Sunday, July 9, 2017

After shooting incident, many mistake fireworks at river shore for gunshots

About two hours after the shooting incident at Third and Union on Saturday night, a fireworks event was held on, or near, the river shore close to the first block of Union Street. The bangs could be heard at least as far away as Ninth Street, causing many to think an active shooting event was still underway. The two clips below document a few seconds of the fireworks. No whistles or screeches can be heard as the rockets ascend and explode. After the reports, faint crackling can be heard in some instances, but was not audible a few blocks away.



56 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why are they permitted to set these illegal fireworks off year after year?

Anonymous said...

All you had to do is look in the sky!!!

Anonymous said...

Yes damn straight I almost called the cops because I could hear it in the North End of town and had heard about the activity going on in town with the gunshots and I thought I heard two distinct sets of bangs that I thought were equal to 4 gunshots.

Anonymous said...

Don't you know the privileged few down there can do whatever the hell they want!

Anonymous said...

I thought fireworks shot off by individuals were illegal in Pa.

Anonymous said...

Depends on how much money you have and who you're friend's with. We the little people are just the one's who pay for all their stupid ideas of progress.

Anonymous said...

If calls were made why did they continue?
Yes it was Fourth of July and fireworks are nice.
Enough is enough though.

Anonymous said...

That law is a complicated one. Hey, maybe you guys should learn them, so with all your negativity we read, we can at least educate ourselves.

Anonymous said...

No fireworks = People complain; Fireworks = People complain. It's no win situation.

Anonymous said...

They are not illegal if you get a permit. Anyone can get a permit for these types of fireworks if they have a local official sign the permit in the jurisdiction where they will be fired off. Check out keystone fireworks website and all the information you need is there. Obviously not many people get the permit though.

Anonymous said...

The fireworks in question occurred on July 8. not July 4.

Anonymous said...

Actually it was July 8th, not the 4th of July. People do expect to hear them on the holiday.

The borough needs to legalize the fireworks, because the law is not enforced.

If you only need a permit then next year let's all apply for one and set fireworks off all over town.

Last summer a huge deal was made about gunshots in Columbia, but that's because they were shooting at the police, not at each other in the south end of town. I bet the fireworks would have been halted abruptly if they were the targets again.

I don't think as much damage was done to property last year either.

Anonymous said...

Columbia Borough, West Hempfield Township. I want to know if the fireworks were ok'd by either municipality.

Anonymous said...

Boo hoo....someone was doing something fun and not hurting a soul but I was left out and didn't get my participation trophy so I'm going to whine and moan about it. Grow the hell up people. If you tried to have your own fun as much as you complained about others having fun maybe you wouldn't be so damn miserable. And it has nothing to do with private and everything to do with busting your ass and earning what you have. There's places for sale down there right now...so go buy one if you don't like it!!!!! Typical columbia front porch sitting mentality. Let's be lazy our whole lives and bitch about what others who worked hard have.

Anonymous said...

Why are you asking this question on this site. Go to the Borough Office or Township Office and ask or file a right to know request.

Mike said...

Was a great show
At least the made sure Columbia had a firework show

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh...i love the entitled mentality. Everyone is born with the same choices ahead. Some make the right ones and some would rather sit on their front steps all day bitching about those that made better choices. No doubt which group you belong to. Bit you're right, with all the money they had it was easy to see how they reserved a portion if the sky and blacked it out so only the privileged could tilt their heads up and see them. Smh...

Anonymous said...

When are you guys hooking up to LASA?

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed both shows from my home, to bad the dog didnt.
But thanks to a concerned resident and a Columbia Police Officer my dog was returned.

Anonymous said...

i attended the fireworks, have been doing it for years. I'm glad they did it on a weekend vs. a work night. I will say this...it was ONE HELL OF A SHOW! Kuddos to those that worked hard to put it together on your own time and w/your $$. The display was way better than other townships/locations that i witnessed! I'm looking forward to next year!

Anonymous said...

We will hook up when LASA tells us to do it pipes not in kind
Of hard to hook up when there are not any pipes to hook up to







Anonymous said...

A lost opportunity. Those cabins should have been knocked down and the riverfront developed further. Oh well, eminent domain is always just a court decision away.

PS. complaining about someone not posting their name while you post anonymously makes you a huge "freaking hypocrite" as you so elegantly put it.

Anonymous said...

Are you cabin owners still dumping poop in the river?

Anonymous said...

When are you cabin owners going to pay your fair share of taxes? A lot of you are living down there all year now and youre hiding under the umbrella of the cottage owners association.

Anonymous said...

No answer when you're hooking up? You're going to keep dumping the poop?

Anonymous said...

Ok, I did not write the comment, but I have to say that I believe the point was missed completely.

It's not about jealousy over seeing fireworks. It is about the borough giving away riverfront property. Property that did not originally belong to the people that built cabins on it. Later it's given to the borough and rather than make public use of land they control, they "gave" it to a select few, and no, not even all of the select few are borough residents.

That's land that could have meant something to this town, instead they give that away and buy an airfield!

Anonymous said...

The borough did not give that land to the cottage owners they paid for the land so get your facts straight before you say anything that you do not know anything about

Anonymous said...

Maybe LASA needs to receive multiple complaints about the lack of sewer at the cottages?

Anonymous said...

that would be the Island cabins.....

Anonymous said...

you have NO idea what you are talking about. get a life. mind your own damn business.

Anonymous said...

the Boro gave NOTHING to select few. if you don't know....dont' assume you do. you have NO idea.

Anonymous said...

Just a thought, no sewer, but maybe they have approved septic tanks? I know quite a few had them installed years and years ago. Hard to imagine and seriously doubt they are "dumping poop directly into the river".

Joe Lintner said...

The Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation sold the property to the Borough of Columbia for a dollar - essentially gifting the land to the Borough. Then the Borough sold it to the Columbia Economic Development Corporation for $350,000, after which the CEDC sold it to the Columbia Heritage River Cottage Association, Inc. for $350,000. All transactions occurred on the same day - November 18, 2011.

Joe Lintner said...

Some parcels are listed as having septic. Others are listed as being hooked up to a "public system," but it's unclear what that means.

Joe Lintner said...

Don't the islands have outhouses and porta-potties?

Anonymous said...

Actually, he has a great idea. The riverfront is about the only aspect of this town that gives it any real identity. Having that riverfront property, and using it to expand the riverfront park would have given this town a real attraction (instead of the dime a dozen junk shops posing as antique boutiques).

An opportunity lost, I'm afraid. And we're all worse off for it, lest a few dozen well-connected people.

Anonymous said...

All you people who would like to have a cottage along the river there is one for sale it has been for sale almost a year now so why don't you go and check it and stop talking about it talk is cheap

Anonymous said...

What they paid amounted to a give away.

Mary said...

Island tenants have composting toilets...required by Safe Harbor, purchased and installed by tenants and inspected by Manor Township sewer official. They've been in use for many years.

Anonymous said...

All pre-planned and orchestrated by the Mayor and Council.
Swoosh

Anonymous said...

Pretty sure they do, but if a cabin is destroyed your not permitted to rebuild.
They still pay a lease, just like Columbia should have been generating income from the shore cottages.

Anonymous said...

i believe ALL have septic tanks and have them pumped out.

Anonymous said...

you have NO idea. and the Boro owns what like 16 or 18 acres on the other side of the river park. makes more sense anyway.they bought it from norfolk southern.

Joe Lintner said...

LASA is considering installing grinder pumps to handle sewage from the cottages. However, the company's current focus is on building a pumping station - a project that must be completed by March 2018. LASA will maintain the grinder pumps, once installed. The cost of installation will be spread across LASA's customer base, but cottage owners will pay a hook-up fee.

Anonymous said...

Because nobody wants to live here anymore.

Anonymous said...

How do you know how much they paid for it I don't think they feel it was a give away they pay bourgh taxes and school taxes insurance they don't have those cottages for free those people have a right to them they pay for them are you jealous


Anonymous said...

Are there no regulations about having septic tanks so close to River water? Water that is pumped out and used for public water?

Anonymous said...

Cole, don't you think that once again, the topic has dramatically veered off subject? I understood the original idea regarding fireworks, but again it has transgressed into a bashing of cottage owners. I guess it makes for good banter, but in my opinion, i'd rather visit your website to stay abreast of all the current affairs and of course the great pics, not for the witch-hunts. When a "topic" is allowed to veer so much off course that the comments become meaningless, un-intelligent and just plain silly, it becomes something not very interesting and more of a side show, "junior" journalism. Get back to the good reporting, articles and pics...not this trash.

Anonymous said...

Another joke, they purchased the land for next to nothing, let them pay for a pumping station.
Again thanks to the Mayor and the Boro Council personal agenda!!

Anonymous said...

You are clueless! The property taxes on those cottages are a joke!!! Most of them have come down in assessed value while the sale prices in some cases are 5 times the assessed value!
I will be contacting the Assessment office about this!

Anonymous said...

Cole didn't take this off topic, the commenters did. And to suggest he should do something about it would be infringing on the right to freedom of speech.
Now go back to your cottage and mind your own business.

Anonymous said...

I suppose you are somewhat correct, except for (1) gross assumption...."your cottage"??? I do not own a cottage along the river in question.

Anonymous said...

Why don't you people mind your own business and let the people alone that own the cottages there are alot bigger things in town to worry about taxes council spending so much money the schools in such a mess why don't you worry about the important things wake up

Anonymous said...

Sale prices?? When was the last time any cottages were sold to corroborate your statement of "sale prices are 5x assessed value"? I myself have been looking/interested for years to buy one and they don't seem to be selling. There have been (2) listed For Sale for over a year now, but have not sold, no doubt due to the ridiculously high sale price they are "asking" but not "getting". Maybe what you meant to say is that the "ASKING PRICES" are 5x the assessed value... a more correct statement.

Anonymous said...

Here is the entire problem with Columbia, it is not the cottage owners, it is that Columbia citizens are destroying the town. Hating on people who have something you do not is childish. At my place of employment everyone think Columbia is a joke and they call it Lumlum. No matter how much I defend Columbia people in this country think Columbia is the armpit of Lancaster county and what would make them want to come here and visit. In the Lancaster County cookbook by Louise Stolzfus & Jan Mast here is part of the expert about Columbia.
"A sleepy river, with its share of decaying neighborhoods"
That right there says it all. There is not any other write up about any other community in this boom that does not paint a picture of a town you would want to visit. Would anyone want to visit any town that it's write up calls it decaying? I think not.
What needs to be done is for all the Columbia pride that this town has, come together and make changes, so that people want to visit here and maybe just maybe live here. But it will never happen with the path we are going down.

Anonymous said...

Actually it's the truth! Since the present Mayor, past and now present Council refuse to listen to the majority of the people, we have decayed. Except for their personal agendas.
To late to turn things around.