On March 30, 2019, the Better World Books store in downtown Goshen abruptly closed its doors, stunning the community. The retail bookseller had been a part of Goshen commerce for over a decade. As the shock began to fade, a handful of Goshen residents sprang into action. Just a few days after the announcement of the impending closure of Better World Books, three book lovers in town came together and developed a plan to establish Fables Books, a new independent bookstore in the heart of downtown Goshen. “We started talking the day we found out they were closing about what...

By Jennifer Murrell • November 30, 2023 • Features

In 2000, when I moved from New Jersey to Goshen to begin teaching in the communication department at Goshen College, I remember being worried about the downtown. Even with a few anchor stores, Main Street looked tired, a place in search of shoppers. Where could I find Indian, Japanese or varieties of international cuisine? Where could I browse a bookstore for a new novel? Why was it so easy to find a parking space? Over the next two decades, as I went from being an assistant to an associate to a full professor, I was continually amazed by the transformation...

By Duane Stoltzfus • November 30, 2023 • Features

He crossed the restaurant with a tray of food in hand and sat down at the table.  His order, Panera Bread’s ham and cheese cinnamon crunch bagel, was a sweet and savory combination. He would customarily offer a reviewer’s critique, but the sandwich was not the topic of today’s conversation.  Instead, Marshall King, known for his column “Dining A La King” and his articles on food and restaurants in Michiana, began to talk about the world of journalism and food – and himself.  King has been writing about restaurants for over 20 years. Commonly called the “Food Guy,” King has...

By Ann Howe • November 30, 2023 • Features

As Phil Lederach, a longtime teacher and educational administrator, prepares to represent Goshen College and the rest of District 5 on the City Council, he said that his main goals revolve around improving the school system and ensuring that Goshen remains on the progressive path it has been on.   Lederach, a Democrat, comes by his interest in education and District 5 naturally.  He was, he said, “born and raised in District 5,” which extends south from College Avenue and east across Route 33 and whose stakeholders include Goshen Hospital, Greencroft retirement communities and Goshen College, as well as multiple factories....

By Alyssa McDonald • November 30, 2023 • Features

Councilman Gilberto Perez Jr. will soon part with that title and the responsibility to serve as the representative for District 5, which includes nearly all of the campus of Goshen College. Perez, a Democrat who is also the vice president for Student Life, dean of students, and director of Hispanic Serving Initiatives at Goshen College, announced earlier this year that he would not seek another four-year term in the Nov. 7 election.    That decision was prompted in part by the college’s designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, the fourth college in the state to secure that federal distinction. To qualify,...

By Liliana Herrera • November 30, 2023 • Features

​There must be something about the dirt or grass on these playing fields that attracts the alumni back to their home turf. James Stricker, who graduated from Goshen College in 2017, returned to campus this fall to serve as pitching coach for the baseball team.  As a student, he was a relief pitcher on the team, tallying 8.2 innings and holding a 2-6 win/loss record for the Maple Leafs.  Stricker joins Brad Stoltzfus, the head coach; Mike Walker, the assistant coach; and Justin Grubbs, the assistant pitching coach, in leading the team this fall.  ​“The friendships I made with Brad,...

By Steven Lopez • November 30, 2023 • Features

Julia King will step away from the Goshen City Council at the close of the year, grateful for the experience in local government and hopeful for the future of Goshen.  “Youth involvement in the City Council, that gives me hope,” she said, “and also that serious and competent people continue to step up to work in government and to run for office.”   King served for two terms as a council member at large, which meant that she also was one of several direct representatives for Goshen College. Most of the campus lies within the 5th District. The incumbent council member...

By Kate Bodiker • November 30, 2023 • Features

Mark Eash Hershberger, a user interface artist employed at Formosa Group, a post-production sound company with operations in Los Angeles, works remotely from his home in Goshen, Indiana. “I have always been interested in remote work because it didn’t limit me to what was geographically available, but it wasn’t until the pandemic a few years ago that companies became more conducive to remote workers,” Hershberger said.  Hershberger creates images, animation and concepts with Adobe programs to enhance the user experience. His daily routine is fairly similar to that of other young parents. He makes breakfast and takes his children to...

By Ryan Carrillo • November 30, 2023 • Features

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By Becca Kraybill • October 11, 2012 • Features