Photos from around Columbia over the past week…
The vulture…
He’s still there in his attic apartment.
Here are a few more rentals for our avian friends.
And here’s an eviction notice that must have been filled out in invisible ink.
This company has been laying the bricks down at the bridge plaza.
Here’s a guy mowing the grass near the plaza.
Here’s a newly planted cherry tree at River Park.
And here’s a previously planted clump birch.
It appears as though someone – or several someones – killed this black snake.
It was lying under the Route 30 overpass, near the bottom of the high school hill, along with potentially incriminating evidence.
Testing the water down at the boat ramp
This photo was shot in Lancaster but lately seems relevant to Columbia.
Built-in bird bath
Down by the river
If looks could kill
Newly planted trees along Heritage Drive
Here, too . . . behind the fence
Quick ticket, please!
That first block of Union – Yes, it’s public.
This section, which leads to Columbia’s other public boat ramp, should be widened and paved. It’s difficult to understand why the borough hasn’t done this . . . or is it?
And here’s the ramp. A little work, and it’ll be good to go.
Two bridges
Those awnings…
Nice!
Bikes
A reader submitted this photo of a mattress on the sidewalk on South 4th.
We checked it out, and yep, there it was, although someone had the courtesy to lean it against the fence.
Further down, at 3rd & Perry: rolled-up carpet
A few blocks further north on 3rd – a public toilet. It almost hides that ugly gas fixture.
So: a mattress, a carpet, and a toilet – everything necessary for sidewalk living.
Early Sunday morning – the signs say “OPEN.”
But this one says, “Closed Sunday.”
Ticketed, and rightly so
Dancing doors down at Bootleg Antiques
Hanging out a bit
This must be Columbia. Three signs hint at that.
City Gate’s May Calendar of Events
Taking down the chimney, brick by brick. This is right next to the hole in the ground near the bottom of Locust.
In case you want to go biking outside but also want to stay stationary
Yes it is. Not just for the wealthy, privileged few.
Balloon man!
Proud sponsors of the upcoming Hero Walk/Ride
The former chip factory, soon to be a hotel
The trash runneth over.
Construction continues at the library.
Religious symbolism
The weeping angel might be praying for Columbia.
A reader submitted the following historical photos:
The former tollbooth at the bridge entrance
3rd & Locust
The former railroad station, now Eastern Drillers, can be seen in the background here.
The former Columbia Brewing Company on South 4th Street…
In the book, Columbia the Gem, a passage recounts the time the Feds raided the building during Prohibition, chopped open all the barrels of beer and poured the contents into the street. The beer reportedly flowed down 4th Street towards Shawnee Run, where residents collected it in buckets.
A school tax receipt from 1886.
Things were cheaper then.
Columbia Spy 
Please revise your caption under the Becker Chip Factory to correctly state “soon to be Clarion Hotel”, not “apartments”….unless of course you are trying incite comments.Other than that, great pictures as always.
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You said the former chip factory, soon to be apartment building? Thought it was going to be a hotel?
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I think chip factory suppose be a hotel not apartment building.
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You're right. My mistake. It's been corrected.
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Look Leo Lancaster has a dog!
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Columbia codes is ticketing people who don't have lids on trash cans , they say it is to keep animals out of trash , what's up with the over running trash in there trash container????
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Good job Columbia police ticketing cars parked to close to intersections , now what about the mayor's truck ????
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They can't do anything to the union street boat ramp , it is NOT part of the money pit.
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LOOK mayor Lutz and Lynn a dog (officer) in Lancaster , where Columbia's dog ? Looks like it works there. ( sorry not trying to pick on Lynn but her comments were off the wall and her caring for other peoples safety and protection were mill)
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Cole your reflection in the window at the cross gate is cool.
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Who's grass is it at the 32,000 dollar fence and why are the trees planted in the yards of cottage owners , do they hare to trim and keep them like the ones up in town along streets? QUICK TICKETS FOR THE GRASS ARE IN ORDER!
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Wonderful!!!
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Great pictures but then they are always great
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Cole I have the pic of the beer flowing down the creek , I will send it when I find it.
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See people are looking. they notice. 🙂
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I hope this picture of Bootleg is a work in progress. It looks like a dump site!
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Indeed they are.
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That's what I was thinking. I hope they don't think those doors all askew look like art. It just looks sloppy!
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Never going to happen. Certain people get certain exceptions. Drive around town and look at some places that are despicable and never show signs of improvement, but they never seen to be cited. Also, who knows who is cited? Is there a list? Also, notice all the handicap parking spaces in front of residences. Used to be they were hard to get, 2nd street got a new one, Union street has many!!! How about the double parking in Columbia? Apparently on Union and 5th and Cherry street!! Why aren't these people getting tickets!!!
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If they planted trees in my yard I would cut them down
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Why are we talking about that fence again and every time the cost is different don't we have more things to worry about in town then that fence
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The same reason the mayor doesn't get a ticket (20 feet to a cross walk) do as I say not as I do.
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You can't if it is in front of the house in town , you need a permit even to trim them to there specs.
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$32,000 fence if it is ok why don't you pay for it.
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Like the stuffed chair at 313 cherry street has been there a half a year.
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$8000 in trees $32,000 fence has stayed the same ,Ron Millar stated at council meeting
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What a sight for locust street trash overflowing!
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Handicapped Parking is considered after medical documentation is submitted then approved by the Boro.
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To anonymous 1, people in glass houses should not throw stones. Take a close look at the property you live in, talk about code violations….
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I am paying for it because i am a tax payer also what about all the other things in town that we are paying for all the different study's the council keeps doing are they ok and the buildings they keep buying with are tax money
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Thank you! Accuracy should be paramount in journalism, even if it is freelance.
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Maybe the bank museum can buy some.
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Lay off the Bank Museum already. I think it was explained quite well by the owner in a past article. Get off your butt and do something for the town instead of sarcastic remarks on here.
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So am I and if we let this stuff go our council will keep pissing OUR tax dollars away , like 208-210 $ 126,000 into it and sold it for $1.oo , that's a 125,999 dollar LOSS.
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Mayor Lutz WE NEED A POLICE DOG , open your eyes , and what happened to bike patrol?
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We need a police dog to track down cheaper estimates for the boro!!!!
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Kickbacks??????
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I sent 2 pics that shows the beer suds going down the creek, the feds wasted a lot of beer that day.
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I have one question , who is really in charge in the borough ? We have a borough manager , a assistance manager , a controller , a mayor , and a lot of other managers ,so who has final say . Someone has to be held accountable when you can't even pay a ticket at the window ? Most of these positions are not elected so who do they answer too , so what I am saying is WHO IS IN CHARGE??
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Thanks! I'll post them this week.
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How does one report or inquire about code issues? So much activity goes on but who and how can you contact bbq anyone.
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Good question too many employees for our small borough. We don't need an asst. manager. She's not even from our area but getting paid from our tax money plus a few others.
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Agree
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Most of these people don't live in the borough and frankly they are here for a pay check and don't care about this town , but someone in the borough keeps hiring them to clean up a mess that Jeff Helm made do to selective enforcement over 20 years , now they think they can clean it up in a year or two. We all should have the same time the bank museum has had , 20 + years . It is not that people don't want to fix up there properties , with the taxes (the highest around) it will take time. BUT WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE BOROUGH ? Who , oked all the new hires at tax players expense to harress the tax payers ? And did council president get a letter about the pealing paint in his garden poles etc or is this like the mayor parking illegaly in front of the borough???? SLECTIVE ENFORCMENT STILL, read spy article from 2015 it was then and still in 2018 . REALLY Does the borough think it is above the law ? Maybe the people who pay the taxes should consider a class action suit because it has gone on way to long.
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I don't know there web site is like talking to them , it is SMOKE and minors .
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The controller is from Wrightsville . She might be the one in charge .
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$2000 to seal steps $20,000 cement slab under the money pit and a borough employee to clean the area , not to mention $115,000 to Susquhanna h. to manage it , and $11,000 to manage the trolley and the borough pays the driver and all maintaince. GEZZZZZ MONEY PIT
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$300,000 lites on 462 state rd.
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The explaination was that they don't have the money , other people don't either but the borough don't care , what is the difference ? 20 + years is a long time to be boarded up!
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Not trying to get on the museum but other property owners have got letters from the codes dept on every thing from paint to stacks of fire wood , so what is the difference ??? DISCRIMENATION ? Or selective enforcement (created by Mr Helm 30 + years ago)
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