(SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY AL STILLEY)
A bouquet of 21 white roses held by, from left, Megan Wise, Leeanne Lollar, and Kara Johnson Drew, honors the white rose initially placed on the casket of the Tomb of the Unknown Solder 100 years ago. The three women are veteran members of the Samuel Bryan Chapter (DAR).

​By Al Stilley
Editor

A standing-room crowd of young and older patriots honored our nation’s veterans Thursday during the annual observance at Beech Grove City Hall.

The Veterans Day event on the Southside was observed with hosting organizations City of Beech Grove and the Samuel Bryan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution  (DAR). The local DAR chapter also led a special observance of the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Nearly 100 patrons, including several youngsters, attended the one-hour ceremony held inside City Hall due to inclement weather.
 
“We congregate today as free people,” Beech Grove Mayor Dennis Buckley stated in his welcoming remarks.
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) reminded patrons to hold onto “our precious freedoms” to honor veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of America’s freedoms and democracy. He also posed for photos afterward with members of the Beech Grove High School Junior ROTC who served as greeters as patrons entered the council room on the second floor of City Hall.

Participating organizations included American Legion Post 276, American Legion Auxiliary Post 276, Beech Grove Fire Department, and Beech Grove Police Department.

The annual event also honored 20 veterans from Beech Grove who gave their lives in military service seven in World War II, five in the Civil War, five in the Vietnam War, two in the Korean War, and one in the War of 1812.

Beech Grove resident Steve Nontell read In Flanders Fields, the patriotic poem from World War I, Doug Hardwick played Amazing Grace on bagpipes, and all guests stood and sang the National Anthem and God Bless America.
​
Members of the DAR chapter presented a moving program in honor of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier that included the ringing of the bell 21 times, presentation of 21 white roses, a two-minute “great silence” in recognition of the establishment of the tomb on the 11th hour, 11th day, and 11th month in 1921, and Taps.
Following the observance at City Hall, a reception was held at American Legion Post 276 in Beech Grove.

​Cadets of the Beech Grove High School Junior ROTC greet patrons as they enter the council room due to inclement weather outdoors at City Hall. The cadets are, from left, Ethan Brown, John Schlegel, David Flores, and Andrew Howard. 

​GETTING STARTED
A groundbreaking ceremony Nov. 9 on the grounds of a massive $83 million redevelopment project in the heart of downtown Greenwood  launches the beginning of construction for multiple-use buildings and amenities. Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers at the podium greets guests who attended the special ceremony. Standing behind Myers are additional dignitaries who spoke of the project’s importance, from left, Greenwood council member Ezra Hill, Great Lakes Capital managing director Clay Scheetz, and Greenwood Redevelopment Commission president David Hopper. They later donned white hats and grabbed shovels for the ceremonial groundbreaking with financier Chris Reid, second from left, and former Johnson County Sheriff Terry McLaughlin, far right.                        (SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY AL STILLEY)

By Al Stilley
Editor 

Proclaiming the value of smart investments and smart partnerships, Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers opened a groundbreaking ceremony that will make the redevelopment of “The  Madison” a reality.

“The Madison” is the new name for an $83 million multi-purpose development on 19 acres of land where the old Greenwood Middle School was located. The redevelopment project that has been on the drawing board since 2013 and includes the Greenwood Fieldhouse to be opened in early 2022 and several more buildings. The Madison features a combination of residential units (condominiums, townhouses and apartments), 18,000 square feet of commercial, retail, restaurant, and entertainment space, and a 356 car capacity parking garage.

“We are taking a major step toward building the Greenwood of tomorrow,” Myers proclaimed.
The public-private partnership that Myers praised consists of $15 million in street and site improvements plus the parking garage and $68 million in private investment.

The area is south of the Greenwood Public Library and forms a link with Old Town Greenwood, amphitheater, nearby splash pad, the new city park, spacious Craig Park to the east, and the reimagined Madison Avenue corridor.

Myers also praised business owners in Old Town Greenwood along Main Street and Madison Avenue.
“This project and the Greenwood Fieldhouse are important milestones in a years-long effort to revitalize Old Town,” Myers emphasized. “They (business owners) believe in the message we have here for Greenwood and they want to be a part of it.”

Groundbreaking speakers also included Great Lakes Capital managing director Clay Scheetz, Greenwood City Council member Ezra Hill and Greenwood Redevelopment Commission president David Hopper.
The City of Greenwood also formally closed on an agreement between CRG Residential and Great Lakes Capital and also bonds to fund the project.

Hill emphasized that The Madison brings life back into Greenwood because of the project’s revitalization of Old Town, improved amenities, its link to trails and parks, its density, and even more opportunities for development.

Scheetz, the son of a Greenwood business owner, said, “Following the city’s strong economic development activity and growth through the years, we are confident in our decision to invest in Greenwood.”
The updated plans also call for two additional buildings along Surina Way potentially for condos.
Scheetz also emphasized that The Madison is “a community within a community” that provides residents with a place to live, work, and play.

The project, according to Hopper, is anticipated to add an additional one million dollars in tax revenue for the city without increasing taxes for current city residents.

No estimate was provided on the completion of The Madison
​.
The property is bordered by Madison Avenue, Smith Valley Road, Meridian Street, and Surina Way.