The Great Goose Roundup

To say Aurora Shores had a love-hate relationship with its Canadian geese population would be something of an understatement. From its inception, the community was touted as a nature lover’s paradise where the amenities of the city and the beauty of the countryside met. A series of advertisements from the 1980s even enlisted the lowly goose as a means of drawing potential homeowners. By the 1990s, however, things had taken a turn and the residents retaliated against the honking harbingers of aggravation.

Semiannual goose roundups were inaugurated to curb the population of geese that naturally flock to the area, and the tradition continues today. In the spring, volunteers fueled with a hatred for flying fowl chase off nesting adults and violently shake the eggs, causing their contents to scramble. In the summer, “the young birds are too young to fly . . . and the adults are molting, which renders them incapable of flight,” said John Vieland, president of Aurora Shores when he was interviewed by the Plain Dealer. Vieland went on to explain, “The goal . . . is to get rid of as many of these dang geese and their dang geese dung as possible. And it is some job . . . These things, they defecate every three to four minutes. It’s everywhere.” (Plain Dealer)

While Canadian geese are protected under state wildlife laws as well as the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, this does not prevent the use of “non-lethal scare and hazing tactics,” according to the Ohio Division of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife.

Aurora Shores

An outdoor oasis free from the hustle and bustle of city life, Aurora Shores was developed by builder Philip H. English. The press was abuzz with plans for the Shores, marketed as a playground for the middle class, with the Aurora Planning and Zoning Commission approving the construction of a boating marina, boathouse, and multistory observation tower that would provide an elevated view of the lake. Home construction in Aurora Shores began near the end of 1971; the lake’s 580 acres would be open to sunbathers, boaters, and bass fishing. After a day in the sun and sand, residents could retire to their abodes, which fell into four unique styles: the Bahamian, the Captain’s House, the Sunship, and the Commodore. Pricing in 1971 ranged from $22,500 to $52,000—which, in 2016, would be nearly $134,000 to $309,000.

Interest in Aurora Shores continued, and four years after construction began, a new subdivision was ready to welcome potential home buyers. The expansion, known as Pebble Beach Cove, included sixty-three additional units and two miles of pedestrian walkways, with plans for a second community beach. A great deal of effort and energy was expended to maintain the appearance of being a quaint community. Historically, commerce has been absent from Aurora Shores, with residents traveling a few miles to purchase even the most trivial of items.

The little community on the lake experienced some legal trouble in 1997, when confusion over ownership of the Aurora Lake came into question. In 1982, the Broadview Savings Bank of Independence, Ohio, agreed to transfer ownership of the lake to the Aurora Shores Homeowners Association at the end of December 2000. During the intervening years, the bank fell into bankruptcy, and its assets were sold off. It would take some legal wrangling to clear up the tangled web left behind.

Today, the lakeside locale straddles the borders of Aurora and Reminderville and has blossomed to include 887 homes, as well as pools, tennis courts, and a lake that, on more than one occasion, has yielded trophy-winning fishing.