Good Morning Aurora

The colors and the detail; that’s what it's all about for some. But for others, it’s the emotion and the expression. Today we were joined on the show by Pierre Lucero, Aurora native, artist and creative. As a well known personality in the Aurora art community Pierre took us on his journey as an up & coming artist. His style is his own, his skills are unique, and he consistently shocks & amazes with his work. We were first introduced to his work when observing it on the side of Muebleria Sergio (Downer Place). Since this, his work has expanded and the locations where one may see it very. Pierre brought his portfolio with him to show as well. It’s amazing! Check it out.

5 day packs for EASD131 students are available today (Thursday) from 11 am to 1:30 pm. The pickup sites are Allen, Krug, Oak Park, Simmons MS & East High School. Don’t forget the Stronger Together Community Blood Drive on Monday the 29th from noon to 5 pm at 1 E. Benton St (Gallery 1904 - lower level). This is hosted by our wonderful State Representatives Hernandez (83rd District), Kifowit (84th District) & Wheeler (50th District). Also, DuKane A.B.A.T.E. is also hosting, shouts out to them as well! Stay tuned for more great news & Aurora interviews. Don’t forget to subscribe!

Positive energy & the role of a mentor; just a few of the topics of discussion on a Monday morning. Today we’re pleased to have had the chance to speak with Kacie Chitwood & Ady Rubio of Alive Teen Center (Aurora)! Recently opened on LaSalle street on Auto Row in downtown Aurora, these ladies represent a fantastic nonprofit focused on enlightening youth potential. In our conversation we spoke of working before & during a pandemic, personal goals & Alive Teen Center’s mission. Open from 2:45 to 6 pm Monday thru Friday, students in grades 6 thru 12 are encouraged to participate and it’s totally free. Collaboration and effective partnerships are key to great city initiatives like this. For more information about this wonderful place check out their Facebook page & stay tuned for all they have coming!

Many area churches have Easter celebrations coming up, stay tuned for a list of those places on our FB page. Many thanks to Cotton Seed Creative Exchange & A Call To Shoulders (ACTS) for all the help along the way. Good Morning Aurora will celebrate it’s 1 year anniversary in a couple of months! Stay tuned for cool news with that! Subscribe to the show on YouTube & Spotify and check out any interviews you may have missed. Aurora & Kane county continue vaccine distribution; we will update accordingly as they announce locations. Have a great day & tune in tomorrow morning live on FB!

It's a thing ya'll; Jenettesplaining kicked off well today and we had fun chopping up the news. Our dear friend Jenette Sturges enlightened us on a Friday morning & wow, that weather! We chopped it up about everything from the Easter Bunny to local ordinances. Yes.

As mentioned Waubonsee Community College has a virtual job fair April 9th from 10 am to 4 pm. Students and community members welcome; your future now! This is a partnership between WCC, ICsSP & Illinois Department of Employment Security - IDES. And please do not forget to check out the activities of Waubonsee's CAI (Councilfor Access & Inclusion). The Middle East Conflicts Wall Of Honor Car Show is Sunday, May 23rd (stay tuned) & Rotary Aurora and Ballydoyle have a scavenger hunt scheduled for downtown Aurora on May 14th!

First Friday's return on April 2nd so get ready! Our friends of Vizo Arts have: The Masters Revealed from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm at 1 E. Benton (Gallery 1904). The flier has been shared on our Facebook and Twitter so come on out and have some fun!. Shouts out to @The Cotton Seed Creative Exchange and all other small businesses in Aurora. Lastly, lots of great Easter initiatives and fun is being planned in Aurora. Stay tuned for more information on the plans!

Have a safe weekend and don't forget to subscribe to the show on Spotify, YouTube & iTunes. Every Monday thru Friday we do live morning news and we feature guests. You never know who may be on! Have a wonderful Friday and stay tuned for more 'Jenettesplaining'! Peace!

It all began with drawing on walls; it’s like that for many artists. Today we had the chance to sit down with a friend of the show & community partner Raul Rodea, founder of Fundthemental. Well known and respected in the Aurora art community, we have been fans of his work for a few years before meeting this talented young man. Hailing from West Aurora, Raul has made a name for himself in being involved in many shows and projects. In our interview we spoke about faith, creativity, styles and mediums. Next week is a big week for Raul. We won’t foreshadow his ambitions or plans; we wish our brother and fellow artist much success and good luck!

Register! Register! Register! Register for the Zoom presentation this Friday with Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs, the Quad County African-American Chamber of Commerce & other chambers as they discuss the activities of the State Treasurer. This will be informative so you won’t want to miss it! Another MASS VAX community event is scheduled for Saturday & a community blood drive is taking place Monday, March 29th at noon at 1 E. Benton (gallery 1904). Have a great day and subscribe to the show on YouTube! Peace!

Education in the time of a pandemic has proven tough, but not impossible. Today we had the pleasure of speaking with Stacey Montgomery, author and founder of Stacey M Designs. Specializing in SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) standard of education, her most recent book “Why Is Different Awesome” was the subject of today’s discussion. Stacey has written 6 books and has had her most recent introduced into a school learning system. Well done! In addition, we spoke about the impact of good teachers & the importance of a positive academic experience.

Another MASS VAX Community Clinic is scheduled for Saturday, March 13th, the link has been posted to our Facebook page. Rotary Aurora has a Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship available. Be sure to check our Facebook page and see the post and requirements. The weather is nice and 1st Fridays are returning next month. Have a safe and blessed day and remember to shop local!

On International Women’ Day we had a great and motivational conversation. Today we were joined by Jen Mendoza, founder of the Aurora chapter of WESOS (Women Entrepreneurs Secrets Of Success). Jen is a Chicago native who’s made the 2nd largest city her home! As a professional, Jen brings many years of marketing experience and is a leader in the community. She is the brainchild & founder of Moms 4 Moms Vendor Events and is a consultant for Norwex. In our interview we spoke about family, collaboration and what’s to come. Keep your eyes open for Jen and all she has coming in the future. We’re happy to share highlights of our local women entrepreneurs.

Check out the great activities coming up with the Alive Teen Center & the Aurora Public Library. 1st fridays are returning in April and not only that, a great scavenger hunt is taking place on May 14th! Rotary Aurora and Ballydoyle are teaming! Fun, prizes, drink packages and a raffle! Subscribe to the show on YouTube and Spotify to stay informed on all local Aurora news! Be blessed & helpful! Peace.

Rap, hip-hop & all of the above. Today we had a great conversation with Cruz Ocho who is an Aurora hip-hop artist, creative and member of the group Highest Low.. Born and raised in Aurora, Cruz has much experience in rocking crowds and performing. We spoke about early influences in music and his own creative process. Last year Cruz released a single and this year his group is looking forward to releasing an EP. It’s a lot of fun sharing in the experiences and learning about the diverse Aurora music scene. Check out this great conversation and stay tuned for more of Mr. Ocho & the Highest Low.

Stay tuned this week for more of that great Aurora news and tune in Monday, Wednesday & Friday mornings on Facebook. Be sure to check out ‘Jenettesplaining’ Friday mornings on our FB live! Egg Hunt On The Island is going on downtown so come on out and take part. Also, Rotary Aurora & Ballydoyle have a scavenger hunt coming up May 14th (registration required). Subscribe to the show on YouTube & Spotify and have a blessed week! Peace!

The weather is nice out there today! Super nice! It was a fun show as well with our dear friend Jenette! The Friday news is now a thing! There's so much in the news so we took a deep dive into a few topics. Jenette explained the consternation around the Pet ordinance and how it affects Aurora residents. The discussion is still ongoing so we'll update you as it develops. The article was also posted in the comments for all to read. Next, we discussed vaccine rollout in Kane County and its distribution. There is a lack of participation by African Americans and we discussed why that is. And the name! The name, the name, THE NAME! We went over a lot of the names! They're fun! The poll is on our Faceboom page so submit a name and see if you win. It was a fun episode today and the coffee was good! Check out the latest interviews and don't forget to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube! Have a great weekend and we'll see you on Monday, live, for the news! Peace! 

Today we met another Instagram friend in person! We had the pleasure of sitting and peaking with Mr. Jose Torres today, he’s a photographer and is well-known in the community. Originally from Mexico, Jose has been a fixture in the city and his work has a definite Aurora feel. In our conversation we spoke about his beginnings, early life and also his particular artistic passions. His favorite color is red, he likes glamour and style and he is a refreshing person to speak to. The interview was conducted in both English and Spanish, with a friend doing the translation. Check out this very cool interview and lookout or Mr. Torres and his camera in your community!

Don’t forget about the SSA grants by our friends of Aurora Downtown and also, remember to shop local! Egg Hunt On The Island is going on and get ready for May of this year! Our friends of the Aurora Rotary Club and Ballydoyle have an excellent scavenger hunt coming up so stay tuned. It will be fun and there will be a 50/50, a raffle and other prizes. Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Spotify & iTunes. Tune in tomorrow morning for the live news on Facebook! Peace!

This episode is fun, creative and uplifting. Tyler Waldrop, creator and namesake of Stlth Art sat down with our host for his last interview before leaving for Texas. Stlth Art is synonymous with Aurora. It’s synonymous with art as well, and especially on a local level. We as a show had seen the logo before meeting it’s creator and we’ve been fans of his for years. The 2nd largest city has incredible artistic talent within it. We spoke about life, where we’ve been and what’s to come. Tyler Waldrop is an Aurora legend in the art community. Enjoy this video.

CERF (Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund) applications are due at close of business today with the City of Aurora! With some exceptions (per city website) all Aurora small businesses are encouraged to apply. Tune in to the show live on Facebook on Monday, Wednesday & Friday mornings. In fact, Friday mornings are going to be even more fun once we name the segment with our dear friend Jenette! Thank you to Cruz, Ekaterina & Amelia; our news YouTube subscribers. Stay tuned and have a blessed day!