About Town

Photos from around Columbia over the past week...

The vulture...

He's still there in his attic apartment.

Here are a few more rentals for our avian friends.

And here's an eviction notice that must have been filled out in invisible ink.

 This company has been laying the bricks down at the bridge plaza.

Here's a guy mowing the grass near the plaza.

 Here's a newly planted cherry tree at River Park.

And here's a previously planted clump birch.

 It appears as though someone - or several someones - killed this black snake.

 It was lying under the Route 30 overpass, near the bottom of the high school hill, along with potentially incriminating evidence.

 Testing the water down at the boat ramp

 This photo was shot in Lancaster but lately seems relevant to Columbia.

 Built-in bird bath 

 Down by the river

 If looks could kill

 Newly planted trees along Heritage Drive

 Here, too . . . behind the fence

 Quick ticket, please!

That first block of Union - Yes, it's public.

 This section, which leads to Columbia's other public boat ramp, should be widened and paved. It's difficult to understand why the borough hasn't done this . . . or is it?

 And here's the ramp. A little work, and it'll be good to go.

 Two bridges

 Those awnings...

 Nice!

 Bikes

A reader submitted this photo of a mattress on the sidewalk on South 4th.

We checked it out, and yep, there it was, although someone had the courtesy to lean it against the fence.

Further down, at 3rd & Perry: rolled-up carpet

A few blocks further north on 3rd - a public toilet. It almost hides that ugly gas fixture.

So: a mattress, a carpet, and a toilet - everything necessary for sidewalk living.

 Early Sunday morning - the signs say "OPEN."

 But this one says, "Closed Sunday."

 Ticketed, and rightly so

 Dancing doors down at Bootleg Antiques

 Hanging out a bit

 This must be Columbia. Three signs hint at that.

 City Gate's May Calendar of Events

 Taking down the chimney, brick by brick. This is right next to the hole in the ground near the bottom of Locust.

 In case you want to go biking outside but also want to stay stationary

 Yes it is. Not just for the wealthy, privileged few.

 Balloon man!

 Proud sponsors of the upcoming Hero Walk/Ride

 The former chip factory, soon to be a hotel

 The trash runneth over.

 Construction continues at the library.

 Religious symbolism

The weeping angel might be praying for Columbia.

A reader submitted the following historical photos:

 The former tollbooth at the bridge entrance

 3rd & Locust

 The former railroad station, now Eastern Drillers, can be seen in the background here.

The former Columbia Brewing Company on South 4th Street...

In the book, Columbia the Gem, a passage recounts the time the Feds raided the building during Prohibition, chopped open all the barrels of beer and poured the contents into the street. The beer reportedly flowed down 4th Street towards Shawnee Run, where residents collected it in buckets.

A school tax receipt from 1886. 

Things were cheaper then.