"Come to the Circus!"

The Kelly Miller circus is coming back to the Village of Batavia. Mark your calendar for Monday, May 16th. There are two performances scheduled, 4:30 and 7:30 at the Red Barn 299 Haskell Lane, Batavia.

Advance tickets are $10 adults/ $6 for children under 12 and $15/$7 at the door.

Tickets are available for advance purchase at IGA Owensville, The Candle Outlet in the Milford Shopping Center (next to the Garden Center), Snappy Tomato Pizza Shop on Main St. Batavia and The Park Bank, Eastgate Mall location.

For more circus information, visit www.kellymillercircus.com.

And for the most fun of all, Come circus morning to watch the big top being raised by elephant power!

See you at the Circus on the 16th!!

“Historic Batavia” Signs installed on Trestle; Project Completed

Batavia, Ohio July 6, 2010: In a continued effort to improve Batavia's image, The Village Association of Batavia (VAOB) completed the installation of signs on both the east and west sides of the trestle. The signs read "historic Batavia, the Clermont County Seat".

The actual work began in early 2009 with the painting of the fencing adjacent to the trestle.
In April, 2010, the surface of the trestle was restored and repainted a dark green color. In addition, the Norfolk and Western railroad lettering was similarly restored and painted a crème color. "The organization selected a local painting company, Static ALL Pro Services located at 385 Wood Street in Batavia. Owner Don Toole and his team did an excellent job in improving its appearance", said Dan Haglage, board member.

The final phase involved the design and installation of signage. The Village Association selected Distinctive Signs, a Clermont County based organization. Owner Pete Thomas worked with the VAOB team to produce a sign that was very similar to the rendering in the master streetscape plan for Batavia's downtown area

"In our quest for funding for this project, Batavia Township immediately stepped up to the plate. That early support provided seed money to begin the project. Thereafter, remaining money from Batavia Township and proceeds from the Taste of Clermont enabled us to complete it. We are sincerely grateful to Batavia Township, its trustees and administration, for the ongoing support to the Village Association of Batavia. They are true partners in our goal to restore and revitalize our Clermont County seat”, said Bob Baillie, board member.

The VAOB appreciates all of the patrons and participants in the 2009 Taste of Clermont for helping to make this project possible. The 2010 Taste of Clermont is scheduled for September 10-12 at the Eastgate Mall. Residents are encouraged to attend this festival, and there is still time for vendors to participate. For information, please contact the Village Association at info@VAOB.org. The Village Association of Batavia is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to restore and preserve the Clermont County seat.

Bridge gets a new coat of paint
The Village Association helps improve Batavia's image

Brett Roller
Sun staff

The railroad bridge over Main Street in Batavia is getting a facelift thanks to the Village Association of Batavia. The group has been planning to repaint the bridge since 1994, two years after the organization formed.

"The trestle has been in our vision for several years," VAOB President Tony Thomas said. "We really just wanted to give it a nice coat of paint and maybe add a historical sign."

Thomas said the group has plans to add a historic Batavia sign once funding is obtained.

VAOB'S main goal is to improve the county seat and, according to Thomas, repainting the railroad bridge is a step in that direction.

Beginning in 2003, the group began developing a long term plan for improvement of the downtown area and while the project has lost momentum in recent years, Thomas said the group plans to move forward with the Main Street streetscape project piece by piece due to the current economic situation.

"We've identified a number of things in the village we want to do," Thomas said. "We want to improve the county seat and make it nicer for all the residents in the county."

The painting project is funded, like all of VAOB'S activities, through funds raised at the annual Taste of Clermont. The fund-raiser is held each year on the second weekend in September.

Thomas said now is a great time to get involved with the VAOB as they plan the 2010 Taste of Clermont.
"If people like what they see us doing around town and they would like to see more, now is a great time to get involved in the Taste of Clermont," Thomas said. "Now is a great time to give us a call at (513) 276-5994.

Grant will help with Batavia building rehab
Cincinnati Enquirer, Monday, June 14, 2010

A $1,000 grant from the Village Association of Batavia will be used to help fix a building on South Riverside Drive. The association announced the grant program earlier this year as an incentive for commercial property owners in the village to spruce up their businesses.

The first grant was awarded to Mike Kinner, who is converting the first floor of a two-family residence at 161 S. Riverside Dr. into offices.

The offices will house Premiere Senior Insurance Services and Batavia Bail Bonds, which Kinner and his wife own. The work will include replacing the siding and windows, removing an old front porch and replacing it with a new one, repairing the roof and adding insulation.

Kinner bought the property in 2004 along with a building next door at 177 S. Riverside, which he and his wife, Jamie Kinner, fixed up and turned into the Riverside Coffee Mill. Jamie runs the coffee shop.

Kinner expects the work on the building to cost about $3,000. "So the $1,000 (from the village association) will be tremendously helpful in purchasing materials. We wouldn't be able to do it the same way without the grant," he said.

Rules of the grant require the property owner provide an equal match.

Kinner expects to finish work on the building by Labor Day. He is using some contractors, but trying to do as much of the work by himself as possible.

Kinner thinks the association's grant program is good for Batavia. "What that organization is trying to do is beneficial to Batavia," he said. "It could help revitalize the village."

The grant program is a first for the association, which has been in existence since 1992 with a mission to revitalize the village.

Money for the grant program is the profits from last year's Taste of Clermont, which is sponsored by the group. The event, which was held in downtown Batavia in the past, was moved to Eastgate Mall in Union Township in 2009. This year's taste event will be at Eastgate Mall the weekend of Sept. 10 to Sept. 12.

Association board member Dan Haglage said he expects the association will award more grants in the future."Any improvement which meets our guidelines is an improvement to the village," he said.