About Town 1/20/19

This week's photos from around Columbia...

(Click/tap on photos for larger, clearer images.)

Friendly forklift driver

 Lost spare

 Someone should have kept it "STOPED" under the floor like the label says.

Milkweed with gossamer strands

 Separation anxiety

 The Good Book - with redactions

 Vandalism at South 3rd and Avenue I

 Drive carefully

Interview on the front porch

 Gang of little pillars, small but mighty

 What's happening here?

 Permit for the above

 7 years bad luck

Pointy arch

 Tissue, please

 Open lock box

 Shiny icicles

 Out at Dollar General

 Hangin' out

 Rail car instructions

 Parking lot at the bottom of Locust - now with 48-hour parking

Vines starting to trespass.

 Comfort car

 That's not going to work too well.

This branch of Union Community Bank is gone for good...

 Rock on

Winter evening

 Patriotic rooster

 Up for auction soon

Orange and lemon raincoat

 High, but not mighty

[Submitted photo]

Some people can park wherever they want.

Rank has its privileges.

(And privilege has its rankness.)

[Submitted photo]

 Do not look for welcome here.

 Enter if you dare.

 On the bridge

 Columbia skyline

In the valley of one-headed men, the two-headed man is king.

St. Paul Church defies council decision on LED sign

This large LED sign was recently mounted on the front of St. Paul Episcopal Church on the 300 block of Locust Street.

Churchgoers at St. Paul Episcopal will soon be able to see the light - but maybe not the way they thought they would. A large LED-lighted sign, which the church has owned for about two years, was recently installed - or more specifically, re-installed - at the church on the 300 block of Locust Street. 

The sign was originally installed on a metal stand in October 2017, even though Columbia Borough Council had voted in July 2016 not to allow the installation. (Council members Kelly Murphy and Cleon Berntheizel recused themselves from the vote, because they are members of the church.) Shortly after Columbia Spy posted THIS ARTICLE , the sign was removed - and later the supporting frame as well. An existing wooden frame remains in place for posting announcements. 

Sometime this past week, the LED sign resurfaced, this time mounted to the historic stone and mortar of the church's front face, using metal support strips secured by a series of large bolts.

According to a July 25, 2016 LNP news article, Columbia Borough Council denied the church permission to install an LED sign:

"Council denied a proposed LED-lighted sign at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 340 Locust St. Glenn Shaeffer, Historic Architectural Review Board chairman, asked that council create an amendment not allowing this type of sign in the future.

“There are no other signs like this in the historic district and allowing it would open the door for others and have an impact on the historic nature of the district,” Shaeffer said. “The historic district should not look like the Las Vegas strip.”

Council members Kelly Murphy and Cle Berntheizel removed themselves from the vote because they are members of the church."

 July 11, 2016 council meeting minutes regarding the 5-0 vote to deny St. Paul Church's sign request.

 HARB Chairman Glenn Schaeffer's comments to council during the meeting. 

Council President Kelly Murphy's recusal 

Councilman Cleon Berntheizel's recusal

Library closing early on Saturday, Jan. 19

Columbia Public Library will be closing at noon on Saturday, January 19.

Updated Snow Emergency information from the Columbia Borough Manager

A significant winter storm is expected this weekend. We want to inform Columbia residents that the Borough is watching the developing weather conditions and will communicate if and when an official Snow Emergency declaration will take place. The declaration will be posted on the borough website and announced via email and on WGAL.

During a Snow Emergency, no vehicle may operate or park on a designated Snow Emergency Route. For your convenience, we have listed the routes below.

Safety is our number one priority and we appreciate your cooperation and patience.

Columbia Borough Snow Emergency Routes:

Chestnut Street (North Second to North Ninth Street)

Lancaster Avenue (Locust to Malleable Road)

Locust Street (Front to Ninth Street)

Ninth Street (Ironville Pike to Lancaster Avenue)

North Fifth Street (Chestnut to Locust Street)

North Third Street (Locust to Cedar Street)

$683,000 in delinquent taxes among the takeaways from Thursday's school board meeting

The Columbia Borough School District held its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Here are a few quick takeaways from the meeting:

Students of the Month were honored at Thursday's Columbia Borough School Board Meeting. Students' names are shown below.

The final agenda for the meeting is shown below:

In answer to a citizen's question, Chief of Finance and Operations Keith Ramsey stated that the current amount of delinquent school taxes is "just over $683,000."

School Superintendent Tom Strickler announced that the Columbia Borough School District received a PA Smart Grant in the amount of $35,000 for STEM education. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The current terms of the following school board directors will expire this year: Charles Leader, Kathy Hohenadel, Fred Thomas, Janet Schwert, and Jenna Geesey.