Message from the City

reetings,

It appears 2023 will be remembered as the year the City of Batavia proudly expanded public awareness of the local history found within our region. Thanks to a very generous grant from the Dunham Foundation based in Aurora, our city has received a grant for a historical sign program. The purpose of the signs is to highlight historical events that have impacted our town in numerous ways over the last 190 years.

Involving the cooperative efforts of members of the Batavia Historical Society, the City of Batavia, Batavia Park District, and the Batavia Public Library, public signs of high-quality construction have been acquired. You may have seen these signs popping up around town. The signs offer highlighted insights into many of the most fascinating events that have occurred in Batavia. The posted signs have a computer accessed map and information to research and read about Batavia's history.

The signs are being placed at locations around town where historic events occurred, including the former Bellevue Place, 333 S. Jefferson St. where Mary Todd Lincoln was a patient in 1875. Other signs tell the history of the Congregational, Methodist, and Calvary Episcopal churches, C.W. Shumway & Sons foundry, and a very

Your Elected Officials

Aldermen Serving until May 2025

Ward 1 Jennifer Baerren • jbaerren@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 2 Leah Leman • lleman@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 3 George Ajazi • gajazi@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 4 Tony Malay • tmalay@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 5 Mark Uher • muher@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 6 Nicholas Cerone • ncerone@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 7 Sarah Volgelsinger • svogelsi@cityofbatavia.net historically connected set of circumstances of visits of future U.S. Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy to the same downtown intersection some 41 years apart.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to take mayors from other communities in northern Illinois on a tour and share with them many of the historical stories. The consensus is that Batavia has one of the strongest collections of American history encounters to be found anywhere in the region.

More to come about the displays in the days ahead.

The annual community Garage Sale weekend is planned for May 5-6, and all residents of Batavia are urged to participate to help support the 4th of July Fireworks show. Those who registered their sales received a place on the sale’s printed and website map. The proceeds from those registrations help fund the fireworks show. Learn more on page 8.

This year will mark the 72nd year that Batavia has fired off one of the most attended fireworks programs in our region. Public dollars have never been necessary to buy the fireworks used in the show. Funds needed for the show have come from donations. This annual event is the largest gathering of local residents held during the year.

The annual Batavia fireworks display each 4th of July has truly become one of the grandest and most meaningful traditions hosted by our town.

Jeffery Schielke

JEFFERY SCHIELKE Mayor of Batavia

Aldermen Serving until May 2027

Ward 1 Christopher Solfa • csolfa@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 2 Alan Wolff • awolff@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 3 Dan Chanzit • dchanzit@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 4 Tom Connelly • tconnell@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 5 Abby Beck • abeck@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 6 Tim Lanci • Tlanci@cityofbatavia.net

Ward 7 Keenan Miller • kmiller@cityofbatavia.net