UPDATE: Man showing how to clean gun accidentally shot friend in leg near Columbia, police say

The shooting occurred at the Columbia Fish & Game Association range, at 4339 Fairview Road, shortly before noon Thursday.
The man was shot in the right leg and was bleeding profusely. It could have been a life-threatening injury, said Josh Roberts, the operations manager for Susquehanna Valley EMS, whose medics responded to the call.
Roberts and township police Chief Mark Pugliese credited first responders with saving the man’s life.

Sampling @ Little's Beverage – Flying Fish Brewing Co.

Friday, December 4th
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Join Brewery Rep Kevin as he samples out Flying Fish styles, including Grand Cru. He will be talking about the beers, the brewery and the tasting room.
Little’s Beverage
Location Address:
1224 Lancaster Ave
Columbia, PA 17512
Contact Information: 717-684-2714 
Visit website

Santa is coming to town

Santa Claus is coming to Columbia on Saturday, December 5th. The parade starts at 8:30 a.m. at Route 441, then across South 3rd Street, turning left onto Locust Street, then turning right into South 10th Street and ending at Viggies firehouse.
Breakfast will be served 9 to noon at the firehouse. Children ages 3 & under – free. Adults $5. 
Sponsored by CCFD Auxiliary Columbia QRS. 

Columbia's secret boat ramp is open to the public

Everyone knows about the public boat ramp at Columbia River Park, but there’s another boat ramp – less well known – that’s also open to the public. Anyone wishing to use it simply needs to follow Union Street past the intersection with Front Street, then across the railroad tracks and towards the river.

The ramp is a bit unkempt but paved well enough to allow a vehicle and trailer access to the river. According to a representative of the borough’s highway department, this lower section of Union Street is public, as is access to the river via the ramp. Potential confusion is created by two PRIVATE PROPERTY signs standing on both sides of the road, several yards past the railroad tracks. The signs, which designate property owners’ private tracts may have been strategically placed to discourage traffic on this block of Union – and to the river.

Columbia Spy has also been informed that, under federal law, access to the shoreline is a public right. In other words, you may walk along it, despite property lines, where physically possible. Rivers are subject to federal navigational servitude, including federal navigational easement, as explained HERE and HERE.

The orange line on the map above shows the lower portion of Union Street, including “below” the railroad tracks, as well as the public access to the boat ramp.
Shown above is the lower section of Union Street leading to the river. PRIVATE PROPERTY signs stand on both sides of the road, shown on the extreme right and left edges of the photo.
Here’s a closer look at the sign on the left side.
Shown here are potholes further along on this section of Union Street that were filled by borough workers last week.
Further down Union is this stop sign at an inclined section of road leading to the boat ramp.
The boat ramp is in the foreground here. This photo was taken from the shoreline, facing back up towards Union Street.

Here’s a view not everyone gets to enjoy. This photo was taken from the boat ramp.

 Last Tuesday, borough workers filled potholes on this section of Union Street.

This small project is a proper use of taxpayer funds, since this section of Union Street is public.
A “side” note:  This driveway, which runs perpendicular to Union Street, and leads roughly southeast, is designated PRIVATE. It terminates at the grounds of the Lancaster Water Company, but there is a private cottage at the side of the road (about in the center of this photo).  It’s unclear at this point who owns the road, and whether it is truly private.

Wanted: Citizen scientists with cameras to document PA's animals

The Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Biological Survey have just launched the Pennsylvania Mammal Atlas website.
The agency hopes citizen-scientists in Lancaster and every other Pennsylvania county will answer the call to send in photographs of the 64 mammal species in the state they come across. Dead or alive.