Last year it was pilots, this year, pretty women.
In strapless gold gowns, no less, which featured winged robes that created waves of shimmer and glimmer as the models tip-toed and turned in unison to Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.”
One thing that has to be said about Mayor Richard Irvin’s State of the City addresses, they are certainly a lot more entertaining than speeches given by previous administrations. Which could be deemed appropriate, considering how the beautiful Paramount Theatre continues to shine as the gem of Aurora downtown economic development.
Thursday’s event at Bloomhaven, the former Copley Hospital campus on Lincoln Avenue, was indeed all about economic development. And goddesses, it turned out, were the reason for this 2024 State of the City session – or should I say one particular goddess.
“The new Aurora downtown business district is on the brink of a new day … like Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn,” proclaimed the press release announcing the rollout of the logo for Aurora Downtown, the association of business owners for the city’s downtown.
For those not steeped in ancient mythology, the Roman goddess known as Aurora – in Greek, she’s Eos – is the first to wake, to usher in the dawn, to bring light into the world.
“Through the ages she has stood witness, surveying her dominion over the passage of time,” noted the narrator’s omniscient voice in a short video that played right before the ladies in gold – all beautiful, all downtown business owners – shimmered into the limelight.
It was a back to the future moment. Turns out, in 1937 the Roman/Greek goddess became the city’s logo in honor of Aurora’s Centennial celebration.
According to Aurora Historical Society Executive Director John Jaros, Aurora took its name 100 years earlier in 1837 with the establishment of a federal post office. Interestingly, the town fathers’ first choice was Waubonsie, after the Native American chief who was eventually memorialized in a community college and high school.
But there was already a post office with that name in Illinois, continued Jaros, so these men had to look elsewhere, and settled on the suggestion of Elias D. Terry, from his earlier home in upstate New York. (Turns out, plenty of names in this area are transplanted from New York, including Batavia and Oswego.)
One suggestion on why “Aurora” won out, said Jaros, “is because the name of this classical goddess of dawn had a similar meaning to Waubonsie, which means early dawn or break of day.”
Logos, he continued, are not so much official as they are promotional, which appears to be the case here. And Irvin certainly had much to tout on Thursday, including the international search for a developer to build a high-rise residential building on the downtown riverfront site left vacant once Hollywood Casino moves to its $360 million resort off I-88 that will feature 220 hotel rooms, a retail sportsbook and 1,200 gaming positions.
And so, with gambling set to become even bigger in Aurora, why not a Vegas-style introduction of its resurrected and new-again logo?
You have to admit that an alluring and powerful mythical female is a more positive image than what Aurora frustratingly tried to shake in the past when dealing with so much gang violence.
There is no question Aurora “is ascending, … taking flight,” as Irvin pointed out at the 2023 State of the City address, which was held at the Aurora Municipal Airport in Sugar Grove.
Still, several faith leaders I spoke with in the community weren’t all that thrilled with the city’s new branding.
“It must be what the apostle Paul felt like when entering Ephesus or Athens,” noted one pastor who works closely with Aurora police. “I think we can do better when talking about our city.”
On the other hand, marketers I touched base with not only had zero issue with the great goddess rollout, they described it as creative and effective because, well, people are talking about it.
“We don’t worship logos,” one also insisted. “They are branding tools.”
Which is why the city’s logos have historically been “generally more promotional in nature rather than official,” said Jaros, with some using the goddess and others, the rising sun.
Which brings me to a point of clarification: Some, even longtime residents, frequently point to the female sculptures on the end of the New York Street Bridge as also representing the goddess Aurora. But those figures are known as “Memory,” and ”Victory,” said Jaros, created by Chicago sculptor Emory P. Diesel, and dedicated to the memory of those who fought and died in World War I.
The fact is, mythical figures can rightfully claim their fair share of history in this City of Lights, which is what Irvin is determined to do, as well. Under his leadership, stated the mayor, Aurora has accomplished “more economic development in seven years than past administrations have done in 70 years,” so much that there will be three more State of the City events this year to cover them all.
Entertaining State of the City productions, it seems, are on their way to becoming legendary in Aurora. And, while it might be hard to top dancing goddesses, my bet is the mayor will give it an effort nothing short of Herculean.
dcrosby@tribpub.com
