Q&A
Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer is a carpentry hobbyist who has built several pieces of furniture in his home shop and spent about a year building an executive desk, which sits in his fifth-floor office at the Aurora Municipal Center.
Q: How long have you been a woodworker?
A: Since about the time I got married and my wife let me buy tools. Probably about 15 years.
Q: What do you like about working with wood?
A: I like to see something that used to be a board becoming something useful. It’s just kind of fun. I made a solid-oak hope chest for my daughter. I’ve made things in our house. Things for friends. It’s like a lot of hobbies: Doing it is as much of a reward as what you make.
Q: What kind of equipment do you own?
A: How much time do you got? I have a table saw, three different sanders, a joiner, planer and lots of hand tools.
Q: Tell us about your desk.
A: It’s made of cherry. The top is leather. I designed it so that it should last a long time. It’s got a traditional design, but it has a keyboard tray. We went and priced what desks would cost. It’s downright frightening. A new desk would have cost between $5,000 and $7,000. We couldn’t spend that type of money in a budget crunch.
Q: Will you leave it in the office when your term ends?
A: Nope, it’s coming with me.
– Staff writer Jeremy Meyer
REGIONAL NOTES
AURORA
Celebrate renovations at 2 parks
A grand re-opening is scheduled for Thursday at two renovated parks, featuring cake, a ribbon- cutting ceremony and live music.
Money from a bond passed by Aurora voters paid to upgrade Aqua Vista Park and Sunrise Park in south-central Aurora.
Aqua Vista Park’s celebration is at 6 p.m. at 18700 E. Wagon Trail Circle. The celebration at Sunrise Park, 3960 S. Genoa Way, is at 7 p.m.
The parks have reconstructed tennis courts, new playgrounds, rebuilt picnic shelters and expanded trail systems.
The renovations were completed last year. For more information, contact the parks department at 303-739-7160.
DENVER POST STAFF REPORTS
