Columbia Borough Council members table decision to sell 400 Locust Street | Community News | lancasteronline.com

When: May 9 Columbia Borough Council meeting.

What happened: Borough Council members voted to table a decision to sell 400 Locust St. so both interested parties could present plans in person.

More info: The borough was set to sell the property to Cimarron Investments for $56,000 but received another offer from Habitat for Humanity, which sent a representative to the meeting. However, Cimarron representatives said they were unable to attend the May 9 meeting but wanted to submit plans for the property and speak before council votes on the sale May 23.

What's new: Habitat for Humanity has offered $57,500 for the land with plans to create a mixed-use building that would include commercial ventures on the first floor and one condominium unit each for the second and third floors.

Details: Previously, Cimarron did not submit any plans for the site.

Quotables: Cimarron "would like the opportunity to be heard," Evan Gabel, borough solicitor, told council members. "It would be prudent to do so." Borough Manager Mark Stivers agreed. "Hearing both offers may help council make an informed decision."

Reaction: Heather Zink, borough council president, said during a May 17 phone interview that she likes Habitat's plan to offer housing units as affordable condominiums instead of rentals. "I think it's great to get people to purchase (property) downtown."

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/columbia-borough-council-members-table-decision-to-sell-street/article_53f4a1bc-f5dd-11ed-919f-6fea8f310ae9.html 

About Town - May 21, 2023

Recent photos of Columbia

(Click/tap on photos to see larger, sharper images.)

Vintage Chrysler

Pillars at tollbooth

Another look at that mural near CVS

The backstory is HERE.

Rhododendron bush

Bird watching

More progress at the Habitat project on South 5th

New plaque at the Columbia Water Company

"Recognizing Two Centuries of Continuous Public Water Service To The Residences and Businesses In Our Communities"

Surveying at the bridge

The Elks have adopted a block.

Looks like this catbird thinks he's king of the world.

Checking for predators before proceeding

OK, move out!

Looking a bit shabby

Roadwork on Route 462

In the words of Frank Zappa: "The torture never stops!"

New fence at Park Side Auto Sales

Salad days

Participants at Saturday's Hero Walk.

The River Park mayfly got some documentation.

Here's the info.

When you want to catch some rays atop your storage trailer

Shad stocking time (below)

[Photos and video: Robyn Schmidt Porter]

THE COLUMBIA WATER COMPANY WILL BE FLUSHING THE SYSTEM NEXT WEEK | Columbia Borough Police Department

May 19th, 2023

The Columbia Water company will be flushing the system next week throughout the Borough. (Sunday night through Thursday night into Friday morning) Start Time: Sunday night 5/21/23 at 10pm to 6:00am. They finish up early Friday morning. Thank you for your patience.

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/post/columbia-water-company-will-be-flushing-system-next-week

Free concerts coming to Locust Street Park

 

Huge catfish caught on Susquehanna River in Lancaster County; could it set record?

[Photo:David Mark]

Mike Wherley, of Fayetteville, was fishing below the Safe Harbor Dam around 10:30 a.m. when he caught the big fish using a 12-inch trout as bait.

"I have a scale that goes to 50 pounds, and this one went right past that, so I thought I might have a state record fish," Wherley said.

Matt Musselman, owner of Columbia Bait and Tackle, 470 Front St., Columbia, said he weighed the monster catfish Sunday at 66 pounds, 6.4 ounces.

"I knew it was the record as soon as I saw it," Musselman said. "I see these big fish all the time, and this was the biggest."

If that weight and the catch are verified by the Fish and Boat Commission, the giant flathead would crush the existing state record by 10 pounds.

According to the agency's website, the Pennsylvania record flathead catfish is 56 pounds, 3 ounces. It was caught by Jonathan Pierce of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River in 2020.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/sports/outdoors/huge-catfish-caught-on-susquehanna-river-in-lancaster-county-could-it-set-record/article_185a1488-f566-11ed-9d6c-3ff2fcec2146.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share 

Attendance figures rise at 3 Columbia schools, stay same at 4th

When: Columbia school board meeting, April 20.

What happened: Classroom attendance has gone up this school year at three Columbia Borough schools and remained the same at the fourth, Superintendent Ashley Rizzo told board members.

More info: Park Elementary recorded 92% attendance, up from 91% in the 2021-22 school year. Columbia Middle School/Hill campus registered 91% attendance this year, up from 89% last year, while Columbia High School saw an increase from 85% in 2021-22 to 88% this year. Columbia Middle School/Taylor campus saw 92% of students attend school in both years.

Background: Administrators have tried to involve student families during mandatory attendance meetings with pupils. Families came to 246 out of 285, or 85%, of such gatherings.

Quotable: "We have worked really hard to get families to the table," Rizzo said. "We hope to continue to maintain that progress."

Preparing to graduate: Counselors and staff members continue to work with seniors to get them ready for graduation, Rizzo said. Students at risk now participate in an extra, smaller class that focuses on content and gives students time to complete assignments.

Juniors: Counselors and staff are creating a graduation preparation handbook for juniors to use over the summer.

Lancaster County Academy: The district will see no price increase next year for the five seats it purchased from the alternative education campus, Board President Charles Leader said. Tuition for each student will remain at $5,245.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/attendance-figures-rise-at-3-columbia-schools-stay-same-at-4th/article_104ca4d0-f3e6-11ed-ac0f-ebfd373024bf.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share 

Lancaster County Land Bank issues Request for Bids for 318 Poplar Street

 

Go HERE to download information.