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.
Author Archives: Hannah Scott-Carter
Parks and Recreation Department kicks off summer of events with free movie in the park
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 28th at 10 a.m.
- Dive-in Movie Night at Shanklin Pool, Saturday, June 8th, 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 13th.
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.
City of Goshen introduces ordinance to address chronic disorderly properties
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.
City of Goshen introduces golf cart and off-road vehicle ordinance at City Council meeting
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.
City Offices closed for Indiana Primary Election
All Goshen City offices will be closed on Tuesday, May 7, for the Indiana Primary Election. The city holiday will NOT affect trash collection.
Plymouth Avenue and 10th Street closure begins May 6
The intersection of Plymouth Avenue and 10th Street will be closed starting Monday, May 6, and continue until Friday, May 10th.
Niblock Excavating will be reconstructing sanitary structures in the intersection of Plymouth Avenue and 10th Street during this time as part of the 10th Street Reconstruction project.
For more information on the details of the project, visit the project page.
BOIL ORDER: College Avenue and Westwood Road
This boil order has been canceled.
On Monday, April 22, a boil order was issued for the area south of College Avenue to Westwood Road. This area includes Goshen Hospital, part of the Historic Racemere Peninsula Neighborhood, and Goshen College west of 9th Street. A map of the affected area can be found below.
It is recommended that all cooking and drinking water be brought to a complete boil for five minutes before use. Please continue to boil all cooking and drinking water until notified that it is no longer necessary.
We appreciate your cooperation during this time and will update you as necessary until the drinking water problem has been solved. If you have any questions concerning the drinking water problem, please contact your water department at 574-534-5306 or waterseweroffice@goshencity.com.
City of Goshen to participate in May First Friday Green Day Celebration
The City of Goshen Environmental Resilience Department is partnering with Downtown Goshen to host May’s First Friday Green Day Celebration on Friday, May 3. The event, centered on the courthouse lawn, will feature activities and educational tables from city departments, partners, and local businesses.
“We’re excited to once again be partnering with Downtown Goshen Inc. to celebrate Arbor Day at May First Fridays and provide family-friendly activities and environmental education,” said Aaron Sawatsky-Kingsley, Director of the Goshen Environmental Resilience Department.
The Goshen Environmental Resilience Department will host activities, including tree and t-shirt giveaways, a career and information table, and a tree-planting learning session.
Other activities include tree climbing for kids, tree art, face painting, live animals, a magic show, an electric vehicle demonstration, and live music from Goshen Elementary School choirs, Nayo Ulloa, and Shiny Shiny Black.
The event will last from 5 to 9 p.m. in Downtown Goshen. The City’s AmeriCorps volunteers will provide a bike valet service for those who prefer to bike to the event instead of driving.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Conduct Community Interviews
The City of Goshen strives to take the best care for residents and to ensure our drinking water meets all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) safety requirements. As part of this process, the EPA will conduct community interviews in Goshen from Tuesday, April 23, through Thursday, April 25, regarding the North 5th Street Superfund Site
During one of the City’s routine tests in 2015, a plume of chlorinated solvents was found in the four municipal wells at the site. The groundwater contaminants found in the municipal wells are at levels below the Safe Drinking Water Act Maximum Contaminant Level, or MCL, and the groundwater is processed at the City’s treatment plant in Goshen to ensure its safety before it is distributed to residents.
“The City’s Water and Sewer Department consistently tests water for contaminants, and our drinking water levels continue to test below the maximum level set by the EPA, and therefore is safe for residents,” said Water Superintendent Marv Shepherd. “We will continue to work closely with the EPA to identify and clean up this site and are appreciative for the potential for federal dollars that come with this designation.”
Additional Background
The City of Goshen has been proactively working with the IDEM and the EPA to track the source of the contaminant at the North 5th Street Groundwater Contamination site. In 2021, the City announced that the Water and Sewer Department had been working closely with IDEM to determine the source by obtaining deep groundwater samples and requested the EPA place the site on the National Priorities List (NPL).
In 2022, the EPA placed this site on the NPL, which serves as the basis for prioritizing EPA Superfund cleanup funding. The City of Goshen will now be able to utilize federal funds only available for sites included on the NPL for long-term, permanent cleanup.
“These community interviews are part of the EPA’s process to ensure the Goshen community gets the information it needs about this site,” said Adrian Palomeque, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator. “Testing of the city wells shows the municipal drinking water meets federal EPA standards.”
Community Interviews Process
Community interviews are a typical part of the EPA’s process when working with Superfund sites. The feedback will help agency officials better understand what information the community needs and how they receive information. This feedback will be used to write a Community Involvement Plan for the site.
The EPA will schedule 30-minute one-on-one community interviews at the Goshen Public Library, 601 S 5th Street, on Tuesday, April 23, between 5 and 7:30 p.m. and on Wednesday and Thursday, April 24 and April 25, between 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. To schedule an interview, call or email EPA contractor Gavin Reynolds at 312-201-7446 or gavin.reynolds@tetratech.com.
Additional Information:
For additional information on the North 5th Street site, visit epa.gov/superfund/north5thstreet
For further questions about the site, contact Adrian Palomeque, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, at 440-250-1715 or palomeque.adrian@epa.gov
2024 Spring brush pick-up begins April 22
The City of Goshen Street Department will begin the Spring brush pick-up on Monday, April 22, and will run until Friday, May 3, 2024. Please have any yard brush and leaves out before the start date to ensure pick-up. Leaf and brush piles placed in alleyways will not be picked up.
Because of the large amount of brush and leaves usually placed out for this first pick-up, crews can take longer to make it through the City. During the Spring pick-up, the street department will make two passes through the City. Residents should have leaves and brush placed at the curb, but not in the street, so as not to cause a road hazard or hinder water drainage. Piles should not be placed around fire hydrants, mailboxes, or telephone poles. Do not place brush or trash on or in leaf piles.
When placing brush, please keep the following in mind:
- Brush and leaves may not be mixed, and must be free of obstacles.
- Brush pile size can be no more than 5’ high, 5’ deep, and 10’ long. Branches must be 6” diameter or less.
- Brush shall not be placed out for pickup during the months of October – March.
- The city does not pickup brush generated by landscaping and tree tree trimming contractors. Contractors will be required to remove all brush generated by their work.
- The city has extended the brush trailer program to year-round (weather permitting) for residents without the ability to comply with the new ordinance.
- Residents/property owners may be cited and fined for non-compliance of this ordinance.
The street department conducts “brush only” collection on the last Monday of the months of May through September. The dates summer brush pick-up begins are below:
- May 28, 2024
- June 24, 2024
- July 29, 2024
- August 26, 2024
- September 30, 2024
For further questions, call the Goshen Street Department at 574-534-9711.