Batavia ushers in May with busy weekend

Batavia High School will present “Lucky Stiff”, a musical comedy, at 7:30 p.m. April 20 to April 30 at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre April 28 to 30. The play is about Harry Witherspoon, an English shoe salesman, and the challenges he encounters while trying to secure a $6 million inheritance left to him by an American uncle he never knew. The show is directed by Dominic Cattero, one of my coworkers at the high school. Lori and I enjoy stage productions, and we’ll be in the audience for Saturday night’s performance. Hope to see you there.

We love a parade

Batavia VFW Post 1197 will conduct the 42nd annual Loyalty Day Parade at 1:30 p.m. May 1. The parade will begin at Raddant Road in the Batavia Industrial Park and will end at the VFW Post, 645 S. River St. Lori and I will walk in the parade with other members of the Batavia City Council. We look forward to seeing all the smiling faces along the parade route.

Other Batavia activities
In addition to the Loyalty Day Parade, several Batavia organizations will host activities during the busy weekend. Here’s a look at a few of the offerings:

• Batavia’s 23rd annual City Wide Garage Sale takes place April 29 and
April 30 at locations throughout the city. Shoppers can hunt for bargains and special purchases Friday and Saturday.

• The Valley Sheltered Workshop and the Batavia Lions Club will partner to host the workshop’s 50th annual pancake breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to noon May 1 at 325 Main St. The meal will include pancakes, sausage, fresh strawberries, orange juice and coffee. Take-out service will be available. The event also will include a cash drawing, a silent auction, and basket raffles. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors age 65 and older, and $3 for children age 12 and younger.


• The Batavia United Methodist Church will host a free concert at 4:30 p.m. May 1 at the Batavia Riverwalk in downtown Batavia. The concert will celebrate the work of the Appalachia Service Project and will feature Alethea, a duo comprised of Mandee Langley and Cristi Reilly. Alethea performs a blend of Americana folk and bluegrass. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. In the event of rain, the concert will be performed at the church, 8 N. Batavia Ave., Batavia.

A special reminder
More than 100 volunteers from local churches and organizations will lend a hand with The Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry’s annual Food Sharing Days collection effort April 30 and May 1 at the Berkeley Food Store in downtown Batavia and the Jewel-Osco store on Randall Road. Volunteers will offer shoppers lists of suggested items needed to restock the pantry’s shelves. The collection effort will be conducted 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

— Kevin Botterman is a Batavia resident and serves as one of the aldermen representing the city’s 5th Ward. Share news and photos about your local organization or business here. Email information and photos to kbotterman@gmail.com. Please include caption information for each submitted photo.