Restaurant Inspections - Columbia Borough - April 11, 2025

Chickies Rock Moose Lodge No. 307, 219 Locust St., Columbia, April 3. Pass. Observed raw shell eggs stored above drinks in the walk-in cooler. Coleslaw, a refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature-control-for-safety food in the walk-in cooler, was date-marked by the facility, but was beyond the seven-day use- or sell-by date and requires discarding. Food facility preparing pulled pork using reduced oxygen packaging without the required written procedures and HACCP plan. Observed a pink slimy residue on the cuber of the ice maker and a black mold on the inner wall of the ice maker. Ice will not be used until the unit is washed, rinsed and sanitized. Mold observed on the underside of the shelving in the walk-in cooler.

Columbia Sunoco, 1414 Lancaster Ave., Columbia, April 3. Pass. Food employee observed in the food preparation area wearing a wristwatch. Observed boxes of food stored directly on the floor in the walk-in freezer, rather than 6 inches off of the floor as required.

Stover's News, 24 N. Third St., Columbia, April 3. Pass. Food employee observed changing tasks that may have contaminated hands without a proper hand-washing in between. Food employee was on cellphone. An employee's open beverage container (twist-cap variety) was observed on the food preparation table with food and food equipment. Food employee observed in the food preparation area not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets or hats. Hemp Bomb CBD Gummies by Global Widget contain an unapproved additive as specified in 21 CFR 170-180 relating to food additives. Such products are under U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation and at which time CBD is not recognizable as a safe substance to be added to food. Prepackaged food: all sandwiches, all desserts, packaged cheese and bologna ends are not labeled to clearly indicate any "Big 9" allergen ingredients and/or the allergen warning statement. Prepackaged food: all sandwiches, all desserts, packaged ice, packages of cheese ends and bologna ends, are not labeled properly with the ingredient statement, net weight and distributed-by statement. Observed an accumulation of static dust on the fan guard of the walk-in cooler. Observed a plastic food container in the hand-wash sink, indicating uses other than hand-washing. Observed an extreme amount of peeling paint in the storage room.

St. John Neumann School for Children and Families, 401 Locust St., Columbia, April 1. Pass. An irreversible registering thermometer or thermal labels were not available for monitoring the rinse temperature of the high temp mechanical dishwasher.

A few final words on the bus shelter

During Tuesday night's borough council meeting, Mayor Leo Lutz addressed concerns about the recent removal of the Locust Street bus shelter. According to Lutz, the South Central Transit Authority (SCTA) made the decision following reports of unsanitary conditions and safety issues.

Police Chief Jack Brommer explained that while he had requested SCTA conduct a site survey due to reports of human waste and excessive litter, "it was ultimately the bus authority's decision to remove it," Brommer noted.

According to an April 8, 2025 LNP/LancasterOnline article:

"Greg Downing, SCTA executive director, said the shelter was removed at the borough’s suggestion. He said a cleaning service stopped by the shelter once a week, but the conditions would become so bad in the interim that people wouldn’t wait inside of the shelter unless it was raining."

"I don't care how it was removed, I do care that it was removed," Lutz stated during the meeting. He emphasized that the shelter's design, which included a back wall where people could hide from view, contributed to ongoing maintenance challenges.

Lutz explained that the shelter was originally installed through a federal grant in conjunction with Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) and an advertising company. Initially, the advertising company was responsible for maintaining the structure, but those duties eventually fell to SCTA, with borough employees often assisting with cleaning.

"We can't ask our employees to clean up those kind of messes," Lutz said, referring to the unsanitary conditions found at the site. Since the removal, though, Lutz said,"I have not heard any comments from those that ride the bus. I think they're glad that there's a sanitary place there now for them, and a clean place for them. It had to go."

The mayor was careful to note that he doesn't believe the issues stemmed from Columbia's homeless population. "I don't think it came from those folks that are in our shelter seeking help," he said. "I think it comes from transients or people who just live like animals. It's a shame that some people have to lose because of the acts of others, but we'll try to make it better."

Borough Council President Heather Zink said of the removal, "Council had no knowledge that it was happening before it happened," but expressed support for the decision.

Currently, the bus stop remains active with two benches available for waiting passengers. Mayor Lutz mentioned that during inclement weather, people are welcome to take shelter in the lobby of the borough office when it's open. The borough also maintains a public restroom at borough hall for bus passengers, according to Lutz.

No definite plans for a replacement shelter have been announced, though officials have indicated openness to future options, including relocating it. 

Agenda - Columbia Borough Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Meeting - April 10, 2025

The Columbia Borough Parks and Recreation Board will hold its monthly meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall, 308 Locust Street. The board is set to discuss several programs and upcoming events for the community.

Night Wonder of Astronomy Program

The board will discuss the "Night Wonder of Astronomy" program, which aims to bring stargazing opportunities to Columbia residents. 

Upcoming Events for 2025

Planned events for the remainder of 2025 will be presented, including summer concert series, holiday celebrations. 

Go Green Columbia Event Participation

The board will discuss the "Go Green Columbia" event at Columbia River Park. 

Makle Park Groundbreaking Ceremony

The board will discuss the groundbreaking ceremony at Makle Park. 

Digital Sign at River Park 

The board will discuss an update on the progress of a digital sign at River Park. 

Trail Front Program at River Park

An update on the Trail Front Program at River Park will be discussed.

Columbia's 300th Anniversary

The ad-hoc committee working on Columbia's upcoming 300th anniversary celebration will provide an update. 

Calendar of Year's Events

A calendar of parks and recreation events for the year will be reviewed.

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The public is encouraged to attend this meeting. For more information, please contact the Columbia Borough office at (717) 684-2467 or visit the borough website at www.columbiapa.net.

Columbia Catholic Mental Health Ministry to offer suicide prevention training

Crisis intervention counselor Jayne Miller will conduct suicide prevention training at the Columbia Catholic Mental Health Ministry event.

LANCASTERONLINE | Staff

Young people can gain suicide prevention skills and mental health awareness at a free training event hosted by the Columbia Catholic Mental Health Ministry.

Set to take place May 10, the two-part event will provide education on common mental health conditions and will train attendees in suicide prevention, the ministry said. Children 12 and up, as well as adult counselors, can attend the training, which will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church Parish Center, 404 Cherry St., Columbia Borough. Those under 18 must get parental permission if they want to participate in the suicide prevention portion of the day.

“Our community has recently suffered the heartbreaking loss of two young lives to suicide, deeply affecting their families, friends and our local schools,” said the ministry’s Deacon Jim Doyle. “By learning to recognize and support someone who may be feeling lonely, despondent, or having suicidal thoughts, you could help save a life. This training provides the tools to offer that support when it’s needed most.”

The training will be conducted by Jayne Miller, WellSpan’s Lebanon County crisis intervention counselor. At the mental health awareness session, attendees will learn about conditions including depression, addiction and eating disorders, and will learn to recognize symptoms and offer help. The session also aims to promote emotional wellness and reduce stigma.

The suicide prevention session will teach participants to recognize and address suicide warning signs through an evidence-based certification program called Question, Persuade, Refer. Participants who complete this session will get a QPR booklet and a certification.

Pizza will be provided at the event, which is held in partnership with Columbia Catholic Youth Ministry.

Attendees must register by May 5. Donations to cover the cost of materials and food are welcome.

For more information, contact Doyle at ccmentalhealthministry@gmail.com or (717) 343-1102.

GET HELP

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs immediate help, contact the following organizations:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, suicidepreventionlifeline.org, or call, text or chat 988. (The previous number 800-273-8255 still works.)

Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline via TTY at 800-799-4889.

Lancaster County Crisis Intervention, 717-394-2631.

LGBTQ+-specific resources: thetrevorproject.org/get-help.

Veterans who are in crisis can call the toll-free Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and then pressing 1, by texting to 838255, or chatting online (lanc.news/help4vets). This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential.

Agenda - HARB Meeting - April 9, 2025

 
234 Locust Street is on the April 9 HARB agenda.

Columbia Borough Public Works Department releases March 2025 report

The Columbia Borough Public Works Department has released its monthly operations report for March 2025.

Paving Projects Face Rising Costs
According to Jake Graham, manager of the Columbia Borough Public Works Department, 2025 paving projects are facing price increases.

Co-Stars pricing through Heidelberg Materials, formerly Highway Materials, has increased significantly. The 2025 pricing for 9.5mm is $78.95 per/ton, compared to $69.90 in 2024. Pricing for 25mm is $66.55 per/ton compared to $58.55 in 2024.

These streets are scheduled to be paved:

Walnut St (Front to Third)
Walnut St (900 &1000 blocks CDBG) 

Chestnut St (800 block)
*S 2nd St (Locust to Cherry)
*S 3rd St (Locust to Cherry)
*Maple St (500 block)
*Poplar St (600 block)
*13th St (Ironville Pike to Chestnut)
*Locust St (600 block)
*Tann Ave (Lancaster Ave to Elbow Ave) (*Indicates streets to be paved by Public Works staff.)

Street Maintenance Activities Underway
Crews have been actively performing crack sealing on borough streets to prevent water erosion and pavement failure. 

Street sweeping operations began on March 10th, with 44.66 tons of debris collected from borough streets during the first three weeks.

Yard Waste Services Resume for Spring
Curbside yard waste collection resumed on March 31, 2025, with crews collecting 9.18 tons of yard waste on the first day alone. Collection will continue every Monday throughout the borough, with Tuesday pickups scheduled when Monday falls on a holiday (Memorial Day on May 26 and Labor Day on September 1). The final curbside collection for the season is set for November 10, 2025.

Starting in April, the yard waste recycling facility will open twice monthly—on the second and fourth Saturdays from 8 am to 12 pm—through October 25, 2025.

The report notes that four participating municipalities deposited 31.02 tons of yard waste at the borough yard waste recycling facility in March. Crews have completed processing materials from last season and are currently screening compost material.

The report also mentions that two public works employees recently completed a PennDOT flagger recertification course.

Trash, human feces lead to removal of Columbia bus shelter

 

JADE CAMPOS | LNP Staff Writer

A downtown Columbia bus shelter was removed in March after borough officials determined it had become a public safety issue.

Police Chief Jack Brommer said the borough received multiple reports of human feces at the Locust Street shelter in addition to a growing amount of litter. Brommer contacted the South Central Transit Authority, which operates the bus route, to assess the state of the bus shelter. Ultimately, he said, officials agreed the shelter was in poor condition.

An SCTA statement shared online by the borough resident who runs the Columbia Spy blog, noted Brommer requested SCTA remove the shelter because of “vagrancy, safety and hygiene issues.”

“I think the shelter itself was limited in size and didn’t really accommodate the number of people using the bus stop,” Brommer said. He added that he told SCTA that one solution could be to relocate the shelter.

The bus shelter was erected 20 years ago, Brommer said, and had not been properly maintained. Maintenance fell to SCTA, though Brommer said the authority contracted workers who did an “insufficient” job that left borough staff cleaning up afterwards.

Greg Downing, SCTA executive director, said the shelter was removed at the borough’s suggestion. He said a cleaning service stopped by the shelter once a week, but the conditions would become so bad in the interim that people wouldn’t wait inside of the shelter unless it was raining.

Brommer said the borough would be open to adding a new shelter at the stop in the future, though nothing is concrete. He noted that buses still stop at the location, which has two benches.

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