Town News & Announcements

Here is the Notice of Filing and Request for Comments issued by the Department of Public Utilities in the above-captioned proceeding: Notice And Request For Comments DPU 23 26 3.14.23

Town Caucus

The 2023 Town Caucus will be held on Monday, April 10th at 7pm in the town hall. All registered voters are invited to participate. Any town resident may be nominated for any of the positions below. Please consider joining us so we make our quorum of 25 voters. Once a quorum is met, the meeting is generally over in less than 15 minutes. Here is a document that briefly describes the positions up for election this year: Caucus 2023 Elected Positions In Goshen

Here is a list of the positions up for nomination and the individuals who currently occupy the seats:

Almoners- (3 years) Michael Rock (not running again)

Assessors- (3 years) Paula Pedersen

Board of Health- (3 years) Joshua Lafond

Chesterfield/ Goshen Regional School Committee- (3 years) Heather Crocker Aulenback

Finance Committee (3 years) Mary Packard

Finance Committee (3 years) Dawn Scaparotti

Hampshire Regional School Committee (3 years) Paul Marcinek

Library Trustees (3 years) Rosemary Bienz

Library Trustees (3 years) Kathryn Boisvert (not running again)

Library Trustees (1 year) VACANT

Moderator (1 year) Keith Wright

Planning Board (5 years) Roger Culver (not running again)

Planning Board (3 years) VACANT

Planning Board (1 year) VACANT

Select Board (3 years) Kristine Bissell

Tilton Farm Supervisors (1 year) Robert Goss

Tilton Farm Supervisors (1 year) Richard Polwrek

Tilton Farm Supervisors (1 year) Roger Culver

The Annual Town Election for the above positions will be held on Saturday, June 3^rd, 2023.

The Annual Town Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 20^th, 2023.

Contact Town Clerk Kristen Estelle with any questions: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

Please see the Fiber Optic Connection Costs & Considerations When Planning Renovations Or Construction document so that you are cognizant of the requirements and costs for connecting to Goshen’s high speed fiber optic network.

You may also find the this document in the documents section at the bottom of the Building Department web page.

Hilltown Resource Management Cooperative (HRMC) compost bin discounted price offer to purchase an Earth Machine Compost bin for 50% less than retail prices.

For information about how to compost go to Composting Is Easy.

An updated Residential Building Permit Application can be found at:  Building Permit Application Residential – Updated 2023 02 23.

You may also find the revised application in the documents section at the bottom of the Building Department web page. 

There will be a Special Town Meeting on Monday, March 13^th at 7pm in the John James Memorial Hall, 42 Main Street. When you come in the town hall, be sure to check in at the front table with the assistant town clerk to receive your voter card. The warrant for the meeting can be found here:  Special Town Meeting Warrant 2023-03-13.  You may also find the warrant in the documents section on the Select Board page.  Please reach out to the town administrator and select board with any questions about the two articles: selectboard@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x301.

If you are not already a registered voter, the last day to register to vote for this special town meeting is Friday, March 3^rd from 9-11am and 3-5pm. The Town Clerk’s office will be open for registration during those hours, and you can also register or check your voter status online: www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/   If you have any questions about voter registration, please contact me (clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107).

We hope you join us! 25 voters are needed to make a quorum, and there is an important town project on the warrant.

The Open Space Committee has completed their work on the Re-Imagine Goshen Center Project Plan.

You may view, download or print it at:  Re-Imagine Goshen Center Project Plan

Or, you may go directly to the Open Space Committee page and find it in the documents section.

Open Burning season is from January 15, 2023 – May 1, 2023.

Go to the Open Burning Permits page to learn all the town & state requirements, safety information and to apply for your required permit.

Town Clerk Kristen Estelle reminds residents to return the 2023 Annual Street Listings that were mailed to each household in early January. If you haven’t received one, you can find printable blank copies on the Town Clerk webpage at www.goshen-ma.us/annual-street-listing/ or contact Kristen to receive another: clerk@goshen-ma.us. Please fill out info for everyone who lives in your house, sign and return to: 40 Main St. Goshen, MA 01032. Responding to the street listing will keep you on the active voting list if you are registered to vote.

Also, please register your dog(s) before licenses expire March 31^st. Neutered/ spayed dogs cost $5 each to register; intact dogs are $10. Dog licensing forms were mailed with the street listings and can also be found here: www.goshen-ma.us/dog-licenses/

To register your dog(s), you can:

1. Stop by during office hours (Monday 8:30-2:30 & 6-8) and bring cash or check, valid rabies certificate, and spaying/neutering certificate, or
2. Mail the dog license form, fee(s) and certificate(s) along with a stamped self-addressed envelope for the return of the license(s) and tag(s) to: Goshen Town Clerk, 40 Main Street, Goshen, MA 01032.
3. Drop the paperwork off in the town clerk drop box, located to the left of the door to the town offices.

Need a Rabies shot for your dog before you get them licensed? There will be a Rabies & Microchip Clinic at the Chesterfield Fire Department on Saturday, March 11^th from 11am-1pm. See flyer here: https://www.goshen-ma.us/rabies-microchip-clinic-in-chesterfield/

Please contact Kristen with any questions or concerns: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

Just a reminder that the town has a bylaw against depositing snow on town roads that carries a fine.  The bylaw is below for your reference.  Go to the Police Department page on this website if you need to report this activity.

Happy New Year!

The 2023 Annual Street Listings have been mailed to each household in Goshen, and you should be receiving yours soon. If you haven’t received one, you can find printable blank copies on the Town Clerk webpage at www.goshen-ma.us/annual-street-listing/ or contact me to receive another: clerk@goshen-ma.us. Please fill out info for everyone who lives in your house, sign and return to: 40 Main St. Goshen, MA 01032. It is important that we keep an accurate count of residents as it determines state and federal funding for our town. Responding to the street listing will also keep you on the active voting list if you are registered to vote.

Additionally, the 2023 dog licenses are in! A dog licensing form was mailed with the street listing. Neutered/ spayed dogs cost $5 each to register; intact dogs are $10. To register your dog(s), you can:

1. Stop by during office hours (Monday 8:30am-2:30pm & 6-8pm) and bring cash or check, valid rabies certificate, and spaying/neutering certificate, or
2. Mail the dog license form, fee(s) and certificate(s) along with a stamped self-addressed envelope for the return of the license(s) and tag(s) to: Goshen Town Clerk, 40 Main Street, Goshen, MA 01032.

You may also drop the paperwork off in the town clerk drop box, located to the left of the door to the town offices.

Last year’s licenses expire on March 31st, 2023. Additional dog licensing forms can be found here: www.goshen-ma.us/dog-licenses/

Please contact Town Clerk Kristen Estelle with any questions or concerns: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

The state of Massachusetts provides a FREE telehealth service for COVID-19 treatment which can be accessed by a telephone or  website.  The telehealth service can tell you if the COVID-19 pill is right for you, and the pills can be sent to your pharmacy or to your home for free.

Go to this flyer for details:  Massachusetts Provides A FREE Telehealth Service For COVID 19 Treatment 

If you need a COVID-⁠19 test now, please see other testing resources for testing locations in your area.

For a complete list of COVID-19 updates go to  COVID-19 postings in Town News & Announcements.

To go to the COVID-19 Alerts information page click here COVID-19 Alerts information page.

The Town of Goshen Board of Health has a limited supply of at-home COVID test kits available for residents.   If you are unable to access or afford test kits from other sources, please contact us and we will arrange to provide you test kits.

To request tests, please send an email to:  Healthboard@goshen-ma.us with the Subject line of COVID TEST KIT REQUEST.

Be sure to include your name, address, contact information (phone, text, email) and the number of test kits requested.  Also include any time constraints or special circumstances and any other relevant information.

If you need a COVID-⁠19 test now, please see other testing resources for testing locations in your area.

For a complete list of COVID-19 updates go to  COVID-19 postings in Town News & Announcements.

To go to the COVID-19 Alerts information page click here COVID-19 Alerts information page.

The unofficial state election results from our town today can be found here:  Goshen Unofficial Election Results State Election 11.8.2022 . We had 65% voter turnout!

I’d like to thank our dedicated election workers:

Evelyn Kellogg-Culver, Warden

Shannon Wade, Warden

Kerry Normandin, Clerk

Kit Rock, Clerk

Charlie Amo, Constable

Nick Cockoros, Constable

Jennifer Bisbee

Roger Culver

Roxanne Cunningham

Melanie Dana

Janet Goss

Robert Goss

Abby Kingman

Jim Lyons

Tammy Lyons

Henrietta Munroe

Paula Pederson

Marcia Shaw

Nancy Wood

Marya Zilberberg

I also thank my assistant, Gina Papineau, for all her assistance this election season, and custodian Ron Loven and his wife, Joanie, for setting up the Town Hall.

Do you have any interest in being an election worker? Please contact me if you do. We could always use more help. 413-268-8236 x107, clerk@goshen-ma.us

In accordance with chapter 92 of the Acts of 2022, known as the VOTES Act, please be advised that the Town of Goshen will perform a post-election tabulation session for November 8, 2022 State Election ballots returned by mail and received on or before 5PM on November 12, 2022, if also postmarked by November 8, 2022.

This session will take place in the John James Memorial Hall, 42 Main Street, beginning on Monday, November 14, 2022 at 9:30 AM and will be open to the public.

This notice has also been posted on the official town bulletin board.

Please contact Town Clerk Kristen Estelle with any questions: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

The November state election ballots finally came in, and on Thursday, 10/13/22, 164 ballots were mailed to the voters who requested to vote by mail. Fun fact: that is roughly 20% of Goshen’s total voters!

You may return your ballot in person (my office hours are Mondays 8:30-2:30 and 6-8), by mail (postage paid) or place it in the town clerk drop box at the top of the stairs to the left of the door of the Town Offices, 40 Main St. Ballots returned in person or by drop box must be delivered by 8pm on Election Day. Ballots returned by mail from inside the United States must reach my office by 5pm on November 12, 2022, in order to be counted. Mailed ballots received after 8pm on Election Day can only be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day.

Want to vote by mail? Return the post card that the State sent out or use this portal to apply: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/MailInRequestWeb/MailInBallot.aspx

The deadline to apply to vote by mail is 5pm on Tuesday, November 1^st.

Other voting options:

1. Vote in person, on election day, November 8th, 7am-8pm in the John James Memorial Hall.
2. Vote early, in person, in the John James Memorial Hall, on any of these dates:

• Saturday, October 22^ndfrom 9am-1pm
• Monday, October 24^th from 9am-1pm
• Saturday, October 29^thfrom 9am-1pm
• Monday, October 31^stfrom 9am-1pm

Please contact Town Clerk Kristen Estelle with any questions or concerns: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

Once a year, the HRMC holds a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Event for residents of the HRMC member communities. The 2022 event will take place on Saturday, October 22, from 9 a.m. until noon, in Westhampton.

Pre-registration is required for this event and will take place from October 1-October 16.  Residents are asked to email the HRMC with their name, address (Street and Town), and phone number.  HRMC confirmation of your reservation (done via email) is required to participate.

For full details click on this document:  2022 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event.

The unofficial election results of the 2022 State Primary for Goshen can be found here: Goshen Election Results State Primary 9.6.2022

We had 32% voter turnout.

I’d like to thank our dedicated election workers:

Evelyn Kellogg-Culver, Warden

Shannon Wade, Warden

Kerry Normandin, Clerk

Kit Rock, Clerk

Charlie Amo, Constable

Nick Cockoros, Constable

Jennifer Bisbee

Roger Culver

Roxanne Cunningham

Melanie Dana

Abby Kingman

Jim Lyons

Tammy Lyons

Henrietta Munroe

Paula Pederson

Marcia Shaw

Nancy Wood

I also thank my assistant, Gina Papineau, for all her help, and custodian Ron Loven and his wife, Joanie, for setting up and taking down the election booths, tables, etc. Even small town elections require many hands on deck to make things run smoothly from start to finish. Do you have any interest in being an election worker? Please contact me if you do: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107. We could always use more help.

Goshen, Massachusetts is seeking applicants for a Police Chief.

For a thorough job description go to Police Chief August 2022 Posting.

Please write a letter of introduction detailing your interest and qualifications for this position to selectboard@goshen-ma.us.

To print or download an application go to: Town of Goshen Employment Application.

Sign up for Goshen’s high-speed internet service is in process.  The final initial subscription period runs through May 31, 2022.  In order to receive the town subsidy for connecting your house or business, to the new fiber optic network, you must sign up for internet service and accept installation by May 31, 2022.  If you sign up after May 31, 2022 you will not be eligible for the town subsidy.  If you do NOT sign up for internet service you will NOT be eligible for the town subsidy to connect your house to the fiber optic network.

To sign up, go to whipcityfiber.com/goshen.  If you need help signing up for service, or, if you aren’t sure that you signed up for service, contact Whip City Fiber (WCF) customer service at (413) 485 1251.  If you have technical questions contact Whip City Fiber technical support at (413) 485 1204.

Whip City Fiber (WCF) customer support will contact people, who have signed up for service to schedule installations.  Installation appointments are offered in the order in which people signed up in each FSA.  Customers must pay a $150.00 missed appointment charge for a scheduled installation at which they fail to be present and available.

If you have previously given Wired West a deposit, you may request a refund by clicking on Wired West deposit refund info and following the directions found there.

Week of September 12-September 16, 2022:

• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA1.

Week of September 5-September 10, 2022:

• Monday:  Labor day, no work today.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Saturday:  Scheduled consultations in FSA1.

Week of August 29-September 2, 2022:

• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1 & FSA3.

Week of August 22-August 26, 2022:

• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1 & FSA3.

Week of August 15-August 20, 2022:

• Friday:  Underground construction in FSA1.  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1 & FSA3.
• Saturday:  Underground construction in FSA1.

Week of August 8-August 12, 2022:

• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.

Week of August 1-August 5, 2022:

• Monday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.  Major fiber burn repair & replacement work on Route 9 West affecting secondary failover circuit and customers on Loomis, Shaw & Sears Roads.
• Tuesday:  Major fiber burn repair & replacement work on Route 9 West affecting secondary failover circuit and customers on Loomis, Shaw & Sears Roads.
• Thursday:  Underground construction in FSA3.

Week of July 25-July 29, 2022:

• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA1.  Underground consultations in FSA3.
• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.  Underground construction in FSA3.

Week of July 18-July 22, 2022:

• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA1.

Week of July 11-July 15, 2022:

• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.

Week of July 4-July 8, 2022:

• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.

Week of June 27-July 2, 2022:

• Saturday:   Underground construction in FSA3.

Week of June 20-June 25, 2022:

• Monday:  No work today, Juneteenth.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.  Underground construction in FSA3.
• Wednesday:   Underground construction in FSA3.

Week of Jun13-June 17, 2022:

• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1 & FSA3.

Week of June 6-June 10, 2022:

• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.

Week of May 30-June 3, 2022:

• Monday:  No work today, Memorial Day.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1 & FSA3.  Underground construction in FSA1.
• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.  Underground construction in FSA3
• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.

Week of May 23-May 28, 2022:

• Monday:  To be determined.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1 & FSA3.  Underground construction in FSA1.
• Wednesday:  To be determined.
• Thursday: Underground construction in FSA3 .
• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Saturday: Scheduled customer installations in FSA2 .

Week of May 16-May 21, 2022:

• Monday:  To be determined.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Wednesday:  To be determined.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA2.
• Friday:  To be determined
• Saturday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA2.

Week of May 9-May 14, 2022:

• Monday:  Underground construction in FSA1 & FSA3.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA2 & FSA3.
• Wednesday:  To be determined.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1 & FSA3.
• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.  Underground construction in FSA1 & FSA3.

Week of May 2-May 7, 2022:

• Monday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.  Underground consultations in FSA2  & FSA3.
• Wednesday:  To be determined.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.  Underground consultations in FSA3.
• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.  Underground consultations in FSA3.
• Saturday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.

Week of April 25-April 29, 2022:

• Monday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA1.  Underground consultations in FSA2.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.  Underground consultations in FSA2 & FSA1 & FSA3.
• Wednesday: Scheduled customer installations in FSA3
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA1.
• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.  Underground consultations in FSA3.

Week of April 18-April 23, 2022:

• Monday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA1.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.  Underground consultations in FSA2 & FSA1 & FSA3.
• Wednesday:  To be determined.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.
• Friday:  To be determined.
• Saturday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.

Week of April 11-April 16, 2022:

• Monday:  To be determined.
• Tuesday:  To be determined.
• Wednesday:  Underground consultations in FSA2 & FSA1 & FSA3.
• Thursday:  To be determined.
• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Saturday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.

Week of April 4-April 9, 2022:

• Monday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Tuesday:  To be determined.
• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Thursday:  To be determined.
• Friday:  To be determined.
• Saturday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.

Week of March 28-April 2, 2022:

• Monday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA2.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA2 & FSA1.
• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA1.
• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Saturday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
•   Underground trenching, blowing & pulling fiber in FSA2 & FSA1 & FSA3

Week of March 21-March 26, 2022:

• Monday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Saturday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.

Week of March 14-March 19, 2022:

FIBER SERVICE AREA 3 (FSA3, the western part of town) GOES LIVE ON 03/14/2022.  WHIP CITY FIBER (WCF) CUSTOMER SUPPORT BEGINS TO CONTACT PEOPLE, WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR SERVICE IN FSA3, TO SCHEDULE INSTALLATIONS.  INSTALLATION APPOINTMENTS ARE OFFERED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR SERVICE.

• Monday:  FSA3 is lit up.  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 begin.  Testing of dark fiber in FSA3.
• Tuesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA1.
• Wednesday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA2.
• Thursday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3 & FSA1.
• Friday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.
• Saturday:  Scheduled customer installations in FSA3.

ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION  & LINKS CAN BE FOUND BELOW

The Whip City Fiber site also has FAQs with information on the topics below at Whip City Fiber Goshen FAQs.

• Signing Up
• Goshen Installation Costs [with a link to the “Detailed Drop Policy”  in item 1 of this section]
• Other Costs
• General Information
• Information on email, phone, streaming and television
• Connection speeds
• Equipment
• Phone Service (VOIP)
• Technical Information
• Customer Installations
• Security
• Outages
• Suspend or Cancel Service

Click here for information on Streaming TV & movies over the internet & Streaming Services.

Click here for the Whip City Fiber Help Center which has information on the topics below:

• Troubleshooting your internet & router wireless network connection
• What to know if there is an outage
• How to access your customer portal
• How can I get the best speeds from Whip City Fiber
• How to customize and utilize your OOMA premier VOIP phone (if you signed up for VOIP phone service)

Click here for Whip City Fiber Customer Service & Technical Support contact information.

A terms and conditions document can be found at Goshen Whip City FIber Terms and Conditions.

For a complete list of current (late 2020 & beyond) project updates click on High Speed Internet postings in Town News & Announcements.

Additionally you can go to the High Speed Internet project page.

For a glossary of terms used go to  Goshen MLP High Speed Internet Glossary.

We are busy here in the Town Clerk’s office preparing for the State Primary on Sept. 6^th and the State Election on Nov. 8^th.

The last day to register to vote for the State Primary is Saturday, August 27^th, 2022. There will be in person voter registration available in the Town Clerk’s Office, 40 Main Street, that day from 9am-11am and 3-5pm. You can also register to vote at: www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/

Here are the three options for casting your vote for the Primary:

1. Vote in person, on election day, Sept. 6^th, 7am-8pm in the John James Memorial Hall.
2. Vote early in person, on Saturday August 27^th from 9am-1pm or Monday, August 29^th from 9am-1pm in the John James Memorial Hall.
3. Vote by mail. Every registered voter should have received a prepaid post card from the Secretary of the State’s office, asking if you’d like to vote by mail. If you’d prefer to vote in person, just discard the post card. No action needed. If you do want to vote by mail, I must receive your application by Monday, August 29^th at 5pm in order to have your ballot mailed to you.

If you didn’t receive the vote by mail post card, here is a copy of the application you can print out: Vote By Mail Paper Application 2022

Once filled out, it can be emailed, mailed or dropped off at my office. If you are unable to print an application, you may request a vote by mail ballot by writing a letter to the Town Clerk (40 Main St. Goshen, MA 01032). Be sure to include your name and address, the election for which you are requesting a ballot, and your signature. If you need the ballot mailed somewhere other than your home, be sure to provide that address. Please allow ample mailing time for this application and for the ballot. The ballot must be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office by close of the polls on election day in order to be counted. Ballots that arrive after that time – even if they are postmarked on or before Election Day – will not be counted.

Please contact Town Clerk Kristen Estelle with any questions or concerns: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

Part of the presentation will feature one proposed design that includes elements for individuals of all ages and abilities, to be presented by Nicholas T. Dines, FASLA, a retired UMass professor of Landscape Architecture.

Water and snacks provided.

The following COVID protocols will be in effect:

• Masks and hand sanitizer will be available at the door

• Socially distanced seating

• Attendees are required to wear masks

• Individuals with any COVID symptoms should not enter the main seating area.  There will be a separate seating area and a face shield will be provided upon request.

The permalink above goes directly to the sub menu fireworks page under the Police Department page.

Note that the beaches at DAR State Forest are NOT monitored or maintained by the Town of Goshen.  These are owned, operated and monitored through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

Water quality at both the Upper Highland Lake Campers and Upper Highland Lake Day Use beaches is monitored and tested by DCR.  Testing is done weekly, during the swimming season, with results available only by calling the DCR Beach Water Quality hotline at (617) 626 4972.  Tests are normally carried out on Mondays and results are usually on the hotline by Tuesday or Wednesday.  In addition to the hotline, if the water is considered unsafe, notices will be posted at the two beaches by state officials.  There is NOT a website for this information.  You must either call the hotline or go to the beach to see the postings.

The Massachusetts Department of Health’s Bureau of Environmental Health has a web page with FAQs on Beach Water Quality & Testing that provides information on the following:

• Why is beach water sampled?
• What is a public beach?
• What is a semi-public beach?
• Who monitors the beach water quality?
• How often is the water tested?
• What kind of bacteria is the beach water tested for?
• What are indicator organisms?
• What are the standards for beach water quality in marine water?
• What happens if levels exceed 104 cfu/100 ml?
• What are the standards for beach water quality in fresh water?
• Are beach postings triggered in any other way?
• What does it mean for a beach to be posted?
• What type of illness can you get from contact with water contaminated with bacteria?
• How can I reduce my risk of illness from swimming?
• What are the sources of bacteria in the water?
• What about animal wastes on the beach?
• What can I do to enhance water quality at beaches I use?
• How can I find out if the beach is open or has been posted?
• Where can I get more information?
• How do I know when a beach is sampled?

If you wish to see historical data on contamination at particular beaches go to the Annual Beach Reports web page and you can view data from 2011 to the year before the current swimming season.  This will tell you the testing schedule,  the number of tests performed, how often there was an issue and how many days the beaches were posted as closed.  Note that Goshen beaches are on the Freshwater beach report.

Here are the annual town election results from today:  Annual Town Election Results 6.4.2022. We had 11% voter turnout.

I’d like to thank our dedicated election workers:

Shannon Wade, Warden

Evelyn Kellogg-Culver, Clerk

Charlie Amo, Constable

Henrietta Munroe

Roxanne Cunningham

Jenny Bisbee

Roger Culver

Jim Lyons

Tammy Lyons

I also thank my assistant, Gina Papineau, for all her help, and custodian Ron Loven and his wife, Joanie, for setting up and taking down the election booths, tables, etc.

Even small town elections require many hands on deck to make things run smoothly from start to finish.

Do you have any interest in being an election worker? Please contact Town Clerk Kristen Estelle if you do: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

The Highway Department completed site preparation work in early November 2020 for the placement of the Network Hut and the backup generator.

The Hut will contain all of the electronic brains for controlling the fiber optic network and was delivered, together with the backup generator, on Monday, November 23, 2020.

The propane tank for the back up generator was installed on 12/16/2020 and connected on 1/8/2021.

National Grid installed a utility pole and connecting wires to provide electric service to the hut on 12/21/2020.  Electricity has been connected to the hut and generator as of 12/31/2020.

A live generator fail over test was successfully conducted and settings for failover testing have been completed.

A grounding halo was installed around the exterior of the hut to prevent damage from electrical strikes on 05/11/2021.

Fiber optic cable has been brought into hut through the underground vault for the distribution network connection in July 2021.

Fiber optic cable connecting the hut to the MBI middle mile was  completed on 7/13/2021.

As of 7/23/2021 all Network electronics have been installed, tested & provisioned and are ready for splicing, testing & certification of the fiber optic network.

As of 3/14/2022 all fiber connections to FSA1, FSA2 & FSA3 have been spliced, connected, tested, certified & provisioned in the fiber optic hut.

As of 4/19.2022 a secondary failover circuit was was installed, connected and tested.  This provides a complete diverse secondary path in case of losing the primary path do to accidents or emergency.

As of 6/1/2022 Goshen added a second Gigabit of bandwidth as the number of users continues to grow and the individual usage per premise increases.

Updates will be posted as necessary.

ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION  & LINKS CAN BE FOUND BELOW

The Whip City Fiber site also has FAQs with information on the topics below at Whip City Fiber Goshen FAQs.

• Signing Up
• Goshen Installation Costs [with a link to the “Detailed Drop Policy”  in item 1 of this section]
• Other Costs
• General Information
• Information on email, phone, streaming and television
• Connection speeds
• Equipment
• Phone Service (VOIP)
• Technical Information
• Customer Installations
• Security
• Outages
• Suspend or Cancel Service

Click here for information on Streaming TV & movies over the internet & Streaming Services.

Click here for the Whip City Fiber Help Center which has information on the topics below:

• Troubleshooting your internet & router wireless network connection
• What to know if there is an outage
• How to access your customer portal
• How can I get the best speeds from Whip City Fiber
• How to customize and utilize your OOMA premier VOIP phone (if you signed up for VOIP phone service)

Click here for Whip City Fiber Customer Service & Technical Support contact information.

A terms and conditions document can be found at Goshen Whip City FIber Terms and Conditions.

For a complete list of current (late 2020 & beyond) project updates click on High Speed Internet postings in Town News & Announcements.

Additionally you can go to the High Speed Internet project page.

For a glossary of terms used go to  Goshen MLP High Speed Internet Glossary.

The Annual Town Election will be held on Saturday, June 4th from 9am-1pm in the John James Memorial Hall, located at 42 Main Street. Here is a sample ballot: SAMPLE ATE 2022 Ballot

While the Vote by Mail order has expired statewide, regular absentee voting is still available for any registered voter who is (1) away from their town on Election Day; or (2) has a disability that keeps them from voting at their polling place; or (3) has a religious belief that prevents them from voting at their polling place on Election Day. Your request for an absentee ballot must be received no later than noon on Friday, June 3rd.  Applications may be submitted in person, by mail, by drop box, fax, or email.  An absentee ballot application is available here to download and print: Absentee-Ballot-Application. If you are unable to print an application, you may request an absentee ballot by writing a letter to the Town Clerk (40 Main St. Goshen, MA 01032). Be sure to include your name and address, the election for which you are requesting a ballot, and your signature. If you need the ballot mailed somewhere other than your home, be sure to provide that address. Please allow ample mailing time for this application and for the ballot. The ballot must be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office by close of the polls on election day.

Please contact Town Clerk Kristen Estelle with any questions: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

The Goshen Library Trustees are currently updating our Strategic Plan and we’d appreciate your input, whether you are a current library patron or not.  Having a current Strategic Plan will allow us to apply for grants to improve our library services to the town.

To take the survey online go to:  Goshen Free Library Community Survey 2022   

Paper surveys are available at the library.

Thank you for your time.

D-Day cemetery Normandy, France

A brief ceremony by Cummington American Legion Post 304 will take place at the times and locations noted below.  All are invited to attend and honor those who gave service to our country.

There will also be a brief parade at 9:45 from the Goshen town center parking lot to the cemetery.

8:30 AM in Worthington at the memorial across from Town Hall
9:00 AM at the West Cummington Cemetery
9:30 AM in Cummington at the memorial at Community House
10:00 AM in Goshen at the Goshen Cemetery on Mollison Hill Road
11:00 in Chesterfield at Veterans’ Park
1:30 in Plainfield at Hilltop Cemetery

Military Women’s memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Follow this link to view, print or download the Annual Town Report 2021 at the bottom of the Select Board page.

Annual Town Reports for 2016-2021 are also in the documents section at the bottom of the Select Board Page.

The Annual Town Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 21, at 9:30 a.m., under a tent behind the town offices.  Masks are encouraged but optional.  Masks will be available for those who wish to use them.

Click here to view, download or print the Annual Town Meeting Warrant 2022-05-21.   You may also find the warrant in the documents section on the Select Board page.

The Finance Committee will hold a budget informational session on Thursday, May 19, at 6:30 p.m., under a tent behind the town offices.  Masks are encouraged but optional.  Masks will be available for those who wish to use them.  Click on this link to see the Finance Committee Report & Budget Recommendations for the Annual Town Meeting May 21-2022 (revised & updated 2022-05-16).  You may also find the Finance Committee Report in the documents section on the Finance Committee page.

Further updates to this post will be made as new information becomes available.

Town Clerk Kristen Estelle reminds residents that the late fee for dog licenses goes into effect June 1st, 2022. The late fee is $25 per dog on top of the license fee.

To obtain a 2022 dog license, you can:

1. Stop by during office hours (Monday 9-2:45 & 6-8) and bring cash or check, valid rabies certificate, and spaying/neutering certificate, or
2. Mail the dog license form, fee(s) and certificate(s) along with a stamped self-addressed envelope for the return of the license(s) and tag(s) to: Goshen Town Clerk, 40 Main Street, Goshen, MA 01032, or
3. Drop the paperwork described in option B in the town clerk drop box, located to the left of the door to the town offices.

Additional dog licensing forms can be found here: www.goshen-ma.us/dog-licenses/

Please contact Kristen with any questions: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

Go to the House Numbering Page, a sub page on the Fire Department page, to learn the town requirements and how to apply for your number.

The Transfer Station Recycling Information sub page located on the Board of Health page has been extensively updated.  Please visit it to find new information and new ways to recycle, repurpose and reuse items.

Transfer Station Recycling Information Page

Open Burning season is from January 15, 2022 – May 1, 2022.

Go to the Open Burning Permits page to learn all the town & state requirements, safety information and when and how to apply for your required permit.

The 2022 Town Caucus was held on Monday, April 11^th in the town hall.  29 residents participated and we had a quorum by 7:05pm (thank you!). The following Goshen voters were nominated and accepted their nominations by signing the Caucus Certificate of Nomination within 72 hours of the Caucus. These names and positions will appear on the ballot at the Annual Town Election, which will be held on Saturday, June 4th from 9am-1pm at the town hall. The only contested race is for Chesterfield/Goshen Regional School Committee.

Almoners- (3 years) Henrietta Munroe

Assessors- (3 years) Diane Bushee

Board of Health- (3 years) Laura Barrus

Board of Health- (1 year) Joshua Lafond

Chesterfield/ Goshen Regional School Committee- (3 years) Carla Raymond, Andrew Watt

Finance Committee (3 years) Kristine Bissell

Finance Committee (3 years) Gina Papineau

Library Trustees (3 years) Melanie Dana

Library Trustees (3 years) Steven Daiber

Library Trustees (2 years) Ruby Hutt

Library Trustees (2 years) Andrew Watt

Moderator (2 years) Corey Carvalho

Planning Board (5 years) James Barrett

Planning Board (3 years) Julie Hooks

Select Board (3 years) Peri Hall

Tilton Farm Supervisors (1 year) Robert Goss

Tilton Farm Supervisors (1 year) Richard Polwrek

Tilton Farm Supervisors (1 year) Roger Culver

Please contact Town Clerk Kristen Estelle with any questions: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

Hilltown Land Trust is partnering with the Wild & Scenic Westfield River Committee to offer our annual Vernal Pool Plunge!  This two-day, in-person training event is open to anyone interested in learning about the ecology of and becoming advocates for vernal pools in Western Massachusetts, including how to certify vernal pools.  Click on the link below for the full description of the two day training event on Saturdays April 16 & 23, 2022.

Vernal Pool Plunge 2022 Training Event

Spring is the time of year vernal pools are visible and provide essential breeding habitat for many amphibian and invertebrate species.  Click on the link to see the video by local Naturalist, Field Ecologist, Author and Photographer, Charley Eiseman.  This video gives a glimpse into the amazing life forms that exist and need our protection.

Vernal Pool Video

For more information, contact Pat Morey, member of Goshen’s Open Space Committee and Vernal Pond Representative, at pmorey49@gmail.com.

All 3G devices will lose cellular service in 2022 as service providers begin to turn off their 3G networks in the United States.

Why is this happening?
3G network technology has been around in the United States for two decades.  The first 3G network in the US was launched in 2002.  4G has been around since 2010.  In 2019, carriers started slowly rolling out 5G networks.  Now, companies focus their resources on building out newer networks, while saving money on maintaining or eliminating the older networks.

All the major cellphone carriers will shut down their older 3G networks in 2022.  Currently the shutdown schedule is as follows.  The dates below are for completing their 3G network shutdown.  Carriers may begin retiring parts of their networks sooner.  For more information and updated timeframes visit:  FCC 3G cellular networks information

• AT&T’s 3G:  Feb. 22, 2022
• Sprint’s 3G:  March 31, 2022
• Sprint’s LTE:  June 30, 2022
• T-Mobile’s 2G and 3G:  July 1, 2022
• Verizon’s 3G:  Dec. 31, 2022

If you have a third party provider such as Consumer Cellular, Cricket, Boost, Straight Talk, etc. (there are many such providers) they don’t have their own network and generally rely on one of the carriers above to provide for their connections.  In these cases the 3G service would go away based on which major carrier the secondary provider uses.  For example: Consumer Cellular uses AT&T or T-Mobile so their 3G device connectivity would end on February 22, 2022 or July 1, 2022.

What happens to 3G phones after that date?
Your phone will no longer be able to make phone calls.  Apps and websites will not work over a cellular connection.  You will not be able to dial 911.  The phone will still be able to work over an in home WiFi connection, for certain tasks, if you have set your phone up to connect to your WiFi network.

How do I know if I have a 3G device?
Carriers say they’ve been alerting customers who are on older phones that services are ending by sending a combination of texts, letters, phone calls and emails.  If you have a service plan and have not heard from your carrier, log into your account to double check.  If you’re unsure, or wondering about an old device, call your service provider to verify whether or not you have a device that will only operate on 3G cellular service and can NOT connect to 4G or 5G cellular service.

Will it affect devices other than phones?
Yes:  E-readers like the Kindle with 3G; life-alert alarms; portable Internet hotspots; kid’s wearables; alarm systems; personal alarm devices; alcohol monitoring devices and various other Internet-of-things devices (smart home devices such as a refrigerator, security system, doorbell or video system), that may rely on 3G.  Millions of vehicles on the road today have 3G modems which are expensive to replace and many electric vehicle parking lot chargers still have 3G modems.  There are also non-consumer products like systems used by the trucking industry and school bus dispatchers.  If you have any kind of home security system or medical alert devices, like the kind that can call for help if you fall, call that company to make sure it is still supported and not using 3G.

The 2022 Town Caucus will be held on Monday, April 11^th  at 7pm in the town hall. All registered voters are invited to participate. Any town resident may be nominated for any of the positions below. Voters will be asked to wear a mask.  The caucus warrant can be found here: Caucus 4.11.22 Warrant.

For more information about the various positions, please look at the corresponding pages on this website relating to each.

Here is a list of the positions up for nomination and the individuals who currently occupy the seats:

Almoners- (3 years) Stephen Estelle (not running again)

Assessors- (3 years) Diane Bushee

Board of Health- (3 years) Laura Barrus

Board of Health- (1 year) Joshua Lafond

Chesterfield/ Goshen Regional School Committee- (3 years) Neil Godden

Finance Committee (3 years) Kristine Bissell

Finance Committee (3 years) Gina Papineau

Library Trustees (3 years) Melanie Dana

Library Trustees (3 years) Steven Daiber

Library Trustees (2 years) Ruby Hutt

Library Trustees (2 years) Vacant

Moderator (2 years) Keith Wright (not running again)

Planning Board (5 years) James Barrett

Planning Board (3 years) Vacant

Select Board (3 years) Wayne Glaser (not running again)

Tilton Farm Supervisors (1 year) Robert Goss

Tilton Farm Supervisors (1 year) Richard Polwrek

Tilton Farm Supervisors (1 year) Roger Culver

Please contact Town Clerk Kristen Estelle with any questions: clerk@goshen-ma.us, 413-268-8236 x107.

Whip City Fiber provides internet service.  They do not provide television programming, but they offer access to all streaming service providers.  Many customers will subscribe to one or more streaming services (YouTube TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.) for watching TV, movies, and sports over the internet.

Watch this video from Whip City Fiber on How to Start Streaming.   If advertisement videos start first you can click “Skip Ads” to directly to the video.

Next go to the Streaming Page on the Whip City Fiber website for links to numerous streaming sites and additional useful information and contacts information for help with streaming devices and smart TVs.

This flier will help you get started.  Cutting the Cord: How to Stream Video with Whip City Fiber

ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION  & LINKS CAN BE FOUND BELOW

The Whip City Fiber site also has FAQs with information on the topics below at Whip City Fiber Goshen FAQs.

• Signing Up
• Goshen Installation Costs [with a link to the “Detailed Drop Policy”  in item 1 of this section]
• Other Costs
• General Information
• Information on email, phone, streaming and television
• Connection speeds
• Equipment
• Phone Service (VOIP)
• Technical Information
• Customer Installations
• Security
• Outages
• Suspend or Cancel Service

Click here for information on Streaming TV & movies over the internet & Streaming Services.

Click here for the Whip City Fiber Help Center which has information on the topics below:

• Troubleshooting your internet & router wireless network connection
• What to know if there is an outage
• How to access your customer portal
• How can I get the best speeds from Whip City Fiber
• How to customize and utilize your OOMA premier VOIP phone (if you signed up for VOIP phone service)

Click here for Whip City Fiber Customer Service & Technical Support contact information.

A terms and conditions document can be found at Goshen Whip City FIber Terms and Conditions.

For a complete list of current (late 2020 & beyond) project updates click on High Speed Internet postings in Town News & Announcements.

Additionally you can go to the High Speed Internet project page.

For a glossary of terms used go to  Goshen MLP High Speed Internet Glossary.

Anna at Whip City Fiber talks about getting the most from your internet connection in this WCF video.

Note that Goshen’s new internet service is fully synchronous.  This means that your downloads and uploads are capable of the same transmission speeds.  No more waiting 10-20 times as long for an upload as a download.

ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION  & LINKS CAN BE FOUND BELOW

The Whip City Fiber site also has FAQs with information on the topics below at Whip City Fiber Goshen FAQs.

• Signing Up
• Goshen Installation Costs [with a link to the “Detailed Drop Policy”  in item 1 of this section]
• Other Costs
• General Information
• Information on email, phone, streaming and television
• Connection speeds
• Equipment
• Phone Service (VOIP)
• Technical Information
• Customer Installations
• Security
• Outages
• Suspend or Cancel Service

Click here for information on Streaming TV & movies over the internet & Streaming Services.

Click here for the Whip City Fiber Help Center which has information on the topics below:

• Troubleshooting your internet & router wireless network connection
• What to know if there is an outage
• How to access your customer portal
• How can I get the best speeds from Whip City Fiber
• How to customize and utilize your OOMA premier VOIP phone (if you signed up for VOIP phone service)

Click here for Whip City Fiber Customer Service & Technical Support contact information.

A terms and conditions document can be found at Goshen Whip City FIber Terms and Conditions.

For a complete list of current (late 2020 & beyond) project updates click on High Speed Internet postings in Town News & Announcements.

Additionally you can go to the High Speed Internet project page.

For a glossary of terms used go to  Goshen MLP High Speed Internet Glossary.