About Town

Recent pics about town . . .

This helicopter with a dangling cable has been flying around the area lately.

Columbia Park Rangers spruced up the plaza area across from Rotary Park last week.

 Bicycle built for two plus one.

Bicycle icons were spray-painted at Columbia River Park and on the sidewalk along Route 441 Thursday morning.

The icons mark the route to and from the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail.

The icons continue along the sidewalk towards Bridge Street.

“The Little Trolley That Could” chuggin’ over the tracks.

 New informational sign at Columbia Crossing
Pigeon with an aura

Parochial school advertising on public school property?

Bricking it up at Second and Locust
Interesting that this symbol is being displayed a few hundred feet from where the bridge was burned.

One of the many “ghost signs” around town of industries from years past. The link HERE claims the building was the home of the Columbia Laundry Machinery Company, but the first word is hard to see, because another word appears to be superimposed on it. One appears to be “SUPERIOR,” in which case the sign would read “SUPERIOR LAUNDRY MACHINERY.” The word at the top, near the peak, looks like “KEYSTONE.”

A few steps down the street at Bootleg Antiques, another ghost sign is being revived.
A few days later, as painting progressed, the sign looked like this.

As with the previous sign, the first word isn’t legible.

 Missing finial on one of the bridge lights

 Seen on the bridge today – a precursor to invasion?

Train speeding by, inches from the walkway near Front and Walnut. Nothing separates the walkway from the train, except a soft cushion of air: no railing, no fence.

 Newfangled TV antenna?
 Pondering death.
Do catbirds get nine lives?

 Penthouse nest

 Yield – just don’t read the footnote.

 Antiques . . . 1.5 miles? Where would that be?
Is this sign even legal?
 Here’s the back of the same sign, professionally attached.

No, that’s not a billboard outside Hinkle’s Restaurant. Well, actually, it is –  a moving one, called a 55-foot trailer.
Time for a scratch

Or time for the flea spray?

Broken cycle

Pedestrian killed at Cherry and 462

A 73-year-old woman was killed shortly after noon today at the intersection of Cherry Street and Lancaster Avenue after being hit by a pickup truck. Reportedly, the truck turned north onto Lancaster Avenue from Cherry Street and struck the woman, who was crossing the road towards Locust Street Park. Emergency personnel performed CPR at the scene, but the woman later died of her injuries. The intersection was closed for several hours as police investigated the accident scene.

Jumping the gun on parking?

This photograph was taken this morning, Saturday, May 28th. Two of the signs shown are contradictory. One of the signs on the left states that parking in the main lot is reserved for vehicles with trailers only from Memorial Day to Labor Day. (Memorial Day is this coming Monday, May 30.) The larger sign on the right implies that the restriction is effective immediately – today, two days early.

With a busy weekend in store, visitors will need all available parking, and the borough shouldn’t be too quick to limit it – or to confuse people with contradictory signs.

(FYI from The Spy: Additional parking is available in the meadow just north of the Veterans Memorial Bridge. This area can be accessed via the dirt road next to the chain-link fence at the railroad tracks.)

Columbia board backs 2 percent tax hike

Columbia homeowners can expect a 2 percent increase in their 2016-17 taxes if the proposed $23.7 million budget is approved.
The board voted 7-0 on May 12 in favor of the proposed budget, with two board members absent. The board’s final approval is set for June 16.

Scenes from the Trolley

Columbia launched its trolley Wednesday night. More precisely, it began renting the trolley on a trial basis. Columbia Borough Council approved the move at its April 11 meeting after a presentation by Daisy Pagan, who is championing the project through the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Rivertowne Trolley Company will provide the service with a 24-seat trolley that was recently restored. Service will run from Memorial Day weekend (5/26/16) through Labor Day weekend (9/2/16), 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and as needed for special events, and extended for Fourth Fridays.

The Turkey Hill Experience has agreed to contribute signage, parking attendants at lots, and an informational piece to be distributed to all guests.


Daisy Pagan, who spearheaded the project, cuts the ribbon.

The tentative trolley route is shown in red below: