COLUMBIA SPY: March 2023

Friday, March 31, 2023

Columbia Public Library Calendar of Events - April 2023

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Five-way Wrightsville intersection could soon be replaced with a roundabout | fox43.com

Local business owners say a roundabout would go a long way in addressing traffic and safety concerns at the intersection.

https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/roundabout-could-replace-five-way-intersection-in-wrightsville-traffic-roundabout-construction-york-county/521-a4d67342-99ec-4bfe-8aa4-0285244ca1e1

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

'The fight is far from over': SDL says Gov. Shapiro's budget falls short in funding public schools | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Pennsylvania's Level Up program directs funds to the 100 most underserved districts in the state (including Lancaster County's SDL, Ephrata Area School District and Columbia Borough). Shapiro didn't include any new Level Up funding in his budget.

SDL received nearly $4 million of Level Up funding from the state's 2022-23 budget.

"Any dollar we don't get, that's just one sacrifice we have to make," Przywara said. "With each new dollar we get, we only really can invest anywhere from 40 to 60 cents on every dollar, because we're still making up from the recurring deficits for the last more than a decade."

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/the-fight-is-far-from-over-sdl-says-gov-shapiros-budget-falls-short-in-funding/article_fea0d87a-cda0-11ed-9f5b-532cf5ffd8cb.html

Columbia’s Watch & Clock Museum gets $1 million in state funding

PA State Senator Ryan Aument announced yesterday that the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) approved $1 million in funding to replace the HVAC system at the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia Borough. By law, the CFA distributes revenue from taxes on gambling to support local projects in the public interest across the state.

In an email to constituents, Aument said, "local residents will benefit from this funding to provide more enjoyable recreational opportunities and tourist attractions in the Columbia community."

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Artist is restoring entrance to Columbia School of Music

Stacia Hummel, armed with a heat gun, is removing old paint from a historic door frame at the Columbia School of Music on Walnut Street. The frame and door will eventually get a new paint job.

Artist Stacia Hummel is restoring the entrance of the Columbia School of Music at 401 Walnut Street. The process entails navigating the ornate details of the historic door and frame while painstakingly removing several layers of old paint. The final paint job will include marbling around the door frame and walnut grain on the door itself.

A detail of the door frame

Hummel, who started the project about a week and a half ago, is a graduate of the Pennsylvania School of Art in Marietta (now PCAD in Lancaster). She operates Curio Decorative Painting & Restoration and has pursued restoration work for 30 years, according to her Facebook page HERE.

Kleen-Rite president wants to preserve part of the Columbia Borough Farm

Mike McKonly (above) wants to buy a 26-acre parcel on the borough farm to put into agricultural preservation.

Mike McKonly wants to buy 26 acres of land from Columbia Borough. McKonly, president of Kleen-Rite Corporation, floated the offer at the March 14 Columbia Borough Council meeting, telling council he wants to add the east side portion of the borough farm to his adjacent farmland. The borough farm is located along Blue Lane and mulching and other operations are done on the west side of the farm.

McKonly explained that he wants to buy the land for his animals and that it will be put into agricultural preservation, adding that his existing 30 acres are already preserved.

McKonly said he had discussed the potential purchase with Mayor Leo Lutz and Borough Manager Mark Stivers and was told by Stivers to bring the offer forth to council. No price was discussed at the meeting, and no vote was taken on the offer.

Agenda - Columbia Borough Council Meeting - March 28, 2023

The meeting packet is HERE.

Monday, March 27, 2023

Deeds Recorded - Columbia Borough - March 27, 2023

Michelle S. Unkow conveyed property on Cherry Street to Arlinetta Johnson for $165,000.

Mauricio F. Aguilar-Orea and Patricia Aguilar Cuas conveyed property on Walnut Street to Bret Haldeman for $191,000.

Lancaster County Land Bank Authority conveyed property on a public road to Lancaster Area Habitat For Humanity Inc. and Lancaster Lebanon Habitat For Humanity for $80,500.

G&Z Investments LLC, David J. Garpstas, Carissa M. Garpstas, Michael T. Zimmerman and Nicole D. Zimmerman conveyed property on a public road to Alberto Feria Ramos and Roselli Yazmin Gonzalez Giron for $123,000.

Joseph S. Weisser conveyed property on a public road to Joseph Scott Weisser for $1.

Redevelopment Auth County Lancaster conveyed property on Locust Street to Mount Joy Holdings LP for $1,000.

Invest PA 2020 LLC and Richard D. Tipton conveyed 31 N. Eighth St. to Austin T. Mountain for $100,000.

Shi Qiu conveyed 285 S. Fifth St. to Troy Williams for $121,000.

Thief smashes car window, steals purse

GO HERE FOR INFORMATION:

https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/cases/thef-vehicle-100-block-bridge-street

DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS MAN? | Columbia Borough Police Department

The Columbia Borough Police Department needs to get in contact with the man in these pictures. If you recognize him, please contact the Department at 717-684-7735 or by texting "LANCS" to 847411.

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/post/do-you-recognize-man

"Life of the Civil War Soldier" at the Library - Monday, March 27

75 Years Ago: Columbia Borough enacts "Fun Tax"

"THIS DROPPED OFF OUR RADAR," SAYS BOROUGH MANAGER ON REIMBURSEMENTS FOR EVENTS

When: Columbia Borough Council meeting, March 14.

What happened: The Shank Shoppe, a Marietta for-profit business, received approval to hold two special events without having to pay any application costs or reimbursements for police and public works personnel because the borough does not have a fee schedule finished for businesses that make money from borough gatherings.

Quotables: "I have been asking for this for months," Council President Heather Zink told staff members about the hourly compensation it pays these workers. "This dropped off our radar," Mark Stivers, borough manager, said during a phone call after the meeting. He said the compensation amounts will be available to council by the April 11 meeting.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/columbia-borough-council-mulls-benefits-of-events-attracting-downtown-visitors-as-well-as-downsides/article_0006015e-ca45-11ed-9b44-f3454c7fec91.html

Sunday, March 26, 2023

RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS - COLUMBIA BOROUGH - MARCH 24, 2023

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 866-366-3723, uses a risk-based inspection reporting process for restaurants and other food handlers.

Taylor Middle School, 45 N. Ninth St., Columbia, March 16. Pass. No violations.

Black Olive Family Diner, 1506 Lancaster Ave., Columbia, March 15. Pass. In-use knives stored between table edges or between tables, an area not easily cleanable and sanitized. Food utensils (ice cream scoops) in dessert prep area stored in a container of water that is not maintained at 135 F. Blade of meat slicer was not clean to sight and touch. Accumulation of grease on the fume hood; scheduled to be cleaned. Old food splatter on the underside of the milkshake mixer. Food employee in food prep area wearing wristwatch. Time in lieu of temperature being used in the food (raw shell eggs) facility to control ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods without written procedures or documentation to verify disposition of food.

VANDALISM TO VEHICLE - 100 BLOCK OF SOUTH 5TH STREET | Columbia Borough Police Department

https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/cases/vandalism-vehicle-100-block-south-5th-street

Swanigan, Charles Edward Jr. - (TWO COUNTS) TERRORISTIC THREATS | Columbia Borough Police Department

https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/arrests/swanigan-charles-edward-jr-two-counts-terroristic-threats

About Town - March 26, 2023

Recent photos of Columbia

(Click/tap on photos to see larger, sharper images.)

Shades of Abbey Road -

Four sheriffs were in town on a rainy Thursday morning, walking towards the 900 block of Locust Street.

But unfortunately for them, they left empty-handed.

Hopefully, Mooshie was found.

What?

Jimmy Jones of Jones Landscape Edging LLC completed a project for a pet cemetery at Mount Bethel last week.

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Why are the water shutoffs weeping?

Pursue your passion for music at the Columbia School of Music.

Student recitals are slated for Saturday, April 15, at the Columbia Market House.

Daffodils drooping from the recent heavy rain.

The Cycle Den mailbox

The nightmare continues. Markings recently appeared on Lancaster Avenue at the intersection with Chestnut Street, which could indicate more roadwork on the way.

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Seen at the intersection of Ironville Pike and Malleable Road

Susquehanna scum collecting along shore

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New parking space at Columbia River Park?

Bungalow on the opposite shore

The eagle has scratches and scrapes, kind of like the state of our nation right now.

At least we still have Hope.

50 years ago, this was called the "Alley Cat Lounge"

On a call

Low flier

This merganser was hanging around last week.

"Delta Connection" flying over

Field of Screams rolling through

The distance between the porch and the tree well is 29 inches. According to ADA regulations, "the minimum clear width for single wheelchair passage shall be 32 inches (815 mm) at a point for a maximum length of 24 inches and 36 inches (915 mm) continuously."