About Town – March 21, 2021

 This week’s photos of Columbia

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

Walkers out for a walk downtown

Just passing through?

There must be something interesting down there.
Driftwood
Pump – cheap water?

Datestone at 8th Street & Route 462

Trailers on 462

South 9th Street as seen from Holy Trinity Cemetery

Cell tower in a field roughly behind Keystone Cap

Troopers flying over

Cracked base at 5th & Locust
On Tuesday, a train stopped on the tracks along Front Street for several hours due to a problem with a coupler. The train blocked traffic, because the tracks cross over Front Street near Locust Street. Resident Michael Nesteruk (shown in the photos) directed traffic at the intersection of Front and Locust:

The train blocked traffic where the tracks cross over Front Street.

Here’s a photo of southbound traffic backed up.

Norfolk Southern crews arrived and addressed the issue – reportedly, a problem with a coupler.
Norfolk Southern on the job
At least part of the bridge stayed dry.
(Of course, the underside is always dry.)

Breakfast

CareerLink March 27 at Columbia High School

Like the sign says

There’s plenty of room for the mower.

Daffodils, a sure sign of spring, at Coexist Gallery on Locust

This bell tower at 200 North 5th Street was one of the subjects of discussion at this week’s HARB meeting. Representatives of the Columbia School District, which owns the building, told the board that the wooden railing around the tower needs to be replaced.

Options considered were removal or replacement with a composite material. 
No decision was rendered, because the discussion was for information only.

Unique architecture at The Elks

Another example

New flower pots – tubs along Route 462, at Butcher’s shop

Another datestone, this one at a church

Here’s the church at 6th & Chestnut.

Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church standing tall at 6th & Locust

Old-time post and gate in Avenue G

A robin, another sure sign of spring
Here’s a bullet hole in a window at IronStrong Metal Fabrication on the 200 block of North 4th Street.

According to the police report, a representative for the company noticed the damage during the week of March 8. Damage is estimated at $500.
Here’s some 85-year-old graffiti at the Bootleg Keystone building.
It appears to hold the names Paul Geiss(?), Sam Kauffman, and Ike Lichty.
[Photo by Todd Burgard]
This note is on the inside wall of the carriage house at the former General Shannon property 
at 500 Chestnut Street. 
It reads: 
“Firestone tires on Rear
August 11, 1921
Speedometer Reading 20,166″

Cycle on sidewalk
[Photo by Todd Stahl]

Contraption on Bridge Street
[Photo by Todd Stahl]

Life jackets float – you don’t!
[Photo by Todd Stahl]

Saggy bench at River Park
[Photo by Todd Stahl]

Stone at Columbia River Park
[Photo by Todd Stahl]

A reminder for boaters
[Photo by Todd Stahl]

Water levels were high and velocity was swift and moving at the beginning of the week. Conditions are similar today (Sunday).
[Photo by Todd Stahl]

Read and heed.
[Photo by Todd Stahl]

Columbia Spy on Twitter

Columbia native wins Grammy with Pacifica Quartet

A musician born and raised in Columbia took won a Grammy award on Sunday night.
 
Austin Hartman, as part of the string group Pacifica Quartet, took home the award for “Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.” The quartet’s winning album, “Contemporary Voices,” was released Sept. 24, 2020.
 
Hartman, who attended Lancaster Country Day School, plays second violin in the group.
MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/features/entertainment/columbia-native-wins-grammy-with-pacifica-quartet/article_790aa64e-8754-11eb-bdff-0b13ef5e165a.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share 

The Community Garden of Columbia is among 4 community gardens in Lancaster County that still have plots

About Town – March 14, 2021

This week’s photos of Columbia

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

“Dear Gentrifiers . . . “
Loading up the shed at the Visitors Center

A few final adjustments

Ready to rock
And away it goes!
Farewell Visitors Center!
********************************

A worker from Heath Consultants checking underground lines on Front Street
Grave markers at Mount Bethel Cemetery

Masonry work at 142 Locust

Canada geese flyover
CHS girls’ basketball team on the way to Linden Hall (3/10/21)
Lineman trying not to get his wires crossed

Southwest Side Story
Pumpkins past their prime but partially preserved by the winter weather
Historic light fixtures at Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Fresh concrete at the bridge plaza

A few flags flying

There they are again.

Ghost sign

Johns Hopkins Lifeline

Must-have glasses at Styled X Khloe Boutique at 420 Locust Street
Running lines at North 5th & Route 30

Angel carrying flowers

Looking through
Hooray, the snow is almost gone!

Don’t mess with this.

Because it operates these.
And it could lead to this.
Mr. 0.0 will be watching.

Here comes a train, approaching the intersection with Lawrence Street (according to Google Maps). Interesting that there are no barricades or warning lights at this intersection.
As this train approached, a truck with a flatbed trailer, and a car, crossed the tracks in front of it.

There is, however, a sign marking the railroad crossing.

Apparently, the location is marked with these metal plates. 
Well, at least we think we know what’s in this railcar.

Looks like lumber’s back.

It was reportedly hard to find at the height of the COVID crisis.

Out for a run

Align Pregnancy Services at 462 Chestnut has FREE diapers, wipes & formula.
But who decides who’s who?

This is either a modern art sculpture or some sort of farm equipment.

Out with the old . . .

. . . in with the new

Stars and STRIPS!

A horny skull and one suffering from red-eye

But who’s the green guest?

He’s ridin’ shotgun.

A favorite view of many 

On Sunday morning, water rescue training was happening at Columbia River Park, led by Todd Stahl of White Cap Water Rescue Training LLC:

[Photo by Todd Stahl]
[Photo by Todd Stahl]

[Photo by Todd Stahl]

Here are 3 from Todd Stahl showing this morning’s high water level:

Enjoying the view
Mission accomplished!
[Photo by Todd Stahl]
Columbia Spy on Twitter

Several Columbia establishments have violations: Lancaster County restaurant inspections, March 12, 2021