Clydesdales get prepped for bridge crossing into Columbia

A team of Budweiser Clydesdales got harnessed and ready to thunder through Wrightsville and into Columbia yesterday. Several 50-foot trailers carried the team of eight "Heavy Horses" to the John Wright Restaurant where they were prepped for their journey through Wrightsville and across the Veterans Memorial Bridge. The Anheuser-Busch horses were stabled at Brewery Products, 1017 North Sherman Street, York, last week.

Studebaker wagons were originally converted to deliver beer.

Mature Clydesdales weigh between 1600 and 2400 pounds.

A Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years old and stand 18 hands (six feet) tall.

Each harness and collar weighs about 130 pounds. 

Dalmatians have traveled with the Clydesdale hitch since the 1950s. The Dalmatian’s original purpose was to guard the hitch (and protect the beer) as the driver made his beer deliveries.

The 40 pounds of reins the driver holds, plus the tension of the reins, equals 75 pounds.

The Clydesdales leave the parking area of the John Wright Restaurant.

Car Show Today

Come take a walk down memory lane with vintage cars, great music, good friends, and great food in this collaborative effort of the Columbia Lions Club and SVCC. Held on Locust Street in downtown Columbia, this event features show awards, with numerous trophies to be awarded including Best of Show and People’s Choice. Oldies music will serve as a backdrop for a fun-filled day that runs from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Admission for spectators is free.Contact SVCC at 717-684-5249 for more information.

Help us feed and provide recreational opportunities for Columbia's children! Entrants are asked to bring at least two (2) non-perishable food items as a donation when they either pick up their pre-registration packets or when they arrive on the show day. We'll see that these are donated to the Columbia Food Bank. A share of the proceeds from this car show will be given to a variety of local non-profit organizations including Hospice and veterans’ organizations that provide military honors. A portion of the proceeds from Thunder on the River Car Show will also support the Columbia Lions Club Vision Program and the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center.

Mount Bethel Cemetery needs your help

Printmaking and Petroglyphs at Columbia Crossing this Saturday - and next

2017 Juried Art Exhibition opens June 23 at SCCA

The 2017 Juried Art Exhibition will open at the Susquehanna Center for the Creative Arts, June 23, 5-9 p.m. Awards will be announced at 6:30 p.m.

School board says NO to budget

The Columbia School Board unanimously declined to pass a 2017-18 budget at Thursday's board meeting. The budget is contingent on continuing the shared services agreement with ELANCO. So far, ELANCO's board president has been unresponsive on the matter.

MORE TO FOLLOW

Free HIV Tests in Columbia for National HIV Testing Day at Family First Health

On Wednesday, June 28th, Family First Health will offer free and confidential HIV tests from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at the Family First Health Columbia Center, 369 Locust Street in Downtown Columbia, as part of National HIV Testing Day. These tests are available to members of the community ages 13 and up and take only 10 minutes to complete after a quick finger prick. For more information or questions, please call 717-846-6776. HIV testing is recommended for everyone between the ages of 13 and 64.

National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) is an annual campaign coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to encourage people of all ages to “Test Your Way, Do it Today.” Early HIV diagnosis is critical, so people who are infected can fully benefit from available life-saving treatments. Currently, one in seven people in the United States are not aware they are HIV positive and the only way to know if you are positive is to get tested. Finding out whether you have HIV is the first step to improving your health, the health of your partners and family, and the health of your community.

People who are HIV positive have unique needs and challenges in accessing medical care, case management and other services. Caring Together, a collaborative partnership of Family First Health and WellSpan Health, provides a seamless system of coordinated, high quality care for people who are HIV positive so they can easily access the services they need.

Clients or medical providers can contact the Program Manager, Rebecca Wilson, at 846-6776 Ext. 4855 to find out more information or to schedule an intake. Upon intake nurses will assess the client’s needs, schedule a medical appointment and contact other Caring Together team members who will provide other services as needed.

About Family First Health

Founded in 1970, York Health Corporation, now Family First Health, is a non-profit, Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing a broad range of primary health care, dental care and social services at sites in Adams, Lancaster, and York Counties. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Family First Health offers a reduced fee program for the uninsured and accepts most other health insurances. For more information regarding the programs and services offered through Family First Health, please visit the Web site at www.familyfirsthealth.org. Se habla español.

Draft Agenda - School Board Meeting June 15, 2017

Columbia Woman Gets Maximum 7-Year Sentence for Lying to Police about Husband’s Killing

A Columbia woman will serve up to 7 years in prison for lying to investigators about the killing of her husband last year.

Allison Oberdorff was an eyewitness to Ronald Lee Sheetz fatally stabbing her husband, Michael Oberdorff Sr., on January 15, 2016, inside their South Second Street home.

MORE:

https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/da/11617/post/columbia-woman-gets-maximum-7-year-sentence-lying-police-about-husband%E2%80%99s-killing

Columbia hires new trolley driver

A source tells Columbia Spy that Bobbi Jo Weber of Wrightsville is the new driver for Columbia's trolley.

MORE TO FOLLOW

 

Quick Tickets Explained!

Code Enforcement Manager Steven Kaufhold explained the borough's quick ticket system at Monday's borough council meeting. Kaufhold said residents have 30 days in which to pay a quick ticket fine. If it is paid within the first 15 days of issuance, the fee is $25. If the fine is paid within 16-30 days, an additional $10 is added. After 30 days, a citation will be issued and the matter will be entered into the court system within a year. A resident may appeal within that time. Kaufhold said that once a ticket has been issued, he is the only one who can rescind it.

Another quick ticket can be issued for the same offense upon re-inspection if the violation has not been corrected. The length of time before re-inspection depends on what the offense is. For example, a parked/abandoned car is allowed seven days before re-inspection. A trash violation, four days.

Council President Kelly Murphy explained the purpose of the quick ticket program: "It's not meant to be punitive. The real outcome is - fix the problem. The whole point of quick ticket or being cited by codes is to enact some action to get it done."

The borough's "codes book" provides this information:

§ 1-19Issuance and serving of tickets.
Upon finding a violation of any of the above code and/or Borough Code sections, any Borough of Columbia Code Enforcement Officer, police officer, fire official, or similar officer hired by or appointed by Borough Council or the Borough Manager, or any other public officer authorized to enforce the ordinances of the Borough of Columbia, may issue violation tickets to the owner and/or occupant of the property at issue or to the individual known to have violated the code and/or Borough Code section. Violation tickets shall be issued in the amount of $25 and shall be served by mail. The Borough may, however, serve the violation ticket by handing it to an adult member of the household or other person in charge of the residence at the residence of the person to be served, by leaving or affixing the violation ticket to the property where the violation exists, or by handing it at any office or usual place of business of the violator, to his/her agent or to the person for the time being in charge thereof. Any person who receives a violation ticket for a violation of this article may, within 15 days, admit the violation, waive a hearing and pay the fine in full satisfaction of $25, as indicated on the violation ticket.

Kaufhold said there are four codes officers besides him, each policing one of four quadrants in town, and the codes department issues a monthly report to council. The quick ticket ordinance was passed at the July 28, 2014 borough council meeting.

More information on quick ticket codes can be found HERE.

Police ask Lancaster County to encrypt radios, barring public and media from hearing scanner broadcasts

Lancaster County police departments want to encrypt radio transmissions so that people with scanners — including the media — are no longer able to listen in on their broadcasts.

MORE:

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/police-ask-lancaster-county-to-encrypt-radios-barring-public-and/article_bdb3e59e-5080-11e7-80e4-73a12d9e8c8d.html

Police seek information in assault incident

On 06/14/2017 at approximately 12:30 am. Columbia Borough Police were dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of Cherry Street for a domestic disturbance. When police arrived, they made contact with the a 21 year old female victim. The victim stated her ex-boyfriend Terrance Faus Jr. "beat" her and placed his hands around her neck and "choked" her. The victim sustained visible injuries to include scratches on her arm and redness around her neck. Terrance Faus Jr. fled the residence before police arrived.

Charges were completed for one count of Strangulation Felony second degree, as well as one count of Simple Assault (Domestic Violence) Misdemeanor second degree. The charges were filed through MDJ Bixler's Office in Columbia. Terrance Faus Jr. is wanted by the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office for an outstanding probation violation. Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of Faus is encouraged to contact Columbia Police Department at (717) 684-7735.
Incident Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 - 12:30am

Incident Type:
Assault - Other

Case Number: 16152-06-14-17
Offenders:
Faus, Terrance Lee Jr.

Location:
200 Block of Cherry Street
Columbia, PA 17512

Source: Columbia Borough Police Department

Will the Borough move its offices? Joint Feasibility Meeting Wednesday, June 14 at 5 p.m.

A Joint Feasibility Study group, consisting of representatives from Columbia Borough and Columbia Borough School District, will meet in the Council meeting room, 308 Locust Street, on Wednesday, June 14 at 5 p.m. to consider whether there is sufficient interest to pursue a study on the possible consolidation of school district, borough administration offices and the borough police department at the District Administration Center, 200 North 5th St, Columbia.

Street Sweeper blows up - When will new one run?

"It blew up!" 

That was Public Works Director Ron Miller's response to a resident's question about the borough's street sweeper at Monday's borough council meeting. Austin Hogentogler asked why it's been nine weeks since the sweeper has run by his house. He said he has had to sweep by hand in front of his house despite various health concerns.

"The other one blew up. The motor blew up," Miller said of the street sweeper. Hogentogler asked why a newer, recently purchased street sweeper was not running.

Mayor Leo Lutz replied, "The street sweeper is not running, because the company we're buying the street sweeper from has not released it to the borough, because they will not release it until they train operators on how to use it." Lutz said that it is incumbent on the company to train the borough's operators.

At its April 10, 2017 meeting, council approved the purchase of a street sweeper at a cost of $221,877.

Parking restrictions for two events this Saturday

Movie in the Park - Friday, June 16

Precautions on bridge while lights are turned off

Draft Agenda - Columbia Borough Council Meeting June 12, 2017

This Week at the Columbia Public Library

Veterans Memorial Bridge lights to be turned off due to Mayflies

Bridge Lights to be turned off again - starting tonight - due to anticipated mayfly hatch.

MORE:

http://abc27.com/2017/06/10/veterans-memorial-bridge-lights-to-be-turned-off-due-to-mayflies/

A guide to Pa.'s long history of government corruption

A ROGUES GALLERY OF CORRUPT PA POLITICIANS:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2016/07/capitol_corruption_parade.html

"Crocheting with Mitzi" this morning at the library

Another threatened Columbia property

FROM A RECENT LNP ARTICLE:

The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County has released its list of the area's 10 most-threatened historic properties. 

Where: William Patton House, 31 S. Second St., Columbia.

An 1864 Gothic Italianate brick building, the 2 1/2-story home has an elaborate portico; an Italianate pair-bracketed raking cornice; and a bold decoration within a rectangular transom and sidelights. The building, formerly adapted for use as a convalescent home, has signs of obvious neglect.

MORE PROPERTIES HERE:

http://lancasteronline.com/features/home_garden/historic-preservation-trust-these-are-lancaster-county-s-most-endangered/article_2d050fa6-4b9d-11e7-ba10-4b95d16248a7.html

Bicycle Rodeo this Saturday

Trolley driver needed

Controversial Columbia property now for sale

A Columbia property that was the subject of controversy a few years ago is now up for sale. 631 South 13th Street, owned by Vincent Fiorella, was in the news in 2014 when construction on a pole barn on the property was halted more than halfway towards completion. Columbia's zoning enforcement officer issued a stop work order for the project, after approving it months earlier.

According to Fiorella, he learned in mid-September of 2014 - when the building was 85% complete - that the permit was about to be revoked. He said zoning enforcement officer Jeffrey Helm informed him that he [Helm] had made a mistake, and the structure was not in compliance. Fiorella said he subsequently received a letter of September 25, ordering him to stop work. He then received another letter, dated September 26, informing him that the permit was being revoked, because the structure exceeded the 1,000-square-foot limit imposed by borough ordinance.

At its December 3 meeting, the Zoning Hearing Board rendered a decision essentially upholding the revocation of the permit.

The property sits in a residential neighborhood. As shown above, its current listing on realtor.com states:

"Ideal property and location for car collectors,constr. contractors, and private inside storage with four large 10'x8'doors and one large 10'x12' overhead steel garage doors."

The backstory is HERE.

School districts reaching a 'tipping point' on being able to deliver quality education

In the 332 school districts that responded to the survey, budgetary challenges are causing seven in 10 districts to look at property tax increases for next year. In many cases, that is accompanied by furloughs, program cuts, delayed textbook purchases, postponed maintenance projects, and dipping into reserve accounts.

MORE:

http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/06/school_districts_reaching_a_ti.html

Columbia Crossing to hold Volunteer Breakfast June 12

What's going to happen to the library? Find out tonight!