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Council unanimously adopts Batavia community flag designed by local student
Summary
The City Council approved a resolution making the Batavia community flag official. The winning design was created by Batavia High School student Rachel Agro; the flag will be produced locally and 10% of sales proceeds will support a flag day monument.
The Batavia City Council adopted a resolution on May 20 establishing the Batavia community flag as the city's official flag, and members applauded the design process that produced a student winner.
The flag initiative committee received more than 110 submissions (many from students) and presented a shortlist that included entries from high school designers. Marty Callahan, who chaired the committee, said the selection process included neighborhood and student entries and that the committee sought a design that represented the community. Kathleen Thierry Ton, an art and media teacher at Batavia High School, introduced the winning designer, Rachel Agro. "I would just like to thank everyone who's been a part of this process," Agro told the council and said the project encouraged students to consider their impact on the community.
The committee said the flags are produced locally by Flag Source in Batavia and that 10% of flag sales will be donated to the flag day monument. The council discussion repeatedly highlighted student participation: the presenters said five of the top 10 blind‑judged designs came from Batavia High School students.
The council member who introduced the motion described the resolution as establishing the Batavia community flag as official and the motion carried unanimously on a roll call of 13 yes, 0 no, 1 absent.
Why it matters: council members framed the flag as a civic identity project that involved broad community participation, including many youth; leaders said the flag will be used to celebrate Batavia and support a local monument fund through portioned sales.
Ending: after the vote the council participated in a group photo with the winning designer and committee members.
