Uncategorized – Page 210

Columbia Unified bocce continues to roll, advances to state championships

“There’s drama,” said Columbia athletic director Rob Kedney, “every time somebody lets that ball go.”

At the high point of the drama, Columbia’s Unified team, consisting of a proportional number of athletes (teammates with intellectual disabilities) and partners (teammates without), scored final-frame points to defeat a pair of Dallastown teams, 8-4 in the semifinals and 3-2 in the championship game, to clinch the regional title. It advances the Crimson Tide, along with 14 other regional champions, to the Special Olympics Pennsylvania/PIAA State Championships scheduled for March 18-19 at Hershey’s Giant Center.

https://lancasteronline.com/sports/columbia-unified-bocce-continues-to-roll-advances-to-state-championships/article_1dbcf368-5907-11ea-9924-a33888a53e4f.html

A few quick highlights from Tuesday's borough council meeting

Councilwoman Pam Williams once again “attended” the meeting via phone, as she has done regularly since the January 14, 2020 meeting.

Early in the meeting, it became apparent that the livestream would be a problem. The picture was tilted about 90 degrees from horizontal, and the sound quality was poor, according to online comments. The borough manager typically operates the phone providing the livestream. However, Interim Borough Manager Candie Johnson’s contract ended last week and she was therefore unavailable.

Council unanimously voted in Mark Stivers as Columbia’s new borough manager, with a start date to be determined, but Council President Heather Zink said he could possibly start on March 30. Stivers will receive an annual salary of $90,000. (By comparison, former borough manager Rebecca Denlinger started at $95,000 when she took the reins on January 1, 2018.) In the meantime, Columbia Borough Police Chief Jack Brommer will serve as interim, overseeing office staff and day-to-day operations.

The controversy surrounding Johnson’s abrupt exit evaporated quickly when Zink, solicitor Evan Gabel, and Mayor Lutz described council’s decisions last week essentially as administrative actions. The issue remains confidential since it relates to personnel. Resident Frank Doutrich was adamant about learning the terms of the contract, however, and offered any member of council $100 if he or she would read the contract aloud at the meeting. None of the councillors took him up on the offer.

It was announced that the balance of the $250,000 from the borough’s Revolving Loan Fund was paid off recently. The money has been returned to the general fund and will show up on the February financial statement, according to Zink. Councilman Eric Kauffman read a prepared statement about the benefits purportedly achieved through the loan. Kauffman suggested the loan spurred multi-million dollar investments in the borough but gave little or no substantive evidence for his claim.

And finally, we learned there’s an old adage that says: “Columbians love their town but hate each other.”

In light of recent tragedies, Fire Chiefs Assoc., other groups to meet on fire safety education

The video report is HERE.

Lancaster County police departments cite costs as hurdle to body cameras, but would like them

Jack Brommer, Columbia's chief, also said its cars have cameras and the topic of body cameras has been discussed.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/lancaster-county-police-departments-cite-costs-as-hurdle-to-body/article_7ec2f6b4-574d-11ea-83f0-cfbe9478f599.html?utm_medium

Proposed trail extension draws crowd of supporters, naysayers in Manor Township

The cost to create the 5-mile trail has not yet been determined, but Strohecker guessed it could cost upward of $10 million, a cost township officials can’t afford on their own. He said grant dollars to cover project costs will be aggressively pursued.

“We know this is going to be difficult,” Strohecker said.

That’s true, in part, because trail construction would require easements through privately owned properties, he said. Much of that property, he said, is owned by Norfolk Southern.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/proposed-trail-extension-draws-crowd-of-supporters-naysayers-in-manor/article_697024bc-5770-11ea-9d00-fb4be7717118.html?utm_medium

At the Columbia Library – Week of February 24, 2020

Council made Columbia Borough manager changes last week in unannounced executive session

Columbia Borough Council met in an unannounced executive session last week and appointed police chief Jack Brommer its second interim borough manager in as many months.

The Feb. 18 meeting raised compliance issues under Pennsylvania’s Sunshine act, according to Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/council-made-columbia-borough-manager-changes-last-week-in-unannounced/article_8826404c-54e3-11ea-a08a-17ea3d630379.html