Category Archives: News & Events

Updates, messages and other announcements are posted under this category with the intent to notify residents. Posts under this category are emailed in a newsletter at the end of the day.

BOIL WATER ORDER CANCELED – S. MAIN STREET & CARTER ROAD

The Boil Order for South Main Street and Carter Road was canceled on Friday, May 19th. The samples have been taken, test results are satisfactory, and boiling your water is no longer necessary.

Thank you for your patience and for the water conservation measures you followed. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Water & Sewer Department at 574-534-5306.

BOIL WATER ORDER – S. Main Street & Carter Road

BOIL WATER ORDER

On Tuesday, May 16th, a water main valve was shut off to repair a water main break, which was repaired by 11:10 pm last night. The water was immediately turned back on but until all necessary testing is completed and the water is deemed safe to drink a boil water order is in effect for the area of S. Main Street and Carter Road (see the MAP for more details) until further notice.

City water within the affected area should not be consumed by humans or pets without first following these boiling procedures:

  • Bring the water (even if it is filtered) to a full boil for at least five (5) minutes.
  • Cool and aerate the boiled water by pouring it through the air from one clean container to another or mixing rapidly with a clean utensil.
  • Aeration helps to reduce the flat taste caused by boiling.
  • Store cooled boiled water in clean and airtight containers.           

Please discard all ice from ice-making machines that use city water and turn them off until the boil water order is lifted.

The water remains safe for bathing, laundry, and restroom facilities. Cleaning dishes with a dishwasher is acceptable if it has a sanitizing cycle (180 degrees F minimum final rinse temperature). Hand-washed dishes should be rinsed with boiled or bottled water.

Be careful to not swallow any water during bathing or showering and used bottled or boiled water for brushing your teeth.

Water samples will be taken and analyzed for the presence of bacteria. If two consecutive tests pass, the boil water order will be lifted. Notice of the boil water order cancellation will be posted to the City’s Facebook and Website. For further information or to report specific service concerns, please call Ana Rios at the Goshen Water Department at 574-534-5306.

REMINDER: WOMEN’S BIKE RIDE MAY 21

The Department of Environmental Resilience, in partnership with AmeriCorps, is organizing the bike ride as a way to promote biking among women and to highlight women local to Goshen who did great things for the community.

The ride, open to the public, will be May 21 at 2 p.m. Participants are asked to gather next to Goshen Brewing Company. Michiana Area Council of Governments will be onsite starting at 1 p.m. to make bicycle safety checks and minor tune-ups.

The 2.5 mile ride will start and end at Goshen Brewing Company and there will be three stops throughout, where a living history performance will guide riders through the historical significance of each location. High School students Jamie Lake, Mara Miller and Anusha Jha will perform at the historical figures.

Participants can register by going to https://secure.rec1.com/IN/goshen-parks-and-recreation-in/catalog.

A $5 donation is encouraged though not required to participate.

The Department of Environmental Resilience will be renting a few bicycle from Lincoln Avenue Cycling for those who do not have access to one but wish to participate. Reservations must be placed in advance. To place a reservation for a bike, call 574-975-6255.

CITY JUNETEENTH EVENT TO CELEBRATE FREEDOM FOR ALL

GOSHEN, Ind. (May 15, 2023)— Commemorating the end of slavery, and renewing hope and commitment to a vibrant and flourishing future, the City of Goshen Community Relations Commission is hosting a Juneteenth Celebration for a second year in a row.

The event will be held Saturday, June 17, from 12 to 5 p.m. at Shanklin Park, 411 W. Plymouth Ave., and will feature local and regional artisans, performers, and food vendors. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public.

The event will also host informational tables from the Department of Environmental Resilience, Goshen Public Library, and community members holding conversations about reparations.

LaCasa will host a free workshop on homeownership from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. To participate in this workshop, register at https://lacasainc.net/classes/

Juneteenth National Independence Day commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. In 2021, it became an observed federal holiday after a majority approval by the US House of Representatives and unanimous approval from the US Senate. The City of Goshen adopted Juneteenth as a local holiday the same year.

As a holiday, Juneteenth is a time to celebrate as well as a time for reflecting and acting. The observation of Juneteenth includes empowering our neighbors to build their own opportunities, grow their own wealth, and bring everyone to the table.

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR WOMEN’S BIKE RIDE

Take a relaxed bike ride throughout the city and learn about historical local figures at Goshen’s first Women’s Bike Ride.

The Department of Environmental Resilience, in partnership with AmeriCorps, is organizing the bike ride as a way to promote biking among women and to highlight women local to Goshen who did great things for the community.

The ride, open to the public, will be May 21 at 2 p.m. Participants are asked to gather next to Goshen Brewing Company. Michiana Area Council of Governments will be onsite starting at 1 p.m. to make bicycle safety checks and minor tune-ups.

Shae Dirks, an AmeriCorps member working with the Department of Environmental Resilience and an event organizer, said she hopes the event will help promote biking and an interest in local history.

“Through brainstorming with my team, we came up with the idea of doing a history tour through Goshen,” Dirks said. “I tried to find those stories of women that we might not know. I wanted to find women who might have been just “average” but truly changed Goshen’s History.”

The 2.5 mile ride will start and end at Goshen Brewing Company and there will be three stops throughout, where a living history performance will guide riders through the historical significance of each location. High School students Jamie Lake, Mara Miller and Anusha Jha will perform at the historical figures.

Participants can register by going to https://secure.rec1.com/IN/goshen-parks-and-recreation-in/catalog.

A $5 donation is encouraged though not required to participate.

The Department of Environmental Resilience will be renting a few bicycle from Lincoln Avenue Cycling for those who do not have access to one but wish to participate. Reservations must be placed in advance. To place a reservation for a bike, call 574-975-6255.

The Event was organized with contributions from Rebecca Akens, who aided with historical research, and Carrie Lee Bland-Kendall, who helped in the presentation. The Electric Brew, Fables Books, Goshen Brewing Company, Lincoln Avenue Cycling and Maple City Market sponsored the event.

KICK OFF NATIONAL BIKE MONTH WITH MAYOR’S BIKE RIDE

To celebrate National Bike Month, Mayor Jeremy Stutsman is inviting the public to a bike ride Friday, May 5 at 4:30 p.m.

Join the Mayor and City staff on the parking lot east of City Hall. 202 S. 5th St. Some bike safety information will be shared by a patrol officer, and soon after participants will be led down several blocks around downtown before returning back to City Hall.

The ride is free, open to residents of all ages, and no advanced registration is necessary.

After the bike ride, use the Bike Valet offered by the Department of Environmental Resilience downtown and check out Frist Fridays!

To Learn more about National Bike Month, go to https://bikeleague.org/events/bike-month

BEAUTIFY GOSHEN 2023 BEGINS THIS SATURDAY

Spring cleaning? The City of Goshen is rolling out another “Beautify Goshen” week, in which the Goshen Street Department will be making additional disposal services available to assist city residents in their cleaning tasks.

This free service is offered only during the first full week in May (an eight-day week with two Saturdays), and there is no limit to the quantity of items that may be disposed.

Residents must make arrangements to transport the items; there will not be curbside pickup. Because this free service is paid by the tax dollars of Goshen city residents, only City residents are allowed to dispose of items.  IDs will be checked to verify residency.

The collection site will be the Goshen Street Department located at 475 Steury Ave. Hours that items will be accepted are as follows:

  • Saturday, April 29 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 30: CLOSED
  • Monday––Friday, May 1 to May 5 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 6 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In order to keep disallowed items from entering the waste stream, the Street Department will have a crew member on hand at all times monitoring the items being accepted. Items that can be disposed of are:

  • Non-hazardous refuse, such as furniture, carpeting, lumber, dry wall, metal and vinyl siding, windows, fiberglass insulation, mattresses, stoves, landscape timbers, bricks, etc.
  • White goods, such as refrigerators, air conditioners, freezers, dehumidifiers, etc.; the Freon does not have to be removed
  • Electronic waste, such as computers, home phones, televisions, etc.
  • Tires up to 16½”, either on or off their rims

The following items will not be accepted during this large-item disposal:

  • Pesticides or herbicides (insect or weed killers)
  • Unlabeled drums containing any substance
  • Sealed pressurized containers (propane tanks, etc.)
  • Paint thinners, oil base or water base paint
  • Brush and yard waste
  • Asbestos insulation
  • Contaminated soil

During the other 51 weeks of the year, Goshen residents may place one or two large items per month with their regular weekly trash for removal. (This does not include electronics, old tube-type televisions or any cooling appliances containing Freon or any of the items not accepted in the Beautify Goshen disposal.)

You will need to contact Borden Waste-Away two days in advance of your normal pick-up day to arrange for the pick-up. For details of the year-long, large-item disposal, contact Borden Waste-Away at (574) 293-5001.

2023 BEAUTIFY GOSHEN WEEK

In conjunction with the Goshen Chamber of Commerce’s “Beautify Goshen” Week, the Goshen Street Department will be making additional disposal services available to assist city residents in their “Beautify Goshen” tasks.

This free service is offered only during the first full week in May (an eight-day week with two Saturdays), and there is no limit to the quantity of items that may be disposed. Residents must make arrangements to transport the items; there will not be curbside pickup.  Because this free service is paid by the tax dollars of Goshen city residents, only City residents are allowed to dispose of items.  IDs will be checked to verify residency.

The collection site will be the Goshen Street Department located at 475 Steury Ave.  Hours that items will be accepted are as follows:

  • Saturday, April 29 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 30: CLOSED
  • Monday––Friday, May 1 to May 5 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 6 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In order to keep disallowed items from entering the waste stream, the Street Department will have a crew member on hand at all times monitoring the items being accepted. Items that can be disposed of are:

  • Non-hazardous refuse, such as furniture, carpeting, lumber, dry wall, metal and vinyl siding, windows, fiberglass insulation, mattresses, stoves, landscape timbers, bricks, etc.
  • White goods, such as refrigerators, air conditioners, freezers, dehumidifiers, etc.; the Freon does not have to be removed
  • Electronic waste, such as computers, home phones, televisions, etc.
  • Tires up to 16½”, either on or off their rims

The following items will not be accepted during this large-item disposal:

  • Pesticides or herbicides (insect or weed killers)
  • Unlabeled drums containing any substance
  • Sealed pressurized containers (propane tanks, etc.)
  • Paint thinners, oil base or water base paint
  • Brush and yard waste
  • Asbestos insulation
  • Contaminated soil

During the other 51 weeks of the year, Goshen residents may place one or two large items per month with their regular weekly trash for removal. (This does not include electronics, old tube-type televisions or any cooling appliances containing Freon or any of the items not accepted in the Beautify Goshen disposal.) You will need to contact Borden Waste-Away two days in advance of your normal pick-up day to arrange for the pick-up. For details of the year-long, large-item disposal, contact Borden Waste-Away at (574) 293-5001.

2023 SPRING BRUSH AND LEAF COLLECTION

The City Street Department’s spring brush and leaf collection will begin April 24, and it will run through May 5, 2023. Please have any yard brush and leaves out before the start date to ensure pick up.

Because of the large amount of brush and leaves usually placed out for this first pick up, it tends to take longer for the crews to make their rounds. Residents are to have their leaves and brush placed at the curb, but not in the street so as to not cause a road hazard or hinder water drainage.

Do not place brush or trash on or in leaf piles. Leaf and brush piles placed in alleyways will not be picked up. Do not place piles around fire hydrants, mail boxes or telephone poles.

When placing brush, please keep the following in mind:

  • Brush and leaves will be collected during an announced 2-week period in April/May. “Brush only” collection begins on the last Monday of the months of May through September. Special collections to be announced as needed.
  • Leaves to be collected in the fall as piles accrue and continue until an announced end date.
  • 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.

Please call the Street Department at 574-534-9711 if you have any questions.

CRC TO HOST SECOND ANNUAL ESSAY CONTEST AWARDS CEREMONY

Our future leaders are talking. The Community Relations Commission thinks we should tune in.

The CRC is pleased to invite the public to the awards ceremony for their second annual essay contest Tuesday, April 18, at Schrock Pavilion, Shanklin Park. The event starts with a meet and greet at 6 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 7 p.m.

The essay contest calls on all Goshen students in junior high through senior high school to discuss one of the eight CRC principles. The winners will receive up to $150 in cash.

Students who choose to participate are entered in one of two categories: grades 7-8—who will be required to submit an essay of 300-600 words; and grades 9-12, who will be asked to submit an essay of 500-800 words.

The CRC principles are:

  • Honor the dignity of each person and each person’s rights
  • Listen to the diverse voices of the community
  • Cultivate constructive communication and engagement
  • Value honesty, truthfulness, and integrity
  • Promote a community that is safe for all
  • Acknowledge and accept the challenge of change—that it may have both positive and negative consequences
  • Promote the acceptance of differences
  • Promote equality and freedom from discrimination

A committee of three judges has determined 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for each category: Jr. High and Sr. High.

The event is open and free to all. Light refreshments will be provided. Copies of the submitted essays will be available for reading prior to the awards ceremony.

To view this year’s essays, go to goshenindiana.org/crcessays.