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City of Batavia Currents—All things patriotic
All things patriotic in Batavia
4th of July Fireworks Show
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On Sunday, July 4th, the City of Batavia will host its 72nd annual fireworks Sky Concert on the fields at Engstrom Park and Batavia High School. Starting at approximately 5:00 pm, food vendors will offer a variety of delicious foods. The Batavia Community Band will provide a patriotic concert prior to the 9:30 pm firing off of a beautiful fireworks show set to popular music past and present. No taxpayer dollars are ever used to pay for these fireworks which are totally funded by individual, business, and organization donations, along with fundraisers such as the Citywide Garage Sales the first weekend in May. Due to the pandemic, most fundraising opportunities were not able to be held this past year. Therefore, any and all donations are incredibly important this year to help pay for the fireworks, sound system, lighting, etc., which all make our show such a beloved event in the Fox Valley area. Please go to our website (bataviafireworks.org) to donate, or drop off a check to Batavia City Hall addressed to the Batavia Fireworks Committee. On the fields before, during and after the fireworks show, please look for volunteers in bright yellow T-shirts who will gladly take your cash donations.
The Batavia Fireworks Committee would like to thank all homes that participated in the Citywide Garage Sales this past month. Your application fees greatly helped us to pay for this year’s fireworks show. We hope all the shoppers had a great time, too! Many wonderful businesses donated gift cards that were raffled to paid registrants for the garage sales. Our thanks to Shady Hill Gardens, Riverside Pizza and Pub, Pal Joey’s Restaurant and Bar, and Acquaviva Ristorante.
Flag Day Monument fundraising update
The Fox Valley Patriotic Organization (FVPO) will be hosting two more events in 2021 to help raise funds for the Flag Day Monument which will be built in downtown Batavia on the Riverwalk. About 2/3 of the funds needed to build this beautiful tribute to Flag Day, Dr. Cigrand (the Father of Flag Day who was a dentist in Batavia for decades), and Batavia veterans and first responders have already been raised; with your support, FVPO will get over the finish line and start building this monument in 2022–2023!
Friday evening, Aug. 13 will be the third annual Flags and Flannel beer and food pairing event on Water St. in Batavia. “Flags and Flannel Under the Stars” this year will bring a fun new twist to hosting this delicious dinner and live auction outdoors with Ramblin’ Ray from WLS Radio as the Master of Ceremonies. Six local beer brewers will be at this event for tastings and pairings with amazing food. A live band will provide great street dancing. This event has become an annual favorite for patriotic citizens who love wearing their jeans and flannel shirts and relaxing with their friends and neighbors on a Friday night! Please check out the website at flagdaymonument.com for further details.
On Thurs., Oct. 7 the last fundraiser of 2021 will be a wonderful clay shooting event at the beautiful Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation in Dundee Township on Rt. 25, north of Elgin. This foundation is one of the premier research facilities for fish and wildlife management, as well as for conservation education. The natural beauty of this 1000+ acres provides a relaxing experience for those who will attend and enjoy the thrill of trying their skill at shooting clay disks. Please join the FVPO in the gorgeous month of October to walk the grounds of Max McGraw for the “Shooting for the Stars and Stripes” event for fun and prizes! Find further information about this event at the website (flagdaymonument.com).
The FVPO is looking for additional sponsors for both these events. Please contact Cathy McNally (cathy@intownestorage.com) with questions and interest.
Also on the website is a store where such items as personalized brick pavers (for the monument) and challenge coins can be purchased. Please consider honoring a loved one or special veteran or first responder with a personalized brick.
For the many supporters of the Flag Day Monument, thank you for your continuing patience as the organization works to raise the last needed funds for a hopeful 2022–2023 construction of this patriotic project. If you have already purchased a brick, rest assured that the brick company has your order and is ready to add your brick to the monument as soon as building is begun. Never has a tribute to Old Glory been needed more than now as a powerful symbol and everyday reminder of this great and strong country! Thank you for helping to make “Flag Day—Every Day” a reality in Batavia!
Brush collection continues
Curbside residential brush collection is available to all residents who pay the monthly leaf/brush fee on their utility bill. Please note that the interval between collection dates has changed, so your collection week doesn’t occur the same week each month; there are still seven collections per season. Brush/limbs are to be at the curb for collection no later than 7am on Monday of your scheduled week, but no sooner than the weekend before that. Crews will make only one pass by each residence. Brush placed out after our crews have passed will not be collected until the next scheduled pickup date.
2021 Brush Collection Schedule East Side Collection West Side Collection Aug. 2 Aug. 9 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Nov. 29—Citywide Nov. 29—Citywide
The following procedures must be followed to ensure the collection of your brush: • Maximum diameter is 6" (logs cannot be split); maximum length of limbs is 12'. • Brush should be stacked into one large pile in the front/side parkway with cut ends facing the curb, and placed away from parkway trees, mailboxes, utility poles/boxes, hydrants, and parked vehicles. Brush will not be collected from alleys or vacant lots. • Brush/limbs must not be tied, bundled, in containers, bagged, or put on the street. • Brush pile should contain only brush. Foreign objects will not be collected. • Program is for residentially-generated brush only, not contractor tree removals or trimming. • Brush left out on the parkway between collection dates is subject to a possible code violation citation.
The amount of brush that has been placed out citywide in any given month dictates how quickly your area will be reached, but each side of town is typically completed by Friday of the scheduled week. The collections are intended to handle most minor storm damage limbs that fall during the season, and special collections are done very rarely. Major storms may affect the schedule, and a notice of any special brush collection will be posted on the city’s website. If your brush was out at 7am on Monday of your scheduled collection week and not collected by the end of the workday on Friday, please notify the Public Properties & Services Division at 630-454-2400 no later than the following Monday.
If you have any questions, please call the Public Properties & Services Division at 630-454-2400 weekdays from 7am–4pm or visit our website at cityofbatavia.net/brushcollection.
For materials that do not meet the above specifications: • Advanced Disposal will collect yard waste bags/32gallon cans (not to exceed 50 pounds per bag/32gallon can) consisting of twigs, evergreen clippings, roots, stumps, and plants on your regular trash collection day. From March 31 through Nov. 30, a refuse sticker should be attached to the yard waste bag or 32-gallon can. If a can is used, it should be clearly marked “Yard Waste” on the side facing the street. • Residents with limbs/brush exceeding the requirements for the program can contact a private service to have it removed at the resident’s expense. • Unincorporated residents should contact their township offices regarding brush collection services that may be available to them.
New rates for garbage and yard waste effective July 1
On July 1, the cost for refuse disposal will be changing for Batavia residents. Residents can continue to use the red stickers for either refuse or yard waste. This is the fourth year of a five-year contract with Advanced Disposal/Waste Management. • Refuse/Yard Waste Sticker: $3.18 • Half-Refuse Bag (Yellow): $2.16 • 95-Gallon Refuse Cart: $26.53/mo. • 65-Gallon Refuse Cart: $24.67/mo. • 35-Gallon Refuse Cart: $23.35/mo. • 35-, 65-, or 95-Gallon Recycling Cart: No charge • Additional 35-, 65-, or 95-Gallon
Recycling Cart: $1.27/mo. • 65-Gallon Yard Waste Cart: $31.63/mo. (service runs
April 1–Nov. 30 and is billed only for these months) Note: Vendors may add up to a 2% service fee
Any toters in poor condition will be replaced by Advanced Disposal/Waste Management at no expense to homeowners. If you need an additional recycling cart, they are available from Advanced Disposal/Waste Management for an additional $1.27/cart/month. Collection days will remain the same.
The contract includes yard waste collection for the first two weeks of the season without stickers in March (see services calendar on the City of Batavia’s website next spring for these specific weeks). Residents may also add food scrap items to yard waste bags/cans (fruits, vegetables, grains, and pastas).
To report missed pickups or for cart issues, please contact Advanced Disposal/Waste Management at 630-587-8282 Monday through Friday from 8am–5pm. If Advanced Disposal/Waste Management does not resolve your issue to your satisfaction or if you have any questions, please contact the Public Properties and Services Division of Batavia Public Works at 630-454-2400 Monday through Friday from 7am–4pm.
The City of Batavia offers a Household Hazardous Waste Collection service to its residents. The city’s third-party provider, U.S. Ecology, will provide front door collection of many items that should not be placed in the regular weekly refuse collection. To learn about the items that will be accepted, please visit the city’s website at cityofbatavia.net (enter Household Hazardous Waste in search box), call U.S. Ecology at 866-373-8357 between 6am and 3pm Monday through Friday, or email curbside@usecology.com. If calling outside these hours, please leave a voicemail and your call will be returned.
Your elected city officials
Mayor—Jeffery D. Schielke City Clerk—Kate Garrett Treasurer—Jennifer Fox
Aldermen Serving until May 2023 Aldermen Serving until May 2025
Ward 1 Christopher Solfa csolfa@cityofbatavia.net Ward 1 Jennifer Baerren jbaerren@cityofbatavia.net Ward 2 Alan P. Wolff awolff@cityofbatavia.net Ward 2 Leah Leman lleman@cityofbatavia.net Ward 3 Dan Chanzit dchanzit@cityofbatavia.net Ward 3 George Ajazi gajazi@cityofbatavia.net Ward 4 Joseph Knopp jknopp@cityofbatavia.net Ward 4 Tony Malay tmalay@cityofbatavia.net Ward 5 Abby Beck abeck@cityofbatavia.net Ward 5 Mark Uher muher@cityofbatavia.net Ward 6 Michael Russotto mrussotto@cityofbatavia.net Ward 6 Nicholas P. Cerone ncerone@cityofbatavia.net Ward 7 Keenan Alexander Miller kmiller@cityofbatavia.net Ward 7 Sarah Volgelsinger svogelsinger@cityofbatavia.net
Be prepared for severe weather
Severe weather can happen at any time of the year. The National Weather Service and local emergency management officials strongly encourage people to have a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) All Hazards Weather Radio with battery backup. These radios can be programmed to receive alerts for specified counties to keep you and your family apprised of impending weather and post-event information for all types of hazards including natural (earthquakes), environmental (chemical spills) and public safety hazards (AMBER alerts). When an alert is issued for the programmed area, the device will sound a warning alarm tone followed by the essential information.
These devices can alert you while you are sleeping to give you the time you need to get your family to safety. With families constantly on the go, it is also critical for people to have multiple ways to receive notifications and updated information about severe weather warnings. FEMA offers a FREE mobile app that provides fast and reliable weather alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS). The app can be tailored to offer alerts for up to five different locations nationwide. The mobile app can also help you locate open shelters and disaster resource centers near you in the event of an emergency.
For more information about what to do before, during and after a storm, please visit Ready.Illinois.gov. There you will find a Severe Weather Preparedness Guide, developed by IEMA and the NWS, which provides tips on how to prepare for all weather emergencies.
Comedy for Access Toys
Sat., July 17 Doors open at 6:30pm, show begins at 8pm Batavia Moose Lodge Family Center, 1532 S. Batavia Ave.
Batavia Access Toy Distribution Committee hosts its annual “Comedy For Access Toys” at the Batavia Moose Lodge Family Center starring radio personality Patti Vasquez. She is recognized for her performances in her own network show, “My Life Is A Joke,” “The Patti Vasquez Show” on WGN, and programs on the TBS Network entitled “A Very Funny Show” and “The Lipstick Mom Tour.”
All net proceeds will go to Access Toys. New unwrapped toys will be accepted at the show. There will be a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction. Admission tickets are $10 at the door. Patti Vasquez headlines the Access Toy comedy show July 17
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