Radioactive device lost on Interstate 81, DEP says

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is searching for a nuclear gauge that apparently fell off a truck on Interstate 81 near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia line.

The device is yellow and about the size of a shoe box.

DEP officials said the device, which was lost on May 3, contains a small amount of radioactive material. If tampered with, the device could release radiation.

The device is used to measure the density of soil or concrete.

Anyone who finds it should call the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at 301-816-5100.

MORE HERE:
http://touch.mcall.com/#story/mc-dep-radioactive-device-lost-on-interstate-81-20130515/

Body found in Susquehanna River that of Harrisburg man - News - LancasterOnline.com

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/849915_Body-found-in-Susquehanna-River-that-of-Harrisburg-man.html

Lititz bakery makes 300-pound blueberry pie for Columbia jamboree

LANCASTERONLINE
Some pies are anything but easy.

Take the table-buckling blueberry behemoth that headlines Saturday's Fourth Annual Red, White and Blueberry Jamboree in Columbia.

It takes ingenuity to bake, transport and serve the hefty confection, which tips the scales at 300 pounds and spans more than 4 feet in diameter.

The jamboree is a fundraiser for St. John's Herr Estate, a Luthercare community. The whopping pie comes courtesy of Zig's Bakery & Deli in Lititz.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/849526_Lititz-bakery-makes-300-pound-blueberry-pie.html

PA Senators want stamp to honor Thaddeus Stevens

Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) want to honor Pennsylvania Republican Congressman and abolitionist, Thaddeus Stevens.  The Senators have asked the Postal Service committee that evaluates the merits of all stamp proposals to establish a commemorative postage stamp honoring Congressman Thaddeus Stevens.

Stevens served the people of Pennsylvania as a Member of the United States House of Representatives from 1849 to 1868 and played a key role in the abolition movement and the subsequent passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution.  Additionally, Stevens was a staunch supporter of policy which stressed fiscal responsibility and debt limitation.

MORE HERE:
http://fox43.com/2013/05/15/pa-senators-want-stamp-to-honor-thaddeus-stevens/

Audit shows fifth straight surplus for Columbia Borough

LANCASTERONLINE
Columbia Borough Council focused on finances Monday, approving the 2012 audit, awarding a contract for the Northwest River Trail service building and asking borough staff to collect data from other municipalities served by Columbia Water Co.

Mike Reiner, audit partner at Sager, Swisher and Co. LLP, gave the borough a "clean opinion" on the financial statement. It fairly represents, according to the audit, the modified cash basis financial position of the governmental activities as of Dec. 31, 2012.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/849906_Audit-shows-fifth-straight-surplus-for-Columbia-Borough.html

Borough announces street direction change

ENGLEONLINE
The Borough of Columbia has announced that the direction of traffic flow on Market Street, which is located near the borough office/police station and the Columbia Market House between Cherry and Locust streets, has changed as of May 13.

Up until that date, traffic on Market Street had flowed northbound from Cherry Street to Locust Street. Now, however, that direction has been reversed, with traffic entering Market Street from Locust Street and traveling southbound to Cherry Street, intersecting Sadie Lane and Avenue I along the way. Avenue I remains a two-way road. Sadie Lane, however, is now a one-way street that exits onto Third Street from Market Street; previously, it was a one-way street in the opposite direction, providing access to Market Street via an entrance from Third Street.

MORE HERE:
http://news.engleonline.com/AdDesk/Htmlfiles/Readers/article.epc?id=85633

Mullen Books opens shop in Columbia

LANCASTERONLINE
Mullen Books has opened a used book shop in Columbia at 121 Walnut St.

Mullen Books specializes in used and rare books devoted to the arts, including fine art, decorative art, architecture and photography. Most books sell for less than $15.

Mullen Books is primarily an online bookseller, maintaining an inventory of nearly 80,000 books housed on the second floor of the building.

Owner Kevin Mullen, who has been selling books for some 20 years, said he had planned to continue selling books only online, but after renovating the first floor of his building for a possible tenant, he decided to open his own retail shop there.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/849541_Mullen-Books-opens-shop-in-Columbia.html

Warmer temps coming

The recent "jacket weather" might finally be over.

Unseasonably cool daytime highs will give way to warmer temperatures today.

Kozee Kandles opens in Columbia

LANCASTERONLINE
Kozee Kandles Boutique has opened in Columbia at 436 Locust St. The shop, which has three boutique rooms, features handmade soy candles and accessories and also carries soaps, sprays, lotions, dog treats and incense.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/849525_Kozee-Kandles-opens-in-Columbia.html

Motorcycle-crash victim identified as Columbia man, 43

LANCASTERONLINE

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/849098_Motorcycle-crash-victim-identified-as-Columbia-man--43.html

Columbia to host Civil War encampment this weekend

LANCASTERONLINE
A soldier's life in 1863 and Columbia's role in the Civil War will be the focus this weekend during an encampment in the borough's Locust Street Park.

The "Living History Civil War Encampment" will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19. Sponsored by the Old Columbia Public Grounds Company, the event will feature educational history, musket demonstrations and more by the 1st Pennsylvania Reserves, Company E, a Civil War re-enactment group.

"The encampment is being held as a prelude to the local activities planned for later in June memorializing the 150th anniversary of the burning of the Columbia-Wrightsville bridge by local residents and the Pennsylvania State militia," said Glenn Bachert, a Public Grounds Company member.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/849076_Columbia-to-host-Civil-War-encampment-this-weekend.html

Smallmouth bass fishing banned until June

YORK DAILY RECORD
In the Susquehanna River, smallmouth bass populations have plummeted, with catch rates of adults falling 80 percent between 2001 and 2005, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Subsequent studies by the commission have found that populations have not recovered.

This decline prompted the state agency to impose emergency regulations that prohibited fishing for the species in much of the river from May 1 to June 15, 2012, and again this year.

MORE HERE:
http://m.ydr.com/yorkdaily/db_32169/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=BCyxlXIk

UN: Eat more insects; good for you, good for world; Could this strategy help fight the coming cicada plague?

http://www.abc27.com/story/22234585/un-eat-more-insects-good-for-you-good-for-world

Feds won't call Susquehanna River impaired despite drastic decline in smallmouth bass

LANCASTERONLINE
The federal government has refused to overrule Pennsylvania officials and declare the Lower Susquehanna River impaired.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the private Chesapeake Bay Foundation and some environmental groups and anglers had implored the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to go over the head of the state Department of Environmental Protection and make the impairment listing, citing a drastic decline in the river's prized game fish, the smallmouth bass.

Such a listing would force the state to draw up a cleanup plan for the river.

But EPA accepted DEP's list of 7,009 impaired waters, which does not include the Susquehanna River.

However, apparently reacting to feedback from EPA and others, DEP changed its final listing on the Susquehanna's status.

DEP's original draft list had designated a 100-mile section of the Susquehanna, including Lancaster County's portion, as "unimpaired." The final list submitted to EPA changed the listing to say there was insufficient water-quality data to make an impairment determination.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/848865_Feds-won-t-call-Susquehanna-River-impaired-despite-drastic-decline-in-smallmouth-bass.html

Some things do get better

 A month or so ago, this fence was repaired.

(Previously, it had been damaged, as can be seen HERE.)

And over a week ago, the stray tires at the end of Wright Street were removed.  Thanks to those who cleaned up the mess. 

Job well done!

What I Saw Recently

Pics from around town . . 

 Cultural stereotype

 I'd love to be able to understand this conversation.

 Final resting place of the S.S. Minnow?

 Love in the park

 Left and right

 Burned out

 Killdeer by the tracks

The "broken-wing" display

 Quite a brood

 Watching - high . . . 

and low

Lightning strike blamed for house fire in Columbia Borough | WPMT FOX43

A lightning strike is cited as the cause of a fire that broke out at the home in the 900 block of Chestnut Street.

http://fox43.com/2013/05/10/lightning-strike-blamed-for-house-fire-in-columbia-borough/

Once again . . .

Columbia River Park, May 10, 2013

Resident of Landisville Campmeeting fights to have his taxes raised

LANCASTERONLINE
A Landisville property owner believes he — and all his neighbors in a religious campmeeting group — should pay higher taxes.

Luke Hess, who owns a cottage in Landisville Campmeeting, told Hempfield school board Tuesday that the 27-acre tract along Church Street is improperly registered with the Lancaster County assessment office.

Property owners there pay a lower tax rate than they should, Hess says, "due to false information given to the county years ago."

It may be, according to board president Bill Jimenez, the first time a Hempfield resident asked the board for higher taxes.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/847711_Resident-of-Landisville-Campmeeting-fights-to-have-his-taxes-raised.html

Hempfield deals with meningitis scare

LANCASTERONLINE
Hempfield School District is notifying parents and students that a high school senior might have contracted bacterial meningitis.

The contagious disease can cause serious complications, such as brain damage, hearing loss or learning disabilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The student, whom the district declined to identify, has been hospitalized. At this time, there is no confirmation of the diagnosis.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/847695_Hempfield-deals-with-meningitis-scare.html

Connecting Columbia and Wrightsville

MERCHANDISER

One well-known historic area landmark spans the Susquehanna River between Columbia and Wrightsville. Veterans Memorial Bridge, which opened in 1930 and is now a part of Route 462, is one of six bridges that have provided a river crossing in the immediate area since the early 1800s.

With 2013 marking the 150th anniversary of the burning of the second of those bridges to prevent the Confederate advance into Lancaster County, the Columbia Market House is housing a display of photos and information about each of the crossings.

MORE HERE:
http://news.engleonline.com/AdDesk/Htmlfiles/Readers/article.epc?id=85184

Mile-long trains carrying oil from Canada to Delaware passing through Columbia

LANCASTERONLINE
Mile-long trains, sometimes two a day, carrying brand-new tankers filled with crude oil from the tar sands region of Canada have begun snaking along the Susquehanna River through Lancaster County.

The trains, usually carrying about 118 tankers of crude, are beating a path to the Delaware City Refinery in Delaware, one of the largest refineries on the East Coast. And then the empty trains head back to the oil fields on the same route, usually the next day.

The trains coming through Lancaster County follow Norfolk Southern's Port Road, which hugs the river from north of Marietta to Perryville, Md. Some trains reach the Port Road from the Royalton Branch, which also traces the river through Conoy Township.

Norfolk Southern refuses to confirm that the trains, which began running around January, travel through Lancaster County, citing security policies.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846794_Mile-long-trains-carrying-oil-from-Canada-to-Delaware-passing-through-Lancaster-County.html

Columbia man shoots himself in leg

LANCASTERONLINE
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846281_Columbia-man-shoots-himself-in-leg.html

Hempfield teen earns rank of Eagle Scout

LANCASTERONLINE
He led a group of fellow Boy Scouts, plus family and friends, in building information kiosks along the Susquehanna River to help boaters and outdoor enthusiasts.

For his efforts, 17-year-old Darian Erb of Boy Scout Troop 267, of Silver Spring, has earned the highest honor in scouting, the rank of Eagle Scout.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846143_Hempfield-teen-earns-rank-of-Eagle-Scout.html

TMI scrutiny stepped up after flood safety failure

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant is under heightened scrutiny by federal regulators because of a problem involving protections against flooding.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday seals in the conduits that hold electrical cables in the plant's air intake tunnel were not adequate to maintain the plant's external flood barrier. As a result, the NRC said severe flooding could have threatened plant safety equipment.

MORE HERE:
http://www.abc27.com/story/22126408/tmi-scrutiny-stepped-up-after-flood-safety-failure

Civil War Exhibit at Columbia Historic Preservation Society

Columbia Historic Preservation Society, 19-21 N. Second St., Columbia, will present "Flames Across the Susquehanna," a 150th anniversary Civil War exhibit that explores life before and after the burning of the bridge. The exhibit will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

Old Home Week and Columbia's founding 225 years ago will also be on exhibit for 2013. Visitors may also view the 1,000-square-foot HO train display on the second level.

Admission is free. More information is available by calling 684-2894.

Club goes to court over nude dancing

LANCASTERONLINE
Club Good Times in Columbia has appealed the borough zoning board's rejection of its request to feature fully nude dancing at its 425 Union St. business.

Allen Shollenberger, the attorney representing the club, said it is a zoning issue and that the board's Feb. 27 decision was a "clear error of law."

The board, he said, did not consider any evidence supporting the club's case, specifically that there are no sites within the borough for adult-use businesses, as required by law. The ruling, Shellenberger said, was "popular, not legal."

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846119_Club-goes-to-court-over-nude-dancing.html

Chiques Rock Outfitters Prepares for 150th Anniversary of Bridge Burning

Sunday, May 5:
As in weeks past, Jim Cox and the Chiques Rock Outfitters Crew continued stocking braziers with firewood to prepare for the 150th anniversary of the burning of the Civil War-era bridge that once spanned the Susquehanna between Columbia and Wrightsville.  The braziers sit atop the piers that supported the bridge.

The crew loaded the firewood onto a boat at Columbia River Park.

The fully laden boat was then piloted to the next pier in line to be worked on.

Once there, the wood was unloaded.

(Note the workman standing atop the pier.)

Each brazier (one per pier) was checked and positioned.

Then began the laborious process of hauling the wood to the top of the pier, using buckets and a rope.

One man hauled up the wood as the other loaded the brazier.

Here's an example of what a fully loaded brazier looks like.

Here are several piers with braziers already loaded.
(Click on the photo for an enlarged view.)

45th Pennsylvania Company K at Locust Street Park

 Members of 45th Pennsylvania Company K occupied Locust Street Park on Saturday.  The group of re-enactors was selling donated goods to raise funds for insurance and other operating costs.

Meanwhile, down at the river shore, the confederates had already landed . . .