Good Morning Aurora

Aviation, Nikon, getting the right shot & motivation; what a great way to start the day! Today we had the pleasure of sitting down with Mr. Joseph Weber who is an Aurora resident, knowledgeable photographer & senior at Louis University in Romeoville. Interestingly enough, we'd been fans of Mr. Weber's work for a very long time so this was history in the making. Lots of people take pictures but very few are photographers so it's good to pick the brain of a man dedicated to the craft. On the subject of aviation and flying we learned a whole lot! It was particularly cool to learn about the well-known acronym in the flight community: I.M.S.A.F.E (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue & Eating or Emotion). You can also apply that to everyday life and Mr. Weber certainly is an advocate for those healthy everyday life principles. Super shout-outs from Mr. Weber to the photography community and all who've been helpful and have provided advice along the way. Special shout outs to the Paramount Theatre, Leland Towers and the Dupage County airport. Shout out to ATC (Air Traffic Control), City of Aurora & Aero Estates. Tredwell, Aurora Public Art and a "thank you" to all of the Grandfather's that sparked passion in the minds of grandchildren. Be motivated, blessed and powerful today!

Our good friend and fellow veteran Endure (aka Alex Garcia) came through the show this morning and the interview was VERY powerful. Joining the military at age 17, it was refreshing to get the perspective of a young veteran in our current (social) climate. Speaking from an east side perspective, Alex shared with us lessons learned over the years, but also expectations and accountability. In this episode we also focus heavily on the arts, hip hop and the life of a DJ. Good Morning Aurora is proud to know so many talented fellow Auroran's and we're consistently impressed by what we see and hear. And of course, family is key so as the brother Endure said: "shout out to my wife." Much love and shout outs to Aurora Food Pantry, Two Brothers, AMVETS, American Legion & AVAC and Tredwell. Shout out to our brother Chicano,  PreMil and the homie Tojo. Extra special thanks go to Aurora Public Library, McCarty Mills and all wives and Moms. Be blessed and powerful on this Tuesday. We are the hardest working podcast; for the people and by the people. 

Today we had a very strong, spirited and heartfelt discussion with our friend Sandra Gonzalez. Sandra is the co-director of the Aurora Rapid Response Team. She has a background as a high-school teacher and strong community partner and advocate for the rights of undocumented citizens. The Rapid Response Team does a lot of great work in Aurora and the staff is on the ground to help and provide resources to those vulnerable populations. We were fortunate enough to listen to a past discussion on anti-blackness that was held by the team online. Continuing that discussion is important in our current time. We talk about ethnic prejudices, machismo, hateful words and the impact of religion and its under-pinning of racism. There will definitely be a part two to today's discussion; we are pleased and honored that Sandra shared her experience with us! Shout outs go to Goldfinch Cafe & Branch Gardens for their Pancake Breakfast Saturday (great turnout!) and also Aurora Public Library. Good job to all the vendors who took part in the Craft & Vendor show at Luigi's Pizza over the weekend. Shout out to the Aurora Rapid Response Team, Tredwell Coffee & McCarty Mills. Shout out to all small businesses in Aurora. Be blessed and powerful this Monday and have a great week!

"Look at the person, not the case.", those are the words of candidate for Kane County States Attorney Jamie Mosser. This mornings interview was not only informative it was very motivating. Did you know that the legal system of New Orleans (Louisiana) practices 'Napoleonic Law' (or code), as opposed to "common law"? Think about that. Jamie spoke to us about life and family, the law and being a lawyer. From Bar exams to various divisions of the practice, all we did was learn this morning! We got the chance to ask questions and hear directly from a person involved daily in change. In our everyday lives very few of us are thinking about the nuances in the law and their impact. But depending on your community, its demographic and perhaps even district; your experience with the law may be starkly different. But what's necessary to effect long-lasting change? Better yet, who's trying to make those changes?  Listen to the interview as we learn from Jamie. She's an asset to Kane County. Big time shout outs to the Kane County Sheriff's Office, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx and The Venue Online (Larry McCray Saturday!). Can't forget the Aurora Public Library and the Craft & Vendor show at Luigi's Saturday & Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. Goldfinch Cafe, Branch Gardens and Kids Eat Free Sunday's (free kids meal w/purchase of adult entree) is back at Gillerson's! Be safe, be blessed and powerful this weekend. We return Monday at 8 am. Peace!

Today our co-host Sal interviewed Cristian Saenz, an Insurance Agent with Country Financial. Great information in this episode! Financial wellness and health is important and Christian drops a lot of knowledge to our listeners. From investment management to home and commercial insurance, the possibilities are endless and Cristian is very knowledgeable. Life, customer services and everything in-between, this was a good discussion. Shout outs to the Aurora Public Library, Marie Wilkinson's Food Pantry & our friends at VizoArts. Michael Rawls Friday at McCarty Mills shout out this Friday and tune in to the Aurora Public Art Virtual Summer Programming. Also a shout out to Aurora Downtown, Two Brother Roundhouse and All Spoked Up. Be powerful and stay tuned!

Today was a great part two of the live show; your favorite news show is now daily on Facebook live! Another great discussion in the studio with many shout-outs of things to come. In this episode we remind the community of the S.T.E.A.M Summer Camp, Aurora Public Library Food Drive Thursday (w/ Marie Wilkinson's Food Pantry & Toyota) and August West livestream. The August West show will be streaming online from SciTech so tune in to that. Goldfinch Cafe is holding a pancake breakfast at Branch Gardens on Saturday and the Venue is hosting a live show with Kevin McCray. Big shouts to Vizo Arts, Fisk Creations, Aurora Public Art & ACTS (A Call To Shoulders). Shout out McCarty Mills, Altiro, Crystal House & Cotton Seed Creative Exchange. Are you registered to vote? You should be, it's your duty! Be blessed and powerful this Tuesday.

#spotify

We spoke it into existence, your favorite daily news show is now live each morning on Facebook live! You can literally tune in to the show each day. Like and subscribe to the page to stay up on the news. Today we had our friend of the show Diesel back on to talk about horses, motorcycles, comedy, censorship and help out with the streaming. We've got a lot of great things coming so stay tuned. The website is live and we're also open for bloggers. If you or someone you know is a writer, please fill out the contact form on the website and we'll be in touch. Shout outs go to McCarty Mills, Vizo Arts and the Aurora Public Library (food drive Thursday). Aurora Rapid Response Team Facebook live discussion tonight: Anti-Blackness in the Latinx Community (5 to 6 pm, serious discussion please tune in!). Kevin Trudo livestream tonighy on The Venue FB Live.  Special shouts to Goldfinch Cafe, Aurora Public Art, Two Brothers Roundhouse & TW (aka Tredwell). Be blessed and powerful on this Monday!

#spotify

Today we sat down with Ale Hernandez, USMC veteran, LGBTQ member and friend of the show. In our conversation we discuss MST (Military Sexual Trauma), her experiences and we also talk about the culture of the military. For many people unfamiliar with military life this provides clarity through the eyes of a veteran. Oftentimes, trauma goes unreported but no member of any branch of the armed services should feel that way. At many military institutions, the culture of partying and excessive drinking has led to some of the issues being talked about today. As a veteran, we appreciate Ale's willingness to sit down and speak with us We appreciate her honesty and candid, frank talk. Shout outs for the weekend and into next wee include our friends at Vizo Arts, Aurora Public Art & Tredwell Coffee. Shout outs to Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry and EASD131 for the commitment to keeping the community fed during a pandemic. Special shouts to McCarty Mills, PLS for their support and sponsorship. Shout out The Venue online, AMVETS, NAACP (STEAM Academy 20th-24th) and GoVote500 Community Group (meeting Saturday the 11th at Northgate Plaze, Lake Street). Stay tuned next week for more great interviews & news. Be blessed, be powerful and be safe. We are proud to be the voice of the people. 

#spotify

Today's interview was awesome, a great message and a dialogue for the future. We got the chance to sit down and speak with Mr. Bill Powell, the first African-American Chief of Police in the city of Aurora. In this discussion we learn about Mr. Powell's beginnings from Chicago and his career in law-enforcement. Mr. Powell is also an Air Force veteran and a veteran of the Department of Corrections. We asked Mr. Powell about policing, being a police officer and his personal experiences being a man of color in an organization like a police department. In the midst of our current social climate Mr. Powell's voice on policing, community relations and procedure(s) is greatly appreciated. Good Morning Aurora is dedicated to building bridges, not wall, and conversations like these help make that possible. Shout outs go to our friends at the CAAN Network, the Venue online, AMVETS Post 103 (meat fundraiser coming up) & VizoArts. Much love to the Aurora Public library & Aurora Public Art (Animal Draw-Along w/ Jen Keller today) and thank you to PLS for being a sponsor for Good Morning Aurora. Be blessed and powerful on this Thursday; we are proud to be the voice of the people.

#spotify

Continuing our theme for 'Wellness Wednesday' & also part 4 of 'Women In Business', we spoke with Kori Kasper today! Kori is the owner of Branch Gardens (77 S. Lake Street) and her and Sammy J chopped it up about poetry, positive vibes and plants! Branch Gardens is a great place and if you haven't been there you really need to go. We're halfway through the week and we've got much more to come! Extra special shout outs to Aurora Public Art & Aurora Downtown! Stay tuned to Aurora's 1st daily local news podcast and shouts to Sammy J! 

#spotify #podcast #aurorail