May 2015 South Aurora Magazine

inside this issue

CELEBRATE MEMORIAL DAY PAGE 5

AURORA FOX ARTS CENTER PAGE 7

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CONTENTS SOUTH AURORA MAGAZINE

southauroramagazine.com

This Issue

South Aurora

Magazine

May 2015 Volume 7 Issue 5 PUBLISHER MIKE WAID

mike.waid@waidpublishing.com 303-805-9455 xt 700

AD SALES JAMY BEATON

jamy@waidpublishing.com 303-805-9455 xt 705

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ADRIENNE ZEAK BRUST

adrienne@waidpublishing.com 303-805-9455 xt 701

5 7 11 12

MEMORIAL DAY

Honor those men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to guarantee your freedoms

AURORA FOX ARTS CENTER

A historic landmark located at 9900 East Colfax in the Aurora Cultural Arts District, is the city’s performing arts center.

BOOKENDS

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

LOCAL AUTHOR

Duplicity by N.K. Traver

7

WIN TICKETS TO RICK SPRINGFIELD! How would you like tickets to see Rick Springfield during the Parker Days Festival? It’s easy, just visit southauroramagazine. com and click the CONTEST tab for details on how you can win!

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South Aurora Magazine is published 12 times per year by Waid Publishing (www.

WaidPublishing.com), a division of Mike Waid & Associates, Inc. (www.MikeWaid.com), 19751 E. Mainstreet, Suite R-18, Parker, CO 80138, 303805-9455. South Aurora Magazine is available online at www.southauroramagazine.com.

South Aurora Magazines is a trademark of Waid Publishing. All rights reserved. The views, opinions and/or statements made or expressed by individuals and/or entities, are not necessarily reflective of the views and opinions of Waid Publishing. No part of this publication may be reproduced without explicit permission from South Aurora Magazine. Copyright 2015 South Aurora Magazine - All rights Reserved.

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Memorial Day in Parker H

onor those men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to guarantee your freedoms at the 6th Annual Memorial Day Veterans’ Service of Remembrance. This year’s event will be held on Monday, May 25, 2015, 10 AM at the Parker Cemetery on Parker Road.

MAY 2015

This event is a unique opportunity for our community to give honor and remembrance to those who have served our great nation. Representatives from local government and National Armed Services will be presenting their thoughts and inspiration on behalf of our fallen heroes. Families are welcome but come early as this free event fills up fast.

For more information on this powerful event, please contact Steve Travino, owner of Ponderosa Valley Funderal Services, by email at info@ ponderosavalleyfunerals.com.

5 SOUTH AURORA MAGAZINE

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MAY 2015

PROFESSIONAL LIVE THEATRE IN THE HEART OF AURORA’S CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT. 7 SOUTH AURORA MAGAZINE

T

he Aurora Fox Arts Center, a historic landmark located at 9900 East Colfax in the Aurora Cultural Arts District, is the city’s performing arts center. The Aurora Fox is a 245 seat performing arts facility, with attached rehearsal and scenery shop facilities.

A former movie theatre that was built in 1946, the Aurora Fox was completely renovated and reopened in March of 1985.

MAY 2015

Owned and operated by the City of Aurora Cultural Services Division, the 245-seat Aurora Fox Arts Center is home to the Aurora Fox Theatre Company, a professional company widely recognized for its eclectic, high-quality fare, the Aurora Fox Studio Theatre a smaller black-box theatre where more cutting-edge works are produced, and the Aurora Fox Children’s Theatre, which annually produces the popular Little Foxes Summer Theater for youngsters. Having just celebrated 29 successful seasons, The Aurora Fox guarantees many opportunities to relax, have fun, and get excited again.

The Aurora Fox offers the residents of Aurora and the metro area enjoyment of professional quality performances in a smaller, intimate, and accessible performing space. Our goals are to bring new plays to the metro region for both our main stage and children’s seasons, provide opportunities for children to perform in a professional environment, and provide opportunities for minority performers and audiences in the community to be involved in the performing arts.

In addition to performances by the Center’s resident groups, the Aurora Fox Arts Center books other local and regional groups for performances at the Center through co-sponsoring with Colorado Cultural Connections, Aurora Sentinel, LaVoz, and Colorado Folk Arts Council, a multi-cultural series featuring performing groups that represent Aurora’s many ethnic communities.

The Aurora Fox Arts Center is available to rent for meetings, seminars, workshops, performances, and other community events. For information on the Aurora Fox, visit them online at aurorafoxartscenter.org.

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MAY 2015 9 SOUTH AURORA MAGAZINE

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BOOKENDS The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion How does a socially-challenged genetics professor find the perfect wife? He launches the wife project, complete with an extensive questionnaire to weed out imperfect candidates. Don Tillman describes himself as simply having his brain wired differently and finds comfort in an extensive schedule, which he follows daily. As he works on his wife project, his friends Gene and Claudia try to give him guidance in his search.

When Don meets Rosie, however, his scheduled days turn upside down.

PAM: Becky, I have been looking at this book for some time and was excited to read it. It is a quirky story with unique characters, although it took me a little while to connect with them. Did you find the same or did you find connections right away?

BECKY: I like oddball characters and connected to Don right away. He reminds me of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory so he grabbed my attention from the beginning. Although, I can see how Don can be hard to connect with as he is very black and white while viewing people and situations. It could make him seem cold but I think that if you give this book a little time then you can’t help but see his huge heart. What did you think about his friend Gene?

PAM: I had warring feelings about Gene. I loved the way he and his wife accepted and included Don, regardless of his lack of social skills. However, his laissez-faire attitude about his marriage made me frustrated during the story. His patient and forgiving wife was so helpful with Don and his “project.” Did you enjoy their connection?

MAY 2015

BECKY: I did. She was very supportive and motherly towards Don. Claudia had great advice for him and genuine concern for his success in all facets of his life.

However, I feel that Don’s lack of social skills often caused her some grief. She had an “open” marriage with Gene, and Don would often share information with little tact. Yet, she had nothing but love for Don. What did you think about Don’s multiple page survey for potential dates? What would your response had been if Mike presented you with such a document?

PAM: What a great question! Don produced a long survey to try to streamline his search for a wife.

He hoped to eliminate “candidates” that were not

11 SOUTH AURORA MAGAZINE

a perfect match for him through this very detailed questionnaire. At first, before we get to know Don, I can honestly say that I was offended. I would certainly have put the questionnaire through the paper shredder if Mike had handed me one to complete. Of course, after getting to know him I would have filled it out, no matter how long! Gene decides to “help” Don by processing all of the surveys that are submitted. When Rosie enters his office, he assumes Gene sent her after approving a survey and he immediately makes a date with her. What was your first impression of Rosie?

BECKY: From the beginning she seems like a lady we would be friends with. She was quite the opposite of Don with her casual demeanor and spunky attitude. We meet Rosie within the first 40 pages of the book and the title already gives us the clue about who this book is about. Were you disappointed that the author made this fact so obvious early in the story?

PAM: It didn’t bother me that the author introduced Rosie early in the story because her character was so unique with many layers. She certainly kept Don on his toes! Don was used to everything being precise and consistent in his daily life. He even ate the same exact thing on the same day each week. Rosie shook his well laid plans right from the start. As the author takes us through their first date, it was certainly a comedy of errors. Did you enjoy reading about this through Don’s perspective?

BECKY: I find his perspective to everyday events to be amusing. The restaurant has a dress code and he is adamant that his Gore-Tex jacket is far superior to the dinner jacket that is required. Most men would simply comply with the rules and move on.

Don however, is ready to stand his ground and plead his case. It is during this event that we see a glimpse into a different side of Don. Previously in the day, he discovers that no reservations are available for the time he is to meet Rosie. This intelligent man quickly hacks into the restaurant’s software and makes a VIP reservation. Later in the story there are other situations for which he bends the rules to fulfil his own agenda. Why do you think that he feels justified to manipulate the system?

PAM: Don has a different way of looking at things.

He makes decisions based on the facts he has and in his mind the choice is logical, therefore acceptable. I bet if someone asked him he wouldn’t classify his decisions as right or wrong, but rather as necessary or not. This aspect of his character made him more likeable after

becoming acquainted with him throughout the story. During his first date with Rosie, Don decides she doesn’t meet the parameters he has set for his wife. However, he commits to helping her try to find her real father. This becomes a very complicated and challenging project, but Don is determined to see it through. This brings about many adventures for the pair. Did you love when Don worked as a bartender for a function to try to further their “investigation?”

BECKY: Although Rosie doesn’t fit his parameters he has a beautiful line early in the book. I have heard the word stunning used to describe women, but this was the first time I had actually been stunned by one. Clearly his heart felt differently! In an effort to collect, and then sample DNA, Rosie and Don become bartenders for an evening. This was the first time that we saw Don comfortable in a social setting.

He was attentive and funny, while in constant pursuit of his goal. It was fun to see him let go a little bit and fit into a social setting with such success. Do you think that the second book, The Rosie Effect would be as enjoyable as this one or did you get your fill of quirky Don? PAM: I think it would be interesting to see Don evolve as his experiences diversified during the story.

Perhaps we will follow him in his next adventure, but for now we must say goodbye to Don. Where will you take us next month, Becky?

BECKY: We are going to Afghanistan to learn about the lives of two women from different centuries. Join us as we read The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi. See you next month!

LOCAL AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Duplicity by N.K. Traver

A

computer-hacking teen. The girl who wants to save him. And a rogue mirror reflection that might be the death of them both.

In private, seventeen-year-old Brandon hacks bank accounts just for the thrill of it.

In public, he looks like any other tattooed bad boy with a fast car and devil-may-care attitude. He should know: he’s worked hard to maintain that façade. With inattentive parents who move constantly from city to city, he’s learned not to get tangled up in things like friends and relationships. So he’ll just keep living like a machine, all gears and wires.

Then two things shatter his carefully-built image: Emma, the kind, stubborn girl who insists on looking beneath the surface – and the small matter of a mirror reflection that starts moving by itself.

Not only does Brandon’s reflection have a mind of its own, but it seems to be grooming him for something – washing the dye from his hair, yanking out his piercings, swapping his black shirts for… pastels. Then it tells him: it thinks it can live his life better, and it’s preparing to trade places.

And when it pulls Brandon through the looking-glass, not only will he need all his ill-gotten hacking skills to escape, but he’s going to have to face some hard truths about who he’s become. Otherwise he’ll be stuck in a digital hell until he’s old and gray, and no one will even know he’s gone.

Duplicity is available online at www.nktraver.com

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