Columbia Spy

Two people were found dead Monday in a Lancaster County home, police say.

Columbia police said the bodies were discovered during a welfare check at a house on the 400 block of Union Street.

Their names haven’t been released.

Police are investigating the deaths but said the case isn’t suspicious and foul play is not suspected.

https://www.wgal.com/article/two-people-found-dead-inside-home-in-columbia-lancaster-county-union-street/29833880

The cemetery will join more than 1600 participating locations across the country on Saturday, December 14, 2019 to proclaim “Everyone plays a part”.

Columbia Falls, MAINE, and Columbia, PENNSYLVANIA—December 14, 2019 —National nonprofit Wreaths Across America [WAA] announced today that Mount Bethel Cemetery in Columbia, PA will be joining in the effort to support the mission to REMEMBER, HONOR, TEACH, as an official location for 2019. This is the THIRD year that the cemetery will participate in this national event.

In 2018, nearly 1.8 million veteran wreaths were placed on headstones at 1,640 participating cemeteries around the country in honor of the service and sacrifices made for our freedoms, with each name said out loud.

This year, the ceremony, held simultaneously across the country at more than 1,600 locations, will be on Saturday, December 14, 2019. Beginning at 12 noon, at 700 Locust Street, Columbia, PA, master of ceremonies Kevin Kraft Sr. will acknowledge seven branches of military service. Included will be the Catholic War Vet color guard, a bugler to play taps and a 21-gun salute.

The Friends of Mount Bethel Cemetery plans to raise enough funds to place 690 remembrance wreaths on the headstones of all the local heroes laid to rest at Mount Bethel Cemetery. Our goal is to place a live balsam fir wreath at the headstone of every veteran buried there spreading patriotism and commemoration for the ultimate sacrifices they made for our country. Mount Bethel Cemetery has veterans from the Revolutionary War and every US conflict up to and including Vietnam.

“Every donation and wreath sponsorship is a meaningful gift from an appreciative supporter who knows what it means to serve and sacrifice for the freedoms we all enjoy,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America. “We are so grateful to the community of Columbia, PA for participating in our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach.”

National Wreaths Across America Day is a free event, open to all. For more information, to donate or to sign up to volunteer, please visit www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

Deadline for 2019 donations is November 30th Location ID: PMBCC GroupID: PA0358P

About Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at hundreds of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.

Location Coordinator MBC:
Jane Moore
[717]-575-9760
jmoore1115@gmail.com

This week’s photos of Columbia

Why is Dr. Larry Laird working against the clock? Well, to renovate a clock, of course. Or more accurately, four clocks.

Laird, who owns the local company Global Time Wizard, reluctantly took on a big project several months ago: renovating four 19th-Century clocks from an old German Lutheran church in Philadelphia. The clocks had slowly deteriorated since their installation over 150 years ago due to exposure to the elements.

The drill press Laird is using was used to make Hamilton watches and is extremely accurate. He says it runs “like silk.”

As the paint was drying, Laird made four pairs of aluminum clock hands patterned on the originals, as well as four time rings containing numerals and notches. (The aluminum is specially coated.) He applied the rings to the clock faces with stainless steel fasteners. The rings are kept slightly away from the faces with rubber spacers to avoid electrolysis between the aluminum and iron.

Cody holds a state-of-the-art “movement,” which drives the clock hands. When installed, the movement shaft will fit through a delrin bearing and will self-adjust. The bearing was made at Stevens Trade.

Finally, four sealed clockworks, called movements, were ordered to drive the hands. The movements are state-of-the-art electro-hydraulic motors that will be synchronized and operated from a single power switch after installation. The movements are custom made. “Everything you see here virtually is custom made by somebody in the United States,” Laird added. “We bring together all these skills from around the country.”

Laird shows a specially made metal plate to facilitate lifting the clocks to the tower. An installed movement can be seen near the bottom.

The clocks will be transported by truck in specially made wooden crates to the old church, which is now part of a retirement home known as The Loft. Steeplejacks will then install them into their original settings. Laird hopes to “beat the clock” and complete the installation before the onset of winter weather.

This whimsical automaton will sit in the lobby of the church.