WQXE News

Greenspace and the City of Elizabethtown are partnering to host a public meeting at the Pritchard Community Center Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. to gather public input on the bicycle and pedestrian master plan Greenspace began developing about two years ago, with the organization contracting engineering firm Gresham Smith.

Greenspace President David Haines told the Elizabethtown City Council earlier this month the public meeting will be preceded by a series of stakeholder meetings.

“It’s going to be the first day for public engagement here at Pritchard Community Center and there’s going to be a series of meetings,” Haines said. “One for the project advisory committee, one for a stakeholder group that was identified and includes city leaders, business leaders, tourism, and user groups to kind of start getting ramped up on the bike pedestrian plan, where it’s at, giving input.”

Those meetings will be followed by the public engagement session from 5 to 7 p.m. and the launch of a website for the collection of feedback. Haines said the goal is to identify what the city has and what it needs going forward.

“What I told Gresham Smith is what I would like is a top three or five high-priority, high-payoff street projects that the city can look at and budget for in the next five to ten years,” Haines said. “That makes sense, and then beyond that a best practices manual that incorporates what they did with Complete Streets, but tailors it a little bit more towards Elizabethtown.”

More information and a list of contacts can be found on the City of Elizabethtown Government Facebook page.

Area veterans organizations are partnering to sponsor a special screening at Crowne Pointe Theatre on Friday. 

The Elizabethtown Elks Lodge No. 2891, the Kentucky Elks Association, VFW Posts 10281 and 12237, and American Legion Post 113 are offering the community the chance to be among the first in the country to see Brothers After War, the follow-up to the award-winning documentary Brothers at War. The film will be screened at Crowne Pointe Theatre at 3 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. Friday. 

According to a release from the Elizabethtown Elks Lodge, Brothers After War “takes viewers on an emotional journey, exploring the challenges veterans face as they transition from the battlefield to civilian life.” The film combines footage filmed during the Iraq War with present-day reunions, and focuses on the struggles of PTSD, depression, and the search for meaning.

The film is produced by actor Gary Sinise, and directed by Jake Rademacher, who also directed Brothers at War. Tickets are available on Crowne Pointe Theatre’s website and more information is available by contacting the Elizabethtown Elks Lodge.

Daniel O’Dell says the most important part of documenting the journey of he and his service dog The Fluffy Poodle has been the ability to reach out to the community.

“We’ve been lucky enough to share our story for five-plus years to the military and disability community and everybody all around the world, to give them hope and let them know no matter what you’ve been through in the past, you can still follow your dreams,” O’Dell said.

O’Dell and The Fluffy Poodle’s work is receiving some special recognition, as the two are featured in the spring issue of U.S. Veterans MagazineM honoring the Service Dogs of the Year.

“When we got that announcement, I definitely shed a tear, because it’s an overwhelming feeling,” O’Dell. “We got that thank you that we really deserve, and just being a guiding light for the military community is ultimately what it’s all about.”

O’Dell says the recognition is motivation to continue spreading the message.

“I tell everybody, no matter what you’re going through in the past, or no matter what you’re going through now or in the past, you can still follow your dreams, because if I can get through my challenges and disability with my service dog, The Fluffy Poodle, I know you can too, so ultimately we just give a little bit of hope and tell our story to inspire everybody all around the world,” O’Dell said.

If you get a copy of U.S. Veterans Magazine’s spring issue, turn to page 46. You can follow O’Dell and The Fluffy Poodle by searching for The Fluffy Poodle on social media.