Historic Society hosting Lecture Series

"Columbia History Forum for Citizens" is on Saturday, August 6.

Columbia to host Rivertown Hops Beer Fest - Saturday, August 6

NO ACCESS TO RIVER PARK MONDAY AUGUST 8

Columbia River Park and the Columbia Crossing building will be closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, August 8, 2016, for road construction. Walnut Street will be paved from the railroad tracks to the cul-de-sac at River Park.

"Columbia has responded well and can be an example for other communities"

Jabari Smith (left) expressed his concerns at Thursday's town hall meeting.

Mount Zion AME Church, 222 South Fifth Street in Columbia, was filled on Thursday evening, but not for a church service. About 100 people showed up to participate in a "Town Hall" meeting aimed at finding solutions to incidents of violence between law enforcement and civilians.

Attendees were divided into eight groups and instructed to discuss their feelings and solutions. Afterwards, a spokesperson from each group went forward to read a summary of the discussion.

One group of eight people was led by Sandra Thompson, president of the York Branch NAACP. Thompson, an attorney, is also First Vice President Pennsylvania NAACP. This was a diverse group in race, gender and occupation, with a probation officer, chaplain, social worker, nurse, attorney, and a student among them.

Teenage student Zahara Flowers attended with her father, Jabari Smith. They live in Lancaster. Smith said that he was beaten by police when he was 14 years old. He was hospitalized - in part due to facial injuries from being dragged back and forth on the ground. No charges were filed against the police or him.

Smith expressed concern for his two sons, even though they stand 6'5" and 6'3". Their sister Zahara echoed his concern, saying she worries about them when they go out at night.

Many of the same worries and frustrations were discussed in the other groups.

Three members of borough council, Pam Williams, Fran Fitzgerald and John Novak, were also present and participated in the group discussions. Mayor Leo Lutz, it was announced, is currently on vacation.

Damian Colon, a youth leader of "My Life Matters," mentors young people ages 10-17. One man praised Damian's work, saying, "We need a lot more Damians in our neighborhoods."


Feelings expressed:

*One person said that law enforcement is being infiltrated by white supremacists, adding that the Thirteenth Amendment allows slavery. While it actually abolished slavery, the clause afterward reads EXCEPT as punishment for a crime.

*A black man expressed his frustration, saying he feels as if the system is corrupt, in that it hands over people to be incarcerated for minor crimes, adding, "There are people making money off of doing this."

*Another wants his four grandsons to feel comfortable approaching officers, but said that he himself, "Isn't there yet."

*Respect for elders has been lost.

*Some kids are raising their parents and never get to experience childhood, which leads to rage.

*Some felt fear for their children, saying they are walking, living targets.


Suggested Solutions:

*The idea of officers walking the neighborhoods and interacting with young people was brought up more than once.

*De-escalation and diversity training for police.

*Monitor social media, because it plays a large part in what's going on.

*Ride-alongs with officers.

The AME Church will post the complete list of solutions discussed at the meeting on its website. There will be another discussion in a few weeks, but a specific date was not given.

In closing, it was said that Columbia has responded well and can be an example for other communities.

Rivertown Hops Celebration this Saturday, August 6, noon-4pm

A craft brew extravaganza with food trucks and vendors! Taste a variety of brews and fare presented by brewers and food trucks lining Locust Street from Second to Fifth in downtown Columbia. Enjoy the music while you dine in the street, which is closed to traffic for this event. Tickets costing $40 per person can be purchase by clicking here. On the event day, bring your ticket and ID to receive your event bracelet which entitles you to sample the beers presented. Tickets for the sampling portion of this event may be available on event day, but will cost $45 each. For more information, call 717-684-5249. Remember, drink responsibly!

A list of our currently confirmed beer vendors is found in the table below. Keep scrolling down for information on slated entertainment, information on parking and the free shuttle, information on food vendors, and information for food vendors interested in participating.

Confirmed Beer Vendors as of 7/06/16...keep looking back as we expand our list!

Starr Hill Brewery	Mexitaly	Neshaminy Creek Brewing
Ithaca Beer Co	Wacker Brewing Co	Roy Pitz Brewing Co
Deschutes Brewery	Flying Fish Brewing Co	New Belgium Brewing
Sixpoint Brewery	Columbia Kettle Works	Liquid Hero Brewery
Iron Hill Brewery	Lancaster Brewing Co	South County Brewing Co
St Boniface Craft Brewing	Mad Chef Craft Brewing	Collusion Tap Works
Lagunitas	Weyerbacher Brewing	Rotunda Brewing Co
Aldus Brewing Co	Saucony Creek Brewing Co	Yards Brewing Co

Entertainment
We have live entertainment! Musicians who are sure to be a draw for this event have been confirmed courtesy of Create Columbia, a local nonprofit organization. Don't miss out on quality entertainment sure to add to your event experience. Internationally known Mississippi blues group Anthony “Big A” Sherrod & the Cornlickers will perform on our stage as well as the nationally known group Ton-Taun. A yet-to-be-announced group will round out the live entertainment.

Parking and Shuttle Service
Participants are encouraged to have a designated driver for transportation after the event. However, you may get an easy start to the day by parking at Glatfelter's Field (use 1201 Lancaster Ave, Columbia PA 17512 for your GPS). Parking here free of charge and take the shuttles to the event area. The shuttle is a free service, but donations will be accepted. The first shuttle run will leave Glatfelter Field by 11:30 am (remember, sampling does not begin until noon!) and will run continuous loops every 15 to 20 minutes. The last shuttle run will leave Glatfelter's at 4:15 to pick up the last groups of attendees on one final loop. Click here to view the shuttle map.

Confirmed Food Vendors
Watch as we continue to update this list of participating food vendors. Asof 07/06/2016 the following vendors will join us for this event.
Crave Catering
Gnawjaw Beef Jerky & Bacon
Rocky's BBQ
Rt. 30 Seafood
Sven's Cafe
Uncle Bone's Concessions

Potential Food Vendors
Yes, food vendors are still welcome to apply. Click here for the food vendor application, or call 717-684-5249 to request a copy via mail. We amy also be reached at svcc@parivertowns.com.

Bronze Sponsor:
Bin There Dump That

Entertainment Sponsor:

Becky and Ken's

Columbia Public Library Newsletter - August 2016

Columbia Public Library Calendar of Events - August 2016