Find bargains at Batavia's citywide garage sale
It's garage sale weekend. It's a time for bargain shoppers to find some fabulous deals and a great opportunity for the Fireworks Committee to earn some money for the beautiful aerial display we all enjoy on the Fourth of July.
Since we live in a historic home, we will be cleaning out our garage for the Batavia Historical Society's "Antiques on Main" sale, that coincides with the weekend event. Historical Society members are donating antiques and vintage items to raise money for the Depot's planned expansion. Even some of Batavia's antique dealers are also participating.
"I'm donating because I think it's important for future generations to continue to learn about Batavia," said Donetta McGrath, owner of 715 Vintage. "My grandchildren love going to the Depot Museum and learning about Batavia."
Stop by at 1117 Main St., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday or Saturday, May 5-6, and say hello.
For a map listing participants in the citywide garage sale, and a spreadsheet listing addresses and categories of items to be sold, visit bataviafireworks.org.
Bike rodeo:
May is National Bike Month and the Batavia Bike Commission has many school and community activities lined up to celebrate.
"We really want to get families out biking," said commission member Joanne Spitz. "It's a great form of exercise and a fun things for kids and families to do together."
After the citywide garage sale on Saturday, May 6, round up all your bike wranglers and head on down to city hall from 1 to 3 p.m. for the annual bike rodeo, sponsored by the Batavia Bike Commission.
A great family event, the Bike Rodeo offers bike inspections and information about bike safety, especially the importance of wearing a helmet. many fun activities are planned. For details, visit www.bikingbatavia.org.
Congratulations:
I just learned that former Batavia High School graduate Andrew Pedersen won the audition for a seat in the double bass section of the Houston Symphony. As a community, we should be so proud of the talented musicians who have come out of our music programs.
Congratulations also to the Batavia cast and crew of the musical production of "Rent" that wowed audiences last weekend. Some even felt it surpassed the Paramount production. Kudos to these talented thespians who have been working tirelessly for the past three months.
Mystery writer in our midst:
Drop by Limestone Coffee Shop on Wilson Street and you might find celebrated author Deb Brod working on a new manuscript with her critique group.
Brod recently debuted her new novel "Getting Taken" at Townhouse Books and Cafe in St. Charles to a packed house of devoted fans. A mystery writer who pens under the name of D.C. Brod, Brod explained how her current series came to be.
"With some of my earlier books, my mom would always say, 'How come you haven't included me in a book?' since I often had familiar character names and locations," said Brod. "After she passed away, I decided to write a book about a mystery that includes a character in an assisted living facility that is loosely based on her."
All of Brod's books showcase her clever wit, dry humor and her ability to weave story lines together in an intricate way. This is her best one yet. I couldn't put it down until I was finished.
Over 25 years ago, I met a young mystery writer who had just written his first book. At the time, I didn't know Deb Brod but I called her and asked her if she would talk with him. She graciously did and continues to be a source of support for local writers.
A fond farewell:
Sadly, Batavia says goodbye to police chief, Gary Schira.
I spoke with him this week and learned one of his first official acts after coming to Batavia was riding in the Loyalty Day Parade.
"I had retiring chief, Dennis Anderson, and Deputy Chief, Dennis Thrun, ride with me," said Schira. "I was amazed at how many people welcomed me along the parade route. Between shouts of 'Hey, new guy' and 'Welcome to Batavia' I immediately realized how special Batavia was."
Another early act was the creation of the Batavia Police Academy. I was a member of the first class. I learned so much, not just about what the police do, but also about what they cannot do. Our police officers are out there everyday, protecting us, often in dangerous situations. Good luck to our new police chief, Daniel Eul. Thank you to all of our police officers for all they do to keep our city safe.