Mayor's Announcement: Heart of Jasper and ROJAC Merger
Generational stewardship was the focus of the festive reception held in the Thyen-Clark
Cultural Center Atrium on Thursday evening. The event served as a passing of the torch
between two organizations dedicated to the development and beautification of downtown
Jasper.
For more than twenty years, ROJAC, the Redevelop Old Jasper Action Coalition, has spurred the
revitalization of the Riverwalk and Jasper’s Downtown District. Led by Dave Buehler and other
long-serving board members, and supported by generous donations from locals, ROJAC set in
motion a locomotive of improvements that has made Jasper a destination city throughout the
region. Now, that storied organization will merge with the Heart of Jasper to continue their
shared legacy. Heart of Jasper makes a perfect partner for ROJAC, as it is already involved in
numerous projects to aid downtown merchants and strengthen the economic heartbeat of the
city. Buehler received a standing ovation for his remarks and Mayor Dean Vonderheide
showered praise on the merger, saying that partnerships like this ensure that we have “a great
future ahead of us.”
Heart of Jasper already has plans to upcycle a little-used parking lot at 4 th and Main into a
community courtyard and eventually an activity trail near the Riverwalk. Additionally, this
partnership will help them continue their work in beautifying, maintaining, and adding new life
to the 38 blocks that make up Downtown Jasper. Following the announcement, reception
guests boarded the Spirit of Jasper for a quick, celebratory train ride in honor of the new
partnership. The multigenerational gathering showed not only what “Jasperites” can do when
they put their minds to it, but perhaps more importantly that the strength of a city is shown not
only in what we do, but how we pass the baton.
To find out more about these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana
on Facebook. The Heart of Jasper website is heartofjasper.org.
For WITZ, this is Drew Hasselbring.