Author: SPY

About Town 10/24/2020

This week’s photos of Columbia 

(Click/tap on photos to see larger, sharper images.)

Happy Trump people on the bridge . . .

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Do it.
Signs on 7th
“The blue bus is calling us.”

“Driver, where you takin’ us?”
(Somewhere in Pennsylvania, most likely)

STOP dumping.

Down at “the culvert”

A mighty big ruler

Political sign
600 block of Chestnut – Wednesday morning

600 block of Chestnut – Wednesday afternoon

Sailing away

Cat and pumpkin at dusk

Cat bored with the photo shoot
Night lights around town . . .

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It’s leaf collection season again.

There’s a woodpecker looking for dinner.

He found something . . .

An unlucky larva. Yum!

Clouds in the sky

Info on spotted lanternflies and traps

Columbia is infested with these things.

Hard at work at Shawnee Run

Mottled sky

And one more

Does anyone still deny that Columbia has a drug problem?

Evening clouds
Fall colors

Formerly Keagy’s on the 400 block of Locust

Air conditioning, old-school-style

Someone call Louis DeJoy and tell him to replace this thing.
(On second thought, better not. He’ll just make it disappear.)

Mirror image

Shawnee Run Restoration Project nearing completion

A riparian buffer runs along a stretch of Shawnee Run and will help stabilize the bank, prevent erosion, and improve drainage.

The Shawnee Run Restoration Project is nearing completion. The construction phase of the project, which began about a month ago, is almost finished on the south bank of the creek, where riparian buffers and a greenway have been installed to bring the area into compliance with MS4 standards that govern municipal stormwater management. The buffer runs along a stretch of the creek between South 4th Street and Mill Street and will help stabilize the bank, prevent erosion, and improve drainage. A small footbridge leading from the Trinity House property to the Columbia Railway side is currently being constructed. 

The total cost of the project is $193,458.18, with Trinity House Apartments (Columbia Catholic Housing for the Elderly) being responsible for $114,329.09. That price includes the cost of CCHE’s request for additional abutments to accommodate a bridge to be built later, according to the May 12, 2020 Columbia Borough Council meeting minutes. The borough’s financial responsibility is $79,129.00. The construction contract was awarded to Aquatic Resource Restoration Company at the May 12 meeting.

Click HERE if video doesn’t appear.
VIDEO: A quick trip “up the creek.”
Prep work on the bank a few weeks ago

Greenway underway
The view from Mill Street

Prep work for a bridge abutment

Bridge abutment underway on the Columbia Railway side

On the Trinity House side of the creek – a frame for another abutment

Stabilizing a frame

About Town 10/18/2020

This week’s photos of Columbia

(Click/tap on photos to see larger, sharper images.) 

Cutting the road at 6th & Locust

The collection box at Columbia Presbyterian is now green to match the doors.

Workers are making progress at the Shawnee Run Restoration Project

Riparian buffers are in place, and a greenway is being installed.

Out for a walk at Columbia River Park

It’s fall and time to collect leaves in your umbrella.

Commercial space for rent . . . here?
(300 block of Walnut)

When you can’t take Fido to the spa, bring the spa to FIdo.

Injured sign on 462

Rainbow flag

It’s always a good time for a shoulder rub.

Looks like Christmas is right around the corner.

Flags a-waving

Flags on the bridge

Golden arches

These flags are waving – and hanging.

Meanwhile, over at Universal Techs

Looks like the news is that way.

The wheels keep on turning, except when they don’t.

Albatwitch mask

Headin’ out

Columbia moves toward buying McGinness Airport property

Council voted 5-2 to hire York-based marketing agency Gavin to handle messaging around the borough’s potential purchase of the vacant McGinness Airport property. Council members Sharon Lintner and Howard Stevens were opposed to hiring the marketing firm. “I don’t understand why we can’t communicate with our public. … Why do we have to pay someone to communicate with them?” Lintner asked.
In a phone conversation after the meeting, Borough Manager Mark Stivers said the borough is considering the purchase in order to create a small industrial park development or something similar, with various businesses on the property. When asked for environmental assessment records after the meeting, Stivers said they were not yet available to the public.
Borough solicitor Evan Gabel is working toward a purchase contract. Stivers said the property would be paid with a bond taken out in 2016 for a different project that did not occur. He said developing the property would greatly increase its taxable value, reducing the tax burden on citizens.
Stivers said Borough Council will publicly discuss more specifics of the redevelopment plan for the McGinness property at the Nov. 5 meeting.
MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/columbia-moves-toward-buying-mcginness-airport-property/article_ba6d8e8a-10a8-11eb-a066-a776996e5a2d.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share 

Columbia schools appoint new board member, increase sports spectator limits

At the October 15 school board meeting, Kyle Jensen was appointed as a member of the Columbia Borough school board.
The board recently accepted the resignation of Cole Knighton, who abruptly resigned as a board member via letter Sept. 7. 
Sports: In accordance with Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest spectator restrictions, the district will increase its attendance at both indoor and outdoor events to 20% capacity, which translates to roughly 400 people in the football stadium and 60 in the gymnasium.
MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/columbia-schools-appoint-new-board-member-increase-sports-spectator-limits/article_2d492414-10ae-11eb-9dc1-3705c92ef70b.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share 

The annual Albatwitch Festival is this weekend; here's the story behind the local legend

Paranormal investigators, authors and researchers will convene in Columbia for the 2020 Albatwitch Day, an annual festival celebrating the local legend, the Albatwitch, on Saturday.

Daytime attractions run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Haunted tours begin at 7 p.m.

The fun takes place at Columbia River Park, 21 Walnut St., Columbia. For more information, visit albatwitchday.com.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/features/the-annual-albatwitch-festival-is-this-weekend-heres-the-story-behind-the-local-legend/article_e7c5a14e-0e49-11eb-929d-5f89fd4044f3.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share