BatFest offers children as well as adults a 'frightfully good time"

Children can be rewarded for everything from looking cute to screaming at BatFest on Saturday.

Activities will run mostly from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the downtown area and along the Riverwalk.

The exceptions are a blood drive that runs 8 a.m. to noon at city hall, 100 N. Island Ave., and a 5K run that starts at 8:30 a.m. on the Riverwalk.

Downtown trick-or-treating will run from 10 a.m. to noon, and seasonal songs and stories will be presented at the library, 10 S. Batavia Ave., from 12:30 to 1 p.m.

After that, there will be a Halloween parade from the library to the Riverwalk with a police escort at 1 p.m.

From noon to 3 p.m., activities along the Riverwalk will include crafts, contests, booths and hayrides.

The costume contest, including prizes for the cutest, scariest, most creative and best group theme, will be on the Main Stage starting at 1:30 p.m.

And if your ears can handle it, a screaming contest will start at 2 p.m.

For more information on the day or events, contact Batavia MainStreet at (630) 761-3528 or visit its Web site at www.downtownbatavia.com.

Taxing fight: Not every business owner is against a downtown taxing district to benefit Batavia MainStreet and downtown infrastructure.

At a public hearing last week, Mike Farrell, one of the owners of Prairie Path Cycles, said he would be willing to pay the 75-cent tax per $100 of assessed value.

"It's all about bringing people to downtown Batavia," he said. "I would hate to lose (Batavia MainStreet) as an asset to my business."

But the vast majority of business owners said that either the timing was wrong or downtown businesses shouldn't have to fund the improvements themselves.

"I want to give myself a chance to recoup after the bridge is finished," said Joe Marconi, who owns several downtown properties.

He has put money into those properties to fix them, which is what other owners should be doing as well, he said.

Several owners who have non-retail businesses, including office buildings, said that MainStreet has little to offer their businesses.

Stan Oke, owner of the Batavia Citgo gas station, said he might be amenable to the plan if it offered more detail on what would be done.

"In my industry, you must post your price in 1-foot letters on the curb," he said. "So taxing is a sensitive issue."

Business owners said they would have enough support to have a petition signed by a simple majority of owners in the area, which would kill the effort.

However, they won't have a chance to do so until at least next year, because the City Council postponed the hearing until next April.

How to vote: The Batavia League of Women Voters will host an informational meeting on how to use the county's new e-Slate voting machines today at 7 p.m. at the Batavia Public Library.

Employees from the Kane County Clerk's Office will offer a hands-on explanation to residents about how the machines work.

lhague@dailyherald.com