The Elizabethtown Area School District board unanimously appointed Tom Strickler to be the district’s next superintendent beginning July 1. Strickler, the district’s chief financial and operations officer, will be doing two jobs at once.
The board did not consider any outside candidates for the role and are not planning to fill the chief financial officer position. Strickler will continue fulfilling those duties as he takes on the superintendent role for a $213,106 annual salary. His contract allows for annual 4.1% salary increases and longevity bonuses. (In the 2025-26 school year, the top-paid Lancaster County superintendent, Keith Miles of School District of Lancaster, was paid $244,593).
Strickler’s salary as CFOO in 2024-25 was $139,725, according to openPAgov.org, a public education transparency project of the Commonwealth Foundation.
Strickler joined the school district as CFOO in 2023, after Columbia Borough School District replaced him as superintendent in 2020. The board voted in May 2020 to conduct a search for a new superintendent rather than renew Strickler’s contract — despite community backlash over the decision — and Columbia’s current superintendent, Ashley Rizzo stepped into the job in January 2021.
Strickler had started as the district’s superintendent in January 2018.
At the June 23 Columbia Borough Council meeting, President Eric Kauffman opened the discussion on the draft data center ordinance by stating that borough officials met with representatives of Saadia Holdings LLC recently. This is the first time residents heard that Saadia is still interested in purchasing the former McGinness tract. “They’re still in,” Kauffman said.
Kauffman: “They’re still in.” [File photo]
Council Vice President Heather Zink said that Saadia’s attorney, Claudia Shank, met with borough staff last week and submitted a redlined copy of the proposed ordinance. Zink was careful to frame the contact as informational rather than collaborative.
“The Saadia group met with staff this past week,” Zink said, adding that the company was shown the borough’s draft “not for them to look at us, but for them to see what we’re considering.”
A second look at the draft Zink said she had little time to fully review Shank’s proposed redline before the meeting, calling the weeks leading up to it “out of control,” but she walked council through the changes she was prepared to accept, and several she wasn’t.
Among the items Zink recommended striking was a “community noise equivalent level” standard that had been pulled from a York County model ordinance. She argued the metric would only confuse residents and developers trying to apply the borough’s decibel limits, calling it “another level to read and keep track of” that doesn’t add protection for nearby property owners. Council appeared to agree to remove that section.
Zink did back two changes favorable to clarifying enforcement: expanding the data center definition to explicitly include accessory uses and electric substations, which she said closes a potential loophole that could otherwise invite litigation, and including community parks — not just playgrounds and trails — in the ordinance’s list of protected “sensitive receptors.”
Setbacks debated, then scaled back The most extended discussion centered on how far a data center would have to sit from neighboring property lines. An earlier draft had proposed 500 feet, a figure Zink said she’d found in another state’s model ordinance, but she told council that requirement would effectively make the site unbuildable.
“It’s one thing to have something allowed in your zoning ordinance, and it’s another thing to put the restrictions so much that you can’t do anything,” Zink said, calling an effectively prohibitive setback “another form of exclusionary” zoning.
Council voted to table the remainder of the redline — covering parking and other site requirements — until members have had more time to review it.
Conditional use vs. special exception Council also revisited a procedural question it believed had already been settled: whether a future data center proposal should require “conditional use” approval, heard by council itself after a public hearing, or a “special exception,” heard by the borough’s zoning hearing board.
Council members said they preferred conditional use regardless of the timing risk. Zink said she felt bound by what she’d heard from residents.
Zink: “We heard from the public that they wanted us to take our time with this.” [File photo]
“We heard from the public that they wanted us to take our time with this,” Zink said. “For me, that means I’m pretty married to conditional use.”
Council also discussed retaining a community benefits agreement requirement, which Zink said was intentionally written in general terms, addressing things like clean energy commitments and penalties for non-compliance, with fire company donations, utility assistance funding and impact fees offered only as examples of what such an agreement might include, not an exhaustive list.
Background: a bid rejected, then a do-over In May, Saadia Holdings LLC — a New York-based company that operates a distribution center in West Hempfield Township and was the property’s sole bidder — submitted a $6.35 million offer. Word that the proposal involved a data center drew hundreds of residents to a four-and-a-half-hour council meeting at the Columbia Borough Fire Hall, where speakers raised concerns about noise, water and electricity demand, and effects on property values. Council voted 7-0 to reject the bid, but on a procedural technicality: Saadia’s offer didn’t guarantee full payment within the 60 days required by state law for a sealed-bid sale, since the company wanted to wait until its site plans won borough approval.
A Columbia Borough resident has asked Mayor Leo Lutz to rescind his proclamation declaring June 2026 as Pride Month.
At the June 23 Columbia Borough Council Meeting, resident Jesse Rabinowitz told council he objects to the proclamation on religious and philosophical grounds. Reading from a prepared statement, he said that while he believes every person has equal worth because they are “created in the image of God,” he does not believe publicly celebrating LGBT identity or pride is the right way to express that respect.
He argued that the proclamation “is an open door for public celebrations of homosexuality and pride, which undermines our community,” and said he and others in attendance consider it “logically inconsistent to seek equality by elevating one group above others.”
Rabinowitz also said he wants Columbia to remain a town “where families are comfortable walking downtown and enjoying our rich history, shopping at our 34 antique shops and sitting down for a bite at Hinkle’s without having one group’s flag publicly flying over the town.” He asked Lutz to retract the proclamation, saying it does not represent the whole community.
Lutz responded by defending his decision, noting that in his nearly 25 years as mayor he has issued proclamations for many nationally recognized causes regardless of his personal views.
“Whether I agree with it or not is not material,” Lutz said. “I have my own personal feelings and beliefs. But as mayor, if I am asked to do something for a group that is basically recognized nationally, I probably will do it.”
Lutz pointed to two passages he said were the heart of the proclamation: language affirming that the nation was founded on the principle that “every person is created equal” with a right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” and language stating that it is “essential that our LGBTQIA+ youth be accorded the freedom to be themselves without fear and live free from reprisal, discrimination or bullying.” Lutz said those two points were why he signed the proclamation. “I will stand by it,” he said.
The proclamation, issued June 9, states that Pride Month is “a time to recognize and celebrate the impact of LGBTQIA+ individuals locally, nationally, and internationally” and that the community “is strengthened by the rich diversity of our residents.” Several audience members applauded after Lutz’s remarks.
[Rabinowitz was recently appointed as a member of the Columbia Borough Zoning Hearing Board.]
A little bit about the painted fire hydrants from Stephanie Gantz who organized it…
Q&A about the Patriotic Paint-A-Plug Event:
1. It is a community beautification event, a contest for the artists and a fundraiser for the 4th of July Community Carnival. The public can vote at the link above. You can also access the voting site by scanning the QR codes on the signs beside each hydrant.
2. The hydrants are owned by Columbia Water and leased by the Borough for use by the fire department. We received approval from all three before proceeding with the event. All hydrants maintain the original color on the front nut that is the color coded piece the fire department uses to know the water pressure available at the hydrant. This direction is per Columbia Water. The hydrants are all still fully functional.
3. The hydrants were cleaned of rust and painted with a high-quality direct to metal primer as a fresh base for the artists. This material and labor was generously donated by L. Weber Painting.
4. We are very grateful to all of the artists who created such creative designs that illustrate what patriotism means to us.
5. We are very grateful for the generosity of all 11 sponsors – all wonderful residents, businesses, and organizations committed to supporting events like this in Marietta.
6. Below is a map showing the location of all of the decorated hydrants. Please take a stroll, roll, or drive around the community and visit them all in person. You won’t be disappointed! And while you are out, grab a coffee, a bite to eat, some ice cream or a drink in town!
Location 1. 264 W Market St – Sponsored by the Marietta Community House Artists: students at the Under the Willow School
Location 2. 214 W Market St – Sponsored by Covenant Veterinary Care Artist: Naomi Bloom
Location 3. 145 W Market St – Sponsored by Susquehanna Stage Artist: Jim Johnson
Location 4. 44 W Market St – Sponsored by Express Laundry, LLC Artist: Saint Maree
Location 5. 10 E Front St- Sponsored by Shanks Tavern Artist: Kelly McCart
Location 6. 100 E Market St – Sponsored by Molly’s Courtyard Cafe Artist: Tina Blizzard
Location 7. 302 E Market St – Sponsored by Mike and Sheila Stotler Artist: Jesse Prentiss
Location 8. 590 E Market St Sponsored by Marietta Restoration Association Artist: Noel Fry
Location 9. 18 W Walnut St Sponsor LunaPic Artist: students and parents at Susquehanna Waldorf School
Location 10. 205 E Market St Sponsor Swedish Motors Artist: Tracey McCarriar
Location 11. 310 W Market St Sponsor The Mavens of Marietta Artist: Jennifer VonStein
A stabbing was reported Tuesday afternoon on Fairview Avenue in Columbia Borough, according to dispatch audio obtained from local emergency communications.
The incident was logged at approximately 1:39 PM EDT on June 23. 2026. Dispatch audio reveals that units were called to a residence on Fairview Avenue – believed to be in the area of 638 Fairview Ave – in response to a stabbing. The call was classified as an *Assault**
According to the auto-generated dispatch transcript, the call originated from Columbia Borough, with the specific address number withheld by dispatchers. Medic 776 was among the units responding to the scene.
The condition of any potential victim or victims has not been officially confirmed at this time. Columbia Borough Police have not vet released an official statement regarding the incident
*This report is based on dispatch audio. Dispatch transcripts are auto-generated and may be incomplete or inaccurate. This is not an official report.*
Marietta, Lancaster County is holding a fantastic fundraiser called Marietta Patriotic Paint-a-Plug. It benefits the Marietta Carnival on July 4th time- 4:30-8:30pm, followed by Fireworks at 9:15pm. They will have Games, live music and Food trucks. The location of the carnival is at the Marietta War Memorial Park, located at 344 E Walnut Street, Marietta.
11 different fire hydrants sponsored by local businesses throughout Marietta Borough have been painted by local artists.
L. Weber Painting sponsored the supplies to the artists. They also prepared the hydrants for the artists to paint.
History of painting the hydrant The nationwide trend of painting fire hydrants began as a grassroots civic movement during the United States Bicentennial in 1976. Across the country, ordinary citizens, Boy Scouts, and garden clubs transformed local hydrants into historical figures, soldiers, and patriotic designs to celebrate the country’s 200th birthday. This July 4th is 250th and it’s impressive to see Marietta bring history back to the town.
These photos are from 1976:
(Photos are not mine. Credits to the photographers who took them.)
Meet One Of The Artists
Tracey McCarriar is one of the Local Artists. She also does photography take a look at some her work out at tmcphotos.com
Vote for your favorite fire hydrant. Voting will close on July 4th at 4:30pm.
The winner will be announced at the Marietta Carnival. Please vote and support the Fundraiser, Local Artists and Businesses.
All 26 piers of the Veterans Memorial Bridge will blaze Sunday night for the first time in more than a decade, marking a milestone moment for the annual Riverfest celebration between Columbia and Wrightsville.
The lighting will take place around 7:45 p.m. on June 28, with the bridge closed to vehicle traffic and open to pedestrians so visitors can get a clear view. While the piers are set to be lit at that time, organizers say there’s no way to predict how long the burn will last.
The piers, remnants of earlier bridges that once spanned the Susquehanna River before the current Veterans Memorial Bridge was completed in 1930, are typically lit only a few at a time each year by the Susquehanna National Heritage Area as part of Riverfest.
The last time all of the surviving stone piers were lit simultaneously was in 2013 for the 150th anniversary of the original bridge burning. This year’s full lighting honors the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Riverfest itself commemorates a piece of Civil War history: in June 1863, residents of York and Lancaster counties burned the covered bridge that once crossed the river there, blocking Confederate troops from advancing toward Harrisburg and Philadelphia. The festival runs Friday through Sunday this year and celebrates the shared histories of both counties.
Ahead of the lighting, the public can attend a “Light Up the Night” viewing party at Columbia Crossing, 41 Walnut St. in Columbia, starting at 6 p.m. The Maxwell Project will perform live there from 6 to 8 p.m. A related talk featuring speaker Scott Mingus is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the same location.
Lancaster County Democrats are garnering national attention in their attempts to flip or hold on to seats in Republican-friendly areas, according to campaign finance disclosure forms filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State last week.
Donations from as far away as the West Coast have helped Columbia Democrat Brad Chambers and East Petersburg Democrat James Malone outpace their Republican challengers in fundraising heading into the summer.
In the 36th Senate District, Malone has more than twice as much money to spend on his reelection campaign compared to GOP opponent Tom Jones, while in the 41st House District, Chambers has nearly $10,000 more than incumbent Brett Miller.
Democrats have expressed optimism about their chances of flipping the 41st District, which has become more purple in recent years and includes the Columbia Borough and Hempfield school districts. Most of the House district is contained in Malone’s 36th Senate District, a longtime deep-red district that broke for Democrats in a 2025 special election.
Chambers, a 35-year-old labor administrator from Columbia, reported having $101,352 on hand to spend at the start of the summer, raising more than $25,000 from May 5 to June 8. Miller, who is defending his seat, is not far behind with $93,436 available to spend on his own campaign, bringing in $12,525 during that same time period.
Mechanical rough-ins are underway at the five-unit Linden Street build in Columbia. HVAC professionals are on onsite this week and are expected to wrap up their work next week. Electrical and fire suppression work will also be getting done onsite this week.
Habitat for Humanity estimates it will need a few more weeks to let subcontractors get onsite and complete their work before volunteer shifts resume at Linden.
In the meantime, read about two of the Linden Street homebuyers Donescha and Stephanie. [Source: Lancaster Lebanon Habitat for Humanity June 24-26 Weekly Construction Update newsletter]
Columbia Spy 