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

Quote for today… “When closed-circuit street-security video cameras were introduced in Lancaster in 2009, the news drew national attention and much hue and cry. But partly because Lancaster outsourced its surveillance to a private nonprofit group, and no government agency was directly involved in running the cameras, they were acceptable to some who might otherwise have blanched.” – Excerpted from the editorial in today’s Intelligencer Journal about the “new normal” of governments spying on its own citizens. [REMINDER NOTE: Columbia’s spy apparatus has no acknowledged oversight by a private nonprofit, non-governmental agency. It’s NSA on a smaller scale.]

• A grandma got run over by a reindeer moment: “Police: SUV flees scene after hitting York man in wheelchair” – The York Dispatch

• Congressional brilliance: Let’s take away those military pensions – The Washington Post

• Carolers added joyous sounds to the season last night. Leaving the council of the whole meeting last night, we heard the voices of a dozen or so carolers as they made their way up Locust Street. They rallied at the base of the Christmas Tree at the Locust Street park and sang out “O Christmas Tree!” Bravo, Columbia’s carolers from last night.

• The mayor and councilors applauded the initiative of several local businesses that stepped up to produce lighted tree in the park for the “First Annual Winterfest.” Columbia news, views & reviews also recognizes the business operators. The community is better because of the businesses and organizations which came together to fund the lighting of the tree. We wonder, though, why there was so little advance notification about the project. How much of a role did the borough play?

• In Mount Joy, they’re cutting police and raising taxes. – MyDonegalNews

• He loves the deals at Kohl’s – Harrisburg Patriot-News

• Chicago loves their Blackhawks; here’s one reason why. The Blackhawk reach out to communicate with their fans.

• Columbia’s Taxes