today’s news and information gleanings from here and there! Today’s Weather!   Today in History!

Quote for today… “There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” – Warren Buffet, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway (SOURCE: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=25967)

• Columbia Cougar? Not likely, says game commission. (Lancaster Sunday News)
• Coupon for THE (The Turkey Hill Experience) admission
• Who loses when banks are bailed out? We do. “Treasury risk premiums fell after the credit action, and American banks and corporations are already sitting on some $3 trillion in cash that they can’t spend. More free money won’t change anything.” The US government bails them out and the money pours in. Read this article.
• Restaurants and dining facilities inspections this week: In York, several grocery stores were cited In Lancaster, here is the report (Restaurant inspections July 25-29)  listed in today’s Sunday News; a fuller database of inspections appears at the LancasterOnline Website. All facilities in Lancaster and York counties, except those in Columbia, are listed at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Website.
• Go figger, huh! “PLCB, union blast privatization plan at hearing” (York Dispatch)
• Thanks to Cole Umber’s urging citizens to attend last Monday’s council meeting, a contributing citizen submitted this report to Cole’s posting on what transpired at the meeting. The agenda is not posted at the Borough Website. So, Columbia citizens, you have to be there to find out what’s going to be discussed and/enacted and how it’s going to impact you, your property values and the community quality of life.

We normally attend these meetings and post the agenda, but being out-of-town, we missed this one.

Here is the citizen’s report: “Here’s what happened at this past Monday’s Borough Council Meeting – The highlight of the meeting was when Jesse Klein presented council with a bill for over $1500 for lost wages due to the borough condemning his property Hotel Locust. Mr. Klein scolded council for condemning his property right away but a property a few doors up the street was not condemned when a piece of it fell off and injured a passerby. He also said he previously did everything he was directed to do by Jeff Helm. He said he did not replace the front windows on the hotel, because Jeff told him he was not allowed to, because they were historical. (Borough manager) Norm Meiskey seemed surprised by this and said he would look into it. Klein said it happened at a lawyer’s building about two and a half months ago and the police and ambulance were called to the scene. Klein’s partner, Pam Lake, said property owners must be notified in writing before the borough can condemn their property. She said this was not done. Mary Barninger, who is on the safety committee, said they are not privy to everything that happens. Norm Meiskey also said the hotel was condemned until a registered professional engineer could inspect it and then had the code enforcement officer remove the notice. Klein said the borough should have condemned the hotel previously before he owned it because there were repairs that needed to be done including broken windows. He said Jeff Helm is not welcome in that building anymore. Klein said the borough is not promoting business. He also said the borough should eliminate paid parking on weekends.

“Flora Eshelman from 5th Street complained about the AME Church blocking off 5th Street for a party when they could use the churchyard and Makle Park. Councilwoman Sandy Duncan basically defended shutting off the street and replied that the resident was “embedded in the African American community”. She said the church stores its trash at a house at 220 South 5th Street to be picked up on Wednesdays and this draws mice. She said she complains and the code enforcement officer comes out and looks but nothing is ever done.

“Flora Eshleman also said children play around the area of the Makle Legion and that the building is in bad shape. She said she complained and Jeff Helm said he needs to hire an engineer to assess the building at taxpayer’s expense.

“Mayor Leo Lutz mentioned the picture of him that appeared recently on a local website.” [NOTE: This picture’s been posted at two websites: this one and the creator’s site.]