About Town

This week's photos from around town...

(Tap/Click photos for larger, sharper images.)

Mayor Leo Lutz and Officer Brent Keyser discussed opening Columbia River Park Saturday morning after a week of flooding due to heavy rains.

The park was opened to vehicle traffic, but the boat ramp wasn't opened until Sunday morning.

Mud remained on the steps at the kayak launch, and of course someone walked in it.

Borough workers cleaned up mud and debris at the park's cul-de-sac.

Unfortunately, this shovel wasn't big enough to help.

 A few days earlier, one of several storms brought heavy rains to the area.

 Here's the view through a car windshield during one of them.

Even birds sought higher shelter as waters began to rise.

 The rising river levels even brought news crews to River Park.

 WGAL 8 surveyed the scene.

 All manner of objects washed down the river including this gas can.

 This Fox 43 reporter really got into it.

 A drone operator launched this drone to take a look around.

It stayed fairly close to shore.

During the aftermath, this green heron took the opportunity to find whatever he could find.

He strolled along near the shore, eating bugs and whatnot.

This seagull took up temporary residence on this utility pole and looked around the park as things returned to normal

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These guys cut open the street at 7th & Maple.

There's been a lot of that going around lately. Here's some heavy artillery on the 700 block of Locust the other day.

Looking nonchalant

Wrangling the heavy beast

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Cardinal without a crest

Crazy legs

Official Pace Car

Visitors at the Turkey Hill Experience

Yup, stuff's still goin' on out there.

A van full of cell phone chargers?

Outside toilet

Outside sinks

Somebody, please mow this sidewalk!

For a fleeting moment, Heritage DRIVE had an identity crisis and thought it was Heritage STREET.

But it finally got itself together and remembered what it is.

Speaking of Heritage Drive, is there a new marina forming there?

Here are some spray-painted lines on Riverfront Drive. (Or is it Riverfront STREET?)

And a few more

Half a beetle with a freeloader on the back

This church (one of Columbia's historic buildings) was beginning to turn blue. (See the paint on the left side.)

Thank goodness this notice appeared on the door.

Good advice

Over at 5th & Cherry: commemorative plates noting places and events in Columbia history

First National Bank at 2nd & Locust

Burning of the bridge on the Susquehanna River...

Civil War historians Shelby Foote and Bruce Catton mention this event only in passing, if at all, but it directly precipitated the Battle of Gettysburg, the turning point of the war.

(The five Columbia bridge burners are buried in Mount Bethel Cemetery.)

The Opera House, which burned in 1947

New sign at Andy's Market at Spruce Street and Ironville Pike

CBFD helped hang the sign.

The store might open this week.

Here's a photo of the work in progress.

[Photo: Shaun Jordan]

Santa sighting!

(Does that portend Christmas in July?)

This is just wrong somehow.

August 4th . . .

Decoy Show

At work at Hinkle's

Climbing

Old-time brickwork in Avenue G

There's another one of those painted rocks.

Rusty old gear at Bootleg Antiques

Not a stairway to heaven...but a ladder to purgatory?

Open-air shutter

Burlap-covered barrel with a handle in the middle

Collectibles at Tollbooth Antiques

Peppermint-colored spindles

Free plant - already planted

Changing prices

As Grouch Marx would say, "Whatever it is, I'm against it"