About Town - November 12, 2023

 This week's photos of Columbia

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

November 11 was Veterans Day.

Thank you to all who served!

At Tollbooth Antiques

Columbia's mayor once said. "The future of Columbia lies in its past." True. In many ways, Columbia is stuck in the past.

A welcome feature of the downtown 

Some people have a head full of real estate.

A garage door that doubles as a blackboard

This is what happens when you cut corners.

The bloom is off the rose.

"Here be dragons."

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

Looks like something out of one of the Terminator movies.

Stag, ready for the party

A new Christmas mural at Fragments of the Past

(Artist: @anndope)

And there's Santa trying to muscle his way in already.

But this turkey says, "Wait your turn, Fat Man!"

A few glances at the DAC . . . 

Only two of the Crimson 5 moms for liberty gained seats in last Tuesday's election, so, by and large, the board has held strong. Many voters voted for Mike Burke, whom they thought was Coach Mike Burke, but was not - so the joke's on them.

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Still bent

Missing and fractured numbers, kind of like the borough budget

Peppers in the wild

The McClintock clock at the Watch & Clock Museum

Here's how it looked in 2018.

On track

Tough duck hood ornament

The bridge inspectors were out again this past week.

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Sad story:

This heron with a broken wing was spotted in West Hempfield. The bird was captured and transported to Raven Ridge. Unfortunately, his injury was beyond repair, and he had to be euthanized.

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This town needs a real HE-MAN to take care of business.

Coupla guys futzing around down by the railroad

The corn's been harvested at the ol' airfield.

Is this part of a test pit? If the ground's not contaminated, why does it need to be remediated?

Anyway, there's a load of corn in this truck.

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The borough might have the Cycle Den "sheriffed" due to nonpayment of liens.

At the Wright's Ferry Mansion: The front roof is just about done. Now, on to the back.

Lancaster Distilleries on North 4th plans to open its doors soon.

Cherub and a Grecian urn

Bamboo patch

Another smidge of the bridge

OK, let's see it.

Habitat update on South 5th

Go Eagles!

The Columbia Park Rangers cleaned up along Route 441 on Saturday morning.

Jesus, outstanding in his field.

(York County)

What happened to the Smoke & Chill sign?

Taking down the flags Saturday evening

Is that street-legal?

Still not a good name for a drugstore

Zach Lape and others worked out on a hose on Sunday morning at Columbia River Park as part of a 16-hour (two-day) training session that included personnel from West Hempfield and Mountville.

The double murder and suicide that shocked Columbia

On Tuesday, November 8, 1949, a husband and wife and their seven-year-old daughter were found shot to death at 305 Perry Street in Columbia.

Police Chief Eugene H. McManus identified them as Amos Arndt, 39, an employee of the Zimmerman foundry in Marietta, Vernice Barley Arndt, 34, and seven-year-old Patricia Ann.

According to McManus, Arndt apparently shot his wife and daughter with a 30-30 rifle and then shot himself. McManus said there was no evidence of a struggle and theorizes Mrs. Arndt and the girl were shot while asleep by Arndt who then shot himself by placing the muzzle of the rifle in his mouth.

McManus said that Mrs. Arndt previously had her husband arrested for disorderly conduct. Arndt paid the fine and costs of the charge a week previous. Two rifles and a shotgun were taken from Arndt at the time of the arrest, but were returned to him.

The police chief and other local officers were called to the home at about 6 p.m. when a neighbor noticed the daily newspaper hadn't been retrieved and a light was on in the house.

Police forced their way into the house through a window and found the body of Mrs. Arndt on a downstairs sofa, with a bullet wound through her left temple. 7-year-old Patricia, in pajamas, was found in an upstairs bedroom with two bullet holes through the back of her head. Arndt's body, with the rifle by his side, was found at the foot of the bed. The back of his head was blown off.

Dr. I. L. Moyer, deputy coroner of Columbia, issued a verdict of double murder and suicide and determined the shootings occurred about 2:45 a.m.

Private services were held at the Daniel Leber Funeral Home, Eighth and Locust Streets, with Rev, H. J. Behney officiating.

The bodies were interred in a single grave in the Sheaffer Cemetery in Elizabethtown.

[Source: Lancaster Intelligencer Journal]  

A tiny house now sits on the lot at 305 Perry Street, where the original house once stood.

Veterans Day

Every year on November 11, the United States honors and celebrates the bravery and sacrifice of its military veterans. Veterans Day is a day to remember and thank the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces, whether in times of peace or in times of conflict. It is a day to recognize the courage, loyalty, and selflessness of these individuals, and to express gratitude for their service to the nation.

Originally known as Armistice Day, Veterans Day was first celebrated on November 11, 1919, to mark the first anniversary of the end of World War I. The armistice, which ended the fighting between the Allied nations and Germany, went into effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. In 1954, after the end of World War II and the Korean War, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill into law officially changing the name of the holiday to Veterans Day, to honor all American veterans.

Restaurant Inspections - Columbia Borough - November 10, 2023

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

On the Bun, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, opening, Nov. 4. Pass. No violations.

Stover's News, 24 N. Third St., Columbia, Type 3 follow-up, Nov. 2. Pass. No violations.

Union Station Grill, 171-173 S. Fourth St., Columbia, Nov. 2. Pass. Wet-wiping cloths at the cook line not being stored in sanitizer solution. A box of sweet potatoes stored directly on the floor in the kitchen area rather than 6 inches off the floor as required. Deeply scored cutting boards not resurfaced or discarded as required. Old food residue on the inner rim of the slicer. Food crumbs and grease buildup on the floor beneath the char broiler.

Park Elementary School, 50 S. Sixth St., Columbia, Oct. 31. Pass. No violations.

Kristen's Katering, 301 Cherry St., Columbia, Oct. 31. Pass. No violations.

[Source: LNP/LancasterOnline]

 

Columbia needs a permanent homeless shelter, forum participants say

By Gayle Johnson, LNP

Public officials, nonprofits, local businesses, volunteers and community members need to work together to find Columbia a permanent homeless shelter.

That was the consensus among the people who spoke during a Nov. 6 panel discussion on homelessness in the borough.

About 50 people gathered in borough hall to share their thoughts on the local homeless population and listen to input from Borough Council President Heather Zink, borough manager Mark Stivers, police Chief Jack Brommer and pastor David Powers, who runs a homeless shelter out of Columbia Presbyterian Church on South Fourth Street.

Powers operated a homeless shelter with upward of 30 beds at 291 S. Fourth St. until the end of April, when Lancaster Mennonite Conference, which owns the building, leased the space to a congregation.

The pastor petitioned Borough Council for help finding another location in October 2022, but to no avail. So Powers opened Columbia Presbyterian to about 15 unsheltered people. Another eight receive meals and services there but don't spend the night.

"We are packed to the gills," Powers said. "We need a permanent location."

Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition's annual winter count in February found that 526 people across the county were homeless, with 107 people living on the streets and 419 finding space in shelters.

Business owners say the homeless population is becoming more noticeable on the streets of downtown Columbia, and that visibility could be hurting the bottom line.

"We acknowledge that there's a situation that needs a solution," Stivers said. "We've got to find a facility that's going to work."

Many of the people who attended the meeting urged business owners and borough officials to show compassion.

Chris Dreisbach, CEO of Blueprints for Addiction Recovery, spoke about his own battle with homelessness 17 years ago, when he had to sleep in parks and on benches because no one would give me a couch.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/columbia-needs-a-permanent-homeless-shelter-forum-participants-say/article_ef17f612-7f12-11ee-bca4-334bfc5739c3.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share