Valparaiso Now

07/24/2024

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐨. Surveys are part of the City of Valparaiso's Active Transportation Plan and may shape future projects. Find the quick survey at: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=SWzEyJtbukWSzBK3gH6_avv7KJdSe-9ApMMXpbXGD2VUNTJSVU0zTkpDWkg4U081R0EzRE5YSDZGVS4u

07/24/2024

Calumet Avenue will be closed from Bullseye Lake Road to Burlington Beach Road during overnights on Thursday and Friday (7/25 and 7/26), beginning at 9:00 pm, to complete milling and resurfacing of the roadway. The overnight work is designed to minimize disruption to motorists where possible. The final resurfacing is scheduled to take place during the day on Monday, July 29. All dates are weather permitting. Thank you for your patience as these improvements to the arterial road will benefit motorists for years to come.

07/23/2024

Valparaiso City Utilities crews responded to a water main break at Country Club Road. Approximately 150 customers within this service area may have experienced low water pressure or a complete interruption in water service. 𝐃𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐝 to residents and business owners along Country Club Rd, Timber Bridge, Creekside Dr, Creekside Ct, Quail Covey Rd, Quail Covey Circle, Bobwhite Circle, Pheasant Walk, Waxwing Ct, Partridge Ct and Meadowlark Drive.NOTE: If you are in doubt of where you are located geographically, follow the precautionary boil advisory. Please see the map for affected areas that are highlighted in yellow boxes.The water microbiology laboratory will conduct the necessary testing to assure the water passes the required bacteria testing. The boil advisory will last approximately 48 hours and may be extended if additional testing is needed.It is recommended that all cooking and drinking water be brought to a complete boil for five (5) minutes before using. Please continue to boil all cooking and drinking water until we notify you that it is no longer necessary.For further information regarding boil advisories, please call our Customer Service Center at (219) 462-6174 or visit our website under www.valparaisoutilities.org (FAQs “What should I do when a boil advisory is issued”).

07/23/2024

There is a water main break on Country Club Road that will affect certain customers. More information to follow.

07/22/2024

The Community Engagement Department hosted a Neighborhood Workshop on July 18, bringing together 30 participants representing 20 neighborhoods. The workshop highlighted National Night Out, the Know Your Neighbor grant program and tips to organize successful neighborhood events. Many thanks to our guest speakers – Mayor Jon Costas, Captain Joe Hall, Danny Cronin (Beauty Creek Villas), Kristen Elinkowski (Beauty Creek Estates), Paula Keller and Alexander Steciuch (Banta) and Heather Curlee Novak (Jessee-Pifer). For a summary of the workshop, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/DocumentCenter/View/10457/WorkshopSummary2024

07/19/2024

UPDATE
This week, Valparaiso was affected by severe storms that brought extremely high winds and rain leading to significant debris and tree damage throughout the City, especially in the Central neighborhood.
All available Valparaiso City Service crews along with contractor resources and NIPSCO have worked to safely remove obstructions and continue to work throughout the City to clean up material.
Due to the extent of debris, our crews will continue to work throughout the weekend to collect material. Customers will experience longer than usual delays in brush collection due to the sheer volume of material to be collected by our team.
For safety, we ask that material is placed in the parkway and not the roadway.
We appreciate our community’s patience as our crews work diligently throughout the City.

07/17/2024

To facilitate the streetscape project surrounding the Lincoln Highway Garage, Morgan Boulevard (from Lincolnway to Jefferson Street) will close on or about July 24 for approximately 2 weeks. This project will repair an older large diameter combined sewer as well as install new storm sewer to separate out a small section of the downtown. Drivers may take Roosevelt, Evans or Calumet as alternate routes. We appreciate your patience for these updates that will improve utilities for years to come.

07/17/2024

Join us for tomorrow's 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟖 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟓:𝟑𝟎-𝟕:𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦, 𝟏𝟏𝟓𝟓 𝐖. 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐃𝐫. (𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍). Neighborhood Workshops provide an opportunity for neighborhood representatives to connect, learn from each other and become more familiar with available neighborhood services. The July agenda includes a welcome from Mayor Jon Costas, an introduction of the Know Your Neighbor Grant and an overview of how to host successful neighborhood events presented by neighborhood organizers. For a detailed agenda, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/.../Neighborhood-Workshop... and please RSVP by contacting Maggie Clifton at (219) 462-1161 or [email protected].

07/16/2024

Valparaiso City Service (VCS) crews continue to clean debris and work throughout the city to remove obstructions from fallen trees and limbs, utilitizing outside resources where needed to expedite clean up. The map link below provides locations of barricades/road closures due to obstructions in the roadway, sidewalk or alleyway. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬/𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞, 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝/𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.
If you are compiling brush/limbs from your property, please make every effort to place this material in the parkway and not the road. VCS crews will continue to work extended hours today and throughout the week. For any further questions please contact VCS at [email protected] or call our customer service center at (219) 462-6174.
Find the map here: https://gisvalpo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=5d2b8547066d4a2fbfca718d5532cc17

07/16/2024

Please be aware!

07/16/2024

The storm and high winds last night brought down trees and a significant amount of debris. City Service crews have been working all night and will continue today clearing debris. For your safety, please stay clear of any trees or limbs that may have power lines as the City works with NIPSCO. Thank you for your patience.

07/14/2024

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧:
"We stand together as leaders of Valparaiso to condemn the violence against former President Donald Trump and those attending the rally in Pennsylvania. Such actions have no place in our society. Violence, regardless of its target, is unacceptable and counterproductive to the values we hold dear.
We urge all residents of Valparaiso to come together in a spirit of unity, moderation and peace. In these challenging times, it is more important than ever to strive for peace and foster a community built on respect, understanding and cooperation.
Let us remain committed to upholding the principles of democracy and justice, and work towards a future where all individuals can express their views without fear of violence or retribution."

07/11/2024

Featuring more masterpieces in the Utility Box Art Program, recently expanded by the City of Valparaiso's Art Advisory Committee. Check out 24 new works featuring local artists! Today we’re sharing more art, including those curated by the Porter County Museum. The program is supported with funding from the Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission and coordinated by the City’s Community Engagement Department. Learn more at https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1789/Utility-Box-Art

07/10/2024

Join us for a 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟖 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟓:𝟑𝟎-𝟕:𝟎𝟎 𝐩𝐦 𝐚𝐭 Forest Park Welter Room. Neighborhood Workshops provide an opportunity for neighborhood representatives to connect, learn from each other and become more familiar with available neighborhood services. The July agenda includes a welcome from Mayor Jon Costas, an introduction of the Know Your Neighbor Grant and an overview of how to host successful neighborhood events presented by neighborhood organizers. For a detailed agenda, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/DocumentCenter/View/10427/Neighborhood-Workshop-Agenda-July18 and please RSVP by contacting Maggie Clifton at (219) 462-1161 or [email protected].

*Please note the location has been updated and the Workshop will be hosted at the Forest Park Welter Room, 1155 W Sheffield Dr.

07/08/2024

The Valparaiso Police Department, in conjunction with the Valparaiso Community Schools, would like to inform the public of police training that will be taking place at Memorial Elementary School on July 8-9 and 18-19. There will be an increase of police vehicles in the area during this time. Our thanks to the VPD and VCS for their continued partnership in community safety.

07/05/2024

Thank you to so many for making yesterday's celebration a joyous and safe day, especially Valpo Parks. Happy Independence Day to all! 🇺🇸

The City of Valparaiso is grateful for the enthusiastic turnout at our Fourth of July celebration! We extend our sincere thanks to all the dedicated food vendors who kept the crowd happy and well-fed, and to Jessi & the Fizz for their vibrant live music that set a festive tone.
We experienced a technical issue with the fireworks display towards the end due to a malfunctioning wire that resulted in a brief pause in the show. We commend the exceptional crew from ACE Pyro for their quick and safe troubleshooting that allowed the show to conclude with a grand finale.
While the fireworks display wasn't at our usual standard, we appreciated everyone's patience and understanding during the delay. The good news is that the dedicated ACE Pyro crew was able to salvage the unfired items. These will be incorporated into next year's show, promising an even more spectacular display!
We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable remainder of your holiday weekend. Happy Independence Day!

07/03/2024

Due to the 4th of July holiday observed on Thursday, July 4th, trash and recycle pickup will be delayed by one day. Thursday's trash and recycle pickup will be picked up on Friday. Valparaiso City Services' offices will be closed Thursday, July 4th and Friday, July 5th. Regular office hours will resume on Monday, July 8th. If you require assistance during this time, please call 1-844-296-6810.

07/03/2024

More accolades for City Of Valparaiso’s clean energy initiatives at Valparaiso City Services! We ALL win with this solar panel project that saves on city energy costs by using clean solar energy.

07/02/2024

Competitors from the Valparaiso Fire Department made a great intro performance at the TFT Firefighter Challenge Championship Series last week, held at the MAAC Foundation. Competitors came from all over the country, many having trained for years on specialty courses. Valpo's competitors were (left to right) Michael Mikovetz, Colin Mancera, Hayden Tenzera and Bryon Gearhart. The competition challenges elite firefighters from around the world in a course known as the LION® Arena of the Brave, which includes High-Rise Pack Carry, Hose Heist, Forcible Entry, Hose Advance and Victim Rescue. Congratulations on the excellent performance – they will be back!

06/28/2024

The Valparaiso Fire Department was well represented today at the TFT Firefighter Challenge Championship Series held at MAAC Foundation. Valpo's competitors were Colin Mancera, Bryon Gearhart, Michael Mikovetz and Hayden Tenzera. The competition challenges elite firefighters from around the world in a course known as the LION® Arena of the Brave, which includes High-Rise Pack Carry, Hose Heist, Forcible Entry, Hose Advance and Victim Rescue. Congratulations on the excellent performance!

06/24/2024

To enhance safety for motorists and pedestrians, the City of Valparaiso 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 that lead to accidents, particularly speeding. “We simply want to remind motorists of speed limits and safe driving habits so pedestrians can comfortably share the roadways with vehicles,” said Mayor Jon Costas. For the full release, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1239

06/21/2024

The Valparaiso Fire Department presented Matt Slack and Jake Tudor, Valpo Parks employees, with the VFD’s prestigious Axe Award for bravery, dedication and service. Avid outdoorsmen, Slack and Tudor were off duty on Saturday, June 8, 2024 when they heard commotion on the water at Rogers Lakewood Park. They discovered a capsized boater struggling in the water and rescued him before calling the VFD for treatment and transport to the hospital. Pictured are Captain Jon Parkhouse, Jake Tudor, Matt Slack and Mayor Jon Costas. For the full release, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/DocumentCenter/View/10415/Press-Release-Valparaiso-Fire-Department-Presents-Two-with-Axe-Award

06/20/2024

The City of Valparaiso now offers hearing assistance devices to aid people attending public meetings. You may request a headset and portable receiver at city meetings. City meetings are also available online, with closed captioning. For the full release, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/DocumentCenter/View/10403/Press-Release-Valpo-Adds-Hearing-Assistance-Devices-to-Meetings

06/20/2024

The Valparaiso Police Department invites neighborhoods to participate in National Night Out on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.

National Night Out 2024

The Valparaiso Police Department is again participating in National Night Out, which is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, 2024. National Night Out is a nationwide event, bringing communities and police together under positive conditions, creating an exchange of ideas, and developing a partnership with citizens. The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. as we will once again be making stops within subdivisions and organized groups throughout the night. Start planning your activities and events today, as prior years have included games, ice cream socials, cook outs, and small block parties.

The Valparaiso Police Department is inviting community members and neighborhood groups to organize events and activities as part of the national celebration. This is an opportunity to build relationships as we work together to provide safer communities. Valparaiso Police Officers and civilian staff will be visiting neighborhoods throughout the city to show their support of the citizens. Members of the department will include K9, Bike Patrol, support staff, Patrol Division, and Investigations. National Night Out has always been a great success, and we look forward to meeting with our community and being a part of all the neighborhood celebrations. This will be the 20th year of participation for the Valparaiso Police Department.

To be part of this year’s event, please contact Captain Joe Hall at 219-462-2135 or at [email protected]. Registration closes Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

06/19/2024

The City of Valparaiso will offer free rides on the V-Line intracity bus on election days to encourage civic engagement. For the full release, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/DocumentCenter/View/10400/Press-Release-Valpo-to-Offer-Free-Bus-Rides-on-Election-Day and find V-Line schedules at valpotransit.com.

06/19/2024

A reminder from our Valparaiso Police Department

With the 4th of July quickly approaching, be mindful of the local ordinance that can provide guidance to the use of fireworks in the City of Valparaiso. Please be safe at all times and respectful of our neighbors. Contact VPD at 219-462-2135 with any questions or concerns.

06/18/2024

The City of Valparaiso has announced cooling centers throughout the community. In addition, the Valparaiso Police Department offers a special program for individuals who may need help during weather emergencies. The Contact Assistance Referral (CARE) Program means the VPD will check on residents during harsh weather. To register yourself or a loved one for CARE, contact Social Worker Natalie Kasberger at [email protected] or (219) 462-2135. For the full release of cooling locations, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/DocumentCenter/View/10393/Cooling-Centers-2024

06/17/2024

The City of Valparaiso has named the city’s downtown a Quiet Zone to enhance the experience of visiting downtown. The Valparaiso Police Department is equipped with new decibel meters to measure noise and will be enforcing the Valparaiso’s existing citywide noise ordinance which was adopted in 2020 and closely matches state guidelines. Expect enhanced enforcement in the newly created Quiet Zone downtown. Find the full release at https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/DocumentCenter/View/10390/Press-Release-Valpo-Names-Downtown-Quiet-Zone

06/12/2024

Valpo's MS4 Coordinator shares this opportunity to learn more about water quality and protecting Indiana's waters. Workshops are free and held in Valpo.

12/01/2023

Artist Maria Overlay shows her design at the corner of Valparaiso Street and Vale Park Road. As a reminder, the City of Valparaiso invites artists to submit designs for the expanding utility box art program before the end of the year. The utility box art program is funded by the City’s Redevelopment Commission. For more information and how to submit designs, visit https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/1571/Public-Art.