Columbia Spy

Relive the magic of a book fair

With a focus on sustainability and an opportunity for community connection, several organizations are coming together to host “Go Green, Columbia!” The all-day event will be held on Friday, April 25.

Organizers include Sahd Metal Recycling, LCSWMA, Columbia Borough, Columbia Borough Police, Columbia Borough Shade Tree Commission, Columbia Park Rangers, Columbia Merchants Association and the Susquehanna National Heritage Area.

MORE:

Residents encouraged to “Go Green, Columbia!”

The 40-page meeting packet is HERE.

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police are attempting to identify human remains found on Weise Island in the Susquehanna River on March 18, 1986.

MORE:

https://www.abc27.com/local-news/lancaster/lancaster-county-coroners-office-psp-attempting-to-id-human-remains/

Following is the text of an April 7, 2025 email sent to Sharon Lintner by the South Central Transit Authority in response to a request for information on the recent removal of the Locust Street bus shelter by SCTA. It is reprinted here with the permission of SCTA.

Ms. Lintner,

Thank you for contacting SCTA about the shelter removal in Columbia.

SCTA was contacted by Chief Brommer to request that the shelter at 3rd & Locust be removed due to vagrancy, safety, and hygiene issues.

Since this shelter was funded with federal funds, we are required to keep the shelter in service for its useful life which is 15 years. This shelter has met its useful life so it was eligible for replacement or removal.

SCTA contacted rabbit transit to make them aware of the shelter removal and hear any concerns they had. They had no concerns.

SCTA has a contract with a company to installs and removes our shelters. SCTA had our contractor remove the shelter.

While SCTA had ownership and maintenance of this shelter, we fully support Columbia in their decision to request that SCTA remove the shelter. We always want to coordinate with the needs of the municipality.

It is unfortunate that the poor choices of a few people have resulted in the loss of this amenity for the rest of the community.

Lauri P. Ahlskog, AICP

Manager of Transit Planning & Compliance

South Central Transit Authority

Anthony Rios conveyed 241 N. Second St. to Dana C. Wiggs for $243,500.

Proverb Realty LLC conveyed property on Locust Street to Wilchcombe Schantel, Neal Amin Davenport for $280,000.

Benjamin R. Reisinger conveyed 811 Ridge Ave. to Pazmino Liberio Alfredo, Liberio Alfredo Pazmino for $230,000.

Valley View Capital LLC conveyed 429 N. Third St. to Kim D. Fossett for $190,000.

Cfh Holdings LLC conveyed property on a public road to CFH Holdings LLC for $1.

Manor Street Apartments LLC conveyed 745 Manor St. to WG Sponsor LLC, WG Manor I. LLC, WG Manor II LLC, WG Manor III LLC for $1,500,000.

Trusted Property Group LLC conveyed 533 Manor St. to Blakely Marcus, Hammock Kiera S. for $240,000.

Cimarron Investments Llc, Cfh Holdings LLC conveyed property on a public road to Cfh Holdings LLC for $1.

Swift Robert Jr, Swift Robert A. Jr, Swift Virginia conveyed 258 S. Fourth St. to Swift Robert A. Jr, Ortiz Swift Francisca, Swift Francisca Ortiz for $1.

Joshua D. Broomell conveyed 479 Walnut St. to Kelsey N. Aument for $190,000.

This week’s photos of Columbia 

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images. 

This Tesla Cybertruck was in town the other day. These vehicles have become controversial ever since Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly flashed the Nazi salute in January and, as a key member of DOGE, axed government programs and agencies under the guise of rooting out waste and fraud. 

Here’s a side view.

A little later, the car was parked briefly at 4th & Locust. 

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This vehicle was out for a spin recently.

The Locust Street bus shelter was removed on March 26, 2025 by workers from the South Central Transit Authority. 

Columbia Spy took photos of the dismantling, (shown above). At the March 27, 2025 borough council meeting, resident Sharon Lintner asked why the shelter was taken down. Mayor Leo Lutz replied that it was removed due to the expiration of a contract, as well as the cleanliness of the shelter. Some residents speculate that there’s more to the story. One theory is that it was removed due to unhoused people lingering there. If that’s the case, then it’s a mean gesture to remove it, and doing so won’t prevent people from gathering there, anyway. All it does is inconvenience bus riders in bad weather.

Three other shelters remain in the borough: this one at St. Peter Apartments…

…this one at Trinity House Apartments…

…and this one on North 3rd, near Linden. At this point, there’s no word on whether or not they’ll remain.

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Columbia is about to get another Smoke Shop – this one at Plane & Manor.

Back in the day, the house was Jim Morton’s barbershop and later, Lee Splain’s barbershop. 

And here’s a second new smoke shop. This one is at 236 Locust Street. 

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This yellow Penske truck was parked the wrong way for a few days on North 5th, just up from Locust Street. 

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Blue Oyster Cult sang about HIM.

He appears on a new banner at the State Theatre Vintage Emporium. 

Here’s another look.

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Council has discussed possible issues with truck traffic at the planned innovation park on Manor Street, but a small army of trucks has been going to and fro at the lot at 4th & Manor. 

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Some heavy clouds gathered the other day.

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Norfolk Southern workers were at the crossing to the former wastewater treatment plant/borough sheds. The crossing must be stabilized so that JG Environmental, which is currently leasing the facility, can complete the purchase from the borough. At the March 27, 2025 council meeting, the mayor said it appears as though there is a resolution to this issue. He said he has been in contact with Norfolk Southern and Rep. Lloyd Smucker. According to the mayor, Norfolk Southern said the situation seems to be easily remedied and they will “put a rush on it.”

Note: On February 29, 2024, Shamrock Environmental announced it had acquired JG Environmental.

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The Elks Lodge

Rotary Park regulations

Raven Ridge was at Columbia Crossing on Saturday. 

Steps at the DAC were repaired/replaced. 

Another date marker on a downspout at the DAC

Watch out for that man-eating minotaur on the highway.

Eric and his mom want to buy your house.

Free Halloween costume 

Stars & stripes on a star

Coming in September 

Some bricks at the bridge plaza are lifting and/or sinking.

Just for fun, here’s a look at one of the cannons.

Does anyone use chains on their tires anymore?

This is some sort of mythological creature. 

Hola

Forklift vs car: Who would win?

We may never know, because the confrontation was avoided using the time-honored tactic of an illegal left turn. 

Cleaning the camera in front of borough hall 

AEG was under the bridge last week.

This is their surveyor’s camera.

A peek inside the front door of the historic society. 

Skelly on North 9th is decked out for Easter.

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Todd Stahl was on the trail and sent these photos:

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700 Franklin Street

Sealed bids for demolition and disposal of the dwelling located at 700 Franklin Street and the remaining accessory structure located at 1020 Manor Street will be received online via the PennBid Program, by Columbia Borough, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, until 11:00 AM, Thursday, April 17, 2025. The bids will be publicly opened and read electronically, via PennBid’s website, at 11:00 AM (prevailing time), same date. Bid results will be available end of business day, same date. Copies of Bidding Documents for the 700 Franklin Street Demolition project are available online and at no cost at (https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com). A bid bond by acceptable surety or a certified check made payable to Columbia Borough in the amount of 5% of the maximum bid must be provided by each bidder with their bid. Notice is hereby given to bidders that this project is subject to the provisions of the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act approved August 15, 1961 (Act No. 442, P.L. 987), as amended. Columbia Borough reserves the right to accept any bid or reject any or all bids. Columbia Borough Council, Steven Kaufhold, Borough Manager

Public Notice – published 04/04/2025

LNP Media Group, Inc.

What ever happened to Mark Stivers? The short answer is he resigned as Columbia’s borough manager last year and four months later became Hummelstown’s borough manager. The backstory is this:

At the Columbia Borough Council meeting on June 11, 2024, Stivers announced his resignation, effective July 3, 2024. Council members subsequently authorized staff to begin advertising for his successor.

During the meeting, Stivers attributed his departure to personal reasons. “This is just a personal choice,” he explained to council members. “It’s a lot of pressure in this job. I’ve basically been doing this job in different places for the past 25 years. It’s time to slow down and take a break.”

Stivers began working for Columbia Borough on March 30, 2020, with an initial annual salary of $90,000 that increased to $101,314 by 2024.

Approximately four months after his departure from Columbia, Stivers was appointed as borough manager, secretary, and treasurer for Hummelstown Borough at their November 14, 2024 workshop, effective November 12, 2024. The council also moved to ratify the Manager’s Agreement between Hummelstown Borough and Stivers, pending appropriate clearances. Stivers succeeded Theresa Eberly as borough manager. 

At Hummelstown’s December 12, 2024 workshop, Stivers was additionally appointed as the Assistant Zoning Officer for the borough.

Hummelstown’s meeting minutes do not state Stivers’ salary, but it is likely less than what he was making in Columbia, since Hummelstown’s population of 4,535 is less than half of Columbia’s.

Meanwhile, Alex Tinsley, who served as code compliance/zoning officer for Columbia Borough from April 2024 to January 2025, became Hummelstown’s zoning/code compliance officer in January 2025.

The 57-page meeting packet is HERE.