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… “Enthusiasm is the most important thing in life.” – Tennessee Williams

• “Following the energy crisis in the 1970s, the federal government expanded the number of weeks for “added daylight,” according to Katie Knaub, Director of Education at the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania.  ” – WBAL-AM

• “Wells Fargo in June will begin charging a $7 checking account fee to customers in Georgia, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, the bank said Thursday.” – Fox43 WPMT-TV

• … but if you live in North Carolina, Wells Fargo will not be charging for checking! – Winston-Salem Journal

• LEGAL NOTICE, published in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era, March 10, 2012: “INVITATION TO BID The Borough of Columbia is soliciting bids to lease portions of that parcel of property in the Borough of Columbia known as River Park for a term of not less than one year, from individuals or entities who wish to utilize such space for canoe and kayak rentals. Diagrams of the park and the areas available for such leasing, along with other details regarding use of the park may be obtained by calling the Borough Manager at (717) 684-2467 or by reviewing the same at the Borough of Columbia Municipal Building located at 308 Locust Street, Columbia, during business hours Monday through Friday, 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m. Sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on April 2, 2012 at the Municipal Building referenced above, at which time they will be publicly opened. Bidders, subcontractors and their workers shall be persons lawfully permitted to work in the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All lease proposals shall be on the form entitled Concession Agreement in which the bidder shall have filled in the information necessary to complete paragraphs 2, 3, 5 and 8, which information includes annual rent offered, monthly rent, the date the monthly rent will be paid and the security deposit to be provided. The Concessionaire Agreement may be obtained from the Borough Manager during regular business hours. All bids must be clearly marked “River Park Lease Proposal”. The Borough of Columbia reserves the right to reject any and all bids or parts of bids, and to waive any omissions, errors or irregularities in the bids. Norman B. Meiskey, III Borough Manager.

• The “whack job” war-mongering and sabre-rattling continues despite that “American intelligence analysts continue to believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb.” – New York Times

• Four plus pages of Sheriff Sale properties in yesterday’s Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• POLICE LOG: “EAST HEMPFIELD TWP.: William M. Pusey, 31, of 745 Manor St., Columbia, was charged with three counts of theft and one count of criminal attempt of theft for allegedly taking catalytic converters from vehicles. He was caught Thursday near the parking lot at Regency Square, 100 Rohrerstown Road, after he tried to steal a converter from a vehicle there, police said. He was taken to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bail.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era.

(Crocuses bask in the sunshine on Manor Street in Columbia earlier this week. [Heather Shenk] – MyColumbiaNews)

• “Spring-like weather led to lots of early flower sightings this week around Lancaster County. Heather Shenk of Columbia spotted crocuses Tuesday in the 600 block of Manor Street in (Columbia).” – MyColumbiaNews

• “The remains of five Irish immigrants killed while building a Pennsylvania railroad in 1832 — murder victims, researchers believe, of local vigilantes who buried them anonymously near the tracks — (were) re-interred Friday in a suburban Philadelphia cemetery. The immigrants were among 57 hired to help build a stretch of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad known as Duffy’s Cut. They lived in a shantytown by the rails in current-day Malvern, Pa., about 20 miles west of Philadelphia.” – MSNBC.com

• “The Occupy Lancaster group will hold a park cleanup at Lancaster Community Park on Millersville Pike today. Members of the group and volunteers will meet at the park at 9 a.m. and pick up litter until about noon. Afterward, everyone will regroup for a potluck picnic in the park. Those interested in attending are encouraged to bring a pair of gloves or rake, as well as snacks, fruits, dishes or beverages to share. For more information, contact Ryan Overly at 344-0742.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• Alicia Loreto, of Columbia, knows what it’s like to be spiritually empty. Her “hereditary predisposition, combined with some poor decisions as a teen and four abdominal surgeries left her addicted to OxyContin, a narcotic pain reliever. Loreto will talk about her recovery  at a free Gaudenzia/Lancaster breakfast for faith communities at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 10 Delp Road, Lancaster, from 8 to 9:15 a.m. Tuesday.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• “Daylight saving ‘not as bad as you would think’ at clock museum -It’s tragic when you forget to re-set your alarm clock for daylight saving time. Think about the chore awaiting the curator of the National Watch & Clock Museum in Columbia.” – York Daily Record

• “Motorists traveling west on Route 30 will experience delays on the Wright’s Ferry Bridge over the Susquehanna River beginning Monday morning as crews limit traffic to one lane. This restriction will continue until about 3 p.m., when a new westbound express lane will be opened to traffic, PennDOT said.” – LancasterOnLine

• Well, Burt … Taylor knows it too!