Mid-Week Update: Market House, Borough Hall, Black Lives Matter

New features at the Market House:

New exterior light fixtures

 New doors

More lights

L. Weber began a $40,000 painting project at borough hall:

Black Lives Matter at Park Elementary:

Signs of racial inclusiveness appeared recently in the windows of Park Elementary School.

 Letters promoting the same message have also been posted.

 Letter following the death of George Floyd

School board resolution on racism

HARB members' resignations are acknowledged - but not accepted - at council meeting

At Tuesday night's Columbia Borough Council meeting, council vice president Sharon Lintner read aloud resignation letters (shown below) from four former members of the Historic Architectural Review Board, who resigned in protest last week. Council president Heather Zink acknowledged receipt of the letters but chose not accept the resignations until the September 22 council meeting.

Theodore L. Vedock, architect and HARB vice chair

Elaine M. Beckley, board member

Glen Schaeffer, HARB chair

[Letter not available]

Jeff Seibert, realtor

Happy Labor Day 2020!

About Town 9/6/2020

This week's photos of Columbia
(Tap/click on photos to see larger, sharper images.)

 Time for reflection

 Photo shoot

 Smooth journey

 Weeds in the 300 block of Avenue G

 Messages at Saint Paul Episcopal

Is there homelessness in Columbia?

 Are we great?

 Down at Floyd's of Leadville . . .

 Campaign sign

 Open

 Nudity on Locust Street

 If you run around naked, make sure you're well-armed.

 More nudity on Locust Street

 Heron at sunset

 Rainbow bridge

 Steamy Wrightsville

 Sunset

 Growing higher

 Coming home

 More dumping, this time along 462

 There he is again.

 No plate?

Peeking through

 GEARS

In Columbia, if you grease the gears with enough dough, 

you can do whatever you want.

It's called corruption, and it smells bad.

 Just the essentials

 Eco-friendly vehicle #99

 Eco-friendly vehicle #31

Sometimes you find flowers in the darnedest places.

 Wired

Quartermasters

 In the jungle, the mighty jungle . . . 

 Humongous hornets nest

 It's on this backyard shed.

 More nests and bugs than usual have been reported this year.

 Keep a distance away.

On the scene

[Photo by Mark Fritz]

Last but not least, a submitted photo from East Prospect

HARB members resign in protest over council decision on historic district property

The above notice of HARB resignations appears on the September 8, 2020 Columbia Borough Council meeting agenda.

Three members of the Columbia Historic Architectural Review Board have submitted letters of resignation to council, according to the September 8, 2020 borough council agenda released today. HARB Chair Glen Schaeffer, board member Elaine Rice Beckley, and architect Theodore Vedock have submitted resignation letters expressing disappointment and frustration over council's recent vote overriding HARB'S decision to deny the use of composite materials in the borough's historic district, as well as related issues. (Columbia Spy reported on the council vote HERE.) At this time, consultant Suzanne Stallings, building inspector Paul Paulsen and board member Jeff Seibert remain on HARB. Stallings is not a voting member, which means the board will not have a quorum. The resignation letters can be found in the current council packet.

Agenda - Columbia Borough Council Meeting - September 8, 2020

Download the 40-page council packet HERE.