Category: Uncategorized

Little Boy Captures Video Evidence of Santa in Columbia

A Christmas wish came true for a little boy named Evan.
The 7-year-old’s family helped him set up a video camera on Christmas Eve, and he managed to capture something magical — Santa personally delivering presents to his home in Columbia, Pennsylvania.

Let there be light – Take 2

Yes, let there be some.
These three street lights on the first block of North Third Street (near Burning Bridge Antiques) have been out for several weeks. This issue was first brought to the attention of council at its December 8 meeting, during citizen comments. At the December 22 Meeting of the Whole, Acting Borough Manager Ron Miller said there had been a “hiccup” as lights were being strung, which had knocked out some street lights.  Are these the ones? This section of the block is very dark at night, with the only light available coming from businesses and passing vehicles.

Keeping an eye on things

Four new security cameras were installed Monday at the Northwest River Trail Services Building at Columbia River Park. Installation was approved November 24 at Columbia Borough Council’s Meeting of the Whole. The total cost for the cameras was $9420, with half coming from a grant and half from the borough. Including an existing camera near the front of the building, the addition of the four new cameras (two outside and two inside) brings the total number of cameras monitoring the building to five. 
 A technician checks an existing camera near the front of the building.

 Installation of this new camera on the south side of the building is almost complete.

A second camera, almost ready, on the north side.
A long view of the camera shown above.

Gap between rich, poor schools doubled in 4 years under Gov. Corbett

Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The gap between what wealthy districts and poor districts spend to educate children has widened dramatically in the four years since GOP Gov. Tom Corbett took office, amid deep budget-balancing cuts in state aid under Republican-controlled Harrisburg and long-delayed pension obligation payments coming due.
MORE:
http://lancasteronline.com/news/pennsylvania/gap-between-rich-poor-schools-doubled-in-years-under-gov/article_53334702-5bf0-50cf-a772-6e4cd841dfd9.html

And according to spundge.com, he’s one of the villains who approved a gas tax increase:

“The Republican governor did approve a gas-tax increase in November as part of a more than $2.3 billion transportation package. The increase for gas and diesel is charged at the wholesale level, but multiple businesses have said they have to pass the cost along to consumers.
The increase is being phased in over multiple years, and the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, a think tank that says it’s dedicated to rolling back the size of government, calculated that it equals a minimum 27-cent per gallon increase for gas by 2017. The minimum increase would be slightly less than that by 2018.
The minimum increase would be higher for diesel.
The increases could be higher, depending on average wholesale prices calculated by the Department of Revenue.”

PCB contamination causes fish consumption advisory for catfish caught from Susquehanna River in Lancaster County

The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued a consumption warning for channel catfish longer than 20 inches. Samples of the fish showed unacceptable levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, often called PCBs.
MORE:
http://m.lancasteronline.com/news/local/pcb-contamination-causes-fish-consumption-advisory-for-catfish-caught-from/article_ea4fd690-8f93-11e4-9e96-97713c0276f0.html?mode=jqm

Salt must go before bridge project begins

We know that too much salt is bad for your health, but it can be bad for the health of concrete structures, also. Rock salt (sometimes called “road salt” due to its use on icy roads) currently being stored under the Veterans Memorial Bridge may be contributing to spalling and cracking on bridge piers in close proximity to the salt pile, and PennDOT may require the borough to move the salt in the near future. At Columbia Borough Council’s Meeting of the Whole last Monday, Mayor Lutz stated the need for a pole barn or shed to contain the salt. The salt is used by borough and school district maintenance personnel. Lutz said that in the next year or two the bridge will undergo the largest bridge restoration project in Pennsylvania.

  A salt pile under the Veterans Memorial Bridge

 Deterioration at the base of a pier near the salt pile

 Spalling and cracking on one of the soldier piers, shown here and below