SPY – Page 670 – Columbia Spy

What I saw today – January 4, 2015

About a dozen cedar waxwings, including the one seen above, helped themselves to plentiful berries in a tree at Trinity House Apartments this afternoon.

It was also a good day for a walk on the tracks.

This blast from the past sits behind a shop window on the 400 block of Locust Street.

Planes, planes, and more planes flying low over Columbia

Numerous planes flew low over Columbia this afternoon, a few minutes apart. Their low altitude may have been due to heavy cloud cover for much of the afternoon. The number of planes may have been due to the many travelers returning home after the holidays.

A few of the planes are shown below:

Evidence of strength

Clifford Shupp, owner of Shupp’s Barber Shop at 270 Locust Street, has twisted metal and bent nails hanging on his barber shop wall. Why? Because it’s evidence of several visits by Columbia artist and strongman, Tom Hermansader, who bent the metal objects by hand during his demonstrations of strength at the shop.

A profile of Tom Hermansader can found HERE.

Below are recent photos of his handiwork.

A happy ending to the story

Dear Cole,

A note of thanks to you for posting the “found cat” on your site a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, not one person has inquired about this cat, but there is a happy ending thanks to the Pet Pantry of Lancaster County. I am writing to get the word out about the excellent facility that they operate. Their services include no-kill animal rescue, low-income feeding program, and low-cost veterinary services. I would encourage everyone that is able to help to do so, they have a wish list and several drop-off locations all over Lancaster County. Luckily, there was room for the cat I was fostering and for a nominal fee, I was able to surrender her into their care. She was tested for FeLV and FIV prior to being accepted. They will continue to monitor her behavior and health, prior to putting her up for adoption. The services that the Pet Pantry provides are invaluable. The staff was empathetic toward my situation and went out of their way to help.
[Name withheld by request]

Columbia's Dean Young named Texas State Poet Laureate

2014 blew by, and I didn’t get around to posting this announcement. Dean Young, formerly of Columbia, was named 2014 Texas State Poet Laureate. He is also a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Dean was born and raised in Columbia and graduated from Columbia High School.