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

Quote for today… “My favourite poem is the one that starts ‘Thirty days hath September’ because it actually tells you something.” – Groucho Marx

Who remembers Groucho? – biography.com

• The early flight | just now, a noisy flock of Canada geese overhead are probably heading south. Most likely, they’ve not read the Ducks Unlimited Canada Website that says, “Among the first to arrive north in spring, Canada geese are among the last to leave as winter returns.”

• Budget news

• Restaurant Inspections – In York County – “facility does not have procedures for employees to follow when responding to event involving vomit or fecal matter discharge.” – The York Dispatch

• In Lancaster County – Oh, man a full page in today’s LNP – Always Lancaster – but it contains inspections from last week and this week. Notice the Lancaster Host food serving service has been shut down; many organizations with events booked there are in a bind. For example, yesterday’s slated autism conference. Joining the list of chain restaurants and the seemingly “always on the list” Yang’s Restaurant are a few schools, veterans clubs and chains.

• 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. “Inspections are a “snapshot” of the day and time of the inspection. Also, at the time of the inspection, violations are recorded but are often corrected on the spot prior to the inspector leaving the facility. Inspection results are posted as inspections are conducted, and only represent eating and drinking establishments and retail food establishments that fall under the inspection jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and those county and local health departments which have elected to post results.”

• Of course, if you’re trying to see the results of any food serving establishment in Columbia, you’re out of luck – Columbia’s codes folks choose not to share that information, if it exists, unless a right-to-know request is submitted.

• Here’s one area of consistency in the inconsistent practices of the borough’s codes department: the folks operating it don’t follow the rest of the state – they use their own inspection forms and formats and they don’t share the results of the “inspections” with anyone unless you pay for them!