This Is Aurora City Newsletter
Nov. 10, 2022
The sun rises over the Aurora Municipal Center with holiday lights on the Great Lawn
Get ready for the holiday season in Aurora with lots to do and many ways to give back

The end of the year brings a bustle of activity, and calendars can fill up fast with holiday events. Aurora is always full of festive cheer and generosity, and this year is no exception.

The following are just a few examples of ways to spend your time this November and December, as well as ways you can give back to your community.

Events to fill up your holiday schedule include:

In addition, the holidays are often a time to give back to the community, and this year there are many Aurora opportunities:
2022 election results

In unofficial results, Aurora voters declined to approve municipal ballot question 3A, which would have amended the city charter to conform with the state constitution on eligibility guidelines for local elected office. That was the only municipal issue on this year's ballot. Find full election results on the Colorado Secretary of State's website at ColoradoSOS.gov.
City launches Spanish-language Facebook page

The city of Aurora has launched a Spanish language Facebook page to foster community involvement through information, trust and meaningful connections. The page, Gobierno de la Ciudad de Aurora, Colorado (City Government of Aurora, Colorado), will provide information on city services, resources and events to Aurora’s Spanish-speaking community.

In 2015, the city of Aurora put forward the Immigrant Integration Plan to support the integration of immigrant and refugee communities into the city's cultural, economic and civic life. The plan recognizes the importance of Aurora’s international population and reiterates the city's commitment to ensuring services are accessible to speakers of other languages, since 32.8% of Aurora’s population speaks a language other than English at home, according to the 2020 Census.

Facebook.com/AuroraGovEspanol is an extension of the city's commitment to meeting the needs of its diverse communities. According to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020, Spanish is the second predominant language in Aurora, with 20.5% of the population speaking Spanish at home and 8.3% of residents only communicating in Spanish. Currently, Spanish is the preferred language of approximately 11% of the city of Aurora's @AuroraGov Facebook subscribers, reflecting an opportunity to engage with a new audience through intercultural competence, inclusion and accessibility. While bilingual content will still be available on the city’s @AuroraGov social media accounts, this new Facebook page will feature content and resources specifically for those with limited English proficiency, and allow for more direct language-specific interaction.

Follow @AuroraGovEspanol on Facebook and share this page with your Aurora neighbors.
IN THE NEWS
Council Member Town Meetings
Council members are eager to hear from residents and committed to forums where those conversations can occur. Visit AuroraGov.org/TownMeetings to confirm meeting dates and location information and find links for joining virtual meetings. If you don't know your council ward, visit AuroraGov.org/PropertyInfo and look up your address.
  • Ward I (Crystal Murillo) - Thursday, Dec. 1 (note the revised meeting date), 6 to 7:30 p.m., Moorhead Recreation Center, 2390 Havana St. (visit the website for link to virtual meeting option)
  • Ward II (Steve Sundberg) - Thursday, Nov. 17, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Central Recreation Center, 18150 E. Vassar Place (visit the website for link to virtual meeting option)
  • Ward III (Ruben Medina) - 2023 meetings to be announced
  • Ward IV (Juan Marcano) - 2023 meetings to be announced
  • Ward V (Alison Coombs) - Tuesday, Nov. 15, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Central Recreation Center, 18150 E. Vassar Place (visit the website for link to virtual meeting option)
  • Ward VI (Françoise Bergan) - Wednesday, Nov. 16, 6 to 8 p.m., Tallyn's Reach Library, 23911 E. Arapahoe Road (visit the website for link to virtual meeting option)

City Council Meeting
Monday, Nov. 14, 6:30 p.m.
This will be a hybrid meeting, with attendance both in person and virtually. View online at AuroraTV.org or on cable channels 8 and 880. Visit AuroraGov.org/CouncilMeetings for the agenda. For information on addressing City Council during the meeting, go to AuroraGov.org/PublicComment
Aurora Municipal Center, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway

Never Walk Alone Donation Drive
Drop off items through Nov. 10
Support this event by donating items that may not be part of many donation drives but are greatly needed in the winter by our most vulnerable residents. Requested items are new/unused socks, shoes, underwear and handwarmers along with new or lightly used boots, flashlights, sweaters and thermal bottles. Drop off items at the locations below. Items will be distributed from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 12 at Aurora City Park, 9710 E. 16th Ave. Never Walk Alone is designed out of the Aurora Human Relations Commission's mission, and sponsored by Mile High Behavioral Health and the city of Aurora.
Beck Recreation Center, 800 Telluride St.
Moorhead Recreation Center, 2390 Havana St.
Central Recreation Center, 18150 E. Vassar Place
Aurora Center for Active Adults, 30 Del Mar Circle
Email for more information or to volunteer: [email protected]

Festival of Wreaths Gallery Opening
Thursday, Nov. 10, 4 to 7 p.m.
The Aurora History Museum & Historic Sites and the Aurora Museum Foundation are proud to present the 23rd Annual Festival of Wreaths Gallery Opening at the Aurora History Museum. Come mix and mingle over delicious hors d'oeuvre. Enjoy various festive entertainment and learn more about what is coming to the Aurora History Museum in 2023.
Aurora History Museum, 15051 E. Alameda Parkway
This is a free event. Register at: AuroraMuseumFoundation.org

Devour the Arts: An Arts District Showcase
Thursday, Nov. 10, 7 to 9 p.m.
Experience a sampling of the performing arts groups, restaurants and visual artists that make up the Aurora Cultural Arts District, one of Colorado's newest certified arts districts.
The People's Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave.

Light Their Way Home
Nov. 10 to 12, 5 to 8 p.m. 
This 7th annual luminaria display features 6,218 glimmers of light, one for each of Colorado's veterans lost in action, along with a stunning outdoor video production that tells the story of the Colorado Freedom Memorial through images of the wars we remember and the fallen we honor.
Colorado Freedom Memorial, 756 Telluride St.
Volunteer to turn on or turn off the LED candles: SignUpGenius 

Veterans Day
Friday, Nov. 11 
Municipal offices and courts will be closed in observance of Veterans Day. For a full list of city facility closures and openings, go to AuroraGov.org

Potters' Guild Fall Sale
Friday, Nov. 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Aurora Potters' Guild is composed of clay artists from Aurora Parks & Recreation facilities, colleges and a variety of private local studios. Please join us for unique hand-made pottery, sculptures, garden art, holiday ornaments and gifts with prices starting at $5. Free admission; Free parking.
Community College of Aurora Student Center Rotunda,
16000 E. Centretech Parkway

Disparity Study: Business Owner Survey
Survey Deadline: Saturday, Nov. 12 
As part of a Disparity Study being conducted by the city of Aurora, Griffin & Strong, P.C.—the contracted public-policy consulting firm –is surveying business owners to understand their experiences conducting business in or with the city of Aurora. Learn more and complete the survey at EngageAurora.org/DisparityStudy.

Aurora Rhythms
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m.
The Aurora Rhythms monthly free concert series, presented by the city's Library and Cultural Services Department, will feature a performance by El Javi, the king of rock flamenco. Creative activities for children and complimentary refreshments will be available.
Mission Viejo Library, 15324 E. Hampden Circle
For more information and to register, visit AuroraGov.org/Concerts.

Restorative Justice Survey
Deadline: Nov. 30, 5 p.m.
The city of Aurora has contracted The Conflict Center - a nonprofit dedicated to providing practical skills and training to address conflict through relationship building - to help research and develop a plan for a restorative justice program for the city. The Conflict Center is conducting an online survey, which is available in several languages, to understand community perceptions of restorative justice and concerns about the criminal justice system.

"Pride on Your Side" Photography Exhibit
Through Dec. 31
Aurora Public Library and Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art present the collaborative photography exhibit "Pride on Your Side." This exhibit, led by Juan Fuentes, will feature photos taken by Aurora community members showcasing their views of the city and their lives.
Aurora Central Library, 14949 E. Alameda Parkway

Cyanotype (Solar Print) Exhibit
Through Dec. 31
Enjoy a vibrant and colorful cyanotype (solar print) exhibit by internationally recognized artist Christine Nguyen. The exhibit features photo-based flags highlighting the natural world and celebrating the Aurora community, along with a community-created cyanotype mural with creations from community members that participated in Nguyen’s earlier solar print workshop.
Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 9898 E. Colfax Ave.

Mosaic of Cultures: Aurora's Mexican Community
Through April 16, 2023, Tuesdays through Sundays
The Aurora History Museum and the city of Aurora Office of International and Immigrant Affairs celebrate Aurora's Mexican population with this exhibit showcasing vibrant aspects of great cultural and traditional significance to Aurora's Mexican community, like popular music, art, dance, clothing, food and religion. Free admission.
Aurora History Museum, 15051 E. Alameda Parkway
Have a comment, question, or need our assistance? Contact Access Aurora online, at 303.739.7000, or via iOS or Android app.

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This newsletter is produced by the city of Aurora Communications and Marketing Department

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