Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Deeds Recorded - Columbia Borough - February 25, 2025


Valley View Capital LLC conveyed 436 N. Fourth St. to Gebremariam Menen Kidane for $215,000.

Monday, February 24, 2025

Procession for fallen Officer Andrew Duarte passes through Columbia Monday morning


The Lancaster County Fire Chiefs Association coordinated a procession to transport fallen West York Borough police officer Andrew Duarte to Lehigh Valley.

The procession departed from the York County Coroner's Office at approximately 7 a.m. Monday, traveling eastbound on Route 30 before heading north on Route 222. Columbia Borough Police officers paid their respects with a salute as the procession passed, and Columbia Borough Firefighters positioned themselves with apparatus on the Major General Edward C. Shannon Memorial Bridge.

Duarte, who had recently turned 30, served as a police officer for more than six years before losing his life in the UPMC Memorial Hospital shooting.
 







Sunday, February 23, 2025

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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Friday, February 21, 2025

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.


Thursday, February 20, 2025

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