About Town 9/1/19

This week's photos of Columbia

Watchdog watching

 Egret coming in for landing

Heron drifting on by

 Freedom!

America!
The two historic-looking images shown above are located at 5th & Cherry.

Someone at 6th & Locust was happy for the long weekend.
[Submitted photo]

 The 400 block of Locust was just swept by the sweeper sweeping by

Following the sweeper

 Doing the 300 block of Avenue H

 Doing the 400 block of Avenue H

In for a swim - a risky proposition these days

Stretching a line

Backing into Easter Drillers from Front Street can be a dicey proposition for truck drivers. It took this one 10 minutes and many adjustments to line up with the bay.

Up at Keystone Cap - The addition is almost done.

 Also there: a clinking, clanking, clattering collection of caliginous junk

 Is this the hidden lair of the secret vehicles?
(The former Shawnee Fire Company)

Painting the woodwork at the Haitian Maranatha Church on the 200 block of Locust.

Last summer, the borough stopped workers from painting the stone/concrete surfaces of the building.

Only the window frames and wooden cross were painted this week.

The cross was painted red.

Shooting off at the ramp

 NOTICE: Get a job!

 May the force be with you.

And now for some flags:

Flags at Mount Bethel

This is called a Betsy Ross Flag.

 Flying a flag upside down can be a symbol of protest.

This flag seems somehow fitting in the current political climate.

The Endless Eighth Street Project:

 The Endless Eighth Street Project - here and below:

 It goes on and on and on and on.

So let's look at some of Columbia's Cool Cats . . .

 Facing

Fenced

Fetish

 Famished?

Fake

Ghost truck?

(Heading towards Halloween)

OK, back to the Endless Eighth Street Project

Here are examples of the newly "completed" sidewalks

Oh well, forge on!

Endlessly . . .

Over at Bethel Street - Everywhere a sign

Tied off

Trooper at Bixler's

Vanishing point that hasn't yet vanished

Down at the 4th & Locust project - 

The sign says ROAD CLOSED, but drivers insisted on using one lane as two lanes.

Columbia skyline

Pointing the way

Red hat

Pulling a line

Uh . . . Road Closed . . . ?

Patriotic helmet

Laying a block

Troweling the edge

Large load

The first block of North 4th

The tree is dead, but the weeds are doing quite well.

(400 block of Walnut)

Heading to school

Heading to home

Newly added at the Front Street mural - 

Unfortunately, not all who donated are listed.

Doubly prepared

Up in the corner

The remnants of a hornet's nest

Here's a shot from July 23, 2017 when it was live.

 Coffee & Cream coming soon at Front & Walnut

Painting on South 3rd

At 161-163 Locust Street: The permit specified an interior clean-out and demo. The property is owned by Cimarron.

At the July 23, 2019 Columbia Borough Council meeting, Zoning and Planning Officer Jeff Helm said the interior demolition would consist of "non-essential, non-structural materials that are in there." He said it would entail "peeling away cosmetic layers inside the building." He also said there's a plan for a rear, attached shed that will eventually come to the planning commission for review. He said the "demo" refers to ceiling demos and wall covering demos.

No permit is currently displayed.

Shown above is a Historic Resource Survey Form from March 23, 1983 describing the building.

Here's a snake slithering.

Mattress and frame on Locust

Free!

In case you were wondering, it’s OPEN. Except – it’s really CLOSED.

Tri-color house on the 200 block of Locust

Way up on Avenue I

Some weed whacking might be in order.

Surprisingly, the weeds at the Locust Street hole in the ground have been chopped down.

Here's another look.

Scrape and paint ASAP.

Paddling along on a Sunday morning

Agenda - Columbia Borough Council Work Session - September 3, 2019

Download the council packet HERE.

In "opportunity zones," profits on investments are tax-free for years

The tax benefit allows people to delay paying taxes on profits from stocks or other investments for years. To qualify, they have to direct their untaxed gains into federally certified regions known as opportunity zones. Profits on those investments are then tax-free.

While some money is flowing to poor communities, the most visible impact so far has been to set off a feeding frenzy among the wealthiest Americans. They are poised to reap billions in untaxed profits on high-end apartment buildings and hotels in trendy neighborhoods, storage facilities that employ only a handful of workers or student housing in bustling college towns.

MORE:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/31/business/the-trump-associates-benefiting-from-a-tax-break-for-poor-communities.html

UGI sets 2% rate cut for residential customers

The new rate keeps the average monthly bill for home-heating customers in the $60 range, where it's been since June 2018. But the months ahead could change that.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/ugi-sets-rate-cut-for-residential-customers-beginning-sunday/article_f415bcaa-cb32-11e9-9244-6b3da7e53f82.html

Measles case confirmed in central Pennsylvania; here's how to find out if you might have been exposed

The Department of Health issued a list of locations where the patient had visited to alert those who may have been exposed: 

• Fuddruckers, 2300 E. Market St., York, on Aug. 22 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Hershey Theater, 15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey, on Aug. 23 from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• WellSpan Stony Brook Health Center, 4222 E. Market St., Lincoln Hwy. York, on Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• WellSpan York Hospital, 1001 S. George St., York, on Aug. 26
• • in the proximity of the Lab from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m.
  • in the proximity of the Imaging Department from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. 
  • in the proximity of the Emergency Department from 6:15 to 1:45 a.m.
  • in the proximity of the Imaging Department from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.
• WellSpan Stony Brook Health Center, 4222 E. Market St., Lincoln Highway, York, on Aug. 28 from 10:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• WellSpan Stony Brook Health Center, 4222 E. Market St., Lincoln Highway, York, on Aug. 29 from 9:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• WellSpan York Hospital, 1001 S. George St., York, on Aug. 29 in the proximity of the emergency room at 11:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/measles-case-confirmed-in-central-pennsylvania-here-s-how-to/article_b3b40836-cc3d-11e9-892e-ab25158adf37.html