About Town - May 5, 2024

This week's photos of Columbia

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

A mass of honeybees gathered on a slender tree branch.

VIDEO: Mass of honeybees

Hundreds (thousands?) of honeybees "invaded" a tree on the 100 block of Walnut Street this week. A bee colony had split; one group had gathered on a slender tree branch that was drooping from the weight, and another had settled on an intersection of small branches higher in the tree.

 

A second group had settled on an intersection of small branches higher in the tree.

Beekeeper Lori Stahl gathered the bees for relocation.

Fortunately, beekeeper Lori Stahl of Brownstown answered the call. After setting up her equipment and suiting up, she coaxed some of the bees into a bee box. When she found the queen, she enclosed her in a clear plastic clip and placed her in the box, also. The rest of the bees then followed into the box, ready for relocation.

Stahl operates a business called Beebee's All Naturals, whose products have been sold at Hinkle's. She also maintains several apiaries throughout Lancaster and Southeastern York County. 

"It's been a magnificent adventure," she told Columbia Spy.

According to her website, she "earned the Cornell University Master Beekeeper Certification in 2019. She serves on the Pennsylvania Honeybee Advisory Board & in the past has served as the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association representative to the Pennsylvania Farm Council & chaired their legislative committee. She was also treasurer for the Lancaster County Beekeepers Society. She works to initiate programs that will educate the public and beekeepers on ways to help the bees."

A swirl of honeybees

Rousting the bees higher up

Thanks to Heather Goodman of Columbia for the step ladder. 

More bees at the end of this post . . .

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Dandelion puffs

What's the message?

Traveling graffiti

Morning raindrops

Modern Lovers at Columbia River Park

The beauty of rust

The goddess Hebe on Locust Street

Windmill

State Police vehicle during an "acivity" on Locust Street on Thursday

Flag

Nails

Moose

The alien is declaring himself a U.S. citizen.

Somebody tell council.

Fishin'

Snowman

PA Hero/Cancer Research Walk

Walk the Rail Trail.

The Rail Trial?

The Rail Trail!

A poor man's Hyperdrive?

Just hangin'

Workin' on the railroad

Humane Law Enforcement

Falcon watchers back on duty . . .

They were concerned about the bridge inspectors getting too close to the nest.

The bridge inspectors

Meanwhile, in Wrightsville: a lion with a touch of blonde

Columbians call it "Joe's Steak Shop."

A juvenile robin was found hopping around on the upper part of Heritage Drive. It was trailing a 3-foot length of fishing line that was attached to a twig at the other end. Did someone tie it, or did it just get tangled?

The line, which was wrapped around its legs and tangled in its wing, was successfully removed. 

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Bees, bees, and more bees . . . 

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Breaking News: Drug Raid in Columbia, PA Leads to Arrests – ColumbiaPa.Online

Columbia, Pennsylvania — In a joint operation involving local police, state troopers, and DEA agents, a drug raid took place today around noon at a residence in Columbia. The operation targeted suspected drug trafficking activities in the area.

MORE:

https://columbiapa.online/website-news/breaking-news-drug-raid-in-columbia-pa-leads-to-arrests/ 

Woman accents humanity in Civil War Roundtable [The Scribbler] | Local Voices | lancasteronline.com

Cindy Beaston, a Columbia native and Harrisburg Area Community College graduate in history, founded the General Welsh Post 118 Roundtable two years ago. She named it, appropriately, for Columbia native and Union Gen. Thomas Welsh.

"History's always been my thing,'' the 34-year-old Beaston explained following the program. "I emphasize the humanity of it. They fought each other for four years. I want other people to be projected into that. I'm hoping to get people to care.''

All presentations are free and open to the public at the Columbia Library, 24 S. 6th St. The next meeting will be held May 11 at 11 a.m. Beaston will present a Mother's Day program titled "The Backbone of Our country: The Women of the Civil War.''

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/columnists/woman-accents-humanity-in-civil-war-roundtable-the-scribbler/article_2993968c-04cb-11ef-9aea-33fc59c89e4f.html 

Columbia Borough School District moves end of school year to May 31 | Community News | lancasteronline.com

When: Columbia Borough School District board meeting, April 18.

What happened: The board approved an: amendment to the 2023-24 calendar, moving up the last day of school for students to May 31, which will now be an early dismissal day. Faculty and staff will still report to school on June 3, which is now a professional development day.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/columbia-borough-school-district-moves-end-of-school-year-to-may-31/article_cc016500-01bc-11ef-8703-bbf1f0bac332.html 

Live poetry series coming to Columbia's Watch & Clock Museum

 

Columbia officials 'torn' over volunteer work on fountain without approval

GAYLE JOHNSON for LNP | LancasterOnline

When: Columbia Borough Council meeting, April 25. Council member Todd Burgard was absent.

Borough officials expressed surprise after learning that volunteers working to repair the broken fountain in Town Square park replaced its pump and turned on the water before council members voted to approve their actions.

More: Members ultimately approved a motion to allow the Columbia Town Gardeners to fix the fountain, but with caveats. First, volunteers may maintain the fountain for up to a year before going before council again. Also, council members must approve all repairs and any gardening work in Town Square park before they occur.

Why it matters: Allowing anyone to start a project without approval or permits sets a bad precedent and sends the wrong message to Columbia businesses and residents, said Heather Zink, president.

Quotables: “I’m really torn,” Zink said about approving work after completion. “We have people who don’t have permits, and we have to penalize them, and now we’re doing the same thing,” she said. “That group is under the impression they have more authority than they have,” said Mark Stivers, borough manager.

Other comments: “I do appreciate the enthusiasm behind it, but I did not expect to see it running today,” Elizabeth Andrews, who chairs the borough’s parks & recreation advisory board, told council members.

Detail: Barbara Fisher, a council member who previously served on the advisory board, asked fellow members to allow volunteers to maintain the fountain and the park for a year. Peter Stahl, another council member, said the volunteer group’s actions would have been shocking had they replaced the fountain entirely instead of plugging in a new pump.

Background: Council members recently considered removing the broken fountain until volunteers offered to restore it and maintain the water feature as well as the surrounding park. The borough will incur no expense for the fountain.

Restaurant Inspections - Columbia Borough - May 3, 2024

Columbia Pizza and Italian Restaurant, 429 Locust St., Columbia, April 22. Pass. Onions stored directly on the floor in the back area rather than 6 inches off the floor as required. Capicola, deli ham, salami, provolone cheese and sliced tomatoes were held at 51-52 F for an unknown amount of time in the bain-marie rather than 41 F or below as required. The ambient temperature of this unit was 61 F. Temperature-control-for-safety foods are not permitted to be stored in this unit until it maintains a temperature of 41 F or colder. Portable fans in back food preparation area had an accumulation of dust. Rags stored in the hand-wash sink in the front service area. Lights are not shielded or shatterproof over the sandwich preparation area in the back. Side door in the food preparation area is not self-closing and is being propped open. No sign or poster posted at the hand-wash sink in the front service area to remind employees to wash their hands.