Batavia names its citizen of the year

Spend a decent amount of time in Batavia and you start to notice: There are windmills all over. At shopping centers, Portillo's, city hall …

Thank Bob Popeck for that.

Popeck's interest in preserving Batavia's history as maker of windmills is one of the reasons he was named the 2007 Batavia Citizen of the Year Friday.

But he is also noted for his 47-year career with the city of Batavia, first as a firefighter, then police officer, then police chief and finally administrative assistant to the mayor and administrator.

The award is bestowed by the Batavia Chamber of Commerce. Popeck is the 50th honoree. A committee of previous recipients picks the winner from nominations from the community, considering their contributions over the course of a lifetime.

"It's such an honor, and the farthest thing from your mind," Popeck said Friday. "It's all been exciting to do those things."

"Bob Popeck has connected Batavia with its history and its commercial roots," said Roger Breisch, chamber of commerce executive director, in a prepared statement.

The windmills

One of the first commercial ventures in Batavia in the 1800s was the manufacturing of windmills, with three major companies -- Challenge, Appleton and the U.S. Wind Engine and Pump Co. -- and three smaller ones.

Over the past 20 years nearly 16 historic windmills have been placed around town, in a campaign nicknamed "bringing them home."

"Bob Popeck is the individual who nearly single-handedly made that happen. There have been many times I have been driving around the community only to spy Bob hanging from the deck of a nearly reconstructed windmill to make sure the job was done correctly," Breisch said.

Popeck became interested in windmills when he became involved in the Batavia Historical Society. He served on that group's board from 1987 to 1996, including terms as president from 1992 to 1996. He led the Windmillers' International Trade Fair in 1996, bringing people to visit the windmills in Batavia and talk to people who used to work in those factories.

At first, fireman

Popeck moved to Batavia at age 12 from Cicero, when his parents bought a farm. In high school, Popeck and a couple of other "firebugs," as he and his friends were known, persuaded the fire chief to form a junior fire department. They would help after fires were put out, rolling up hoses and doing other chores.

Popeck worked at a plumbing supply house and became a volunteer firefighter. That became his full-time job in 1960.

In 1963 he moved over to the police department, eventually becoming police chief. In 1981, he became administrative assistant to the mayor and city administrator.

He is responsible for mosquito abatement, garbage and recycling service, the city's phone systems and maintenance of the building and grounds at the government center.

The latter is how the windmill situation came about.

"A windmill might look nice on the grounds of city hall," he told the mayor. He put the word out among windmill aficionados that he wanted a windmill for the city of Batavia, Batavia-built only.

One became two, two became three …

"The wheels are constantly turning," he said about bringing windmills to town. The next one will be at the Golden Corral restaurant, slated to be built on the southwest corner of Randall Road and Main Street.

"The proudest thing I can say is that every windmill on public property was paid for with donated money. No tax dollars were spent," Popeck said.

Popeck is chairman of the committee planning Batavia's 175th anniversary activities for next year. In the late 1970s he served two terms as moderator for the Congregational Church of Batavia and oversaw the first of two reconstructions of its steeple.

He volunteers for the Art In Your Eye fine art show and festival and is a founding member of the Batavia Kiwanis Club.

Popeck lives in Batavia with his wife, Francine. They have two sons and two granddaughters.

At age 72, he has no immediate plans to retire -- maybe in a year or two. "They seem to like to have me around," Popeck said. "I never thought I'd be here this long from day one."

He and Francine discussed moving out of town, but that doesn't seem likely to happen. "My wife says 'This is your town'," Popeck said.

Some previous Batavia Citizens of the Year

1983: Sally Adams

1984: Harold Hall

1985: Glenn F. Haines

1986: Carl Witschonke

1987: Richard Buri

1988: Ted Schuster

1989: Grace Marriott

1990: Robert L. Hawse

1991: Lee Moorehead

1992: Ruth D. Burnham

1993: Max Striedl

1994: Charlie Gillenwater

1995: Marilyn Robinson

1996: Jean Chevalier

1997: Arlene Nick

1998: Dennis Kintop

1999: Don and Ruth Johnsen

2000: Mildred and Roy Bailey

2001: Roger Breisch

2002: Fran and George Gebes

2003: Peggy Haines

2004: Jeffery Schielke

2005: Carla Hill

2006: Mike Gaspari