Today on the show, a conversation with the aldermen of Batavia's Ward 4, Tony Malay and Dustin Pieper.

Batavia is a place of belonging and acceptance. But this kind of culture doesn't come by accident. A town's culture is shaped by structures and systems. The culture we enjoy in Batavia is a direct result of the more formal acts of local government, staff, and public servants.

In this episode, I spoke with two aldermen whose Ward is particularly diverse, and particularly influential to the makeup of Batavia. Ward 4 includes a bunch of Batavian staples: Aldi corporate, River street, Batavia Apartments, and the historic black neighborhood at North River street.

That's a lot of history, economic diversity, and fast-moving change all in one location. So how do those in power protect and cultivate a sense of belonging in the midst of all of that? It turns out, it takes a combination of proactive policies, personal action, and relationship building.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

Join The 630 to support this podcast and our mission to create a stronger sense of belonging in our community. Members will receive:

1. Free access to quarterly live shows.
2. Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.
3. Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.
4. Regular opportunities to meet up in person with fellow Batavians who share your passion for our town and want to build stronger bonds.

Area Code: Batavia is always looking for sponsors. Click here for more information.

Area Code: Batavia is produced by Area Code Audio. It's hosted and produced by Richard Clark. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Mentioned in this episode:

212 Construction Group

Today on the show, a conversation with the founder of the notorious local Facebook Group, Things to Complain About In Batavia, Joe Runde.

My whole life, I've struggled with positivity. This was especially true about my relationship with Batavia. As great as Batavia is, I fundamentally believe that there are dark realities lurking underneath the surface of every community.

That's why I jumped at the chance to talk to Joe Runde, who started the facebook group on a whim, and ended up finding himself managing one of the most unruly and controversial social media platforms in our community.

This episode of Area Code: Batavia is sponsored by 212° Construction Group.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

Join The 630 to support this podcast and our mission to create a stronger sense of belonging in our community. Members will receive:

1. Free access to quarterly live shows.
2. Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.
3. Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.
4. Regular opportunities to meet up in person with fellow Batavians who share your passion for our town and want to build stronger bonds.

Area Code: Batavia is always looking for sponsors. Click here for more information.

Area Code: Batavia is produced by Area Code Audio. It's hosted and produced by Richard Clark. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Mentioned in this episode:

212 Construction Group

For this episode, I was given the opportunity to talk to each of the boardwalk shop owners in their own habitat about who they are, what motivates them, and what they hope to accomplish.

At a time when people are doing all of their shopping on Amazon without coming in contact with a person, when people are sending emails and creating "art" using AI, when people are treating people as props, inconveniences, or opponents rather than neighbors, these shops are leaning into both the human and the humane.

The boardwalk shops are open now through the end of the year every weekend.

View a list of the boardwalk shops here.

This episode of Area Code: Batavia is sponsored by 212° Construction Group.

This episode of Area Code: Batavia is brought to you by Meadowcrafters.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

Join The 630 to support this podcast and our mission to create a stronger sense of belonging in our community. Members will receive:

1. Free access to quarterly live shows.
2. Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.
3. Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.
4. Regular opportunities to meet up in person with fellow Batavians who share your passion for our town and want to build stronger bonds.

Area Code: Batavia is always looking for sponsors. Click here for more information.

Area Code: Batavia is produced by Area Code Audio. It's hosted and produced by Richard Clark. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Mentioned in this episode:

212 Construction Group