Good Morning Aurora

Characters, publishing and what it feels like to write; what a great discussion today. We were joined this morning by Shawna Echols, local Aurora author and downtown favorite. Shawna is the author of Seasons which is a really good read. Getting to know what Shawna has experienced in writing  this book was cool to learn. All of the hard work necessary to write a book did her well and she gave...

Today on the show we reviewed new equipment and took some time to unwind in the morning. It was part 2 of ‘Books & Pool’ but the outcome was still the same: we won! Our good buddy Bob is now 0 for 2 in billiards, he tried hard again just like last time. Once the coffee hits the system it’s a sure sign of a win. We have more great content coming including a Christmas/end of the year special. Sh...

On today’s episode of Good Morning Aurora we learned about the old Aurora and the new. We were glad to be joined on the show by Mr. Alex Arroyo, candidate for Aurora Township Supervisor. Like many residents we weren’t exactly sure what Aurora Township does, it’s history or its roles and duties. Getting to know Alex was fun and informative as well. He’s got a lot of Aurora knowledge and history to...

Food was the topic this morning and what a discussion we had! We were glad to have Strawberries BBQ (Eddie Silva & Jordan Jeffries) on the show for a chat this morning. Ribs, wings, pulled pork; the choices are many and they’ve become a community staple. These two friends can be found at McCarty Mills (along with your favorite morning news show) frequently cooking and having a good time. The c...

All we do is learn on this show! Today we had the great opportunity to sit down with Mr. Andre Boyd, Aurora native and filmmaker. Whether it's growing as an actor, making independent films or advocating for the city; Andre is on top of it all. Today we spoke about what his journey has been like and his personal view on the city. Andre continues to produce films and is currently working on two. Als...

Unity and community, quite the message indeed. We had a friend of the show on today for a great interview. We were joined by Mary Fultz of the CAAN Network (Community Advocacy Awareness Network). Mary is a lifelong Auroran and she’s been on the front lines of help & change in the city. We touched on many topics over coffee & water and our conversation was very enlightening. Never one to le...

It was history, history and more history today on the show. We were honored to be joined by a great friend of the show and Aurora favorite, Mr. Eric Pry! Eric is the curator of the G.A.R. (Grand Army of The Republic) Museum located at 23 E. Downer Place and has a knack & love for history. When last we spoke we were eating on the patio at Mora On The River (shouts!) and today we were immersed i...

Well folks, today is the last day of November and here we come with December! And just like that it's almost Christmas and the end of 2020. Today we did something new and created a really cool episode so check out our YouTube channel and Facebook to see it. You'll love it! Subscribe to our YouTube channel, like & follow us on Instagram and FB and enter our next contest. The winners of our Auro...

The market is hot ya’ll! Even hotter was the information given on today’s show. We were joined today by Mr. Sean Morrissey (Managing Real Estate Broker, Chicagoland Realty Group Partners LLC) to talk about the Aurora housing market. Sean has a wealth of experience helping people to achieve their dreams. We spoke about the factors prospective buyers should understand when considering purchasing. In...

Our friend and community partner Chicano came back for a status update and more! This morning was a fun and positive one and we were glad to check in with our brother. When last we saw Chicano he had big plans for Broadway businesses. That was a few months back but he’s certainly been active. In todays’ discussion we spoke about the CRB decision (civilian review board) taken last night by the Auro...

It was a festival of learning today on the show! Dr. Vincent Gaddis came to talk with us this morning and we had a great time speaking to this remarkable man. As a professor of history at Benedictine University, Dr. Gaddis has been enlightening young minds for years. From the Harlem renaissance, life in New Jersey to social media, we really went everywhere in our discussion. As we go about our dai...

On this Monday morning we start the week off very strong with a great interview. We were honored to have Mr. Ron Woerman (Spartan House, O’Malley’s) on the show today for an interview. And what an interview it was! With a gift for business and a knack for serving others Ron has become a staple in our community. From humble origins to leaving his mark on our city, he’s done so much. In our conversa...

We enter the weekend on a powerful note, the result of today’s interview. Today, Good Morning Aurora had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Nicholas Thompson, Communications Coordinator for the City of Aurora. Nick is an active and dedicated, longtime community partner. In our conversation we talked about books and knowledge, in addition to the activities for the Black Alliance for Peace. We also s...

Small business was the topic of discussion today; and also doing your very best and never giving up. We sat down with two great entrepreneurs today; Mary Lemos of Designs By Spunkymare & Vincent Green of F.I.Y.A. These two are very motivated and are doing what they need to do to achieve success and move their businesses in the right direction. We learned all about what it took to get them star...

This morning it was all about facts, good news & effectively serving the residents of Kane County. It was a pleasure to sit down and talk to Judith Dawson (Director of Administration) of the Kane County Sheriff’s Office today. We learned about what work has been like overall and during the pandemic. In addition, RISEKIT, the KCSO Job Board and different county initiatives were part of the disc...

It’s amazing what you can learn on a Tuesday morning. Today we had the pleasure of sitting down with Bonnie Kunkel, running for Aurora Township trustee. As an Aurora native Bonnie shared with us the many aspects of Aurora she grew up with. That in itself was fascinating. There are many intersections in Aurora where once upon a time there were cornfields! Imagine that! The township covers a large a...

Bean soup, chicken noodle (wide noodles only) or minestrone; the choice can be yours with the newest positive initiative. Today we had a great opportunity to sit down with Rachel Rose Bee, the founder of ‘Soup For My Family’ and the star of ‘Housewife of Horror’! This was an episode full of laughs as well and we really had fun talking today. As an Auroran, Rachel has compassion for her community....

The West, Veteran’s Day respect for our family members and American life; that’s what our conversation was about today. And what a conversation it was! We were honored to have Jeanette Ward on the show today for a great morning discussion. Jenette has accomplished so much in her life and she has a great story of perseverance as well. Growing up in PA and then moving to NV, Jeanette is familiar wit...

Today is Veterans Day and we had a very special edition of Good Morning Aurora. On the show we were proud to feature the staff of the Air Classics Museum in Sugar Grove, IL. Dedication, history and love of country; that’s what we got today during our conversation with these gentlemen. Lots of Aurorans are familiar with the museum but not many are familiar with the men who run it. Capturing their r...

The youth, the community, the people & coming together; lots of good topics on a Tuesday morning. Today we had the pleasure of speaking with our dear friend Sosa. As an Oswego resident we learned about his community and changes being made. In addition to that, there’s been a lot of things that have remained the same and Sosa has been challenging those. As a clothing designer, he definitely has...

We chopped it up over Dunkin' this morning! Today we spoke with Mr. Bob Lockwood about Aurora Business United, staying ready for opportunity and the business scene. This was Bob's second interview and he gave us updates on the presentations and workshops coming up in the city. Because of the pandemic many venues for business professionals have moved online. The grit & grind of entrepreneurship...

It was a day full of raps; raps, raps and more raps. On this episode of Good Morning Aurora we had two local Aurora rappers on the show to showcase their talent. If you like coffee and hip-hop you'll love this episode. It was very cool to hear these two young men put words together with skill and precision. They did two songs for us and promised that they'd come back for another. In the booth is w...

Guess who we spoke to this morning; John Laesch, current candidate for Mayor in Aurora! Over coffee this morning we chopped up life, Aurora and green energy. With so many things going on in the news this was a refreshing conversation to have. With an eye on the climate and plenty of ideas, John has energy and passion. Homelessness, equality and a desire for upward growth is what he is focused on t...

It was a discussion about dedication, family and doing your best this morning. We were honored to have Cynthia Morales on the show today for a great interview. She is the founder of CUPS (nonprofit) and she is a woman on the move for sure! After losing her mother to breast cancer, Cynthia has taken her mother’s lessons and teaching to heart. In this interview we spoke about family, parenting and t...

Today we got an update on Aurora Business United and talked about the election. Vote, vote, vote; as we have stated for months. Alderman and candidate for Aurora mayor Judd Lofchie came on to the show to talk with us today. Due to the pandemic the activities of Aurora Business United have moved online and are virtual. They still do great things and they are a good resource for the city and busines...