On behalf of the City of Goshen Water Utility, the State of Indiana has contracted with Abonmarche Consultants to excavate potholes, small holes 1 to 2 feet in diameter, to uncover and verify the pipe material of water service lines at selected residences and commercial properties throughout the City.  

The City of Goshen is required to submit a water service line inventory to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) by October 16th, 2024, as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) nationwide requirements to identify and remove lead in water systems throughout the United States.  

To build its inventory, Goshen Water Utility has used various methods, including an ongoing door-knocking effort to inspect lines connected to water service meters.  

Determining the piping materials at the meter only supports material identification from the shut-off valve into a home, while potholing will allow visual inspection on both sides of the shut-off valve. 

These field verification results will support statistical modeling to make high-confidence predictions about the materials of service lines that have not yet been verified. Potholing locations were selected based on best practices for representative sampling to use available funds most efficiently.  

Potholing will be performed in phases, with the first round expected from late May through June. Properties selected for pothole verification will receive door hangers before excavation.  

All work will be completed within the public right-of-way and include same-day site restoration of disturbed areas. No disruption to the customer’s water service is required. 

To learn more about the potholing effort and what the City has already done to build its inventory, visit https://leadsafe-goshenindiana.hub.arcgis.com/  

All City Offices will be closed on Monday, May 27 in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday.

Additionally, all trash and recycling services will be delayed by one day next week due to the holiday. Normal service will resume on Monday, June 3. The schedule for the week of May 27 is below:

• Residents with normal pickup on Monday will have service Tuesday, May 28.
• Residents with normal pickup on Tuesday will have service Wednesday, May 29.
• Residents with normal pickup on Wednesday will have service Thursday, May 30.
• Residents with normal pickup on Thursday will have service Friday, May 31.
• Residents with normal pickup on Friday will have service Saturday, June 1.

For more information on trash collection visit goshenindiana.org/trash-collection.

The Goshen VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), American Legion, and DAV (Disabled American Veterans) are once again hosting the Annual Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 27, 2024.

The event will start with a brief service at Powerhouse Park at 8:45 a.m. From there, another service will be at the Elkhart County Courthouse (in Goshen) at 9 a.m. The parade will kick off at 10:15 a.m. at Main and Jefferson Streets and end at Oakridge Cemetery. There, a ceremony will be held at 11 a.m., with dignitaries and the Parade Marshal placing wreaths.

The parade will start at Main and Jefferson and travel Northbound on Main Street to Pike Street. From there, it will travel west on Pike Street to 1st Street, turning Northbound again to Oakridge Cemetery.

This year’s Parade Marshall will be Joseph Farrell, USAF, MSgt (ret), a Gulf War veteran, and the speaker at Oakridge Cemetery will be Chad (Michael) McKeown, a Cpl, US Army, Iraq.

All ceremonies and events are free and open to the public. Anyone wanting to be in the parade can fill out an application. Applications can be picked up at the Goshen VFW, Goshen DAV, and the Goshen Police Department. They must be completed and turned in by the end of business on Friday, May 24th, 2024.

The approaches to Wilden Avenue on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd streets to Wilden Avenue will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, May 21 as Reith-Riley Construction Co. finishes up final construction items on Wilden Avenue. Work should only last one day, and Wilden Avenue will continue to remain open.

The City of Goshen Parks and Recreation Department will kick off a summer full of family-fun events and programming with a free showing of The Little Mermaid (2023) at Shanklin Park on Friday, May 24, 2024, at 7 p.m.

Bring blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy a movie on a beautiful summer evening. Concessions and treats will be available for purchase during the movie.

Other summer events include:

• Fiddler Pond’s Fantastic Fishing Derby, Saturday, June 28^th at 10 a.m.
• Dive-in Movie Night at Shanklin Pool, Saturday, June 8^th, at 8 p.m.
• Pop-up Water Park at Pringle Park, Saturday, June 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Kids’ and Teens’ Triathlon, Shanklin Park, Saturday, July 6, 2024
• Splash-Tastic Weekend at Abshire Park, Friday, July 26 – Sunday, July 28
• Rock the Quarry Triathlon, Saturday, August 10
• Touch a Truck, Shanklin Park, Saturday, August 24

Goshen Parks and Recreation also offers additional fun summer programming, from summer camps to boat rentals, throughout the summer months.

Starting Monday, May 27, you can rent boats (kayaks, canoes, pedal boats, and paddle boards) at Fiddler Pond for $10 per hour up to two hours. Fishing poles are also available to rent for $2 per hour. If you’re looking for a longer adventure, rent a canoe to take down the Elkhart River, starting at Shanklin Park and ending at Elkhart County’s OxBow Park.  

If you’re still looking for summer activities for kids, the parks and recreation department offers Art Camp for kids 6 to 12 from June 17th to 20th, Sailing Camp for 8 to 18–year–olds from June 24th to 28th, and Soccer Camp for kids 6 to 10 from June 10th to June 13^th.

Looking to get active this summer? Attend a Zumba Class at Pringle Park every Monday, Wednesday, or Sunday, or reserve a pickleball court for a couple of hours.

You can find more information and register for any parks programs or events here. If you have additional questions, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 574.534.2901.

The City of Goshen introduced a new ordinance, Ordinance 5185, during the City Council meeting on Monday, May 13, to address chronic disorderly properties. The ordinance passed unanimously on first reading. The ordinance will be considered for second and final reading at a later City Council meeting.

The full draft of Ordinance 5185, An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Goshen to Establish a Process to Address Chronic Disorderly Properties, can be read below.

The City of Goshen introduced a new ordinance, Ordinance 5184, during the City Council meeting on Monday, May 13, to address golf carts and off-road vehicles on city roads. The ordinance was tabled at the council meeting to allow the creation of a task force to further develop the ordinance before being reconsidered at later City Council meetings.

The full draft of Ordinance 5184, Authorizing the Use of Golf Carts and Off-Road Vehicles on Highways under the Jurisdiction of the City of Goshen, Indiana and Imposing Requirements for Such, can be read below.