today’s news, information and opinion 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… “When somebody does not do the job, you’ve got to let ’em go.” – Clint Eastwood, speaking on the last evening at the Republican National Convention.

• Oh, yeah – another case of dumass! – A (Lancaster) Pennsylvania woman was charged with making a false report to a police officer this week after making up a phony story about being attacked and robbed in a West Ocean City shopping center parking lot because she was embarrassed and afraid to tell her husband she had lost the money at the Casino at Ocean Downs.” – Maryland Coast Dispatch

• Use caution when responding to craigslist ads like this  – THE tix

• LEGAL NOTICE for Veterans Bridge project at the end of this column

• Tide set to roll tonight: “Eastern York at Columbia: Including last year’s 36-13 win in the opener, the Crimson Tide is 15-2-1 against the Golden Knights in their all-time series.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era [MaxPreps preview here]

• One of the results of freedom – “Several local (Michigan) residents are upset after the release of a T-shirt with the phrase “I’d rather shower at Penn State than cheer for the Wolverines,” calling it “disgusting.” – The Oakland Press

• Charade one; TGIFO! (Thank goodness it’s finally over!) – Does anyone really care, though. “The first night of the GOP convention drew an estimated 22.3 million TV viewers, the vast majority over 55. [NOTE: That is about seven percent of the number of households in the United States.] The Nielsen ratings company said that figure was down from the 23.1 million who watched the first full night of the 2008 convention, which nominated John McCain. Nielsen said just 1.5 million of those who watched Tuesday’s convention session were in the 18-34 age group.”

• Prevent a hostile corporate takeover of our democracy

•  Charade two coming up; three days of “same-ism” begins September 4.

• The Republican Platform. “Restoring the American Dream:Rebuilding the Economy and Creating Jobs” – “‘It may be a truism that politicians never read the party platform, but that doesn’t make it true. The document adopted on Tuesday at the Republican National Convention in Tampa is certainly worth reading, even at a dense 54 pages. ‘The 2012 Republican Platform is a statement of who we are and what we believe as a Party and our vision for a stronger and freer America,’ begins the Preamble. What follows is one of the most restrictive, conservative, right-wing platforms any party has produced in recent memory. And, while Republican bigwigs can pooh-pooh the document, voters seem to have a keen interest in what the platform actually espouses.’” – GlobalPost

• Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly? … if every local, state and federal political entity had to follow the part of the NCAA decree to Penn State that included the … “appointment of an Athletics Integrity Officer and Athletics Integrity Council.  The AIA also includes internal and external accountability measures and certifications; implementation or updating of the University’s Code of Conduct ; training and education and a disclosure program.” – Penn State Website

• POLICE LOG: “MANOR TWP.: Police said 240 feet of copper wire belonging to Amtrak was stolen Aug. 17 from the railroad tracks off River Road near Turkey Hill Point. Amtrak reported a temporary outage around 2 a.m. While checking the lines later that day, Amtrak officials found that a copper line on top of one of the poles had been cut. Although the line is no longer in use, when it came down it struck a live wire carrying about 13,000 volts of power, resulting in the outage. Amtrak officials valued the stolen wire at $800. Police ask anyone with information to call them at 299-5231. Tipsters also may call Lancaster City/County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-322-1913 or anonymously text LANCS plus your message to 847411 (TIP411). [NOTE: Columbia news, views & reviews has received reports of cases of “similar thefts of metals” from several area homes and business establishments, though there have been no reports published in the daily newspaper of record.] – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era.

• “The 5th Annual Lancaster Mounted Patrol and Canine Unit Benefit Horse Show will be held Sunday, Sept. 9. The horse show is free and open to the public. It begins at 9 a.m. at the Columbia Riding Club, 18th and Franklin streets, Columbia.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• LEGAL NOTICE, published in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era, Friday, August 31, 2012 – “REQUEST FOR BIDS MPMSNO.85049 / BRINJAC PROJECT NO. 08078 Sealed bids will be received by the Borough of Columbia at the Borough Hall, Borough Manager’s Office, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512 until 11:00 a.m. prevailing time Friday, October 5, 2012 and then publicly opened and read aloud immediately thereafter. Columbia Borough Council at its public meeting October 8^th 2012 at 7:00 pm, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, Pa. will give a conditional award to the lowest qualified and responsible bidder pending PennDot’s concurrence to award. This project consists of the installation of new street lighting across the entire bridge span of the Veterans Memorial Bridge. The new street lights will consist of custom lantern style fixtures mounted on top of each main pier in the original locations. New electrical services will be installed on both shores and sidewalk will be repaired. There will be significant landscape and hardscape changes at both plazas. Routing of wiring and detailed historical work is a critical component of this project. The CONTRACT DOCUMENTS may be examined and obtained at the Borough of Columbia Borough Hall, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512 on or after Friday, August 31st, 2012 upon payment of $200 per set, non-refundable. Checks shall be made payable to Brinjac Engineering. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS may also be seen at Harrisburg Builders Exchange; 2501 North Front Street; Harrisburg, PA 17101. Bid Bond in an amount equal to not less than ten percent (10%) of the total bid must be attached to the bid. A performance bond in an amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the total bid is required for this project. Bidders should refer to provisions of federal and state statutes, rules and regulations dealing with the prevention of environmental pollution and preservation of public, natural resources that affect the project, said provisions being submitted as part of the specifications pursuant to Act 247 of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania approved October 26, 1972. The Borough of Columbia, in accordance with Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Parts 21 and 23 of 49 C.F.R., notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that DBE will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and that no person will be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, or national origin in consideration for an award. A DBE Goal of 5% is required for this Project. This project is subject to the U.S. Department of Labor Davis-Bacon Wage Rates. Additionally, all bidders must be PennDOT pre qualified as specified in section 102.01, of Publication 408. Contractors qualifying as subcontractors may submit bids as a prime contractor, consistent with their qualifications and as specified in section 102.06, Publication 408. The Borough of Columbia reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any technical defects that are deemed to be in the best interest of the project. Award of the contract, if the contract is awarded, will be based upon the lowest qualified and responsible bid. BY THE ORDER OF THE BOROUGH OF COLUMBIA, LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIANIA. Norman B. Meiskey III, Borough Manager.”