COLUMBIA SPY

If you are heading west on Route 30 today, be prepared for a single lane of travel on the Wrights Ferry Bridge. The bridge over the Susquehanna River will be restricted to one lane for a short time between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Construction crews need to examine and make repairs, if necessary, to two expansion dam joints on the bridge. The repairs should not require the full day but motorists should still be prepared to encounter traffic restriction during this time frame. MORE HERE: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/836797_Single-lane-traffic-on-westbound-Route-30-on-Wrights-Ferry-Bridge.html

"Everyone can relate to that annoying alarm clock that wakes you up in the morning," says Katie Knaub, Museum Educator at the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, "We just wanted to create something that everyone can relate to." The museum will be opening its Wake Up exhibit later this month with an exhaustive display of various alarm clocks from ancient times,to today. They've even got some rather quirky, and frankly dangerous, variations on early alarm clocks. One used the sun to light a fuse which fired a small canon. Another struck a match to light an oil lamp and sometimes caught houses on fire. The museum houses a thorough collection of all types of timepieces, from sundials to wall clocks and digital watches. "We have a mission which is to tell the whole story," says Noel Poirier, the Director of the museum, "So our collection includes objects from all over the world, [an] Asian incense clock...right up to modern calculator ...

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/836539_No-cost-children-s-dental-service-opens-in-Columbia.html

A steel expansion joint that recently was replaced as part of a $9.4 million reconditioning of the Wrights Ferry Bridge failed Tuesday, officials said. The expansion joint was on the westbound side of the bridge, which carries U.S. 30 over the Susquehanna River between Lancaster and York counties. At least one westbound lane was closed between 3:20 p.m. Tuesday and 11 a.m. Wednesday as workers replaced the four six-foot segments of the expansion joint and an epoxy filler was allowed to dry, said Mike Crochunis, a spokesman for PennDOT District 8, which includes Lancaster County. The closure resulted in westbound traffic being delayed during Wednesday morning's rush hour as far from the bridge as the Prospect Road interchange, Crochunis said. MORE HERE: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/836562_Problem-slows-traffic-on-Wrights-Ferry-Bridge.html

Columbia Borough could see approval soon of a major addition to River Front Park, but officials say they need time to amend funding requests to close about a half-million dollar gap. The lowest bid for the project came in at $2 million, but it was expected to cost $1.4 million, officials revealed Monday. Officials said they have 120 days to act on the bid. With plans in jeopardy to build the visitor hub including bathrooms and increased parking along the Susquehanna River, half a dozen members of the River Park focus group urged borough council Monday to move forward with construction. MORE HERE: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/836196_Susquehanna-River-trail-hub-lacks-funding-.html

Some shots from around our beloved borough over the past week or so . . . I see a lot of these train cars passing though town. They're labeled LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS.  They're also labeled NON ODORIZED.  I can only speculate why the gas would be NON ODORIZED (as in NON DETECTABLE?) Meanwhile on Avenue H: Either one of the ladies couldn't get in through the LADIES ENTRANCE, or the broken window is a newly installed GENTLEMEN'S ENTRANCE. Upcoming road work on Avenue H? Renovations continue at Second and Locust. I realize these things take time, but someone might want to get around to fixing the back of the building soon. And along Barber Street, what's with all the bent over signposts? This is one. And here's another several feet away. This is the same one as pictured immediately above, with the first one in the background. Further down the street, yet another. Caught'cha . . . showin' off? ...

This summer, Columbia expects to grab more attention than usual with its June 28-30 "Flames Across the Susquehanna" commemoration of its biggest moment in Civil War history. Town planners hope to snare visitors heading for Gettysburg's July 1-3 observance of the battle's 150 th anniversary with a dramatic re-creation of the burning of the town's bridge. MORE HERE: http://www.mcall.com/travel/daytrips/mc-columbia-pa-travel-0407-20130406,0,6486841.story