On March 11th, more than 275 business and community leaders came together to celebrate everything Martinsville. Thanks to our many generous sponsors, we were treated to a delicious dinner catered by Heavenly Helpings and delectable desserts by Sara’s Goodies. (Did you know Sara’s Goodies is located inside the Main Connection, along with the Chamber and Visit Morgan County offices? Check it out at 460 S. Main, Wednesday – Friday 6:30 am – 1:00 pm, and Saturday 8:00 am – Noon.)
After Rotary President Austin Purkey and Chamber Board Chair Brian Haggard’s remarks, John Barrett, our emcee for the evening, introduced the winners of the Chamber’s Outstanding Business, Outstanding Business Professional, and Ruth Rusie Spirit of Service awards. Learn more here. Past Board Chair of the Chamber, Darcy Quakenbush, was also honored for her dedication during her four-year term.
2024 was another year of progress in our city and we have much to look forward to in 2025. Highlights of Mayor Kenny Costin’s presentation included the official opening of the much needed beautiful new police headquarters and the rebuilding of the water department building that was destroyed by the April 2023 tornado.
Mandated by FEMA to build a new levee, the city received a $20 million grant to assist with construction. When completed the levee will allow more than 100 homes and businesses to forego flood insurance.
Hundreds of new homes are being built in neighborhoods off of Artesian Ave. and they are selling fast.
Efforts by the mayor’s office and a dedicated volunteer group to bring a skate park to the Southview area are paying off. The Tony Hawk Foundation recently notified the city that they were one of a limited number of communities that will be awarded a grant. The city is seeking approval from FEMA to repurpose the area that flooded in 2008 so that a beautiful park can be developed, one which will include a skate park, an accessible playground, a fitness court, a walking path, and open shelters. Miles of city streets were paved and many blocks of sidewalks were poured
Last fall, the city partnered with Fox 59 and CBS 4 to produce commercial spots that were seen by more than 3 million and brought visitors to our businesses and holiday events.
One of the most exciting things to look forward to this year is the opening of the new civic theater on Morgan Street. Mayor Costin announced that Kari Palma has been named as the Director of Arts and Entertainment for the City of Martinsville. There are big plans to schedule a great variety of events and performances, from concerts and dance recitals to plays, movies, holiday activities and more.
Martinsville is making great strides and we couldn’t be more pleased. Be sure to follow the City of Martinsville on Facebook and visit Martinsville.in.gov for updates throughout the year.
Thanks to Mike Washington, WMPImages for capturing all the special moments of this year’s event. Did you get your photo taken in front of Mike’s beautiful backdrop? Do you want to download the larger, high-quality file of a photo below? Check out all the beautiful photos and download your favorites here.
