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!