Year: 2017

Tom Strickler to be named new district superintendent?

The Columbia Borough School Board Committee of the Whole meeting agenda for this coming Thursday, November 2, includes a motion to approve the hiring of Tom Strickler as District Superintendent effective January 1, 2018.

Strickler was hired amid controversy in August of 2016 by the Eastern Lancaster County School District as director of operations for the Columbia Borough School District. ELANCO Superintendent Dr. Robert Hollister has been acting superintendent for Columbia since 2016.

In a recent email, Hollister stated that he fully endorses the decision to consider Strickler as the next superintendent, citing his commitment to the Columbia Borough School District.

Tom Strickler
[Columbia Spy file photo] 

Columbia High School gets a failing grade from the state

The scores shown below are from the state Department of Education’s Pennsylvania School Performance Profile and were published in a recent Penn Live article. They are based on a 100-point scale, with a 90 to 100 considered an A, a 80 to 89 a B, a 70 to 79 a C, a 60 to 69 a D, and an F for a score below 60.

Columbia Borough School District

Columbia Junior-Senior High School

2016-17 Grade: F

2015-16 Grade: D

2014-15 Grade: D

2013-14 Grade: F

2012-13 Grade: F

Park Elementary Elementary School

2016-17 Grade: C

2015-16 Grade: F

2013-14 Grade: C

2012-13 Grade: F

More statistics on the Columbia High School are HERE.

About Town

Recent pics about town…
 The trolley made an appearance on the day of the Halloween parade.

 Here’s a hawk looking down on us humans.

 State police were present along Route 462 at the pipeline site last Friday.

 Mission accomplished, out of here

 Mark Clatterbuck, founder of Lancaster Against Pipelines, at the chapel next to the pipeline site

 At the chapel

 A cause

 And another

 What type of bird is this?

 Weather vane to tell which way the wind blows at borough hall

 Wrong way parking.
Oh well, it’s Columbia.

 Slab for vendors under Columbia Crossing

 Cormorant on the Susquehanna.
Another example of our plentiful wildlife.

 Free hot dogs and fries at United Methodist Church.
The church offered the free goodies every Saturday in October.

 There’s the sign.

 Ernie StrongBear was at the Columbia Market House last Saturday.

He performed several Native American dances, wearing full regalia representing his culture.

Ernie StrongBear is from the Cherokee Native American Tribe. We’re told he was present at a protest a few months ago to protect Native American burial grounds from the advancing pipeline project. 
 And here’s the infamous pipeline snaking across a field belonging to the Adorers of the Blood of Christ that was taken by Williams Partners through court-sanctioned land theft (that is, a corruption of the concept of eminent domain).
 This is a field between Route 462 and Route 30 where the pipeline will continue.
 Here’s another view of the pipeline.
 A billboard near on North Third street, near Burger King
 Meanwhile, at Columbia River Park – what’s up?
 Deer meat?
 Will this mural disappear in 2018?
The backstory is HERE.
 Still there on the 200 block of Walnut, as it has been for many weeks
Part of the old Columbia

Walnut Street sidewalk gets a second helping of trash

Residents on the 200 block of Walnut Street were “treated” to another helping of trash this weekend. A similar pile of trash was deposited last weekend as we reported HERE and was picked up sometime during the middle of the week. 
The photos shown below were taken this morning (Saturday, October 28), but the trash was there since at least yesterday. The pile includes miscellaneous furniture, bags of trash not in appropriate containers – and a storm door with a full pane of glass! The door takes up more than half the sidewalk and is a tripping hazard.