City of Batavia Currents—Batavia is for book lovers

Batavia is for book lovers

The City of Batavia would like to welcome its newest bookstore, Bookhunters! Bookhunters recently opened a store at 1938 Fabyan Pkwy., located in the Fabyan Randall Plaza right next door to Trader Joe’s!

Owner Vicki Allison has 20 years of experience in the new and used book market and has thousands of new and gently used books at discount prices on a variety of topics, including fiction and literature, graphic novels, children’s books, poetry, cookbooks and crafts, history, philosophy, theology, and more.

Looking for an out of print or hard to find title? Let Bookhunters know. Be sure to stop in soon to say hello and find your next great read- there is something for everyone at Bookhunters! Bookhunters 1938 Fabyan Pkwy. | 630-432-4604 facebook.com/people/ Bookhunters-New-And-Used-Books Store hours: Monday–Saturday 10am–8pm Sunday 12pm–5pm

Want to make a day out of book and literary themed shopping in Batavia? Readers and writers alike will find plenty of opportunities for great finds at Bookhunters and these additional local and independent shops that call Batavia home:

The Book Shop

Downtown Batavia used bookstore spot with stacks and stacks of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, mystery and more!

15 N. River St. 847-337-3876 facebook.com/thebookshopbatavia

Store hours: Friday 3–7pm Saturday 8am–4pm Sunday 12pm–4pm

Hearth & Hammer General

Recreate that book crawl feel at home with an assortment of literary and Library of Congress themed candles, books, journals, stationary and more.

319 Main Street 630-454-4279 hearthandhammer.co facebook.com/hearthandhammer

Store hours: Wednesday–Friday: 12–6pm Saturday: 11–5pm

River Peak Apothecary

Grooming products, gifts, and home accessories with stories that come to life. Plus, you may just find the occasional collectible inspired by the works of Tolkien, Martin, and more.

119 S. Batavia Ave. 630-454-4820 riverpeakapothecary.com facebook.com/riverpeakapothecary

Store hours: Wednesday–Sunday 12–6pm

Pretty Pages

Curated home décor and gifts created from upcycled books and other literary themed items. Batavia Boardwalk Shops

114 E. Wilson St. etsy.com/shop/PrettyPagesDesigns facebook.com/prettypagesco

Store hours: (through Dec.19) Friday 10am–7pm Saturday 9am–4pm Sunday 12pm–4pm

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

Prepare for autumn

Autumn signals a return to cooler temperatures, more time outdoors, and preparations. Now is the time to make sure homes and families are ready for the upcoming holidays and winter weather both indoors and out. Check out some tips and tricks for getting your home and family ready for anything.

Check your emergency supplies. Replace any items that are expired or have been used. If you don't have an emergency kit, build one. Directions and a checklist can be found at: ready.illinois.gov. • Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors for proper function. If needed, replace the batteries. • Check the seals on doors and windows. Repair or replace weather stripping to prevent drafts and save energy. • Have fireplaces and chimneys inspected. If needed, have your chimney swept to prevent potential fire hazards. • Clean your gutters. Leaves and debris build up can damage roofs and homes. • Inspect your roof for loose shingles and damage. • Practice ladder safety and proper usage. Fall prevention let you and your family enjoy all seasons. • Be careful when doing yardwork.

Use rakes that are the right length and wear eye and hearing protection. Hydrate and apply sunscreen. It’s easy to over-exert when temperatures are moderate.

Keeping your home and family safe and healthy gives everyone the best chance at a fun and active autumn.

Deadline to join the 2022 Sidewalk Removal and Replacement Program is approaching

Each year the City of Batavia performs sidewalk maintenance to repair deficiencies within the city’s sidewalk system. These repairs ensure pedestrian safety as well as reduce liability for the property owner and the City of Batavia. The repairs and replacement of sidewalk are completed by the city and no cost is incurred by the residents and/or business.

Deficient sidewalk will have one or more of the following conditions: • Walks must be sunken or risen to a height difference of one inch or more between two panels; • Broken or separated into three or more pieces; • 50% or more of the surface deteriorated

Please call the Engineering Department at 630-454-2750 to report substandard sidewalks that meet any of the above conditions. A city staff member will evaluate that sidewalk to determine if it qualifies

for repair. The deadline to apply for the yearly sidewalk improvement program is Oct. 31. Repair is typically completed in the following summer season. More information including photos and Frequently Asked Questions, can be found at cityofbatavia.net/sidewalk.

Fall River cleanup in Batavia is Sept. 18

Come out and help clean up your river! Friends of the Fox River (FOFR) is co-sponsoring a clean-up along the Fox River in Batavia with the City of Batavia. Everyone will meet at the Blackard Skate & Bike Park, 411 S. River St. at 9am on Sept. 18.

FOFR encourages everyone to bring their own garbage bags and gloves (we’ll have extras in case you forget!). We’ll also provide snacks and water. Sturdy shoes and sunscreen are recommended. All participants must sign a waiver and volunteers under 18 will require a parental signature. For more information, contact Gary Swick, Friends of the Fox River at swick@mc.net or visit the Friends of the Fox website friendsofthefoxriver.org. See you there! At the time of the publication of this magazine this event may have changes due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as things seem to constantly changing. Please check the latest status on the City of Batavia’s webpage, cityofbatavia.net.

Be a steward to the Fox River and surrounding land that flows through our town. Thank you 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 Sept. 7 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/Waste Management collects yard waste bags/32-gallon cans (not to exceed 50 pounds per bag/32-gallon can) consisting of twigs, evergreen clippings, roots, stumps, and plants on your regular trash collection day 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.

Residential leaf collection programs begin in October

There are two leaf collection programs available to qualifying residents who pay the monthly leaf/brush fee on their utility bills:

Curbside vacuum collection

Curbside vacuum collection provides every resident with up to three collection opportunities (weather permitting). • Updates showing daily progress will be posted online at cityofbatavia.net once the program is underway. • Dates may change due to the weather and volume of leaves put out for collection, although best efforts will be made to remain on schedule. Snow or freezing weather may significantly delay or permanently halt curbside leaf collection, since some of the equipment used to remove leaves is also used to handle deicing/ snowplowing operations.

2021 Collection Schedule East Side of river

West Side of river

1st Pickup Begins Oct. 18 Oct.25 2nd Pickup Begins Nov. 1 Nov. 8 3rd Pickup Begins (will only be done weather permitting) Nov. 15 Nov. 22

How the curbside vacuum collection program works:

• Rake leaves to the parkway by 6am on the Monday of your scheduled week. Leaves will be collected rain or shine. • Crews will make one pass by every qualifying residence during each collection period. Leaves that are placed out after the collection crew has passed by may not be picked up for another two weeks until the next scheduled pickup date. • Leaves should be raked into piles no farther than 6' back from the curb. Raking leaves into a long windrow will expedite the process. Leaf piles should be in the parkway, as equipment cannot be used in alleys. • Leaves should not be raked into the street. This will obstruct the flow of storm water runoff during rain events and cause street flooding, as well as slippery streets. • Avoid placing leaves near obstacles such as parked vehicles, mailboxes, utility poles/boxes, hydrants, trees, or sign posts. • Avoid placing debris like sticks, bags, and plastic bottles in leaf piles, as this can cause injury to personnel, damage equipment, and cause delays.

Foreign objects also contaminate the leaf material, which is taken to an agricultural site. • The program is intended to collect the majority of leaves residents may have during the curbside vacuum collection program time frame. Residents are encouraged to use other options for leaves that drop after the curbside vacuum collection program has finished for the season. • Various crews are working simultaneously during the program period. Trucks with large vacuum trailers are used for through streets, and a truck with a small trailer vacuum goes into areas where the larger equipment cannot navigate such as cul-de-sacs,

“bubbles,” and dead ends. • Limbs/brush should be placed in a separate pile for collection and may not be combined with leaf piles.

Limbs/brush should only be placed at the curb if there is a scheduled collection. The final citywide BRUSH collection will be done the week of Nov. 29 for both sides of town. • Ornamental grasses, plants, and corn stalks should be disposed of as yard waste.

Leaf bag collection program

From Dec. 1 through Dec. 31 residents may place leaves in brown Kraft yard waste bags and put them out for collection on their scheduled refuse collection day WITHOUT A STICKER. The refuse collection company will collect yard waste bags (no cans) weekly until Dec. 31.

Only leaves may be placed in the yard waste bags. No grass or other yard waste can be mixed with the leaves. Please try to keep the yard waste bags as dry as possible.

Alternate options:

• Use a mulching lawnmower and mulch leaves back into the lawn. This provides nutrients for the soil. • Place leaves around plant beds and under trees and shrubs. This enhances the soil and provides insulation for the plants. • Stickered yard waste bags/cans will be collected weekly through Nov. 27.

Flag Day monument fundraising update

The Fox Valley Patriotic Organization (FVPO) will be hosting one more event in 2021 to help raise funds for the Flag Day Monument which will be built in downtown Batavia on the Riverwalk. About 75% 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 veterans and first responders have already been raised; with your continued support, FVPO can get over the finish line and start building this monument in 2022!

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 will provide 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! You can register for and find further information about this event at the website (flagdaymonument.com).

The FVPO is looking for additional sponsors for this event. Please contact Cathy McNally (cathy@intownestorage.com) with questions and/or 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. It’s never too soon to begin thinking about holiday gifts, also! An individual or family brick for a loved one is a beautiful treasure that will last for years to come as part of this wonderful monument to our American flag.

For the many supporters of the Flag Day Monument, we want to thank you for your continuing patience as we work to raise the last needed funds for the 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 we start building it. Never has a tribute to Old Glory been needed more than now as a powerful symbol and everyday reminder of our great and strong country! Thank you for helping to make “Flag Day— Every Day” a reality in Batavia!

Flag Day honorees

The Batavia Flag Day Committee would like to thank the hundreds of Batavians who came out to help celebrate Flag Day this year on June 14 on the Riverwalk. The Batavia Community Band played a beautiful concert of patriotic arrangements, followed by the announcement of this year’s Dr. Bernard Cigrand Patriot Award winners. Since there was no Flag Day event in 2020, two different groups were recognized this year by having their names added to the city plaque. For 2020, Doris Sherer, “Patriotic Volunteer Extraordinaire”, was honored. And for 2021, Mark and Julie Harrington, “Flag Aficionados and Models of Patriotic Spirit”, were honored. This plaque hangs throughout the year in the council chambers at Batavia City Hall to honor Dr. Cigrand and those who work tirelessly to carry on his legacy.

Plans made for Mahoney Creek watershed

The City of Batavia is in the process of developing a Watershed Based Plan for the Mahoney Creek Watershed. As part of this process, they will be hosting three stake holder meetings for residents and interested parties to become involved in the planning process. The first meeting will be held on Nov. 16 from 5:30–7pm at city hall in the council chambers. This first of three meetings will discuss: • The process of watershed planning • Summarize the history of the watershed • Present a summary of the existing conditions and characteristics assessment • Discuss the next steps

Subsequent meetings will take place in January 2022 and March 2022 at dates yet to be determined. These meetings will focus on discussing water quality, pollutant loadings, goals for the watershed, action items and projects that can be implemented and finally funding mechanisms. A notice will be sent to those within the limits of the watershed as the date approaches. The city is excited to be working through this process and looks forward to hearing from you!