This week's featured stories

  • Carol Schenk has been a familiar face at Aurora Boardworks, previously known as International Sensor Systems. Schenk, who was hired by Cliff Williams in 1974 as the company’s second employee, retired Monday after 50 years on the job.
    Carol Schenk has been a familiar face at Aurora Boardworks, previously known as International Sensor Systems. Schenk, who was hired by Cliff Williams in 1974 as the company’s second employee, retired Monday after 50 years on the job.
  • The 60th annual Hampton Booster Days celebration is June 7-9.
    The 60th annual Hampton Booster Days celebration is June 7-9.
  • The ribbon cutting for the new 4-H shooting sports range at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds
    The ribbon cutting for the new 4-H shooting sports range at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds
  • A new concrete tee pad is poured for the Refshauge Park Disc Golf course in Aurora
    A new concrete tee pad is poured for the Refshauge Park Disc Golf course in Aurora
  • Nulo pet foods, vitamins and treats are being given away in Aurora
    Nulo pet foods, vitamins and treats are being given away in Aurora
  • A family inspects one of the car show entries at last year's Giltner Daze.
    A family inspects one of the car show entries at last year's Giltner Daze.

    Exactly 50 years ago this week Carol Schenk accepted the late Cliff Williams’ offer to come to work for a new tech-based company he had just established in Aurora. A lot has changed over that five-decade span at the Grant Street company, including the name of the business itself. As of Monday Schenk decided it was time for her to make a change as well, officially shifting gears into retirement. “I kept saying that working 30 years sounded pretty good, but everything just kept going,” Schenk shared of the timing of her decision to retire from Aurora Boardworks. “It’s been 50 years now and I’m 70, so I think that 50 is God’s plenty.” You'll find the full story of Schenk's half a century with the company on this week's Business Page. 

    Local residents are getting some help in keeping their pets healthy and happy. Aurora’s Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) program will be offering Nulo brand pet vitamins and treats at the Aurora Mall this Sunday as part of a new initiative for providing supplements for any dog or cat owner in Hamilton County. The distribution takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

    Giltner’s summer is about to ignite with the return of Giltner Daze, brought together by the Giltner Area Development Corporation (GADC). The main village event will be taking place Saturday beginning at 8 a.m., providing a plethora of activities until 4 p.m. This year, the beloved street dance will take place after the Giltner Alumni Banquet Friday evening at the Community Center with the Whiskey Bent Band performing.

    The hit song “Chapel of Love” was playing on the radio as the Village of Hampton celebrated its first-ever Hampton Booster Days in June of 1964. The song about “goin’ to the chapel” and “gonna get married” by the Dixie Cups was No. 1 on the charts that June and it will no doubt be heard again as Hampton celebrates the 60th anniversary of the annual celebration this weekend. Booster Days is set for Friday through Sunday with the big finale being the annual parade down Main Street and the Community BBQ Dinner. Find all the details in this week's ANR.

    Young people involved in 4-H shooting sports in Hamilton County now have a nearby place to practice their skills, thanks to the completion of a 4-H shooting range located at the fairgrounds in Aurora. A ribbon cutting was held May 13 at the new range which was the result of more than a year and half of work by local 4-H leaders and others. See the whole story of how the facility came to be in this week's ANR.

    Aurora’s original disc golf course at Refshauge Park along Highway 14 has undergone a major upgrade recently, thanks to the efforts of former Auroran Harry Eckerson and a group of local volunteers. New and larger concrete tee pads have been poured in the last several weeks, new goal baskets have been installed and the course has all new signage. It will be renamed “Scouts Honor Disc Golf at Refshauge Park,” in honor of local Boy Scouts who contributed to the building of the original course.

    Read these stories and find out about all the summertime happenings in Hamilton County by getting hold of the print or e-edition of this week's Aurora News-Register.