Library Happenings this week

Sunday morning on ice

Columbians awoke this morning to find a thin sheet of ice on sidewalks, vehicles, and roads. According to wgal.com, ice will last through the morning.

Money for school agreement is so far a no-show

State funding for Columbia’s shared services agreement with ELANCO has apparently fallen through. Dr. Robert Hollister, superintendent of Columbia Borough School District, made the announcement at January’s Committee of the Whole meeting. The statement was in response to Board Director Kathleen Hohenadel’s question regarding the status of the grant. The anticipated funding is for an amount up to $250,000 for up to three years to pilot the program and was to have come from the PA Department of Education.

Hollister said he has not gotten a response from Senator Ryan Aument’s office, despite several inquiries. ”I’ve not heard a thing. That’s not good news,” he said.

Hollister asked residents to contact legislators, but was not overly optimistic. “Phone calls always help, but the other side of that story is this state is in dire financial consequences. I’m operating as if that money is not going to show up,” he said.

The grant was previously discussed by former Superintendent Ken Klawitter at Columbia’s August 2016 Committee of the Whole meeting. Klawitter said the bill authorizing the grant was the first of its kind in Pennsylvania. “They wrote it specifically for us, because we were the first ones legally to do this,” he said. He added that he had received an autographed copy of the bill and a signature pen indicating funding would be made available to pilot the program.

House fire on 500 block of Walnut this morning

Units responded to a kitchen fire at 552 Walnut Street this morning around 8:30.

Pre-School Pals at library Monday at 10:30

Borough offices closed Monday for MLK Day

About town on a good day

Temperatures soared to an unseasonable high of 64 today.

 It was a good day to sit on the hood of a car.

 Slabs of ice from a previously frozen river collected on the shore line at Columbia River Park.

 "Down by the riverside, it's bound to be a better ride than what you've got planned." - "Hazy Shade of Winter," Simon & Garfunkel

 And down by the riverside, it was a good day to read a book.

 And to look at the ice.

 And to look at the bridge.

 And to jog over the tracks.

And to let flags fly.

All in all, a very good day!

Over a dozen layoffs at LNP

Lancaster Independent Press recently published the tweet shown above from LNP reporter Dan Nephin announcing his - and others' - layoffs from the company.

Hempfield School District says it's closing today because of icy roads

Hempfield School District is closing for the day due to road conditions, the district announced on its website.

MORE:

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/hempfield-school-district-says-it-s-closing-today-because-of/article_e505c5b4-d802-11e6-b6f0-331f478e6308.html

The forecast is for snowflakes - $15,000 worth

The sample snowflake light shown above is currently on display in front of the borough offices at 308 Locust Street. The sample is a "cool" light, but the plan is to go with "warm" lights.

Council approved the purchase of 37 snowflake lights for Locust, Third and Fourth Streets, another five for Locust Street Park and 12 for Columbia River Park, at Monday night's meeting. The total cost will run close to $15,000. Councillor Cleon Berntheizel explained that this is a sale price through "Rileighs Outdoor Decor" and is good only until the end of February.

The old snowflake lights are in storage, because the current lamp posts that line the streets cannot support the size and weight of those older lights. Berntheizel has discussed other ways to make use of the old lights rather than keeping them in storage.

There are four designs of LED snowflake lights that will alternate on the poles.

* * * *

In other business, resident Frank Doutrich questioned why council tabled Councillor Stephanie Weisser's resignation in December. President Kelly Murphy said it was due to the Christmas season coming up. Later in the meeting, Mary Wickenheiser also questioned this move by council.

Wickenheiser said that the interviews for vacancies were being done at regular council meetings. She questioned why there was a separate special meeting scheduled for this on February 6. Wickenheiser also announced that she would have to withdraw her letter of intent because she would not be available to interview on that date.

She also questioned why filling this vacancy was delayed. President Kelly Murphy said it was due to the holiday season. Wickenheiser said it made no sense to her.

There was a brief discussion of having her interview via telephone, but she did not feel as if this was an option for her.

Council voted to change the meeting date from February 2 to February 6 at 6 p.m. All letters of intent must be received by February 2, 2017 at close of business that day.

Addressing council, Frank Doutrich said "With all due respect to Mary, would you do the same for me?"

Fire on South Fourth

Several units responded to a fire call at 234 South Fourth Street shortly before 5 o'clock this afternoon to find smoke seeping from a roof at the rear of the house. Personnel quickly extinguished the fire which was believed to have started on the second floor. Columbia, Blue Rock, Wrightsville, and Mount Joy responded.

State grants key approval for $56 million, 50-foot-high expansion of Frey Farm Landfill

Echoing complaints from some residents in Lancaster and York counties, as well as another state agency, DEP acknowledged that piling another 50 feet of waste atop an already visible artificial landmark will be noticeable to those living along the Susquehanna River near the landfill as well as those who use the river and nearby trails for recreation.

MORE:

http://lancasteronline.com/insider/state-grants-key-approval-for-million--foot-high-expansion/article_60593c34-d6b2-11e6-87e9-8b9a1b41b1b7.html

Today is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Overturned vehicle on Route 30 near Route 441

Emergency crews responded to a report of an overturned vehicle in the westbound lane of Route 30 near Route 441 at 5:43 p.m. today. The incident was listed as "Vehicle Accident - Entrapment - 1A." Traffic was delayed in the westbound lane.

Hazardous sidewalk on Locust repaired

The hazardous sections of sidewalk on the 100 block of Locust Street that Columbia Spy reported on HERE were recently repaired.  The sidewalk is now passable.

Draft Agenda - Borough Council Meeting January 9, 2017

Police car chase at speeds topping 100 mph ends with crash in Columbia

A York man fleeing from police across the Route 30 bridge at speeds topping 100 mph crashed in Columbia Borough Sunday, police said.

MORE:

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/police-car-chase-at-speeds-topping-mph-ends-with-crash/article_1090a520-d5d1-11e6-a5c0-1fce2646a1a7.html

More snow

After the region received several inches of snow Thursday into the Friday, we were once again treated to a dusting today. Following are some shots from around the area this morning.

Sign down - Prospect Road and Ironville Pike

Lancaster Avenue near the Columbia Plaza

 Waiting for a ride near Oswego Drive 

Snow-capped Corvair

A giant mailbox man, looking like something from Rogue One, appears angry that someone bent his mailbox along Columbia Avenue.

Heading downtown

At River Park, this artist took advantage of the weather to paint a scene of the snow-covered Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Truck stolen, wrecked - thief flees scene

A GMC pickup truck with cap was stolen from the owner's driveway at 1001 Ironville Pike, according to the owner. The truck was later found by West Hempfield Police crashed through a wooden fence along the 2400 block of Ironville Pike. The incident occurred some time before 6 a.m. Friday. Currently, police have not released any information about the thief, who fled the scene. The owner was unaware of the theft until contacted Friday morning. Pieces of the fence were protruding from the front of the truck when it was found, including a broken fence post through the front windshield. Police are investigating.

Broken fence along the 2400 block of Ironville Pike damaged by the stolen truck

The truck is currently at Patriot-St. Denis Towing and Transport in Mountville. A broken fence post protrudes from the front windshield (shown above).