NOTE: The following message is from the Elkhart County Health Department. Para leer este artículo en español, haga click aquí.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has indicated the stages may be delayed or reversed if an increase in cases overwhelms our hospitals.

As we begin to open up and go back to work, we at Incident Command want to remind you of some critical factors during the next two weeks. It is still highly recommended that you wear a face covering, this will help protect you and others. As you return to work, make sure you are washing your hands regularly, and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. As always, remain socially distant where it is possible and as much as possible.

During these two weeks, bars, clubs, and gyms, these businesses are to remain closed. Restaurants, retail, BMV, and essential travel are at 50% capacity. If you can work from home, you should. If you are 65 or older, you should remain at home as much as possible.

Social gatherings should have no more than 25 people. Manufacturing, construction, and religious services can open as usual, but must allow for social distancing.

As of May 11th, hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, spas, and tattoo parlors may open by appointment only. Employees must wear face coverings, and work stations must be spaced to meet social distancing guidelines. Customers should wear face coverings to the extent possible.

Boating, beaches, and shorelines will open as of May 11th but must adhere to social gathering policies.

WHAT IS STILL CLOSED UNTIL MAY 24th

• Assisted living/ nursing homes,
• Bars and nightclubs,
• Gyms, fitness centers, and community centers,
• Cultural, entertainment, sports venues and tourism,
  • Museums, zoos, festivals, parades, concerts, fairs, sports arenas, movie theaters, bowling alleys, aquariums, recreational sports leagues and tournaments, and like facilities
• Playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, and social clubs,
• Congregate settings for seniors, adult daycares,
• Casinos,
• Community swimming pools, public and private,
• Residential and day camps,
• Campgrounds, except for those living permanently in RVs or cabins.

Main Street is closed between Pike and Madison Streets for its reconstruction project.

The main part of the project begins May 4, with the milling of the existing pavement. During the milling and the placement of the new pavement, Main Street will be closed to traffic and on-street parking. This is required due to the depth of the milling and paving process.

Main Street will be fully closed May 4 through the 16th.

Beginning May 18, lane restrictions will be required to install the new pavement markings. One side of the roadway will be installed before switching to the other side.

During the Main Street closure, the angled parking on Jefferson Street, Washington Street and Clinton Street will be temporarily changed to perpendicular parking.  The existing pavement markings will not be changed but the City of Goshen Street Department will place signs to inform the traveling public.

For more updates, go to goshenindiana.org/main-street or follow the City’s Facebook Page at facebook.com/CityOfGoshen.

The Boil Water Advisory issued on April 27, 2020 has been cancelled. The order was for the area of S Cottage Ave between Lincoln Ave. and Washington St. Samples have been taken; test results are satisfactory; it is no longer necessary to boil your water.

Thank you for your patience and for water conservation measures you followed. If you have any questions, please contact the Water & Sewer Department at 534-5306.

The Primary elections in Indiana have been postponed from the original date of May 5 to June 2. The deadline to register to vote has also been extended to May 4, 2020.

To register to vote, go to indianavoters.in.gov.

Due to the pandemic, the Indiana Secretary of State is encouraging voters to vote by mail. Voters can now apply for absentee ballots for the primary.

To apply, print out the application form from the Elkhart County Clerk’s website: www.elkhartcountyclerk.com/voter-info/absentee-forms If you are unable to print the application and would like for a form to be mailed to you, contact the clerk’s office at 535.6469 or 534.5671, or by email at elkhartcoabsentee@elkhartcounty.com.

Absentee applications to vote must be received by Thursday, May 21, 2020.

In person voting will be available but there will be some limitations as measures need to be taken to mitigate spread of COVID-19. More information about early voting and Election Day will be provided soon.

The intersection of Washington Street and Cottage Avenue is closed due to utilities work. The water and sewer department closed the intersection April 17 and the intersection will remain closed until May 6, 2020.

The sanitary sewer at the intersection of Washington Street and Cottage Avenue has a failure at or near the manhole structure that has developed a sinkhole and road settlement.

Because of the sewer’s depth and the anticipated extent of the surface repairs, closure of the intersection was requested through May 6 at the Board of Works meeting Monday, April 27.

A water main has been shut off at South Cottage Avenue, between Lincoln Avenue and Washington Street, due to a water valve replacement. A boil advisory is issued for when the water comes back on at the area affected.

In Consultation with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, it has been determined that the water customers should boil their drinking water. This precautionary measure is recommended because a water main break has occurred within your service area.

It is recommended that all cooking and drinking water be brought to a complete boil for five minutes before using. Please continue to boil all cooking and drinking water until we notify you that it is no longer necessary.

Until we resolve this drinking water problem, we are also asking that you conserve water and only use what is necessary for household and personal needs.

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 534-5306.

Whenever there is a disruption of water service, it is always a cautious measure to issue a boil advisory allowing our customers to make an informed decision based on their particular situation.

There is an inherent risk of contamination when the soil around the pipe is disturbed due to the main break and subsequent repair of the water pipes. We take every precaution to minimize the risk of contamination. Water is then tested in cycles of 24 hours to ensure that there are no contaminants present. Two sets of samples are taken 24 hours apart, when both samples come back clean the boil advisory is lifted.

Normal water pressure for city service is 60 pounds of pressure. During a boil order, pressure may become low until the problem is fixed.

Join us as we talk with Annette Webb about the importance of developing healthy soils in your garden. Annette is a Master Gardener and local small business owner. She will talk about the different components of healthy, living soil. She will also discuss amenities that can improve soil health and increase garden yields. Sponsored by the Environmental Resilience Department for the City of Goshen.

When: Apr 28, 2020 12:00 PM Indiana (East)

Topic: Developing Healthy Garden Soil

Register for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5RLc2ha1QUO8W4Q2wcpQSw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The following message is from the Elkhart County Health Department. Para leer éste mensaje en español, haga click aquí.

Any product that makes a claim to kill a pest or otherwise render a pest less harmful is considered a pesticide by law. The law also states that a label on a pesticide is a legal document, and as such, if you use the product in a manner inconsistent with the label, you have violated the law.

Disinfectants, including those containing bleach, Lysol, etc., make a claim that they kill harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses. They are pesticides by definition. The EPA approves the label on all pesticides, and you will see an EPA registration number and EPA establishment number on all approved disinfectants, insecticides, weed killers, rodenticide, etc.

If the pesticide label does not have instructions for use on or in the human body, it should not be used for that purpose. In fact, it is a violation of the law to do so. Great harm could come to people who use these products off label.

The label is also a warranty. When used at the labeled rate and applied as per the instructions, the user has an implied warranty for the product.

As an example, if a product label states to use 1 to 2 ounces in a gallon of water, that is the rate at which it should be used. Using 3 or 4 ounces will not kill the pest any “deader “ but may in fact injure the user and those who are exposed.

Please take time to read the labels before using the product. It may save lives.

The Goshen Street Department will have its spring brush and leaf collection beginning April 27. While travel restrictions remain in place, residents are encouraged to get out and work on their yards, so long as they follow proper social distancing guidelines.

During this first collection, workers will pick up both leaves and brush. Please have the brush and leaves out at the edge of your yard before the April 27 start date to ensure pickup. Because of the large amount of brush and leaves usually placed out for this first collection, it tends to take several days for the crews to make their rounds.

Residents are asked to have their leaves and brush placed at the curb, but not in the street, in order to avoid causing a road hazard or hinder water drainage. Do not place brush or trash on or in leaf piles. Leaf and brush piles in alleyways will not be picked up. Do not place piles around fire hydrants, mailboxes or telephone poles. And crews cannot access the piles if blocked by vehicles.

During scheduled brush collections, the Street Department will make just one pass through the city to pick up only brush (the exception being the first brush and leaf pickup of the year, which normally includes two rounds).

The Goshen Environmental Center accepts brush and leaves, loose or in bags, at no charge to Goshen residents. However, if leaves are bagged, the bags must be emptied. There is a small fee for disposal of yard waste and grass clippings.

The Environmental Center is located just west of the intersection of North Indiana Avenue and CR 19 and is open 52 weeks a year. Proof of residency is required. The Environmental Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

The facility’s phone number is 533.6200. You also may contact the Goshen Street Department at streets@goshencity.com or 534.9711 if you have questions.

BEAUTIFY GOSHEN CANCELED

Beautify Goshen Week has been canceled. Depending on the spread and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Goshen community, the Street Department will determine if it may be rescheduled later in the year.

The following message is from the Goshen Public Library. Para leer éste mensaje en español haga click aquí.

Goshen Public Library will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 am – 2 pm for individuals to use the library for essential services related to filing for unemployment, SNAP, and other benefits.

Fax service, a photocopier, and scanning station will also be available for emergency or highly important documents. Books and other materials will not be available to browse or check out during this time.

Contact the library to make an appointment to use a computer: call 574-533-9531 Monday – Friday from 10 am-2pm or send a message using their contact form at https://goshenpl.lib.in.us/contact/. ]

We will limit the number of people who can be in the library at one time. This service begins Thursday, April 23. We look forward to being able to assist those in our community who need these services during these extraordinary times.