About Town 9/15/19

This week’s photos of Columbia

Butterfly catcher trying to increase his net worth
And he had a bit of competition.

 There are those towers again.

 Mourning dove in the afternoon

 On the rocks (almost)

 Turkey vultures eat dead critters. Their poop is a sanitizer.

 Raised barn –
The elevator must be inside the post.

 Yep, weeds
 Still there

 Municipal signs for a private drive?
 Old and young – wood, that is

 Hang out the back, Jack.

 Many elevator trucks on Bank Avenue

 All the livelong day . . . 

 There are several things wrong here.

 The lights are on, but the store is never open.

 On the way to work

 Bridge lights

 Fulsome foliage

 9/11 remembrance

 Out on the river

 Heron in a hurry
(Above and below)

 Tired from the ride

 Google tells us that this white-tailed dragonfly is an adult male “common whitetail” or “long-tailed skimmer.”

 It appeared to be injured; its thorax looked to be almost separated from its abdomen.

 Even so, it kept flying away from the camera.

 He didn’t see the sign. Either that, or cats just can’t read.

 The Albatwitch is coming October 12.

 A door of Columbia

 Another door of Columbia – two more, in fact

 Campaign sign

 Preparing for Friday night’s game

 Sparrow messing on a gravestone – 
No respect!

Speaking of no respect – someone left this trash on Locust Street, between 7th and 8th.
[Submitted photo]

 There’s a rare sight: no traffic on 462 between Chestnut and Locust

 And only one vehicle at the end of Chestnut, near the bridge – 
Sunday mornings are like that, for about a minute.
 What’s the point?

 Hide and seek

 All wired up
 “The field”

 You’ll never be the same.

 More hide and seek

 Morning jibber-jabber

 Morning mist

 “The field” Sunday morning

 In a fog

Get your truck washed.

Matt McCleary throws for 3 first-quarter touchdowns as Columbia stops Pequea Valley

Columbia wasted little time making waves at home on Friday night.
Five first-quarter touchdowns set the tone, and a handful of key special teams plays led to quick scores, as the Crimson Tide outpaced visiting Pequea Valley 43-6 in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three football contest.
MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/sports/matt-mccleary-throws-for-first-quarter-touchdowns-as-columbia-stops/article_21f39478-d699-11e9-a25f-7f7e608a752f.html

Columbia drafts budget with goal of avoiding another tax increase

When: Council meeting, Sept. 12.
What happened: After getting a first glimpse at its proposed 2020 budget, Borough Council is cautiously optimistic it can avoid a tax increase for the coming year. Council reviewed a first draft of the $7.1 million general fund spending plan during a special budget meeting.
Taxes: The draft budget calls for no property tax increase but does rely on a drawdown of a little more than $1 million from the borough’s reserves. Finance Manager Kyle Watts cautioned the numbers are still preliminary because the borough has not yet received its health insurance quotes for the coming year and police contract negotiations are ongoing. Other numbers could also change as more information is received, he said.
Why it matters: The goal is to avoid a tax increase after having raised taxes 21% last year, Council President Kelly Murphy said. To do that, the borough will need to either come up with further spending cuts or use a little more than half of its $2.1 million reserves. Without using any of its reserves, the borough would have to raise property taxes by more than 2.5 mills, which is 31%, to balance the draft expenditure levels.
MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/columbia-drafts-budget-with-goal-of-avoiding-another-tax-increase/article_006931f0-d68a-11e9-bcd8-27d9606f25e0.html

Lancaster County is one of 14 PA counties under quarantine due to spotted lanternflies

The bugs are so intensely dangerous to our state’s wildlife — which hasn’t had a chance to evolve natural defenses against them — that the counties where they’ve appeared are under an actual, real quarantine.

There are 14 counties under lockdown, enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. That means residents have to inspect all  materials they move in and out of the counties.

Also, businesses are required to obtain special permits if they want to transport things in or out of the lanternfly zone during the course of their work.

Last month, five counties in western New Jersey were put under quarantine too.

MORE:

https://billypenn.com/2019/09/13/10-worst-things-about-the-spotted-lanternfly-invasion/

UPDATE: Police say Conoy Township woman shot herself

A Conoy Township woman who had been missing since Sunday night shot herself, Susquehanna Regional Police said.

The body of Sarah M. Kunish, 36, was found about 1:30 p.m. Thursday in a wooded area about 75 yards from the Susquehanna River.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/body-of–year-old-missing-lancaster-woman-found-in/article_1245eba6-d58c-11e9-9fda-631475e5adb9.html

UPDATE: Missing woman's body found in wooded area near river

Sarah Kunish
Officials say Sarah Kunish, 36, was found in a wooded area in Bainbridge near Front and Arch streets. It’s just about three blocks from where she was last seen on Sunday night.
Police are still investigating Kunish’s death.
MORE:

https://www.wgal.com/article/police-ask-for-help-to-find-missing-woman-sarah-kunish/29002613