COLUMBIA SPY

The LED sign at St. Paul Episcopal Church on Locust Street St. Paul Episcopal's LED sign, a source of some recent controversy, is now mounted, wired, and ready to go, most likely on or about March 1, when the current printed calendar out front expires. The church is situated in the borough's historic district, where such signs are typically a no-no, but the church has fallen back on an obscure law regarding religious land use to justify using the sign. Or has it? The trail of explanations is byzantine, and one can only speculate what is actually in play here. According to an LNP article dated July 25, 2016, Columbia Borough Council, in a decision supporting the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB), denied the church permission to install the LED sign: Council denied a proposed LED-lighted sign at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 340 Locust St. Glenn Shaeffer, Historic Architectural Review Board chairman, asked that council create an amendment not allowing this type o...

On 2/23/19 at approximately 12:33 a.m. an Officer from a neighboring jurisdiction stopped a vehicle on Rt. 30 just outside of Columbia and discovered a shooting victim inside the car.  The victim, an 18-year-old Columbia resident, sustained an apparent gunshot wound to the hand.  Immediately, officers performed first aid and requested an ambulance.  The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his injury and released.  The injury was not life threatening and the victim is expected to make a full recovery.  During the investigation, Columbia Borough Police officers received information that the incident occurred in the area of Third and Chestnut St. in Columbia.  It was reported that a group approached the victim and his companion while walking North on Third St. in the area of Chestnut St. at which time a shot was fired striking the victim.  Neither the victim nor the witness provided suspect descriptions.  The Col...

The February 2019 Delinquent Tax List is available at the Lancaster County Treasurer's Office and can be downloaded   HERE .

From lancasteronline: A group of Columbia residents worry borough council is violating the state’s open meeting law by holding information sessions in private prior to most of its public meetings. Sharon Lintner, who helped create the Columbia Concerned Citizens group and who is running for a seat on council in the upcoming election, previously filed a complaint with the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office alleging council violated the state’s open meetings law, known as the Sunshine Act, when it voted in a closed-door November meeting to fund a proposed new position. MORE  HERE Columbia Concerned Citizens will hold its first public meeting Sunday, March 3, 2019. Former borough councilman Frank Doutrich, who helped organize the group, said he expected transparency to be a key issue discussed at the meeting. Who: Columbia Concerned Citizens What: Public meeting When: 2 p.m. Sunday Where: National Clock and Watch Museum, 514 Poplar St., Columbia

We reported previously that California Metal-X (CMX) plans to reopen the former Colonial Metals operation at the North 2nd Street building this coming May. Signs of activity at the building on Wednesday afternoon seemed to confirm that news. The letters on the side of the building have been removed. This is how the building appeared previously.  CMX's name now appears on the entrance door. And that familiar low-key roar emanates from the building (along with the recording of bird calls).

Ryan Scott Seals *****ORIGINAL INFORMATION POSTED 2/12/2019***** On Sunday February 10, 2019 at approximately 0131 hrs. Officers from Lancaster Bureau of Police Platoon B responded to the area of Penn Square Parking Garage at 20 E. King St. for a report of an injured person. Responding Officers located a 25 year old male resident of Columbia Borough on the ground. The male was unconscious and unresponsive. Officers saw that the male was bleeding from a head injury. The male was taken to the hospital for treatment. Officers spoke with people that were in the area as well as people that had contacted 911. Officers were told that there had been some type of fight or altercation inside the garage. Police received information that the victim had been involved in the altercation and that as a result of that incident, the victim was possibly pushed or fell from a height of approximately (25) feet onto the ground below. Detectives are conducting additional follow-up investigations. ...

On 2/24/19 at approximately 10:06 pm the Columbia Borough Police Department was dispatched to the 300 Block of Chestnut Street for a retail theft.  The caller stated that a clean shaven white male with black, square frame glasses, approximately 5'10" with a heavy build, black jacket and a black beanie cap took 25 lottery tickets without paying for them.  The clerk said she gave the male the tickets to look at them and he left out the front door and fled to the rear of the store without paying for them.  The value of the tickets was $250.00 .  Anyone with information regarding this crime should contact the Columbia Borough Police Department at 717-684-7735 or text LANCS to 847411. Date:  Sunday, February 24, 2019 Reference ID:  27846-02-24-19 Case Status: Current Case Type: Criminal Case Region: Northeastern Source:  Columbia Borough Police Department Sourced via CRIMEWATCH ® :  https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/cases/theft-lottery-tickets https://lancaster.cr...

The complete council packet can be downloaded  HERE .

A Job Fair will be held on Thursday, February 28, from 5 to 8 PM at Columbia High School. Contact Amber Mirza, Recruiter Supervisor, at (717) 509-5613 x277 or amirza@jobs4lancaster.com if you have questions

This week's photos from around and about Columbia (Click/tap on photos for larger, clearer images) Dressed for the weather  LED creeping in the historic district There it is, creeping.  Reflections on Columbia  Brickwork at the Market House  Hubcaps  Missing plate  Shop there  Service center  Peeling and flaking paint. The Codes Department needs to cite the Public Works Department.  Scarf bombing  Hats hangin'  More so  Violators will be persecuted. Henchmen do the dirty work.  Big hole in the ground. Now what?  New Knox in town  OUT OF SERVICE overtakes 17 COLUMBIA for the lead.  Why do people do this?  Vigilant vulture  Code violation  Goose tracks - evidence of a wild goose chase?  Heroes temporarily under snow  Door to Door Service  So ya ...

Edgar Allan Poe As we posted earlier, Edgar Allan Poe wrote for the original Columbia Spy in a series of columns titled "Doings of Gotham." In the book An Old Turnpike Road , author Jacob L. Gossler recounts that the Columbia Spy paid Poe $5 per column, each of which was a letter on the goings-on of people in New York and Philadelphia. Of the amount, Gossler recalls: "We thought this a moderate compensation, but it was really extravagant in comparison with, as we afterwards learned, the salary of ten dollars per week that he received for editing the Magazine, which, at the time, after the North American Review, was the most popular, and considered the highest literary authority, in this country." At the time of his association with the Spy , Poe already had a worldwide reputation, and his poem "The Raven" had just been published to great acclaim. The Spy 's editors therefore thought publishing Poe's letters would garner greater atte...

Victorian Hair Weaving Workshop Sunday March 10 at 1 p.m. Mount Bethel Cemetery Cottage 700 Locust Street Columbia, PA Step back into the Victorian Era and Create your own Hair Flower The workshop will teach participants how to construct a customary Victorian hair flower, used to commemorate the dead. Supplies will be provided to complete a simple flower. If you elect to bring your own swatch of hair, it must be at least 10 inches in length and the diameter of a pencil and placed in a zip lock bag. You may opt to make your hair flower into a pin or display it in a glass or wooden box (available for purchase). Start your family heirloom today! About the instructor: The workshop will be led by Civil War re-enactor Lucy Cadwallader, from York County. While researching her hobby, Lucy became interested in Victorian hair art and mourning customs. For thirteen years Lucy has been perfecting the art of hair jewelry; human hair intricately woven into bracelets, earrings, rings, a...