Abe Lincoln is smiling in his grave!
I hope you had a great Halloween and enjoyed the Ghostwalk this year! President Lincoln is known to have stopped in Zionsville to make a speech from the caboose of his train as he was passing through on 1st street. We learned about his first female body guard – part of the Pinkerton Agency – on the Ghostwalk this year. Stop by SullivanMunce to learn more about her history. At our last meeting, our guest speaker… Jarod Logsdon, of Parks and Recreation, Town of Zionsville, spoke about the new DORA that was approved by the Town Council as well as the upcoming Lincoln Park Refresh.
President Lincoln is smiling as was the audience because the refresh will entail:
Refreshing Lincoln Park
○ Removing the current gazebo and replacing it with a more open shelter (perfect for weddings)
○ Widening the bricks down the center
○ Moving the Fountain to near the flag pole
○ Opening the Oak street side and removing the berm so people see the park
○ Leveling and regrading entire area
○ Construction is expected in 2025
The good news doesn’t stop there! Long time resident and Sherlock Holmes aficionado Mark Walters is going to be our new VRA president next year! He is looking forward to leading the voice of the village and representing our homes as we run the gauntlet of construction that surrounds us and we aim to maintain our reputation and status as the friendly village people love. Mark and I are both on the Zionsville Comprehensive Plan Committee so feel free to contact us also about the larger area plan as it progresses.
The other positions will remain the same:
○ Vice President – Aaron Walton
○ Treasurer – Phil Martini
○ Secretary – Erin Effner
We are looking for, however, a committee head as long-time member Salli Zelonis has moved up the ladder and is working on many philanthropic activities to benefit the world. This basically entails letting us know what to look for in upcoming meetings with the town, but more importantly was a key function in developing the calendar of events that we pass out at the beginning of the year (little calendar bookmark), so if you have a creative side and access to a creative program, please consider donating a couple hours of your time to help us out.
Last chance!!! Register & Join the VRA – Zionsville Village Residents Association (zvra.com)
Get your dues in ($30 for the family) to get on the invite list for the Progressive dinner! Only dues paying members will be invited!!! The dinner will be on December 7th. I look forward to seeing everyone and have a great Thanksgiving!
e-mail me at: president@zvra.com
Bret Brewer
From Town Council
It has been such a beautiful autumn, well, besides the hurricane weather we experienced! We were very fortunate the scheduled branch pickup followed the hurricane, as the loads more than doubled the usual amount. Speaking of pickups, our town leaf collection began October 21st and will continue through the end of November.
I am a fall sports fan and am happy to hear of our many school sports achievements. I have also enjoyed spending the extra warm days outside in our active town. This lines up well with an ordinance Town Council passed during our last October meeting. We approved the administration moving forward with an application to have a DORA (designated outdoor refreshment area). The approved DORA will allow individuals who are at least 21 years old to purchase alcoholic beverages from approved licensees and walk about the map designated area with a specified DORA cup, while enjoying our Village establishments who allow entry with marked signage. Town Council, the Deputy Mayor, and Town Department Heads made efforts to communicate with a large percentage of the Village businesses to make this decision. The DORA will begin in the spring once it has been approved by ATC.
It’s election time. I hope everyone has a chance to vote, and after we know the results, we continue to work together. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, don’t forget about the Thanksgiving Day Gravy Chase that will be here before we know it. Our town is such a great place and has so many opportunities to be outside. I hope the warm days continue and that your holidays are festive! Please contact me with any concerns or ideas you need to share. (sesampson@zionsville-in.gov)
-Sarah