Road project is a concern

Workers install no parking signs at Third and Locust this afternoon./

Over the last month, if not longer, curbs and sidewalks along the Route 441 corridor have been dug up and repaired. Much of the construction has taken weeks and caused a number of headaches for businesses along the area.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation hired a sub contractor, McMinn’s Asphalt of Lancaster to replace curbs and sidewalks and repave the road.

The curbs and sidewalks were finally completed Friday.

Monday, traffic problems mounted when McMinn’s started milling the old asphalt in preparation for paving the road through Columbia south to Washington Boro at Route 999.

Heather McDonald, a resident of the 100 block of Locust Street, spoke to the borough council Monday night about traffic problems in her area, along with other issues.

First discussed with the council, were no parking signs placed along the Route 441 area in Columbia, which no one knew about, which wer eventually taken down.

Borough Manager Norm Meiskey agreed the project has been a problem.

“It has been totally disruptive. We taken a lot of complaints and I’ve discussed them with the project manager on a regular basis,” Meiskey said.

“They have been very difficult to deal with,” he said.

Settlement within days

By Friday, hopefully no later than next Wednesday, the Turkey Hill Experience will take its final step in becoming the biggest tourist attraction in western Lancaster County.

At Monday’s borough council meeting, officials announced that the long planned sale of the property at Third and Linden streets, will happen by Friday or at the latest next Wednesday to the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, who will in turn sell the property to Museum Partners.

“Everyone is working toward that goal,” said Norm Meiskey, borough manager.

He explained the loan document between all parties needed to be redone and some changes in the terms and conditions were changed. Meiskey said the Susquehanna Bank is expected to approve the financial plan today or tomorrow.

Former council member Vern Detz said he was concerned those involved would ask for another extension of the agreement.

“The borough is the one taking all of the risks in this project. They (CEDC and Museum Partners) are just pushing paper. If they walk, the borough is still on the hook for this money. We are being strong armed,” Detz said.

Detz suggested that if there is another delay in the project, council should move on and find another developer.

“You have to have a different plan,” Detz said. “Enough is enough, let’s move on.”

Council President Mary Wickenheiser said this project would have been completed had a previous council not wanted to go with the local economic development group.

“The members at that time voted down an agreement with the Lancaster Economic Development Corporation.. We would not have been sitting here tonight without an agreement. The council at that time didn’t want someone to make money off this borough,” she said.

Market continues to move forward

The Columbia Market House has been without a manager since borough council fired Renae Sears late in 2009.

While its possible, a new market manager might be hired in the near future, it hasn’t stopped residents questioning the market’s activities.

“I can’t believe when I go to the market how empty the stands are,” said Shirley McBride, resident.

She said she was surprised recently to see three stand holders advertising specials in a local publication.

“I was so upset with the empty stands,” she said. “I know there are three or four people out there qho want to see it close.”

“Market was a good place to go. The Amish people in there are just barely hanging on. We need to get people in there who know the market and get its going. Running a market is not a part-time job,” McBride said.

She would like to see more stands fill the market and “make it a nice place to go and sit and talk.”

“It’s terrible in there, something is not kosher. We need someone to take control of the market and get it back to where it was last year,” McBride said.

Councilmen Kelly Murphy, chairman of council’s market committee, said there are a lot of plans under way for the market, once renovations are complete.

“The Amish people tell me they are doing well and we should have a manager very shortly,” he said.

“We are in a transition and we have no intentions of letting it fail,” Murphy said.

Former manager Sears, who is now a member of the council said advertising was costly and there was very little money available to do that.

Murphy said the stand holders are raising money for advertising.

“If you want it to work, everyone needs to support it,” Murphy saiid.

Borough Manager Norm Meiskey said that until the renovations are complete, there’s no need to promote the market.

“We want to make sure people have a positive experience when they come here,” Meiskey said.

QRS request approved

It’s been a busy year for the Columbia Quick Response Service.


They’ve already answered ore than 456 calls so far this year, purchased a new vehicle and moved into their own building in the 400 block of Locust Street.

At Monday’s borough council meeting, the QRS was asking council for some help. However, they almost got a cold shoulder from borough council.

QRS Executive Director Frank Splain was seeking help from the council by paying the service’s general vehicle liability insurance. Splain at presented the proposal to council’s finance committee last month.

Splain explained Monday night that since the inception of the QRS back in 2003, the organization has spent $23,996 in insurance fees. The QRS was asking council to pay six months of its current policy of $918. He also questioned if the borough could pay a year worth of the insurance costs.

“It is currently provided to the fire service,” Splain said.

“We are financially okay but a little stretched with the new building and new vehicle,” Splain said.

The executive director said with the borough helping out it would take some of the financial strain off the QRS.

But when it cane time for the council to vote on the proposal, they also explained money was tight for them as well. The expenditure was not budgeted, council said.

“We have a very tight budget this year,” said Kelly Murphy, chairman of the council’s finance committee.

The council was also concerned about two figures the QRS presented. One was for $1,315 and the second was for $918.

In the end, council by a 4-3 approved the QRS request.

Crime scene active today

Despite the an arrest yesterday of a suspect in Friday's shooting, the crime scene around the former Keystone Fire Company was active today.
Investigators were searching the area for more evidence in the case. Will post an update ehen available.

Program at Columbia Public Library

Weekly Columbia police reports

THOMAS M. PLETZ, 49, OF COLUMBIA, WAS CITED FOR DRIVING WHILE OPERATING PRIVILEGE IS SUSPENDED OR REVOKED, AT ROUTES 30 AND 441 AT 6:38 P.M., APRIL 30.


JOHATHON D. ANSELL, 23, OF COLUMBIA, WAS CITED FOR ONE-WAY ROADWAYS, ON SOUTH SECOND. STREET, AT3:30 P.M., MAY 1.

JUSTIN E. ROBERTS, 22, OF LANCASTER, WAS CITED FOR MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS, AT ROUTE 30 EAST AND ROUTE 441, AT 1:12 P.M., APRIL 30.

ROMANY FAIEZ ATTA, 30, OF COLUMBIA, WAS CITED FOR CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY LAW RESTRAINT SYSTEMS AND FOR STOP SIGNS AND YIELD SIGNS, AT MARKET AVENUE AND SADIE LANE, AT 7:50 A.M., MAY 2.
PATRICIA CHERYL HARP, 50, OF COLUMBIA, WAS CITED FOR REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATION OF TITLE REQUIRED, IN THE 400 BLOCK OF UNION STREET, AT 8:49 P.M., MAY 3.

GRETA NOELLE METZ, 27, OF MOUNTVILLE, WAS CITED FOR STOP SIGNS AND YIELD SIGNS, AT WALNUT AND NORTH THIRD. STREETS, AT 12:47 A.M., MAY 6.

Track swept at Mennonite

The Columbia track tea ms were swept this afternoon by Lancaster Mennonite.
Mennonite won the boys' meet, 122-28 and the girls' meet, 123-16.
In the boys' meet, Brandon Felus won the shot put and discus. In the girls' meet, Kelsey Ulrich won the discus and the 400-meter relay team also placed first.
Columbia finishes the year winless in Section 3 and will compete in the Lancaster-Lebanon League championships Friday and Saturday at Hempfield High School.

Tide girls close regular season

The Columbia softball program has never had a winning season. That all changed this year and in the final game of the regular season, the Tide girls had some fin in winning their 13th game overall and 10th league game by a 13-0 score over Lancaster Mennonite.


The Tide finishes the regular season with a 13-7 record and they were 10-6 in Section 5.

Columbia has qualified foe the District 3 Class AA playoffs, which open Wednesday, Feb.19 at a site, time and opponent to be announced.

Monday, which was designated Senior Day, the Tide had no problem. All the team’s seniors – Sara Burke, Allison Michener, Victoria Kuhn and Kayla Ortman contributed to the win, especially in tje second inning when the Tide sent 16 girls to the dish and scored 12 runs.

In that inning, Burke, who started the inning with a neatly bunt single, also walked; Michener singled and circled the bases on two Mennonite errors; Kuhn drove in a run on a ground out, while Ortman reached on an error and scored.

In that second inning, Columbia ripped seven hits, had four girls walk and Mennonite had five errors in the inning. Ripping extra base hits were Ashlyn Phillips, Emily Detz and Vallesa Carollo. Burke, Emily Detz, Phillips, Nobile and Carollo each reach base twice in the inning.

All of this offense coming for the Tide after they left the bases juiced in the first.

Columbia added to their run total in the fourth when Nobile reached after striking out the Mennonite catcher misplayed the third strike, moved to second on a wild pitch, to third on an error and scored on another wild pitch.

Detz was her usual steady stuff in the circle. She didn’t allowed Mennonite a hit until the fourth and that runner was erased trying to go to second. She also allowed the Lady Blazers a hit in the fifth. She struck out eight.

EMS Week is proclaimed

Council Vice-President Mary Barninger presented Frank Splain and John Murphy and the crew from the Columbia Quick Response Service a proclamation proclaiming May 16-22 as Emergency Medical Services Week in Columbia at Monday's borough council meeting. Also read was a proclamation proclaiming May 9-15 as National Police Week.

Arrest made in shooting

Here are two links to the arest in Friday's shooting in the first block of South Fourth Street in Columbia. One from WGAL and the other from the Lancaster  Newspapers.
\http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/254479
http://www.wgal.com/news/23494817/detail.html

Coming attractions

Coming up tonight and tomorrow -- updates on the shooting arrest, Columbaia softball and coverage of tonight's Columbia Borough Council meeting.

An arrest warrant has been issued for jackson lydell towels in conoection with shooting of anton stewart friday.

Press Conference on shooting

The Lancaster County District Attorney's office will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. today to discuss Friday's shooting in Columbia.
Stayed tuned for updates.

Breaking news

The Columbia Police Department has just announced the Lancaster County's District Attorney will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. at the court house to discuss Friday's shooting.

Shooting update

Here is an update from WGAL on Friday's shooting.
http://www.wgal.com/video/23506928/index.html

Paving starts

McMinn's Asphalt has started paving Third Street. Expect plenry of traffic delays.

Cupcake Contest

Cupcake Contest

Sweet!

Calling bakers of every age group!! Saturday, June 19, the annual Cruisin’ Columbia car show will be held in downtown Columbia. To make this a truly “sweet” event, the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a Cupcake Contest to be held in conjunction with this event. We are looking for interested bakers to enter their sweet treats into the competition.

The Cupcake Contest will be held in Locust Street Park. Set up will begin at 9:30 am. The contest officially starts at 10:00 when the judging begins. Judges from The Flour Child, The Daily Grind, and Columbia Borough will sample cupcakes and rate them based on appearance and flavor. Awards will be given in a category for Bakers Sixteen and Under and a category for Bakers Over Sixteen. The winner in each category will win bragging rights and a prize package valued at $75.

Following the judging and awards ceremony, cupcakes will be sold to the public. All money collected from the sale of cupcakes will be shared by the Columbia Food Bank, the Wrightsville Food Bank, and the Maytown Food Bank.

Interested bakers need to fill out an application form and submit it along with the $10.00 entry fee to SVCC. Bakers are asked to provide a minimum of 4 dozen cupcakes and must agree to sell them for $.50 each. All money collected must be submitted to SVCC who will remit the donations to the local food banks.
The Cupcake Contest will last until noon or until the cupcakes are gone, whichever comes first. Entry forms must be received before June 11, 2010.

Cupcake Contest Entry Form
Name
Choose one category: 16 and under                        Over 16
Address:
E-mail:
 Phone

Entries must be accompanied by a $10.00 entry fee. Cash, checks made payable to SVCC, or credit cards accepted.

Card Number: Exp.
(Visa, MasterCard or Discover accepted)

By signing below, I agree to make a minimum of 4 dozen cupcakes to sell on June 19, 2010. I agree to collect $.50 per cupcake and to give the money collected to a representative of the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce that same day. I understand that the total monies collected will be divided among the Columbia Food Bank, the Wrightsville Food Bank, and the Maytown Food Bank. My $10.00 entry fee covers the costs of coordinating this event and qualifies me for entry in the Cupcake Contest with a prize package valued at $75. I understand that cupcakes will be judged on appearance and flavor. I acknowledge that the decision of the judges is final.



Signature Date

Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center
address: 445 Linden Street e-mail: svcc@PaRivertowns.com
Columbia, PA 17512 phone: 684.5249

River Towns Working Together

LCB charges local establishment

From Lancasteronline.com http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/254440

Bsttle of the Bridges in track

Here is a link to last night's Battle of the Bridges track meet at Eastern.
http://www.gametimepa.com/ci_15043622

Winning wasn't important today

When the Columbia and Reading Central Catholic girls' softball teams battled this morning at Glatfelter Field, who won and who list wasn't important.
The two were playing a non-league game with proceeds going to the fight against cancer.
In honor of the event, the Tide girls and coaches donned special pink jerseries for the game. Thost shirts as well as special Columbia Softball shirts were sold at the game, with proceeds going to the fight against cancer.
In addition, relatives of players and coaches, who beat cancer were recognized and those who lost relatives to the disease, had a moment of silence held in their honor.
Also, a number of businesses including Kline's Septic, Kleen-Rite, Associate's Real Estate and others donated money for each strikeout Tide fireballer Emily Detz recorded. She had 13 for the game, which raised a little more than $1,000.
And the future of the high school softball program was also on display as the four softball teams from the CBAA program were introduced.
As for the game itself. The Tide less than 24 hours earlier saw their chances for a league playoff berth go out the window with a loss at Annville-Cleona were ready to play.
Detz was brillant in the circle. She retired the first 18 batters she faced, 11 by strikeout, before allowing a leadoff double in the seventh. That runner scored on a stole base and wild pitch.
It was the only headache all day in the Tide's 7-1 win, which was the team's 12 of the season.
Columbia had a big chance to break the game open right from the start. They loaded the sacks on a walk to Detz and base hits off the bats of Jenna Plastino and Allison Michener, but failed to score.
In the second, Brittany Germer doubled with one out, but RCC threw some leather around, getting a fly ball double play to end the inning.
In the third, Columbia got on the scoreboard.
Detz and Vallesa Carollo walked to start the inning and they dented the dish on a booming double to left off the bat of Ashlyn Phillips. Platino followed with a single and Alexis Eckman running for Phillips scored when Michener singled. A sac fly off the bat of Germer scored the fourth run of the inning.
The Tide salted the game away with a two spot in the fifth.
Plastino crished a triple to center. She was replaced by Emily Nobile, who scored when Michener grounded out. Another one plated following aq single off the plate of Kayla Lambert, a walk to Germer and Emily Groft reaching on an error.
Columbia scored its final run of the game in the sixth on a double by Phillips and run scoring single from Plastino.
The Tide girls will close the regular season Monday with a home game against Lancaster Mennonite at 4:15 p.m. and then sit idle until May 21 when District Three playoff action starts.

Another must see

I took this photo this morning from the Scoop Mobile on my way in town. It is of the former Harvey T. Makle Legion on South Fifth Street. I noticed this earlier in the week that the legion post, which has been closed for a few decades now, now has plywood over its front doors with no trespassing signs.

It is not a good look for our town.

Looky here!!!!

Took this photo of Third and Locust street this morning as I was waiting for information concerning last night's shooting.
Earlier this week, I posted about the lack of work repairing the ADA areas along Route 441 through Columbia.
The project hadn't been worked on for up to 15 days. Low and behold, the concrete was poured yesterday, so hopefully, the work will be completely shortly.

One shot, one being sought

The posts from this morning around 7 a.m. have been deleted as I tried to upload the information from my cell phone. It didn't work. Her is the updater and there should be more later today or tomorrow.

According to a press released issued by the Columbia Police at 6:30 a.m. this morning.
Columbia Police said they received multiple calls at 10:30 p.m., last night aboiut shots being fired at 29 North Fourth St., which is the former Keystone Fire Company.
Upon their arrival, police founbd a victim laying to the rear of 20 North Fourth St. with a single gunshot wound, The victim was transported to Lancaster General Hospital.
The victim, police said, is a 20-year-old black man from Lancaster.
During the investigation, police learned there was an "after hour" party at the former firehouse and there was an altercation inside the building. Three individuals, allblack males in their late teens to early 20's were asked to leave the building. The three then went to the rear of the former fire house where one of the individuals shot the victim as he exited the backdoor and then fled the scene.
The suspects, police said, were wearing white shirts and dark pants. An early 90s Toyota Sedan, red or orange in color, is also belived to be involved in the incident.
Assisting Columbia Police are investigators from the Lancaster County District Attorney's office, West Hempfield Townbship Police and the Lancaster County Forensic Team.
Anyone with information is asked to call Columbia Police at 684-7735.

Last night, the area arond the shooting was shutdown around 10:30 into the wee hours of the morning while police investigated. In asddition to Columbia police, officers from West Hempfield, Susquehanna Regiomal and Mount Joy Borough were on the scene.
Also involved were SVEMS and the Columbia QRS as well as the Columbia No. 1 Fire Department, for lighting and washing down the area.

This morning at the scene of the shooting there were no visible signs of the incident in the area, other than a couple of water puddles in the Columbia Post Office parking lot and a light blue glove laying in the middle of the street.
A block down at the Columbia Police Department, there were numerous police vehicles and county vehicles parked. Last night, the entoire municipal building was full as investigators were questioning people and putting information together.

Stay with COLUMBIA TALK for updates.

Links to story on COLUMBIA girls' softball game

with all the excotement last night, I was unable to post anything on the Columbia girls' softball game with Annville-Cleona. Here are some links.http://highschoolsports.pennlive.com/news/article/7884435254533629746/annville-cleona-clinches-lancaster-lebanon-softball-berth-with-convincing-win-over-columbia/
http://www.ldnews.com/ci_15042290?source=rss

Hope to see everyone out at Glatfelter this morning at 10 a.m.