Release Date: March 13, 2026
CHARLESTOWN, Ind. – Ranging in ages from 12 to 68, participants in the Develop Charlestown Workshops gave their public presentation on Thursday at the A&E Center. Representing across all four council districts, the group had a diverse background of education and careers. Some have lived in Charlestown for their entire lives and some for less than a year.
Over six weeks of meetings at the Charlestown Public Library, the group of 18 began the process of forming a Main Street Organization.
The course, led by Mayor Treva Hodges, featured various guest speakers including Council members Chuck Deaton, Shannon Elder, and Brian Hester. Topics ranged from civic government roles, budget, taxes, government law, and pitching project ideas that would benefit the city.
An open discussion on wants and needs presented project ideas ranging from mentor programs, housing initiatives, entertainment options, public art, history, community events, and more.
George Lowe, the youngest participant (12), shared his big ideas of a community garden, school supply drive, clean-up day, and digital history tours, to name a few.
In the end, the group opted to begin a Main Street organization, with a longer-term goal of incorporating many of the early ideas to a central project. Main Street will be a non-profit organization made up of board members and volunteers with the objective of revitalizing and supporting downtown Charlestown. This also includes hosting events, improving connectivity, enhancing public spaces, and placemaking projects.
The next steps will be creating a board of directors, choosing an organization name, drafting by-laws, and filing as a non-profit. The first Main Street organizational meeting for Charlestown is expected to happen in April. Those interested in being a board member or volunteering can fill out an online form.
Class participants were George Lowe, Crystal Little, Harold Goodlett, Millie Sanchez, Kimberly Privette, Jenevieve Elliott, Teresa Spalding, Craig Thompson, Raven Ohlemacher, Shavonne Henry, Tonya McCarthy, Andrea Valenti, Michael Vaughn, Claudia Neff, John Spencer, Tina Barnes, Tacaria Eskew, and Brian Lewis.
