Today's episode features the second conversation from our City Council series, with Jennifer Baerren and Christopher Solfa, alderpersons from Ward 1.

Ward 1 is a unique blend of the old and the new. There are decades-old neighborhoods occupied by young families who just moved here.

This range of residents - newcomers and established residents - young families, and settled retirees - can present some challenges. I wanted to talk to Jennifer and Christopher about the hard work of representing such a broad constituency and how they work together to honor the needs and desires of everyone, even when that might seem impossible.

Subscribe to The 630 for free access to our October live show, Jennifer and Christopher's upcoming "Batavia Favs" segment, and other exclusive members-only content and opportunities.

This episode of Area Code Batavia is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Batavia, a membership organization that does a range of service projects for the community. Get started making a difference in Batavia.

The closing of Berkley Finer Foods left a hole on Batavia's east side. But what seemed like a community loss quickly turned into a win with the arrival of Cinco De Mayo Market.

For this episode, I spoke to Daisy Parra about her family's whirlwind transition from running a bakery to a full-scale grocery store and what it means to bring their distinctly Hispanic approach from Aurora to a town with a significantly smaller Hispanic population.

Subscribe to The 630, to join an engaged community of listeners, and Daisy's "Batavia Favs" segment later this week.

This episode of Area Code Batavia is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Batavia, a membership organization that does a range of service projects for the community. Get started making a difference in Batavia.

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

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.

This episode is a conversation with Brittany Sabatino, the owner of Arlo.Hendrix. A store that carries children’s clothes, toys, and accessories, Arlo.Hendrix is located in the heart of The Mercantile.

Between the candy and the candles, The Mercantile in general is an inherently bright experience, but for Brittany, brightness seems to be a primary value for her shop. There’s a distinct positivity you feel in both Brittany’s presence and in her store.

But the thing is - positivity is hard to maintain over time. It’s easy to be positive all the time when things are going well. But when you’re facing supply change issues, an overloaded schedule, or a dry spell in her business, it’s harder to maintain those good vibes. Still, for Brittany, bright colors and positivity seem to be part of her identity.

I wanted to talk to Brittany about how she maintains that kind of resilience, even when things get too busy, too hard, or too draining.

In other words, how do you build a business on optimism and keep it from running out?

If you're a member of The 630, you’ll be able to hear Brittani's "Batavia Favs" segment later this week—giving us an insider’s guide to some of her favorite places in town. If you’re not already a member, you can join The 630 for more bonus content like this by following the link in the show notes.

This episode of Area Code Batavia is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Batavia, a membership organization that does a range of service projects for the community. Get started making a difference in Batavia.

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

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.

This week, we're kicking off a brand new series that we'll be running throughout the year. Every so often I hope to share a new conversation with aldermen and alderwomen from various wards in Batavia. We'll go beyond typical policy discussions and get them talking about the human element of city governance – and how they personally interact with the challenges and opportunities that tend to come up.

One other note: This week we launch The 630, an online and in-person community for supporters of Area Code: Batavia. Members receive monthly bonus content, access to an exclusive online community, free admission to monthly meet-ups, and an Area Code: Batavia sticker. Join now and you'll also receive an exclusive Area Code pin!

This week, members will have access to two new bonus offerings:

• Behind The Mic: Why We Launched the 630
• Batavia Favs: Richard and Jennifer Clark

Today on the show, I talk to city council members Kevin Malone and Alice Lohman, representatives of Batavia’s Ward 3.

Kevin and Alice represent a Ward with a ton of variety. On one end there’s the Holmstaad, a retirement community, and on the other there’s Emagine theater. And their constituents are made up of a diverse array of people with all kinds of feelings about Batavia and their place in it.

So how does someone balance the expectations and tensions that go into running a town like Batavia? And how do their decisions and efforts affect feelings of belonging in their community? And how do they feel about all of that?

Well, that’s what I wanted to know.

This episode of Area Code Batavia is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Batavia, a membership organization that does a range of service projects for the community. Get started making a difference in Batavia.

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

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:

Rotary Segment 1

Introducing Area Code: Batavia's new community, The 630.

This isn't just about supporting a podcast; it's about becoming part of a community dedicated to fostering a deeper sense of belonging right here in Batavia.

As a member of The 630, you'll not only help sustain this vital community effort, but you'll also gain:

• Exclusive bonus audio
• Influence on future Area Code: Batavia content
• An online community that makes authentic and in-person a priority
• Monthly Local and In-Person Area Code: Batavia Meetups
• The first 20 members of The 630 will receive an Area Code pin. Everyone else gets a sticker.

Click here to find out more and join.

You can also gift a membership to a friend or family member.

P.S. True belonging should be accessible to everyone. When you gift a membership to an anonymous member of the Batavia community, you create an opportunity for belonging for someone who needs it, broaden our reach, and strengthen Batavia's inclusive spirit.

When you purchase a gift subscription, you'll receive a unique redemption link. If you forward that link to richard@areacodeaudio.com, we'll ensure your generosity directly provides an accessible membership to a fellow Area Code: Batavia listener or community member, fostering a broader and more inclusive sense of belonging.

On the day this episode is released, Batavia kicks off Boo Boo Days. For me, Boo Boo Days is a new concept, a sort of quaint and slightly bizarre throwback that just started a few years ago. But the reality is, Boo Boo Days originated decades ago and played a crucial role in the origin of the Windmill Festival.

But what really interests me is the whole concept of this oddly named celebration. Where did this idea come from, and why organize an entire celebration around mistakes?

To explore those questions, I brought back a previous guest, Kate Garrett, director of the Batavia Depot Museum to help us understand what made the downtown we all take for granted what it is, and how grass roots campaigns like Boo Boo Days have shaped Batavia’s culture and landscape.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Purchase tickets for Richard's Sturdy Speaker Series Talk
• My previous episode with Kate Garrett
• BataviaHistory.org
• My conversation with Craig Foltos

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

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.

Just before the pandemic, Chris Otepka helped open Riverside Pizza and Pub in his hometown of Batavia with a few of his friends. Now he's helping run it. But most of his adult life, Chris Otepka was a touring musician.

On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, I speak with Chris about his long journey back home, what he learned about himself and Batavia while traveling the country, and his consistent presence in his friends' life as a "utility man".

• More about Otepka's band, Troubled Hubble
• Chris's solo project, the Heligoats

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

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.

It's not easy to live in Batavia while remaining unaware of its historical roots. Around here, it's talked about a lot. But what does this history really mean for a town in the here and now?

According to Depot Museum Director Kate Garrett, Batavia's appreciation for its own history provides opportunity for what she calls "pro-social behaviors." And it turns out, those kinds of behaviors ultimately add up to a better community for all.

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

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.