Month: April 2016

SCCA to present exhibits April 22

SCCA will present the following on Friday, April 22, 5-9 p.m.: Penn’s Woods Printmakers; Jewelry by Richelle Leigh Walk; Print Signing by painter Frank Morgan and a special exhibition featuring art work from Hempfield High School’s National Art Honor Society.

Most work is available for purchase.
Susquehanna Center for the Creative Arts
224 Locust Street
Columbia, PA  17512
Phone: 717-576-9628 or 717580-9031

About Town

Some recent photos from around town:
Tons of tickets?
Some folks just don’t get the message.

House sparrow coming in for a landing.

Yet another vehicle accident at Fourth and Chestnut
(Early April)
This intersection has seen several accidents over the past few months, all about the same time: 6 to 7 p.m.

What were once stumps are now mulch (at Columbia River Park).
Doug’s Tree Service cut down dead and dying trees along the riverbank a few months ago.
New trees are slated to be planted over the next few months.

Respirator and roses at the old railroad house, now Eastern Drillers.

Seriously, the air is not that bad here.

Off in search of another venue.
Really? Better check it again.
Cedar Street exit ramp to Route 30.

Just the essentials

Columbia Borough’s farm makes money!

The Columbia Borough farm makes money! No, not literally, but it does bring in much-needed revenue for the borough.

Prior to leaving his council seat at the end of 2015, Jim Smith showed Columbia Spy how the borough does it.

“We’ve kept this a secret too long,” he said, referring to the farm hidden just off Blue Lane. Smith wanted residents to know about the operations underway on the property, which he sees as beneficial to the borough. He asked Public Works Director Ron Miller to explain the details:

According to Miller, the farm was in disarray just a short time ago. “ It was a dump,” Miller said. He said it took a year to clean up piles of concrete and debris that had been dumped at the farm over many years. Miller credits Jake Graham of the highway department with grading the entire area, with the aid of local excavator Sam Logan, who provided a bulldozer to help complete the work.

After this initial phase was finished, phase two was put into place: Miller applied for and obtained a permit to operate a yard waste facility. He also obtained a grant to purchase equipment required for the operation, thereby saving the borough thousands of dollars on the purchase. Currently, 12 municipalities dump yard waste at the farm, at a cost of $25 a ton. The material is then recycled and sold. (Used asphalt from from road milling is also taken to the farm, where it is processed for reuse in road paving.) Miller projects that the operation could potentially bring in $100,000 this year for the borough, simply by turning what was once perceived as trash into welcome treasure.

Former Columbia Borough Councilman Jim Smith and Public Works Director Ron Miller at the borough farm.

Used asphalt from road milling is taken to the farm, where it is processed for reuse as paving material.

Piles of stone are also kept at the farm for use in road projects.

Workers handle yard waste at the farm.

Materials for road construction are stored at the borough farm.

The borough farm, high on a hill, overlooks other farmland in this pastoral area of Lancaster County.

Crews are kept busy with the operation at the facility.

Just one of the pieces of equipment used at the facility.

Mulch piling up at the farm.

Ribbon-cutting opens new dental center in Columbia

Left to right: Becky Murphy, Don Murphy, Pete Ross, Jodie Reinhart, Kyra Schirk (dentist), Tiffany Keim (program coordinator), Tom Regan (cutting ribbon – vice chair of board), Philip K. Goropoulos (president CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health)
The CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health Dental Center was officially opened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Thursday afternoon. The center, at 401 Locust Street, offers six child-friendly chairs and will provide high quality, affordable dental care for local children.  No insurance is required for service, but CHIP, Medicaid and private insurance are accepted. The St. Joseph Access Plan is available to dental center patients and provides uninsured families with generous discounts on dental care based on household income. Don and Becky Murphy of Cimarron Investments are providing space for the center.
To schedule an appointment or to learn more about the center, call 1-844-836-8871, or visit CHIDentalCenter.org.