Take our listener survey to help shape the future of Area Code: Batavia. (and earn a chance to win $25 in Chamber Bucks!)

A few weeks ago, Paula Mueller, the owner of Paula’s Couture Consignment dropped a bombshell - she would be giving up ownership of Paula’s.

But this announcement came with another announcement: Paula’s now has a new owner, long-time Paula’s employee, and entrepreneur herself, Amanda Mistretta. 

I’ve talked to Paula before for this podcast, and I was struck by just how important Paula’s was to so many when it comes to their sense of belonging in Batavia. And not just to her customers, but to Paula herself. 

So when I heard this news I knew I had to talk to Paula’s and Amanda about exactly how this came to be, how Paula prepared herself to give up her own creation, and how Amanda moved past the inevitable imposter syndrome to step into this new stage of her own life. 

Join The 630 Community - Gain access to Batavia Favs segments, behind-the-scenes insights, free access for you and a friend to our live shows, and complimentary local perks (coming soon!).

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

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. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Take our listener survey to help shape the future of Area Code: Batavia. (and earn a chance to win $25 in Chamber Bucks!)

This week, we're dropping a bonus episode to hold you over until our next main installment!

We're sharing two segments from our exclusive bonus content series, Batavia Favs. This series is an ongoing feature for members of our official membership community, The 630, where guests share their favorite places, events, and activities in Batavia, Illinois.

Featured in this episode:

• Talitha Mueller (The Popcorn Depot) shares her favorite seasonal activities, the one event she never misses, and the one quality about Batavia she hopes never changes.
• Brittany Sabatino (Arlo.Hendrix) shares her go-to advice for newcomers, the importance of shopping local, and the best place to find inspiration in Batavia.

Join The 630 Community - Gain access to more Batavia Favs segments, behind-the-scenes insights, exclusive hangouts, and complimentary local perks (coming soon!).

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

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. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Just in time for Bat Fest, it's the live recording of our Spooky Season Celebration hosted at Sturdy Shelter.

This episode features:

• A conversation about Bat Fest with Kristen Desler and Beth Walker from Main Street
• A True Crime Mystery featuring the Batavia Paranormal Investigation Squad
• A conversation with Zach Sage, the mastermind behind the Halloween display, Midnight on Morton.

Every year, Zach pairs his Halloween display with a drive for Animal House Shelter. If you pay them a visit, consider making a donation.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

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. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Jennifer Orta is on the front lines of a crisis of belonging. As the only Spanish speaking licensed mental health provider at Suicide Prevention Services of America, located here in Batavia, she's talking every day to people who are impacted directly by the dramatic increase of ICE activity in the Fox Valley.

On this episode of Area Code: Batavia, Jennifer, a psychotherapist, describes the hidden emotional impact she sees in her work: from parents too afraid to leave their homes to children quietly agonizing over whether their parents will be there when they get home.

This is a necessary and candid conversation about humanity, dignity, and what it truly means to be a neighbor in the Fox Valley region right now.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

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. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Don't forget! Our 2nd ever live episode, a Batavia Spooky Season Celebration, is happening October 9th, 7pm at Sturdy Shelter.

We'll be featuring conversations with the people behind Batfest, the guy responsible for Midnight on Morton, and a special visit from the Batavia Paranormal Investigation Squad. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here, but members of our membership program, The 630 get in free!

On this episode: a conversation with Ward 5 alderpersons Abby Beck and Jim Fahrenbach, the latest in our city council series, where we have joint conversations with current Batavia city council members from the same ward. We hear from Abby and Jim about what it's like serving on council, how they got into public service, and what makes Ward 5 special.

Just as a note, because the previous day’s city council meeting is discussed, I wanted to flag that this conversation took place on September 3rd. The September 2nd meeting we discussed will be linked in the show notes. Here’s my conversation with Abby Beck and Jim Farenbach. 

You can watch the September 2nd council meeting discussed at the top of the episode here.

The rest of our City Council series can be found here.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

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. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Heads Up! Our 2nd ever live episode, a Batavia Spooky Season Celebration, is happening October 9th, 7pm at Sturdy Shelter. We'll be featuring conversations with the people behind Batfest, the guy responsible for Midnight on Morton, and a special visit from the Batavia Paranormal Investigation Squad. Tickets are $10, but members of The 630 get in free!

Subscribe to The 630 for free access to our October live show, our upcoming Batavia Favs segment featuring The Popcorn Depot's Talitha Mueller, and other exclusive members-only content and opportunities.

It would be easy to miss the small building nestled in the parking lot between Batavia's new community center and Fifth Third Bank if it wasn’t for the crowds of patrons lined up most nights. But this small business has amassed a substantial following of regulars who stop by weekly or more to treat themselves and their family. 

There’s a reason for this - It doesn’t take long for Talitha Mueller to remember who you are. The more you visit, the more you start to feel a part of things. 

Was this feeling just a byproduct of Talitha’s personality, or was this something more intentional? And what does running a historic establishment that has an outsized influence on your town do for your own sense of belonging?

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

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. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Today's episode features the second conversation from our City Council series, with Jennifer Baerren and Christopher Solfa, alderpersons from Ward 1.

Ward 1 is a unique blend of the old and the new. There are decades-old neighborhoods occupied by young families who just moved here.

This range of residents - newcomers and established residents - young families, and settled retirees - can present some challenges. I wanted to talk to Jennifer and Christopher about the hard work of representing such a broad constituency and how they work together to honor the needs and desires of everyone, even when that might seem impossible.

Subscribe to The 630 for free access to our October live show, Jennifer and Christopher's upcoming "Batavia Favs" segment, and other exclusive members-only content and opportunities.

This episode of Area Code Batavia is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Batavia, a membership organization that does a range of service projects for the community. Get started making a difference in Batavia.

The closing of Berkley Finer Foods left a hole on Batavia's east side. But what seemed like a community loss quickly turned into a win with the arrival of Cinco De Mayo Market.

For this episode, I spoke to Daisy Parra about her family's whirlwind transition from running a bakery to a full-scale grocery store and what it means to bring their distinctly Hispanic approach from Aurora to a town with a significantly smaller Hispanic population.

Subscribe to The 630, to join an engaged community of listeners, and Daisy's "Batavia Favs" segment later this week.

This episode of Area Code Batavia is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Batavia, a membership organization that does a range of service projects for the community. Get started making a difference in Batavia.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

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. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

This episode is a conversation with Brittany Sabatino, the owner of Arlo.Hendrix. A store that carries children’s clothes, toys, and accessories, Arlo.Hendrix is located in the heart of The Mercantile.

Between the candy and the candles, The Mercantile in general is an inherently bright experience, but for Brittany, brightness seems to be a primary value for her shop. There’s a distinct positivity you feel in both Brittany’s presence and in her store. 

But the thing is - positivity is hard to maintain over time. It’s easy to be positive all the time when things are going well. But when you’re facing supply change issues, an overloaded schedule, or a dry spell in her business, it’s harder to maintain those good vibes. Still, for Brittany, bright colors and positivity seem to be part of her identity. 

I wanted to talk to Brittany about how she maintains that kind of resilience, even when things get too busy, too hard, or too draining. 

In other words, how do you build a business on optimism and keep it from running out?

If you're a member of The 630, you’ll be able to hear Brittani's "Batavia Favs" segment later this week—giving us an insider’s guide to some of her favorite places in town. If you’re not already a member, you can join The 630 for more bonus content like this by following the link in the show notes.

This episode of Area Code Batavia is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Batavia, a membership organization that does a range of service projects for the community. Get started making a difference in Batavia.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

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. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

This week, we're kicking off a brand new series that we'll be running throughout the year. Every so often I hope to share a new conversation with aldermen and alderwomen from various wards in Batavia. We'll go beyond typical policy discussions and get them talking about the human element of city governance – and how they personally interact with the challenges and opportunities that tend to come up.

One other note: This week we launch The 630, an online and in-person community for supporters of Area Code: Batavia. Members receive monthly bonus content, access to an exclusive online community, free admission to monthly meet-ups, and an Area Code: Batavia sticker. Join now and you'll also receive an exclusive Area Code pin!

This week, members will have access to two new bonus offerings:

• Behind The Mic: Why We Launched the 630
• Batavia Favs: Richard and Jennifer Clark

Today on the show, I talk to city council members Kevin Malone and Alice Lohman, representatives of Batavia’s Ward 3. 

Kevin and Alice represent a Ward with a ton of variety. On one end there’s the Holmstaad, a retirement community, and on the other there’s Emagine theater. And their constituents are made up of a diverse array of people with all kinds of feelings about Batavia and their place in it. 

So how does someone balance the expectations and tensions that go into running a town like Batavia? And how do their decisions and efforts affect feelings of belonging in their community? And how do they feel about all of that? 

Well, that’s what I wanted to know.

This episode of Area Code Batavia is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Batavia, a membership organization that does a range of service projects for the community. Get started making a difference in Batavia.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated about Area Code: Batavia and find out when new episodes are available.

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. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Mentioned in this episode:

Rotary Segment 1