About Town - July 23, 2023

This week's photos of Columbia

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

Sunflower, above

And below

Waterways Conservation Officer on the job

Big wheel at Tollbooth

Project at Columbia River Park by Girl Scout Troop 70620

Getting more water for core drilling

All in a row

The former airfield - Corn is growing there, and so is Columbia's debt.

The view from 12th & Franklin

Fifth Street Community Fun Day coming July 29, 2023

Something's happening in the field at 4th & Manor. Stay tuned.

A side you don't see too often

Peeking through

Columbia Organ Works

The sign inside says Columbia Organ Leathers.

A look at the pipes

Big house

Little house

Laurel Hill

This goose played sentinel, while others ate dinner.

There's dinner - thousands of mayflies.

Bob Warfel sent these 3 photos of Sunday morning at River Park.

This banner was covered.

More wildfire smoke drifted down from Canada this week.

Several planes flew low into Harrisburg. Was it due to visibility (i.e., lack thereof)?

Someone might've missed the memo about the bridge restrictions. 

Peace and patriotism, here and below

If you don't mess with him, he won't mess with you.

New HVAC units were installed recently at Park Elementary.

New playground equipment was installed also.

What's up with those mortar joints?

Meanwhile, across the river

Homegrown on the 400 block of Chestnut

A little early for Halloween 

WARNING!

UPDATE: ARTEMIS IS BACK AT HOME

 

Artemis. 1 year old cat last seen at home 100 block of S. 2nd St. She is very sweet, is up to date on shots and is fixed. Has extra toes on front paws. If seen or found please contact, text or call, 717-341-4704. Larry and Glenda

[LNP | LancasterOnline] Toxic trains: Real-time hazmat info hard to get, even for Lancaster County's first responders

Getting real-time information on those materials is nearly impossible because in a post-9/11 environment, railroads aren't required to share that information.

Reporters for LNP | LancasterOnline and WITF sought detailed information about train cargo from 12 central Pennsylvania counties. Only three of those counties said they had lists of specific chemicals being carried by trains. None had real-time information.

That secrecy means emergency responders might not know what hazardous materials they're dealing with until they reach the scene, and that there is no single, consistent way to find the information at the scene — all of which could slow response time or put them in danger.

Lancaster County responded with a commodity list from 2021, the most recent available, that detailed 28 most common hazardous materials running through the county on rail. The county also later provided the Hazardous Rail Transit  (HART) Plan for Lancaster County, which addresses railroad transportation risks and gives emergency responders a general response plan.

Municipal responses

Calls to municipal officials throughout the county for records of hazardous materials moving on trains were largely unsuccessful.

Officials from municipalities including East Donegal Township, Columbia, Manor Township, Conestoga Township, Martic Township, Drumore Township and Fulton Township did not return calls for comment. Others from Conoy Township and West Hempfield Township, when asked if they had any type of documents detailing hazardous materials on trains, said no.

State and federal legislators are calling for greater transparency, as ongoing Congressional testimony has shown first responders weren't able to access information about the chemicals in the overturned cars in Ohio right away.

"There's not enough information upfront, and it is frustrating," said Duane Hagelgans, emergency management coordinator for Millersville and Manor Township. Hagelgans also is the fire commissioner for Blue Rock Fire Rescue and a professor of emergency management at Millersville University.

Norfolk Southern, the railroad at the center of the East Palestine disaster, has rail lines in 25 Lancaster County municipalities including Columbia, declined a phone interview and did not give specific details on hazardous materials in the county.

Federal Rail Administration representatives said government officials can request information from railroads annually, but they aren't legally required to provide the information.

County officials, when asked about hazardous materials, said that information is compiled for emergency preparedness and isn't shared publicly.

The 2021 list was created by county personnel, who went to rail lines, observed trains and recorded the hazardous material codes from placards on the side of the cars, said Michael Fitzpatrick, a county government spokesperson, and Zack Gibbons, the hazardous materials administrator for Lancaster Emergency Management Agency.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/toxic-trains-real-time-hazmat-info-hard-to-get-even-for-lancaster-countys-first-responders/article_8eb195e4-259e-11ee-8bc6-9f99975f5e4e.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share 

Hometown Hero banners project back in action

 

Bob Smith (right) and Bob Warfel hang a Hometown Hero banner on Walnut Street Friday morning. 

Bob Smith and Bob Warfel resumed hanging Hometown Hero banners at locations around town on Friday morning (7/21/23). The project was on hiatus since May 15 due to other obligations. 

More banners will be hung on Manor Street Friday afternoon, bringing the total to 415. Currently, there are 115 additional banners to be hung, according to Smith, who spearheads the project.

Restaurant Inspections - Columbia Borough - July 21, 2023

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 866-366-3723, uses a risk-based inspection reporting process for restaurants and other food handlers.

The Golden Whisk Bakery, 245 Locust St., Columbia, July 12. Pass. New food facility in operation more than 90 days and has not employed a certified food employee as required. Food facility has an employee that has taken food safety training program; however, the food safety program was not an ANSI/CFP-accredited certified food manager program. Old food residue in the hand-wash sink in the front service area, indicating uses other than hand-washing. The hand-wash sink in the back food preparation area was blocked by a table, chair and cooling cart, and not accessible at all times for employee use. A child’s toys; one under the drying rack in the food preparation area and one in the receiving area. The back receiving doors located in the rear of the food facility has a gap and does not protect against the entry of insects and rodents. Several live spiders and webbing at the back receiving doors of the facility. A working container of surface sanitizer was stored hanging above food and food equipment on the storage rack in the back food preparation area. A bottle of Bacti-free cleaner and cans of butane fuel were stored on a shelf with food equipment in the back food preparation area.

Rising Sun Nutrition, 50 Lancaster Ave., Columbia, July 12. Pass. No violations.

Knights of Columbus Home Association, 400 Maple St., Columbia, July 11. Pass. No violations.

Former Columbia School Superintendent Tom Strickler is Etown School District's new CFOO

Tom Strickler 

[Columbia Spy file photo]

At its June 13 workshop meeting, the Elizabethtown Area School District Board of Education unanimously approved hiring Tom Strickler as its new Chief Finance and Operations Officer. Strickler replaces Dan Forry, who accepted a similar position with the Penn Manor School District. The Board hired Strickler following an extensive search process that involved a series of interviews. The interview team consisted of district administration, support staff, and school board members.

Strickler’s professional experience includes being the superintendent of schools from 2018-2020 for the Columbia Borough School District. At Columbia, Strickler directed daily operations and long-range planning; hired staff and worked with school board members to secure additional resources; and managed fiscal operations, supervised school principals and district staff, administered curriculum for K-12 students, and ensured compliance with and faithful execution of all Commonwealth of PA laws and regulations.

Strickler also successfully served as Director of Operations at the Eastern Lancaster School District (Elanco). At Elanco, Strickler implemented a comprehensive review of expenditures and obligations to identify pathways for fiscal consolidation; recruited a chief information officer, chief financial officer, and director of human resources to spearhead and lead the drive to increased efficiency and profitability; and successfully achieved cost savings of over $500,000 for the district. Strickler has also been the director of operations for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Resources and a security supervisor for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts.

Strickler graduated from Elizabethtown College, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration - Accounting. Strickler holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Strickler is active with the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, the Mental Health Association of Lancaster County, the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, and Junior Achievement of Central Pennsylvania.

Strickler began his duties with the Elizabethtown Area School District on June 14.

Source

Audio: Columbia Borough Council Meeting - July 11, 2023

 

Columbia Borough officials recently discontinued livestreaming meetings in favor of recording them and posting them on the borough's YouTube channel the next day. The July 11, 2023 meeting, held a week ago, has not been posted. Columbia Spy has posted an audio recording of the meeting, above.

At the meeting, Pastor Wayne Scott (shown above) of Ashley Tabernacle Church of God gently chided Columbia Borough officials about their focus on the downtown at the expense of other aspects of the community: 

"While we're building up downtown - we love what you're doing - don't forget the poor. Don't  forget the rest of the community."

His comments, which were made during a discussion of a block party to be held on South 5th Street, start at 31:45 on the recording.