The hopes, wishes, and, yes, gripes of trail users will be heard at a public forum on Saturday, March 16, at the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, 41 Walnut St., Columbia. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m., and the program will run from 9 to 11 a.m.
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Columbia Spy 
Should be a packed session as much as the ney sayers on here talk, but doubtful anyone shows up. People like to complain so here is your chance. Probably also won't be covered either by the spy or news and views as it is something good
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Well spoken, tax tax tax, Mayor Lutz can’t park there, tax tax tax, Don Murphy can’t do that, Norm will save us, tax tax tax, council must be replaced, the town is failing and so on and so on…
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Probably all ready in the works so what's the use. Tax Payers don't have much say in this town they just take our money. Spend spend and spend. See who puts a grocery store in Musser's that we need.
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Hahahaha…….just listen to yourselves!!!! Council is a joke and so is the mayor. Who cares about Don Murphy, as long as he is self sustaining I support his efforts. Bring my property value up and bring me buyers so I can get the hell out of here!!!
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#foundthecouncilmember
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Spend, spend, spend. The PA state constitution is what will “save” us. Open your eyes and perhaps your mind will follow.
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Add up how many millions of dollars the taxpayers will owe in matching grants, then tell us how great all these ideas are. Pay attention or just pay.
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Keep it simple. Benches and port spots along the trail. If you spend $8 or $9 MILLION MORE ON RIVER PARK I think thats a slap in the face to all the hardworking middle class homeowners who are trying to sustain this town. MUST LISTEN TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
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Amen all of these people that want this should start with painting over the slang on the trails cement wall , they say this is the enterence to Columbia so put your body to work before you want tax payers money, and no way did 96000 people use that trail,they preloaded the counters to 80000 to start with, you can say what you want but the town knows the truth.
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Can anyone use the kitchen yet???????
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$45,000 for half the study for starters,,NO MORE DAMB RIVER PARK , how hard is that!
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Ok lets see , we had to raise taxes to make ends meet ,so why even think about spending money for outsiders? This is just common sense for most of us , that trail and money pit are not going any where, use them and be happy with what you got, and hope they remain in the condition they are in now……. PAINT THE WALL IT LOOKS LIKE HELL , people have to paint there houses, so practice what you preach.
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Why use our TAXES for outside people who dob't pay a cent here. They come take a ride and leave. Take a survey how many people from our town use it. And the employees cost us money too.
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What about the people who DO live here and DO pay taxes? At leas one person in my family uses that trail EVERY SINGLE DAY. If you are not taking advantage of the recreational opportunities that are available to you, that is unfortunate. Besides, if you will recall, very few of your tax dollars actually were used for the construction of the river park and trail. People coming here from other towns to ride bikes, run, walk, fish, bird watch, or whatever, also eat, drink, buy fuel, purchase supplies, and spend time in our community doing other things. That translates into revenue for our local economy. Look at the cars with the bikes on their racks around town on a weekend, those are not Columbia folks parked outside the brewpub or antique shop, by and large, residents here would not need to drive their bikes to the trail.
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Your assuming alot.
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No, not really. Use the trail. visit the river park for a picnic. You'll see not only how nice, but also how popular they are. Look around town on a nice weekend and notice how many folks have bikes or kayaks on their cars. Its not hard to see. Other posters here are right. This site peddles negativity and many of us that comment here never have anything good to say about anything in town. I am over-joyed that I have 16 miles of traffic-fee trail to run, walk, and bike. My children can ride their bikes there unfettered and I don't have to worry about cars. In the summer, there's not much better than walking down to the water to catch a sunset on a random Tuesday night. These are things that I value in a hometown. When I come home from work, I want recreational opportunities. We have plenty! And there're good ones! That's one of the main reasons why I bought I home in Columbia. Don't assume that because you don't take advantage of them that other do not place a high value upon them.
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I know an out-of-town couple that frequent the antique shops in Columbia, but always leave to eat in other towns. The trail is not very safe for pedestrians, you nearly get run down by the cyclists. Revenue for our local economy? Revenue for the business owners.
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Walked the trail once and spent most of my time dodging the unfettered bicyclists. Will never do it again unless bicycles are banned.
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Wow. The last poster is right. Everything is always so negative. No offense, but you are missing so many good things in what you just wrote. I’ll break it down for you:1) I know an out-of-town couple that frequent the antique shops in Columbia, but always leave to eat in other towns. Out of town folks are frequenting our antique shops. This is a good thing. People are coming here and spending money. Sure, maybe all of them are not staying for a meal, you can’t win them all, right? But you can win some and some is better than none. 2) The trail is not very safe for pedestrians, you nearly get run down by the cyclists. While I disagree and feel very safe on the trail, you are realizing that there is traffic on the trail and that means it’s popular and being used. That’s a good thing. This also presents an opportunity to learn about and practice safety, courtesy, and sharing. These are good values to live by and teach to our children. 3) Revenue for our local economy? Revenue for the business owners.Vibrant businesses are worth more that blighted, vacant storefronts. That helps to stabilize the tax base, which helps to make large tax increases in the future less necessary. Plus, it means jobs for residents, as well as services and places for us to frequent as well. You see, the thing about Fraggle Rock is that the Fraggles never left the rock. They never saw things from the outside in. There are always more than one way to look anything.
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You can still walk to the river and see the sunset without spending a fortune.
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#foundthecouncilmemberFunny how when you disagree with council or other powers to be, you ar called “negative”. This site isn't for those who refuse to take off their rose colored glasses. This site is for the realists.
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Please heed your own advice. If you are not a Columbia borough taxpayer, try to see it from our side.
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Bottom line is, the river park has cost taxpayers enough and will for years. At the beginning it was to be no cost to the taxpayer but that was a smoke screen to accomplish personal agendas. Enough is enough, time to put money and efforts into real problems in the town. Also Time for Murphy and Cle to step down, they are out of control.
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Middle and lower class, thank you.
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Totally agree.
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UNION STREET RAMP????????lOCUST STREET RAMP?????
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and just how are the port a pot's going to get cleaned its not like they can drive that honey dipper of a truck on the trail their is no need for port a pot”s use the bathrooms at the money pit
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why paint the wall they will put graffiti on it again it has been painted over how many times already
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I can tell you whom is benefiting from the trail, Marietta. the trail is closer to all those businesses on Front Street. Easy to stop for a bite to eat.
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No one can use the kitchen it is for looks only , rules from the board.
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They can go in the woods like every one else.
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Welcome to Columbia should be painted over the graffiti.
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You are correct. If I decide to drive over from Lancaster, I will definitely park at the Marietta end. I refuse to hike the bypass for a tour of the Colonial plant and listen to its roar. Al dodson
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why so that can be painted over with graffiti also it will be a waste of paint
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we need a union street ramp , the street dept can do the work , there at the money pit all the time anyway, Ask the borough manager how many hours a week they are there. opps she will say she does not know , but a real manager would know this , the guys are union , so somebody should know.
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The one board member is a scout leader , have the scouts paint the wall , with the right (CLEANABLE) paint, this is not rocket science , or cameras to catch the people doing it. We have spent WAY TO MUCH TAX PAYERS MONEY ON THIS , HAVE THE BOARD DO FUND RAISERS Like the fire company , they dipped into tax payer money way to long.
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Yes that would be a excellent place for the church to do it,s thing
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Yes let the tax payers get something out of the borough property.
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If there were 96,000 people on the trail last year , someone would have set up a movable stand to sell drinks and energy bars , but as stated here I think they pre loaded the counters by at least 75,000 , the leaders in this town lie so much they believe there own lies.
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What about the traffic lite at the money pit, if you are going north on heritage and come to the tracks there is nothing telling you that you can not turn right over the tracks and then a lite stoppes you on the tracks, this is a problem that needs attention now before someone gets hurt or worse. I can't see how that all of these powers that be have not seen this problem or is it that the pit is not used as much as they all say. IF nothing can be done , heritage has to be one way south , before someone gets killed there. The board at the pit wants drinking fountains for dogs but over looks a very serious problem there.
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Take the 6 warmest months x 30 days. That gives you 180 days. 96,000 / 180 = 533 per each of those days. Completely plausible. I'm guessing you have never been to the trail or have even watched it for more than the few seconds it takes you to drive by on 441, but it gets pretty crowded.
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Probably should just remove the Locust St. crossing (or make it a pedestrian crossing only), then upgrade Union Street crossing, and funnel all river park traffic there via Heritage Drive.
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The cottage owners will end up controlling the Locust St and Union St ramps.
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I've been there numerous of times, 533 per day,,, hardly.
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Countin em coming an goin, I recon.
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Locust street crossing is not a crossing anymore has not been for along time
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It is publicly accessible off of Heritage drive. That area could be another ramp or even a fishing pier. Enough riverfront has been sacrificed already. Time to let the public have what is theirs.
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BORO PROPERTY .
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There is no locust street crossing.
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Come on Mary a ramp is a ramp , boro property is boro property , make 2 ramps for the public, the money pit is big enough .
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