About Town - February 23, 2025

 This week's photos of Columbia

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images.

 

Coin collectors

(They collect the coins from the parking meters.)

The top one is different. 

Something happened to the window at Union Station. 

Officers on duty

Two-seater

Meeting at Mount Bethel

Holding the light

What's the point?

At Nouveau Tea, 3rd & Maple

One of several smoke shops around town

There's another holiday just around the corner. 

Saturday evening clouds

Datestone at Columbia Church of God

Ornaments on historic grave markers

A giant branch broke off of this tree in Locust Street Park and was promptly removed.

Cross at the river

Frosty morning 

Scenic Avenue G 

Do not look for welcome here.

Flags waving

The U.S Flag is starting to fray (like the country). 

 There were snow squalls over the past week. 

Fortunately, not much snow was left behind.

The water company is having a roof replaced. 

But the mayor said there are only two officers per shift.

Up, up, and away!

Windy skies

 

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Restaurant Inspections - Columbia Borough - February 21, 2025

Knights of Columbus Home Association, 400 Maple St., Columbia, Feb. 13. Pass. No violations.

Mr. Joe's Steakhouse, 348 Perry St., Columbia, Feb. 11. Pass. Observed raw shell eggs stored above milk in the reach-in cooler. Employee personal items, echinacea and a type of drops, observed stored in the reach-in cooler above food rather than stored on the bottom and segregated.

Parma Pizza & Grill, 256 Market St., Elizabethtown, opening, Feb. 11. Pass. Raw ground beef was stored above ready-to-eat products in the bain-marie; corrected. Observed a moderate amount of static dust on circulating fan at three-compartment sink. Women's toilet room is not provided with a covered waste receptacle for sanitary napkins. Lights are not shielded or shatterproof over the grill area. A working container of caustic oven cleaner was stored above or on the same shelf with food equipment in the main production area.

Chef Lex, 404 Cherry St., Columbia, opening, Feb. 10. Pass. No violations.

Columbia School Board Votes to CUT Property Tax Rate

 

Columbia taxpayers are about to get a break on their taxes. The Columbia Borough School District Board of Directors voted Thursday night to decrease the district's property tax rate by .4 mills. The measure passed unanimously among the seven directors present. The decrease will reduce the current millage from 26.46 to 26.06 mills.

Borough property owners will save approximately $40 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

The tax reduction was made possible by a $179,600 block grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Ready to Learn Block Grant Tax Equity Supplement. The funds cannot be used until the 2025-26 fiscal year.

(The 2024-25 fiscal year marked the fifth year in a row without a district tax increase.)

The board had discussed five available options for using the grant before choosing Option 1:

1) Mitigating or preventing an increase in the millage rate of real estate property taxes levied by the school district

2) Supplementing the amount calculated by the school district for the homestead and farmstead exclusion under

3) Establishing, maintaining or expanding a program provided by the school district that supplements senior tax rebates

4) Mitigating or replacing the loss of revenue received by the school district resulting from a decision of a court of this commonwealth from previous five years relating to an assessment appeal

5) Reducing debt.

Agenda - Columbia Borough School Board Meeting - February 20, 2025

 

Agendas - Columbia Borough Planning Commission - February 18, 2025

 

Workshop

Regular Meeting 

Deeds Recorded - Columbia Borough - February 17, 2025

Collier Brian, Collier Michelle J. conveyed 545 N. Second St. to Figurell Paul J, Figurell Amanda K. for $264,900.

Valley View Capital LLC conveyed 131 1/2 S. Fourth St. to Jessica Herr for $170,000.

Benjamin K. Lapp conveyed property on a public road to John S. King Enterprises LLC, King John S. Enterprises LLC for $730,000.

Alice M. Best conveyed 505 Locust St. to JBS Homes LLC for $175,000.

[LNP | LancasterOnline] Black business owners in Lancaster County reflect on obstacles, creating path for others [photos, video]

ENELLY BETANCOURT | La Voz Editor and Staff Writer

Lionel "Rocky" Cunningham, co-owner of Rocky's BBQ in Columbia, said he absolutely loves what he does.

"I love grilling. People kept asking me to do it. I got to work with major players in the game and developed my own style, leaning to southern Texas barbecue," Cunningham said. 

Because the cost of real estate was high, Cunningham first established his business as a food truck, which he owned and operated for eight years, but in 2019 moved his business to 28 N. Third St.

His passion for grilling turned to an obsession for smoking meats. He enrolled in BBQ cooking school, competed with an award-winning grill team and later developed his own signature flavor that is now Rocky's BBQ.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/black-business-owners-in-lancaster-county-reflect-on-obstacles-creating-path-for-others-photos-video/article_76d33866-e98c-11ef-af96-632a23f15dd2.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share