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

Quote for today… “It becomes clearer and clearer every year: the 253-member Pennsylvania Legislature is too big and too expensive. We might have to start a new civil war to help our elected officials realize they could do more with less. Because, sadly, they aren’t doing a lot with what they have now.” – From an Anne Reeves column in the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

Tom Downes, right, has been re-enacting for 33 years and leads the National Regiment. (SOURCE: PennLive.com)

• “Should Civil War re-enactments be abandoned?” – Harrisburg Patriot-News

• And remember … our government played a big role in this! “Mayhem in Cairo as Morsi Backers Fight for Return” – The New York Times

• but now … “Egypt Crisis Finds Washington Largely Ambivalent and Aloof” – The New York Times

• Chance makes Happy Valley happier: “No. 1 recruit Chance Marsteller commits to Nittany Lions” – Centre Daily Times

• A complete listing of all inspections at food serving facilities in Lancaster, York counties and the entire state, except those in Columbia, are listed at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Website. In York County, the Weis Markets in West Manchester Township came up with 11 violations last week; a biggie: “The Person in Charge does not have adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by this non-compliant inspection.”

• The PA Liquor Control Board database shows the ownership of the establishment located at 401 South Second Street, Columbia with the “Restaurant Liquor” license this way. Yet, in the full page on page 33 of the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce INFORMATION GUIDE, distributed with The Merchandiser this past week, there’s an announcement of the coming of Brucekie’s PUB. And, here’s the PENDING NEW or TRANSFER of the license at the PLCB database.

• Isn’t it curious that there was no advertisement, no promotion from the Columbia Economic Development Corporation in the Information Guide? Curious, too, that only a few of the members of the board of directors of that entity took out advertisements promoting their businesses, too?

• And a quarter page ad for THE? C’mon!

See it down there in the weeds? That’s the endcap stone for the wall at River Park. Even in a maintenance free environment, stuff gets wrecked by vandalism. Too bad – so sad. But wait! Aren’t there spy cameras there? Surely someone can view the files; identify the culprit(s) and get the person(s) to pay for the masonry repairs.

• Newer Facebook site, Must See Pics an Vids, posts interesting mostly Lancaster-oriented stuff including several pictures from last week’s multi-fatality fire.