Area Code: Batavia

Hosted by Area Code Audio

Business Entrepreneurship Society CultureInterviews guests

Website RSS feed Facebook

Episodes

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

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.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 19, 202652 min

Sidecar Supper Club: A Home for Restless People

Mark your calendars! Area Code: Batavia - Live on the River will take place Thursday, August 27th at 7pm. We'll be podcasting live from the Sturdy Shelter deck as we talk to special guests about what the river means to Batavia, how to make the most of it, and what we need to do to keep it around. 630 Members get free entry for themselves and a guest. For all others, tickets are available for $10 at the door via cash or Venmo. --- Ten years ago, almost on a whim, Melissa Monno bought herself a bar. Five years after that, she made it her own. For Melissa, Sidecar is more than just a business model. It's a direct expression of who she is and an acknowledgement of the people in her life that are most important to her. Established in the same location as a "long line of watering holes," Sidecar Supper Club has become a stable place for all kinds of people to find rest - especially restless people. In this episode of Area Code: Batavia, I sit down with the owner of Sidecar Supper Club and talk about how Sidecar Supper Club injects a sense of whimsy and energy into Batavia. PLUS: Richard and Alexa find relief at the end of the Great Electric Scooter Takeover of 2026, and discuss the recent string of storms in Batavia. For 630 Members This Week: Richard and Alexa discuss the future of Area Code: Batavia, and Melissa Monno shares her Batavia Favs . This episode of Area Code: Batavia is brought to you in part by Alpha. Follow this link for more information . 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 t o 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.

August 5, 20261 hr 4 min

Beyond Randall Road: Building Community on the West Side

Ward 7 is made up of the west side of Batavia, and contains a lot of the West Side staples we often think about: Engstrom Park, the Mooseheart Corn Fields, the High School, and yes, Randall Road. And then there's the large groups of brand new homes, a bunch of houses with little history, and a downtown that is not as walkable as you might like to most. It's an area without a lot of focal points for gathering, and the ones that are there are largely commercial and impersonal. So how do those who live in Ward 7 create a sense of belonging where they are? In this episode, we spoke to city council members Robin Barraza and Bob White about the proactive ways Ward 7 residents create opportunities for connection and community in their neighborhoods. PLUS: Richard and Alexa discuss the uneasy local reaction to a brief run-in with a certain famous blimp. For 630 Members: Richard and Alexa discuss local uses of AI, and Robin and Bob share their Batavia Favs . Listen to previous conversations with Batavia City Council members . Check out previous episodes of the Batavia Insider, available for 630 members. 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 t o 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 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 ordinance Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available. Join The 630 t o 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 Favs More info on the Cat Cafe! The State of The Tri-Cities More about the Strong Towns Movement Strong Towns Batavia Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available. Join The 630 t o 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 t o 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 t o 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 t o 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 t o 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 t o 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 Gardens 212 Construction Group