Area Code: Batavia

Jo Colagiacomi and Jay Weichun are not afraid to dream. When they moved to the midwest, they brought with them a dream of a vegan bakery that opened its doors to all, vegan or not. Now they're living that dream. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, I spoke to Jo Colagiacomi about how she combined her conviction, her passion for food, and her investment in local community to create something that...

This is part two of a pair of conversations with the Batavia Mayoral candidates. You can h ear our conversation with mayoral challenger, Tom Connelly, in the previous episode . Since 1981, Mayor Jeff Schielke has been a fixture in the community of Batavia, drawing on a rich tapestry of historical knowledge passed down through six generations. With an unwavering commitment to his hometown's heritag...

For the next two episodes, we'll be featuring a pair of conversations with the Batavia Mayoral candidates. In 2018, Tom Connelly found a home in the community of Batavia. And from the beginning, he set out to make a difference in his town through local government. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, we speak to the attorney and former alderman about his experience of finding belonging, and what...

As we round out our end of the year coverage, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at last year and at the podcast since it began one year ago. On this episode, I revisit the five (okay, six) most popular episodes of the year, and talk through the ways each conversation impacted me personally as a Batavia resident. This episode of Area Code: Batavia is sponsored by Bulldog Plumbin...

In 2024 there were new businesses, a new mayoral challenger, tornadoes, mysterious foam, and unnerving things in the walls. It can be easy to forget how much has happened in a year, so we thought it would be a good idea to set aside some time to take a look back. This episode: Sam Kraft, the man behind Tri-Cities Central , returns to the podcast to discuss the biggest events, developments, and sto...

For Steve Warrenfeltz, starting a record store was a lifelong dream. Once he shared that dream with a friend, it became inescapable. And after more than 30 years, Steve and his friend, Mike, made that dream a reality. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, a conversation with the owner of Kiss The Sky about why he chose Batavia as the home of Kiss The Sky, the ups and downs of the record store bus...

It's the busiest shopping weekend of the year, and shopping local isn't just a worthy cause: it's a great way to get more meaningful gifts for those you love. This week, we go holiday shopping in the heart of downtown Batavia with former guest, Jamie Saam. Listen in as we walk-and-talk about the myriad of options for everyone in your life. As a co-founder of Start Something Studio and Batavia nati...

This week, I welcome Sam Kraft, the publisher behind Tri-Cities Central to the podcast to discuss Thanksgiving traditions in Batavia, specific opportunities to experience belong in the area during the holidays, and what we Batavians have to be thankful for this year. Tri-Cities Central is an absolutely essential newsletter for listeners of this podcast who want to stay connected to and in the know...

To commemorate Area Code: Batavia's 20th episode, I've invited our collaborators, Ben Wydra and Lauren Purdy from Plimsoll , to take a look back on what the stories we heard in the previous episodes of the podcast meant to us, and what they mean for our community. We talk about how COVID disrupted and deepened the stories of so many, whether or not Batavia is really as special as this podcast migh...

When David Fraccaro and Claudia Kabanyana host "Becoming Neighbors," they're taking part in a unique and messy exercise of hope and potential. So what exactly are the risks and rewards of exploring our differences? On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, a conversation with the people behind the quarterly gathering that brings people together in a particularly unintuitive way: by drawing out our di...

Joanne Spitz is the co-chair of CHIP IN Batavia, a non-profit that works to ensure every child in our town has the opportunity to thrive - from basic necessities to prom dresses and college laptops. But Joanne's story isn't just about helping others belong. It's also about her own journey to find her place in Batavia over the past 32 years. In this conversation, we'll hear how a shy newcomer becam...

Logan Street Missionary Baptist Church, located just east of the river off of N. Washington Avenue and currently pastored by Rev. David J. Seymour, wasn't created in a vacuum - it was founded based on a need for black Batavians to have a place to go where they felt safe, comfortable, and accepted. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, a conversation with two long-time members of the church, Ruth...

After receiving so much support from his community as a high school student, Dennis Piron felt obligated to succeed. But after trying his hand in the business world, he quickly realized that giving back to Batavia was the best way to find fulfillment. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, I spoke to the Batavia High School football and track and field coach about his unique philosophy of coaching...

On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, a walking tour with local sculptor and art booster, Bill McGrath . As a board member of Water Street Studios and a former city administrator, Bill is the ideal person to lead us through downtown and walk us through the unique artistic landscape that makes up the downtown environment. Feel free to listen to this episode as a traditional podcast, but you'll get...

We might take the Batavia Creamery for granted now, but its fate wasn't always so cut and dry. After working as a Baskin Robbins franchisee, Kirk Jansons wanted to sell ice cream on his own terms. But challenges with the bridge and COVID threw the whole thing into question. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, a conversation with the owner of the Batavia Creamery about creating a space where eve...

Bridget Johnson, a Cuban immigrant, and Thomas Freeman, a Chicago south-side native, shared a dream. But their perspectives on that dream have been drastically different. And complimentary collaboration is exactly what makes Red Hive Market work so well. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, a conversation with Bridget and Tom about creating a diverse community of artisans, a place that felt for...

Hey everybody. We're dropping into your feed on an off week to let you know about a new segment: "Settling In." On each installment of "Settling In," we'll be diving deeper into what it means to make Batavia home,  with insights and advice from our title sponsor, local real estate expert, Kristine Clemens of @Properties Christies International Real Estate. For the next few months, you'll hear each...

Walk around Batavia's downtown and you'll see a host of women-led businesses, of all kinds. But it wasn't always this way. It happened because of people like Start Something Studio's Jamie Saam, who put collaboration and mutual support ahead of a solely competitive mindset. In addition to being the owner of Bulldog Plumbing and the co-founder of Start Something Studios, Jamie is consistently leani...

As we continue to explore the significance of flags in the Batavia community, we talk about the origins and impact of the Batavia Community flag, and the Unity Pride flag, relatively new symbols in the town. Featured on this episode: Flag expert Marty Callahan, chair of the Batavia flag design contest committee High school student Rachel Agro, designer of the Batavia Community flag High school gra...

The day this episode is released, June 14th, is Flag Day, and it's the first Flag Day to be observed at Batavia's brand new Flag Day Monument. Meanwhile, across the lawn of the Pegbond Center, a few other flags are flying. What is it about flags that instills such reverence in those whose community they represent? And what role do flags play in this community? Over the course of two episodes this...

When Austin Dempsey had the opportunity to step into a long-term leadership role in the family business, he took it. But in the face of a global pandemic, he recognized how investing in Batavia's community would pay off for everyone in the long run. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, a conversation with the CEO of BEI Commercial Real Estate about the significance of spaces to foster community,...

Every year, an entirely new group of entrepreneurs set up shop on the corner of Wilson and River street, with their hearts set of finding a home and community in Batavia. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, we talk to all the boardwalk shop owners about their hopes for their time in Batavia, what led them here, and what it means to be part of the boardwalk shops community. The Boardwalk Shops f...

Craig Foltos grew up in Batavia, cleaning his Dad's barber shop. He has almost never ventured outside of the town where he was raised (once he stayed overnight in Warrenville). But when his dad died, Craig had to come to terms with his fate, as a barber, as a Batavian, and as a consistent presence in a constantly changing town. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, a conversation with the owner o...

A "blind date" between two beer aficionados. A day spent praying and fasting. A wedding invitation with a familiar passage. A pre-designed logo featuring a familiar building. These are just some of the serendipitous moments that lead to Sturdy Shelter Brewing, and that made the founding of the brewery in Batavia, IL seem almost fated. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, recorded live in front o...

When Juliana Cancelo's mom, Sylvia Sanchez had a dream of Batavians craving empanadas, Juliana was skeptical. But it took a change of perspective to realize that her mom's dream could also be an act of empathy and resistance. On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, a conversation Juliana Cancelo, one-half of the Bocaditos founding duo, about the counter-cultural vision behind their Argentian cafe,...