today’s news and information gleanings from here and there! 

• Today’s Weather! 
• Today in History!
• Traffic Cam Rts. 30 & 441
• The Official Time! – Population Clock (U.S. and World)

Quote for today… “Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind ? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?” – attributed to poet Robert Burns 

• “A Columbia woman will likely spend the holiday behind bars after she tried to take a police officer’s Taser during a Friday night fight at a Lancaster city bar.” – LancasterOnLine
• At the Wednesday evening Special Council a citizen asked “What is the story about New Year’s Eve in Columbia?” An updated answer to is at the end of this post.
• A bunch of area residents included in this sheriff’s holiday round-up – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era
• LEGAL NOTICE, published in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era, December 31, 2011 – “LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that Columbia Borough Council will hold its organizational meeting on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 7 p.m. and its regular meeting on Monday, January 9, 2012 at 7 pm in the Borough Municipal Building, 308 Locust St., Columbia, PA. If you are a person with a disability wishing to attend and require an accommodation to participate in the meeting, please contact the Borough Office at 684-2467. Norman B. Meiskey III Borough Manager.”
• End-of-year lists are everywhere; here’s one we find interesting. “10 head-turning quotes from 2011” or I can’t believe he/she would say that! – Project on Government Oversight
• Water company to get bigger? – “Columbia Water Co. is offering to buy its small neighbor, Marietta Gravity Water Co., for $3.5 million.” – My Columbia News
  
• C’mon down to Florida! – “Sinkhole Swallows Two SUVs at Florida Rest Area” – Firehouse.com
• Worth reading column on today’s Lancaster New Era Commentary page: “Baby boomers lament: welcome to age warfare.”
• “dumass move” retracted – “After a customer backlash, Verizon Wireless on Friday dropped a plan to start charging $2 for every payment subscribers make over the phone or online with their credit or debit cards.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era
• “Smart move” – “Giant recalls Miller’s Shredded Cheese” – York Daily Record
• In York – “Catch a movie, and help local horses: The York County SPCA and Frank Theatres teamed up to help find homes and raise funds for neglected horses.” – York Daily Record
• Sad days for Lancaster city museums” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era
• “West York mayor vetoes budget: Borough does not face a shutdown, as they have until Feb. 15 to pass one.” – York Daily Record
• What about a New Year’s Eve Celebration in Columbia?

At this past Wednesday’s council meeting, the citizen asked the council for more information about the New Year’s Eve celebration event; at the October borough council meeting, council approved a facilities use request to cordon off the second block of Locust Street on New Year’s Eve.

This “Facilities Use Request for Golden Stories Restaurant to host a New Year’s Celebration in the 200 block of Locust Street from 9:00 pm on December 31, 2011 until 4:00 am on January 1, 2012 contingent upon receipt of a certificate of insurance” was introduced; voted upon; approved and discussed by the councilors.

The councilors talked about the particulars and wondered what would be dropped.Manhattan drops its famous crystal ball to ring in the new year; Lancaster has its red rose and Lebanon, its Lebanon bologna … but what was going to be dropped in Columbia. .

Someone teasingly chimed in that maybe they were going to drop the borough manager.

Council approved the cordoning off of a portion of the 200 block of Locust Street and directed the police chief to coordinate details and particulars with the event coordinators.

When the citizen’s question was posed at the recent Wednesday evening meeting, none of the councilors nor the mayor could provide details about the impending “New Years’ Celebration;” Council president Mary Wickenheiser suggested the citizen call Golden Stories Restaurant for details.

Columbia news, views & reviews has been unable to find any reference to a “New Year’s Eve Celebration” happening on the second block of Locust Street in Columbia in local media or by searches on the Internet.

Columbia news, views & reviews called Golden Stories Restaurant on Thursday to ask about the plans. The person who answered the call was not able to provide specifics about the event, but did confirm “there were plans.” When asked, the person did offer to pass along our request for information to the owners. Columbia news, views & reviews provided contact and call-back information; at this writing no one from Golden Stories Restaurant has returned our call to provide more information about tonight’s “New Year’s Eve Celebration.”

NOTE: At 10:55 today, Lynne Ellis, one of the owners of Golden Stories Restaurant called to apologize for not getting back to us. She confirmed that there will be a “countdown drop at midnight.” She would not disclose the object that will be dropping, just that it’s a surprise.

You’ll just have to be there to find out! Happy New Year!