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

Quote for today… “The Hempfield School District is operating on a 2 hour delay with modified kindergarten for Tuesday, February 10th. “ – Hempfield School District website – 5:40 am, February 10. [NOTE: Eastern School District, too.

• Sewer sale: another article – LNP – Always Lancaster [NOTE: Despite what this article and the borough’s agenda state, LASA did not buy the sewer plant; only the system.]
  

• Check out Barry Ford’s comments following the article.

• Columbia news, views & reviews must have been at a different meeting. At that meeting, “Councillors casting ‘nay’ votes were Michael Beury and Stephanie Weisser.” as reported in this post.

• Help find the owners of the dogs at the Columbia Police Department’s facebook site: nice going, CPD.

• A month ago, gas was selling for $2.159 – today it’s noticeably higher ($2.35) at the Turkey Hill’s in Columbia-area gas stations (some gas war as the Sheetz across the road has the same pricing) – GasBuddy [NOTE: The prices are 10 cents a gallon less at Sunoco. Gas cheaper just across the Bridge, too. even at the Turkey Hill‘s – and up the road at Sheetz in Marietta.]

Maximillian Robespierre

• Robespierre’s “Reign of Terror” and autocratic nature made him increasingly unpopular. Many historians describe him as “demagogic, dictatorial, and fanatical.” Those in attendance at last night’s council meeting got to see Columbia’s version of “Robespierrian theatre” as councillor Jim Smith verbally attacked a citizen following her comments. Former councillor, Mary Wickenheiser, asked questions about current status of the property at 1020 Blunston Street – the borough-owned property leased to a company to erect a cell tower. The same property that a councillor, a member of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, who previously campaigned to sell that property at below-market price and then to transfer the property to the CEDC. Last night’s verbal brutality was classic “Robespierrian.” 
  

• Help the police department get unlicensed and out-of-date registered or non-registered vehicles off the streets. Last night the mayor said the police department is powerless to cite owners of vehicles with out of date registration or inspections because the state law classifies theses violations as “moving violations” and Columbia’s codes do not address parked vehicles legally parked on borough streets. He asked council to look at getting an ordinance similar to one that the City of Lancaster has; one that identifies unregistered, or expired registration, and unlicensed, or expired licensed, vehicle owners as being in violation of city parking codes. The solicitor will look at Lancaster’s code and make a recommendation for Columbia.

• How about heating oil prices?

• Council did give approval to a Chamber of Commerce “Biergarten” event October. The Chamber must have known it would, because it’s on the Website already. Of course, contingent on council’s approval is the state’s Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s approval. “The Board issues special occasion permits to specific, eligible entities for the purpose of raising funds.” It was stated at the meeting last night that the beer that will be sold at the Biergarten will not be a “keg in the street” blast, rather a “tasting event.” And the Chamber’s website states, “Present ID to purchase your ticket which entitles you to sample the beers presented at this event. A limited number of tickets will be issued for the sampling portion of this event.”

• Road rage? New neighbors? Before you engage in heated debate with anyone, you may want to find out whether that individual’s got a history of entanglements, or appearances, in the Pennsylvania’s legal system. A quick check let’s you see that some of the actors have demonstrated predispositions towards violent responses or complete disdain for the law.

• Ricki is freed from Jimmy Mack’s – WGAL-TV8

• Did you see that the Hess station on Columbia Avenue in Lancaster has filed a legal notice to change its name to Speedway?