Sunday, March 22, 2015

Thursday, March 19, 2015

The street sweeper is back . . .

with a vengeance!

It was stirring up the dust - I mean, sweeping the street - on Barber Street today.

Cabin fever parking at Glatfelter's

Seen today

You're paying for this, too

A giant praying mantis arm at Columbia Water Company today.
Your charge for this rental is on your current water bill, noted as PENNVEST SURCHARGE.
The great gray eminences on the company's board have made it so.

A diving duck . . . diving

Diving duck (cormorant) in Susquehanna at Columbia River Park, Columbia, PA March 19, 2015.


Reminds me of that Johnny Winter song. 
What was it called again?
Oh yeah . . . 

Roadwork to start Sunday on Route 30 from river to Marietta Avenue

PennDOT contractors will begin repairing and resurfacing more than eight miles of Route 30 in western Lancaster County on Sunday night.
While there will be no daytime restrictions, motorists may encounter single-lane traffic restrictions in one or both directions between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Motorists may also encounter closed ramps and detours at the interchanges with Third Street, Prospect Avenue, Stony Battery Road or Centerville Road during the work.
Pennsy Supply Inc. of Annville, Lebanon County, has been awarded the roughly $7 million contract.
The project includes repairing the road base, removing old asphalt and repaving the road from the Susquehanna River and Prospect Road and the rest of road to Marietta Avenue will have work done to seal and help extend the life of the pavement.
Work normally will run  Sunday through Thursday nights, with Friday as a make-up night should they lose a night to inclement weather.
The project is scheduled to finish in late October. Nearly 23,000 vehicles use the road daily.

PA State Police using secretive cell phone trackers

As reported on this site on Monday (http://columbiapa-17512.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-police-gadget-tracks-phones-shhh-its.html), police are using a device to track cell phones. Here's an article from today's LNP with further information:

Man struck in Columbia

Emergency crews responded to a person struck by a car in Columbia just after 9 p.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of South Front Street.
A 45-year-old man from Wrightsville was walking along the road when he was struck.
He is listed in critical condition.
His identity has not been released at this time.
Front Street was closed from Mill to Plane. Police are investigating.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Ice damage from Old Man Winter

A length of pavement has lifted at River Park, a victim of the current winter.  
The season's not over yet - a chance of snow this Friday (the first day of spring).



Lending a helping hand . . .

to a train!

Don't think it's moving?

Look below:


What I Saw March 17, 2015

 Nail alley. 
It's not on the map, but it extends from the western tip of Avenue H to Walnut Street.

Sealant is being applied to the new water company structure.
That's on our bill, too. 

Easter bunny - April 4

Two-vehicle crash at 5th & Maple

Pics of a two-vehicle crash at Fifth and Maple Streets on Monday, March 16 . . . 






Public forum will offer taxpayers an important chance to engage in school funding debate

The bipartisan legislative Basic Education Funding Commission is trying to come up with a formula for funding the commonwealth's school districts. Lancaster County's own Sen. Lloyd Smucker and Rep. Mike Sturla sit on that commission, as doesActing Education Secretary Pedro Rivera, former School District of Lancaster superintendent.
Pennsylvania is one of just three states that do not have a school funding formula based on student enrollment and characteristics.

SelecTech Floors Embeds Columbia Kettle Works Logo

Utilizing its FreeStyle flooring solution, SelecTech embedded Columbia Kettle Works logo into the brewery's flooring that sits in the hallway between the interior and exterior doors.

Columbia hopes community policing, code enforcement will resolve neighborhood problems

Later this month, the borough hopes to roll out a community policing program paired with codes enforcement to address problems head-on.

By dividing the borough into three zones, officers will be assigned to patrol one of those zones each day that they work.

Officers have been asked to get out of their vehicles and walk the neighborhoods.

MORE:
http://lancasteronline.com/columbia/news/columbia-hopes-community-policing-code-enforcement-will-resolve-neighborhood-problems/article_734716b0-cc53-11e4-9636-37f823858a19.html

Hempfield board president believes apology is sufficient for violating Sunshine Act

Hempfield school board President Bill Otto delivered a public apology at the March 10 meeting because he says the board inadvertently violated the state Sunshine Act during its process to replace a school board member.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

What I saw recently

 The addition to the Columbia Water Company is progressing.
Remember, it's costing you money just to look at this.
(The charges are on your water bill.)


 Tundra swans soaring

 Under new ownership at Fourth and Chestnut
(Formerly Doutrich's Automotive)

 Public service call on the 100 block of South Sixth

Let's hope it thickens a bit.

Lead may be lurking where you don't expect it

In Columbia Borough, officials considered a similar ordinance before deciding not to proceed, said borough code enforcement officer Jeff Helm.
"There was a fear that putting the legislation in place would be too 1984-ish," said Helm. Nonetheless, he said, the borough is aggressive when officials become aware of a problem. "We'll write it up as a violation, and (the property owner) has to have a lead abatement contractor take care of the work," said Helm.