Area Code: Batavia

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Jul 2026

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About the show

On each episode of Area Code: Batavia, host Richard Clark explores the heart of Batavia, Illinois, and what it means to truly belong in Batavia, IL. Through one-on-one conversations with local small business owners, we uncover the essence of Batavia's community spirit. Produced by Area Code Audio. Tune in every two weeks for new episodes.

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July 23, 202658 min

The Fermilab Physicist Saving the World's Oceans in His Free Time

Arden Warner is an accelerator physicist and a self-described "simpleton." His uniquely straightforward way of looking at the world has made him uniquely equipped to solve some of the world's biggest problems.When Arden saw coverage of a devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico back in 2010, he had an idea: what if we could remove oil from the ocean using magnets? It turns out, not only did his idea work, but it turned out to be a revolutionary approach to cleaning up oil spills.On this episode, I talk to Arden about the life-long journey that lead him to being on the verge of solving one of earth's most significant problems, and how working and hanging out in Batavia keeps him feeling grounded and connected to community.PLUS: Richard and Alexa talk smoke, bees, blood rivers, gambling, movies, and cocktails. Vices and plagues!!For 630 Members: A discussion about local gossip and Arden Warner on the "FermiBubble" and his favorite things in Batavia.Read the proposed gambling ordinanceSubscribe 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:Free access to quarterly live shows.Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.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. Our associate producer and co-host is Alexa Swidenbank. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

July 9, 20261 hr 7 min

Is Batavia a Strong Town?

This episode, we abandon our assumptions about how great Batavia is and give ourselves over to objectivity.Ward 4 Alderman Dustin Pieper is back to run through 10 questions that help determine whether a town is truly a strong town. Dustin runs the Strong Towns Batavia Local Conversation and has become well-versed in what makes a thriving, resilient town.Will Batavia pass the test? You'll have to listen to find out.PLUS: We introduce Area Code: Batavia's new co-host, Alexa Swidenbank and a brand new opening segment, Neighborhood Watch!For 630 Members: Alexa and Graham's Batavia FavsMore info on the Cat Cafe!The State of The Tri-CitiesMore about the Strong Towns MovementStrong Towns BataviaSubscribe 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:Free access to quarterly live shows.Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.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. Our associate producer and co-host is Alexa Swidenbank. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.Mentioned in this episode:212 Construction Group

June 30, 202624 min

KIDS THESE DAYS - Kim and Liz: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

Here is the latest episode of Kids These Days, a podcast made in collaboration with Batavia Public Schools that I think listeners to this podcast will love.New episodes will release every month on this feed, but to get them the day they drop, subscribe to the podcast here. Enjoy!-------On this episode of Kids These Days, Liz Mcalpin is reunited with her former fifth-grade student, Kim Nolasco.Now in middle school and thriving, Kim is confronting the differences between elementary school and middle school, the challenges and opportunities that come with being bilingual, and the possibility of achieving her aspiration of one day being a police officer.But what happens when things get hard? From navigating the awkwardness of raising your hand in front of a classroom crush to breaking massive obstacles down into small, manageable goals, Kim reveals her practical playbook for facing adversity head-on.Kids These Days is a podcast from Batavia Public School District 101, produced in partnership with Area Code: Batavia. New episodes every month.For more information about all the great things BPS101 is doing, sign up for our newsletter.To contact us about the episode or recommend a future guest, email us at help@bps101.net.

June 25, 202651 min

The Nine Lives of John Dryden

John Dryden has been many things. He's been a historian, a high school teacher, a hot dog vendor, a bartender, an actor, a comedy sketch writer, he ran a community garden, and yes, he's also been a bit of a rabble rouser.These days, you might recognize him as the person who has led the campaign to "liberate North Batavia," or the founder of the Batavia Lyceum Association, which meets monthly at Sidecar Supper Club.John is well-known among long-time Batavians, maybe even infamous. He wears his beliefs on his sleeve, and a lot of times, those beliefs, and his opinions about Batavia, have gotten him into trouble.But I'm convinced that a healthy community requires rabble-rousers just like John Dryden.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:Free access to quarterly live shows.Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.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. Our associate producer and co-host is Alexa Swidenbank. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.Mentioned in this episode:212 Construction Group

June 15, 202654 min

Making Room for Everyone in Ward 4

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:Free access to quarterly live shows.Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.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. Our associate producer and co-host is Alexa Swidenbank. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.Mentioned in this episode:212 Construction Group

May 27, 202652 min

The Man Behind Batavia's Most Controversial Facebook 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:Free access to quarterly live shows.Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.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. Our associate producer and co-host is Alexa Swidenbank. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.Mentioned in this episode:212 Construction Group

May 13, 20261 hr 19 min

Batavia Boardwalk Shops: Bringing Humanity Back to Retail

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:Free access to quarterly live shows.Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.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. Our associate producer and co-host is Alexa Swidenbank. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.Mentioned in this episode:212 Construction Group

April 29, 202656 min

How Batavia MainStreet is Crafting "Good Energy"

Next episode will be our third annual boardwalk shop episode, a conversation with every owner of each Batavia Boardwalk Shop.In the lead up to that episode, I'm talking to the people responsible for making it all happen, Beth and Kristen from Batavia MainStreet. Not only does Main Street organize and prep the boardwalk shop owners. They help evaluate and curate the shops themselves.That evaluating and curating is a great example of one of the things that intrigued me about MainStreet as an organization. Because Batavia MainStreet is responsible for so many things that make up the character of our town, they actually have a lot of power and influence over how things go down. When you check out the shops this year, you'll have Main Street to thank for the uniqueness and diversity on display.These kinds of public-facing, community defining decisions come with a lot of weight, sometimes even baggage. So how do Beth and Kristen lead in these initiatives without feeling overwhelmed, not just by the work but by public scrutiny?Watch Tri-Cities 'LIVE' with Chris Wallace and Sam Kraft, mentioned during this episode. Sponsor Area Code: Batavia, a direct line to the people who live, work, and shop right here in our community.This episode of Area Code: Batavia is brought to you by Meadowcrafters. 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:Free access to quarterly live shows.Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.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. Our associate producer and co-host is Alexa Swidenbank. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.Mentioned in this episode:Meadowcrafters Weird Gardens212 Construction Group

April 17, 202654 min

Water Street Studios: The Creative Backbone of Batavia

On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, I'm talking to Bonnie Baumgartner and Jessica Jecmen from Water Street Studios, Batavia's community art center.Batavia has a reputation as being the "artsy" sibling of Geneva and St. Charles, a direct result of people taking active interest in giving artistic work and artistic communities a home. The reality is, without Water Street Studios, and the people who gave their money and time to make it possible, Batavia would be a lot less creative, and honestly? A lot more boring.But what happens when that art is weird or jarring? And how do you get everyone to not only see the value of public art, but agree on what should be painted on the outside walls of our shared community spaces?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:Free access to quarterly live shows.Off-week episodes of our bonus podcast, “The Batavia Insider”.Influence future Area Code: Batavia content. Your voice will help guide future topics and interviews.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. Our associate producer and co-host is Alexa Swidenbank. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.Mentioned in this episode:212 Construction Group

April 10, 202626 min

KIDS THESE DAYS: Kush and Craig: Then, Now, and What's Next

I'm excited to share with you the first episode of Kids These Days, a podcast we've been working on with Batavia Public Schools that listeners to this podcast will love.New episodes will release every month on this feed, but to get them the day they drop, subscribe to the podcast here. Enjoy! ------In our premiere episode of Kids These Days, BPS 101 Superintendent Tom Kim brings together two Batavians from very different chapters of life for an unscripted conversation about what it means to plan for the future.High school senior Kush Adhvaryu is joined by Craig Foltos, lifelong resident and owner of Foltos Tonsorial Parlor, to discuss the potential of a career in finance, how their generations get their news, and the generational divide around "work-life balance".From the influence of favorite teachers to the importance of building community connections, this episode explores the "Portrait of a Graduate" in action and what happens when we take the time to slow down and learn from one another.Kids These Days is a podcast from Batavia Public School District 101, produced in partnership with Area Code: Batavia. New episodes every month.For more information about all the great things BPS101 is doing, sign up for our newsletter.To contact us about the episode or recommend a future guest, email us at help@bps101.net.