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

Quote for today … “The Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authority will be taking over the blighted property at 208-210 Locust Street.” – Columbia Spy – notes from the Monday council meeting.

• Why is Columbia’s codes enforcement zoning / planning / codes person the spokesperson for Columbia’s crap properties owners? Why don’t the owners of these blight properties talk for themselves?

• And Jeff Helm, which property at “a property located at 2nd and Locust Street” (sic) are you referencing?

• Meanwhile, some properties shine

• “Borough Offices will be closed Nov 26, 2015 and Nov 27, 2015 for Thanksgiving. Also Dec 24, 2015 and Dec 25, 2015 for Christmas.”

• Bah, Humbug (wink, wink) appears to be the sentiment when councillors and the mayor chewed on a “bag the meters” suggestion to infuse holiday shopping in Columbia as other communities are doing. Seems the more vocal councillors and the mayor think that all the residents will take all the parking spots that are intended for shoppers. Golly, gee, why don’t all the residents, evidently non shoppers, take all the spots in Lititz, Ephrata, Manheim, Elizabethtown and Lancaster? Our takeaway from the conversation is that Columbia will be relaxed about metered parking … but we won’t advertise that!

• Comment at the Downtown Lititz facebook page: “Did you hear! Are you excited? From now, until the end of the year, Lititz Borough is offering free parking throughout the downtown. Thank you Santa!”