Literacy Access Fund Announces 2019 Grant Award to the Columbia Public Library

Literacy Access Fund, a 501(c)(3), public charity, has announced a grant award of $3,500 to the Columbia Public Library. 

Literacy Access Fund secures funding 
from corporate, foundation, and individual partners in order to provide financial support to underfunded public libraries through a competitive granting process. The goal of the organization is to help libraries provide equal access to quality resources for young learners, regardless of economic factors.
The award was made possible through partnership funding from the Dawn Foods Foundation in Jackson, Michigan. The grant will help fund the acquisition of state-of-the-art technology for young children, and other library resources.
Brenda Paxson, President of the Columbia Public Library’s Board of Directors, noted the Board’s gratitude to Literacy Access Fund for the award: “Our board is very thankful for the Literacy Access Fund’s gift. This grant will enable our youngest learners to have access to technology and STEM skill development resources. We expect to see many exciting experiences with our new software and STEM manipulatives.”
“We are so grateful for this funding,” said Lisa Greybill, Library Administrator. “We have built a nice attendance group for our Pre-School Pals programming, and I can foresee introducing the digital technology 
to this group. Once the children enjoy these added STEM-aligned activities, I will be branching out further by taking our portable STEM kits onsite to our local preschools as a supplement to my storytelling visits.”
Deborah B. Sorgi, Ed.D., Chair, Director & President of Literacy Access Fund, shared her thoughts. “Literacy Access Fund is pleased to support the Columbia Public Library’s efforts to add a diverse set of STEM-related skills for children, especially pre-schoolers. Ms. Greybill’s efforts to include coding into the library’s digital offerings will help them break big problems into smaller steps and persevere in problem solving.” 
Dr. Sorgi also noted, “We continue to identify and support deserving public libraries to help their littlest members read and succeed in school and life.”
For more information about Literacy Access Fund, visit http://www.literacyaccessfund.org/ or call 610-833-6411.
About the Columbia Public Library:
The Columbia Public Library is a dynamic portal to reading enjoyment, lifelong learning, and services that foster the well-being of our community. Governed by a nine-member Board of Directors, the library provides residents with material resources, programming, educational opportunities, and technology access and assistance. 
“We invite our community to find what new worlds await for them.”

About Literacy Access Fund
The mission of Literacy Access Fund is to make literacy a possibility for every child, in every community. The organization supports the public library as a community learning hub and a vital extension of the classroom and awards grants to underfunded public libraries to increase equal access to early literacy skills for young learners. Literacy Access Fund is headquartered in Chester, Pennsylvania, with the ability to support public 
libraries across the United States.

[Source: Press release]

Suspect eludes police after high-speed chase from Columbia into Wrightsville

Tyler M. Evans

On Monday, April 29, 2019 at approximately 9:30 am, a Columbia Borough Police Officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a white in color Pontiac G6 GT for a traffic violation.  The vehicle sped off at a high rate of speed starting at N Front Street and Walnut Streets in Columbia.  The vehicle then drove in the wrong direction from the new 441 bypass onto Cedar Street and continue through Columbia.  The vehicle entered the 462 bridge and continued west at a high rate of speed into Wrightsville Borough, York County.  The suspect exited the vehicle and fled on foot towards the Susquehanna River in the 100 Blk of Mulberry Street.   Officers from Columbia Borough, West Hempfield Township, Hellam Township and Lower Windsor Township attempted to set up a perimeter.  K9’s were brought in from York County Sheriff’s Office, West York Police, and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.  An area search was conducted for approximately two and a half hours.  Tyler M Evans, a 24 year old Columbia man was identified as the male that was operating the vehicle and fleeing from Police.  Evans is wanted for a Lancaster County Probation Violation warrant and charges from a similar incident in Millersville Borough the prior week.  Columbia Borough Police completed charges on Evans for Fleeing and Eluding Police (F3), Flight to Avoid Apprehension (F3), Reckless Driving and numerous other traffic offenses.  A warrant is being requested on the new charges.  Evans is still at large. Anyone with information on Tyler M Evans is encouraged to call the Columbia Borough Police at (717)684-7735 or text LANCS to 847411.  Evans is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Date:  Monday, April 29, 2019 Case Status: Current Case Type: Criminal Source:  Columbia Borough Police Department

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/cases/vehicle-pursuit

About Town – 4/28/19

This week’s photos from around Columbia…
(Click/tap on photos to see larger, clearer images.)

 Strollin’ down Avenue I

 Time for a trim

 Watchdog watching

 Solar power!
 Flowery frog on the wall

 Lawn mowing at Locust Street Park

 Yee-ha!!!

 Moon in the clouds

 Shadows looming

 Still waiting for our very own Banksy

 Lots o’ trash in Avenue H

 This equipment belongs to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.

The Commission checks the water quality of the Susquehanna from New York to Maryland 26 times a year.

 Didn’t Columbia Borough’s solicitors have an office here on the 400 block of Locust?
 A few days later – It’s still there.
He found one of Columbia’s nuts.

 The Columbia Presbyterian Church gave out food to residents on Thursday. The night before, borough officials, local big shots, and Urban Land Institute out-of-towners enjoyed a catered dinner at Columbia Crossing on the taxpayers’ dime. (By the way, that $10,000 ULI study didn’t tell us anything we couldn’t have figured out on our own.)

Watchcat watching

 Ready to fly
 Could have been lucrative, according to this song.

 One man’s trash is another squirrel’s treasure – or something like that.

 Love in the grass

 Some folks call these weeds “elephant ears.”

 Truck 80 returning

 Up on 8th Street

Biking for fitness
 Once thriving in Columbia

 Two of the original bridge light fixtures at Sahd’s Salvage
 Has liberty died?

 Snapped off

 Old school way of installing a door frame, big shims and all

 This was free.

 Men at work

 School board candidates

 More sidewalk seats to watch the town go by

New “katerer’?
(3rd & Cherry)
The works of Columbia artist Rosemary Horn Robinson were on display at Mount Bethel today. Her bio and some of her illustrations are shown below.

Sahd's Salvage celebrates Earth Day 2019

 Ethan the Farmer and Thaddeus the Llama were a highlight of the Earth Day celebration at Sahd’s Salvage on Saturday. Other activities included yard tours, an exotic animal show, readings, and auction. 
 Ethan believes in farms, food, families, and freedom and that “We the People” are the fourth branch of government.

He offers many services.  His contact info is shown above.

 Some of Ethan’s produce

 Dan Sahd led a tour of the facility.

 Visitors got to see “the back 40.”

 Discarded street signs served as points of reference.

 There’s Marietta Avenue.

 The claw

 Scrap pile

 Another scrap pile

 Yep, more scrap

Cutting through

 Onward

Shadows

 Reflections

 Lamp shades, of a sort

 Sleigh
 Bells & Candles

 Parking meters

 From the pre-cellphone era

 Potato chip cans

 Old-timey fire extinguishers

 Old-timey firetruck

 Old-timey car

 Chicken Little was temporarily sedate because there was no forecast for falling skies

 Plates from different states

 Time to kiss Thaddeus

 The Cornfish, created by Ethan the Farmer, is made of steel, chicken wire and Bondo putty.
 Long shot of Thaddeus

 Staredown
 Lisa Greybill of the Columbia Public Library read Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax to interested listeners.

 Snake skin

Tragically Cute, Charlie Brown, and Coco

The Volksmarchers are in town! (But who are they?)

Sign at Front and Walnut pointing the way to Columbia Crossing, where the Volksmarch event is based.

The “Volksmarchers” are in town for – of course – the Volksmarch. But what is the Volksmarch? Simply put, it is one facet of an overall fitness program called Volkssporting.

According to a booklet published by the Keystone State Volkssport Association, Volkssporting, translated as “sport of the people,” consists mainly of walks, “but sports such as bicycling, swimming and cross-country skiing are also included.”

This week’s event in Columbia (from the American Volkssport Association website.)

This weekend’s event, the “Susquehanna Rivertowns Weekend,” which is based at Columbia Crossing, consists mainly of walking and biking the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail and areas in and around Columbia.

Volksmarcher at Columbia Crossing Friday afternoon.

For more information:
America’s Walking Club
Keystone State Volkssport Association

Hotel Locust was once known as Lockard's Cafe and this man owned it

Sam Lockard, owner of the former Lockard’s Cafe on Locust Street
[Submitted photo]

The ULI/TAP contingent was in town this week to offer ideas for developing Hotel Locust, but decades ago the man shown above owned the building, when it was known as Lockard’s Cafe. By all accounts, Sam Lockard was a big man, standing about 6′ 5″ but he was also large in his generosity, often helping residents in need.

Lockard was a World War I veteran who owned the cafe from the 1920s through the 1950s. Back then, the establishment was a swanky affair, with formally dressed bartenders and a fine bill of fare. One could speculate that Mr. Lockard would be distressed at the current state of the building were he alive today.

Residents meet Columbia's Candidates for Change at "Meet and Greet" event

Former Columbia Borough Council President Sandy Duncan (left) attended Thursday’s “Meet and Greet,” along with Robert Misciagna, and Tanya Minnick. Duncan is a candidate for School Board, Misciagna is a write-in candidate for School Board, and Minnick is a write-in candidate for Borough Council.

A few dozen residents attended the “Meet and Greet” for Candidates of Change over the space of three hours at the Columbia VFW on Thursday. Residents asked questions and discussed local issues with the following candidates:

Heather Zink
Eric Kauffman
James R. Settle II
Howard Stevens
Robert Misciagna
Sharon Lintner
Tanya Minnick

All are candidates for Borough Council, except Robert Misciagna, who is a candidate for School Board. Another “Meet and Greet” will be held in the future (date to be determined).