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06 August 2008

Aurora Gets Some Respect

State Representative Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) offers a rousing defense of Aurora, Colorado, which she represents in the Colorado General Assembly, at her blog on the occasion of it being placed on a list of "All American Cities" with a brief credo appropriate for any booster of the city. Among other things, she says:

Aurora should be proud. I often hear slurs and slights against our city. It bothers me because it is undeserved. . . .

“Aurora is part of the Denver Aurora metropolitan area and is the 3rd most populous city in Colorado. Once a budding frontier town of farmers and ranchers just east of Denver, Aurora is now largely a “suburban” city with over 450 neighborhoods. Aurora has a booming economy and is a business leader in key growth industries including biotechnology, aerospace and high technology.”

We are diverse, integrated and down to earth. We have a vibrant retirement community including the Aurora Center for Active Adults (formerly senior center) combined with many young families in starter homes with young children.

Aurora Public Schools was one of 4 school districts singled out of the entire State of Colorado for their performance and improvement on last year’s CSAP scores. We also just landed the relocation of the CU Health Sciences Center (regrettably & erroneously named after Denver).

Like all cities, there are no doubt improvements we must continue to pursue. I met a mother and daughter recently over the weekend and when I asked them where they were from they said, “Denver…[long pause]…well, actually Aurora.”. . .

Aurora represents the melting pot that is America and the kind of success earned from hard work and dedication.


I recently offered a more impressionistic portrait of the city, concluding that:

Aurora's sprawling subdivisions offer a more uniform picture of working class to middle-middle class people who are getting by, but haven't quite attained the full fledged American Dream.


I've also discussed the issues presented by rapid demographic change in the Aurora Public Schools where "the percentage of English- language learners has more than doubled - from 16 percent to almost 40 percent - since 1999."

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