot of dates because of the match-ups) I knew he was the one. We were pretty inseparable after that. (I moved in with him five weeks later.) We got married two years to the day that we met. David thought I was very talented and always supported my artwork and gave me more confidence.

DTA: How did David get started with silhouettes?

CA: He always loved silhouettes and in 1976 we went to Disneyland and we stopped in the silhouette shop there, where he struck up a conversation with the lead artist. To make a long story short, he taught the man magic tricks and the man taught David to cut silhouettes. David was never an artist before, but had superior hand-eye coordination.

As with everything else, David threw himself into it with a passion, and started collecting right from the beginning. In 1978, we bought a motor home and traveled the country doing art shows: I did pastel portraits and he cut silhouettes. We did pretty well and had a lot of adventures, some of which involved meeting every silhouette artist David could find and exchanging information and silhouettes.

DTA: Let’s play “Five Favorites.”

CA: (Color) Blue-violet. (Singer) Ellie Goulding. (Year) 1975.

(Artist) John Singer Sargent.

(Website) Upworthy.

Cassidy Alexander continues to paint portraits and grow her late husband’s silhouette legacy out of her home studio. She recently published and illustrated “The Essential Sol Stone,” a book about Sol Stone, the “unsung hero of coin magic.” Her oil portrait of the late Auroran resident, Anne Goldsmith, now hangs in the Paramount Anne Goldsmith of Aurora Theatre. cassidyalexander.com. painted by Cassidy Alexander

Downtown Auroran

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Pumpkin Muffins Contributed by Kate Purl – west of downtown

winter

LIGHTS Friday, November 16 from 5:00 - 7:30p.m.

A FREE, family friendly event featuring, art, music, lights and complimentary treats on Downer Place.

Shop at the David L. Pierce Art & History Center

This fall treat is a Purl original and works well for both bread loaves and muffins depending on your mood. Send wrapped up pumpkin muffins along in your child’s lunchbox, bring them to holiday get-togethers, or fill a basket with them for a neighbor.

Ingredients: • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour • 1 tsp. baking soda • 3/4 tsp. salt • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg • 1/4 tsp. cloves • 1/8 tsp. ground ginger

• 2 cups pumpkin puree (this is roughly the same amount you get from a can, if you are out of pumpkin) • 2 eggs • 3/4 cup sugar • 1/4 cup honey • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients (except sugar) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients and sugar until thoroughly mixed.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir gently just until the flour is incorporated – do not over mix. Pour into greased muffin pan or three mini-loaf pans. Bake until done – start checking muffins (toothpick test) at about 25 minutes.

An educator who is currently in a mom role, Kate Purl is an avid Aurora Farmers Market patron in the summer and fall months. 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

where artisans will have numerous holiday treasures on display for purchase. Stroll streets lit with luminaria while sipping hot cocoa and

Arboretum

By Jeff Burk

listening to holiday carols. The City of Lights Holiday Tree will be lit at 6 p.m. at the North Island Center. See Santa and Mrs. Claus along with Miss Merry Christmas and Jack Frost.

Immediately following the tree lighting, Santa will be available for photo ops at the Art & History Center so be sure to bring your wish list.

Experience bright holidays in the City of Lights.

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

culturalcreatives,inc.

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Jeff Burk is a long-time photographer and educator. He moved to Aurora over two years ago. jeffburk-photo.com Downtown Auroran

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

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

DAY OF THE DEAD Fri Nov 2 from 1 to 5 Storytelling, bread making, music, Azteca dancers, and more.

Water Street Mall between Downer and Galena, downtown Aurora. Bad weather location: Aurora Township Youth Center, 313 Gale St. FLAVORS OF AURORA: STIRRED NOT SHAKEN - WORLD Fri Nov 2 from 5 to 8 A free cocktail reception within the yearlong exhibit, Aurora Story, featuring a mini-exhibit of the history and cultures of the newest citizens of Aurora from around the world. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. (630) 906-0650. aurorahistory.net.

ARTBAR FIRST FRIDAY: ALL SOULS Fri Nov 2 at 6 Come celebrate Day of the Dead with art, music, and drinks. Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway. The ArtBar on Facebook.

VETERAN’S DAY PARADE Sun Nov 11 at 10:15 Step off at Prisco Community Center due to Downer Place bridge construction. The processional will head east on Illinois Avenue to Veterans Island. aurora-il.org.

STORYTIME AT THE CAFE Mon Nov 12 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.

COPLEY CINEMATHEQUE Tue Nov 13 at 7:30 Local film society City Cineastes screens Stranger Than Paradise, a 1984 absurdist/deadpan comedy by Jim Jarmusch. $5/members, $8/non-members. Copley Theatre in North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd. citycineastes@gmail.com.

FAMILY READING NIGHT Thur Nov 15 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 16 from 5 to 7:30 Get your holiday spirit on in downtown Aurora! Mingle with Santa, shop at The DLP, and watch the tree lighting. Downtown Aurora. aurora-il.org.

CULTURE STOCK GRAND OPENING Fri Nov 16 from 10 a to 9 p Stop by the used bookstore and cultural center in downtown Aurora. Vargas Building, 43 E. Galena Blvd.

Culture Stock on Facebook.

9 BITS ART SHOW Sat Nov 17 6 to 10 Art inspired by video games. Yetee Gallery, 33 S. Stolp, lower level. yeteegallery.com.

ART SHOW AT THE WEB: ARTIST UNLEASHED Sat Nov 17 at 7 Artlife and The Web present a night of art and fun. The Web Tavern, 134 W. Downer Pl. GINGERBREAD FIREHOUSE CONTEST AND EXHIBIT Sat Nov 24 from 1 to 4 thru Dec 20 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.

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

DECEMBER

AURORA AGLOW Dec 1 thru 23 A pop-up art shop for the holidays. Open Wed-Sun, noon to 5. Free.

David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. aurorahistory.net BOOK SIGNING: LEGENDARY LOCALS OF AURORA Sat Dec 8 from 1 to 3 Meet author Jo Fredell Higgins. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. aurorahistory.net STORYTIME AT THE CAFE Mon Dec 10 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.

COPLEY CINEMATHEQUE Tue Dec 11 at 7:30 Local film society City Cineastes with the support of Paramount Theatre screens Miller’s Crossing, a 1990 gangster film by the Coen Brothers. $5/ members, $8/non-members. Copley Theatre in North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd. citycineastes@gmail.com.

WINTER GARDEN OF YOUTH Opens Fri Dec 14 from 5 to 7 An annual exhibit of works of art by Aurora students in grades K through 12. Open Wed-Sun, noon to 4. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. (630) 906-0654. www.aurora-il.org.

JANUARY

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

FEBRUARY

Shop at Aurora Aglow

AHS SUNDAY LECTURE: PRIVY TO THE PAST Sun Feb 17 at 2 Urban archaeologist Mike Renaud has been digging in the outhouses of old Aurora homes for decades; hear about his discoveries. $3 members/$5 non-members. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. Call to reserve seats (630) 906-0650.

LIMITED RUNS & SHOWINGS

SUENOS Y ESPEJOS, ARTISTAS DE AMERICA LATINA Thru Nov 30 Translated as “Dreams and Mirrors, Latin American Artists,” the exhibit includes various artists such as renowned Chicago artist Oscar Martinez. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. (630) 256-3340. aurora-il.org THE AURORA STORY Thru Dec 29 The Aurora Historical Society exhibit on the 2nd floor of “The DLP” tells the history of Aurora. Open Wed-Sun, noon to 5. Free. David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E.Downer Pl. (630) 906-0650. aurorahistory.net

Need more art and culture?

Visit our blog at downtownauroran.wordpress. com and click on the EVENTS tab.

Downtown Auroran

ART AT CITY HALL: AURORA IN PICTURES, 175 YEARS Thru Jan 11 More than 120 photographs and other images of Aurora from the 1840s through the present day. Open Mon-Fri, 8-5.

City Hall, 44 E. Downer Pl. aurora-il.org RIVERFRONT PLAYHOUSE Call for current schedule. Riverfront Playhouse, 11-13 Water Street Mall, is a 90-seat, not-forprofit theatre located next to City Hall on the Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora. $12-$15.

(630) 897-9496. Reservations recommended. riverfrontplayhouse.com

ONGOING EVENTS

DAMES Every Monday from 9:30 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.

CLASSIC MOVIE MONDAYS Mondays at 7 Great, classic movies screen every Monday. $1. Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. paramountaurora.com DAAM! First Thursday of the month at 7:30 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.

ARTBAR FIRST FRIDAYS First Friday of the month at 6 Enjoy themed artwork by local artists, music and drinks.

Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway. The ArtBar on Facebook.

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

Tracks

By Brian Reynolds

Brian McReynolds lives on the West Side of Aurora with his wife and three children.

McReynolds specializes in family, wedding, senior and art photography.

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3 broaDway exTravaGaNzas For $63

Nov 21-Dec 30

JaN 16 - Feb 3

Mar 6 - 24 Limited Time offer Go to Paramountaurora.com or call 630-896-6666 14

Downtown Auroran

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

H i s t o r ic a l N o t es Electric Rails in Downtown Aurora

By John Jaros

In the mid1930s, the local streetcars were replaced by buses, but the interurban trains continued to run. They were removed from the downtown streets and put on a siding CA & E Terminal Building, Galena & Broadway, 1926 along the river, with the terminal point just north of the New York Street Bridge, along the east bank of the river.

Paramount Theatre & Streetcar on Galena Boulevard, 1931

A

urora’s first streetcars, implemented in 1882, were drawn by mules. Aurora got electric streetcars in 1891, a year after Elgin.

During the late 1890s, a number of electric train lines began operations throughout the Fox Valley; these were consolidated in 1902 as the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago Railroad, a major interurban line. Twenty years later, the name changed to the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA & E)—affectionately called the “Roarin’ Elgin.”

Powered by electricity, most of the in-town service was run with overhead electric lines that the cars (about 11 of them) attached to by means of a pole on top. Traveling out of town and into outlying rural areas, the cars were powered by an electrified “Third Rail” that ran along the outside of the tracks.

From 1914 to 1935, the six-story Knell Block at the northwest corner of Broadway and Galena Boulevard was the “Terminal Building,” while serving as the line’s terminal station as well as business offices.

All told, the line operated for nearly sixty years, running local streetcar lines in Fox Valley communities and connecting them with other suburbs and with downtown Chicago. In the 1940s, it was still carrying over 30,000 riders a day, but factors such as highway expansion led to the eventual end of passenger service.

At noon on July 3, 1957, passenger service on the line ceased, with no pre-warning. Commuters who rode the CA & E downtown to work in the morning had to find other means to get home. The line continued to move freight before finally ceasing all operations in 1961.

John Jaros is the executive director of the Aurora Historical Society. The Aurora Historical Society is located at two sites: Tanner Museum and David L. Pierce Art and History Center.

The society has spent the last year celebrating Aurora’s 175th anniversary.

One line going west came across the island on Downer Place and went out the middle of West Downer to Le Grande Boulevard. When Aurora University opened in 1912, that line was extended south on Le Grande Boulevard to Marseillaise Place to accommodate the students.

The main line going east went out New York Street, with some branches north and south. Going south, one line went south on Lincoln to about Spring Lake Cemetery. One line branched off and went down Union Street to Parker Avenue, and then east straight into Phillips Park.

Another line went north on Lake Street to Illinois (in the 1920s, this went all the way north to Exposition Park). Yet another line went up Penn Avenue to the Driving Park (it closed about 1922 when Exposition Park opened).

Fall & Winter 2012 - 2013

Downtown Auroran

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The Downtown 50

Illustrations by Chris Evans