It was a cold one

Saturday was the first trip to Philadelphia for the 2008 season. Sure it was a meaningless exhibition game with Toronto, but it was a day to get the juices flowing for the new season.
Unfortunately, the juices never got flowing.
It was the coldest baseball game I ever went too. Not only were the temperatures in the low 40’s (according to the crackers on the radio), but the winds were blowing, which probably lowered the temperature into at least the high 20s.
Not exactly baseball weather. There was a time, I just wanted to get up and give the Eagles cheer, it was THAT cold. But I couldn’t because I was afraid the words would freeze coming out of my mouth.
I was dressed for the trip. Three sweatshirts and a heavy jacket. One thing I forget were gloves. Not a big glove man.
It wasn’t too bad walking the concourse after I got there, walking through the Ashburn Alley store and eating places, or the Majestic clubhouse store, off third base.
Since it was Dollar Dog Day, didn’t try McFadden’s or Harry the K’s for the pre-game meal. Stuck to the dogs, or should I say they stuck to me.
I did eat my share of the dogs and had a diet ice tea, which was more expensive than my four dogs. By the way, the total was six for the day, in case anyone was asking.
I didn’t start to freeze until I got to my seat. The winds were swirling. Heck, it even hurt the crowd. They said they had 35,000 for the game. In our section in the last six rows, there were probably four people.
I like baseball, but Saturday was a little too much.I excited in the fifth as Jamie Moyer started to fade.
What struck me more going out of the park was there was still people coming in. Why would you go to a game and not show up until the fifth inning? Is that fashionable? I think its just plain stupid.
Beer was $7 a bottle and in the Majestic store, they had their alternate hats for sale. I looked at one for $15 and was going to get a second one, same style, but it was $22. I would have gotten two if they were both $15, but the lady at the check out said they were both $22, needless to say, they went back on the shelves.
I do need a new Phillies’ hat, but it was just the principal tat made me not get one.
The next trip is next weekend when the Cubbies are in town. I hope it gets warm soon.

Wrestlers are honored

The Columbia varsity and junior varsity wrestling teams were honored Sunday night at the team’s annual banquet held at the Foresters of America Lodge.
Team members were honored for their contributions to the teams this season.
Honored at the junior high level were:
• Byron Germer, most improved wrestler.
“He gave 100 percent all year in his first year out for the team,’ said junior high coach Tony Munoz.
• Jordan Helton and Nate Warner, outstanding wrestler.
Of Helton, Munoz said, “it was a pleasure to coach him this year.”
• Derrick Brooks, outstanding wrestler.
Honored at the varsity level were:
• Jared Bryant, Zach Groft, Garrett Mowrer, Dan Gerfin and Brian Groff, by the South Central Pennsylvania Youth Wrestling Organization, for participating in wrestling from sixth through 12th grade.
• Garrett Mowrer, Joey Charles, Derrick Armold, Brandon Felus, Dan Gerfin and Brian Groff, Lancaster-Lebanon League Academic All-Stars.
• Joey Ronca and Garrett Mowrer, first team; Anthony Wallick and Brian Groff, second team, and Jason Combs and Adam Stoner, honorable mention, Lancaster-Lebanon League All-Stars.
• Most takedowns, Jason Combs.
• Most Escapes, Derrick Armold.
• Most near falls, Garrett Mowrer.
• Most reversals, Anthony Wallick.
• Most falls, Brian Groff.
• Rookies of the Year, Brandon Felus and Kenny Weidman.
• Most Improved Wrestler, Sebastian Lefever and Derrick Arnold.
• Junior Varsity Wrestler of the Year, Zach Groft.
• Bob Bell Triple Effort Award, Joey Ronca, Joey Charles, Brandon Felus, Derrick Armold, Anthony Wallick and Garrett Mowrer.
• Most Valuable Wrestlers, Brian Groff and Garrett Mowrer.
• Outstanding Wrestler, Joey Ronca.
Columbia and Penn State graduate Aaron Anspach was the speaker for the banquet.

Fire Department holds banquet

More than 100 people attended the annual membership banquet for the Columbia No. 1 Fire Department Saturday night at the Park Plaza Hotel on Centerville Road.

The department honored its members for their commitment during 2007 and reviewed two videos, one on training the department did and highlights of some of its responses.

The speaker for the event was Matthew Tobia, a battalion chief of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department in Maryland. Tobia, along with Dale Dommel, master technician from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, assisted the department with some of its training.

Dommel served as master of ceremonies.

Those honored at the banquet included:
• Denny Hershey, Firefighter of the Year.
• Tom Wise, Member of the Year.
• Keystone Polish Concrete, the Joseph Zercher Award, given to a person or business in good standing with the department.
Keystone Polish Concrete donated a new floor for the engine room, which would have cost the department $20,000.
• William Ney, Chief’s Award.
• Mitchel Lutz Jr., the Lutz Honorary Presentation.
• Pat Hallacher and Elsie Hower, Special Recognition for helping with fund-raising and bingo.
• Chief Lenny Urey, former chief of the Wrightsville Fire Company, a Distinguished Service Award.
• Deputy Chief Joe Felus, a Recognition Award for writing grants for the department.

Top studentsSeventeen students at Columbia High School were honored last week at the school’s annual National Honor Society Banquet held in the cafete

Seventeen students at Columbia High School were honored last week at the school’s annual National Honor Society Banquet held in the cafeteria.

The students in eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th grade joined 28 classmates as members of the National Senior and National Junior High Honor Societies at the school.

The new members of the National Senior Honor Society are seniors Brian Groff, Stefanie Brown, Michael Seibert and Alysa Poindexter; junior Lindsay Hartman and sophomores Brandon Felus, Joseph Charles, Keifer Kemmerly and Camilla Kronenwetter.

The new members of the National Junior Honor Society are freshman Jenna Behrens and eighth grade students Rachel Knighton, Mikayla Kemmerly, Marilyn Ngo, Nicole Bowman, Benjamin Hank, Jocelyn Cooksey and Emily Hooper.

Angela Burke-Lutz, who graduated from Columbia High School, was the guest speaker for the banquet.

A1 is A1

A new restaurant has recently opened in Columbia.

A1 Buffet and Grill, which has a variety of Chinese food, steaks and other food, recently opened at 15th Street and Lancaster Avenue, across from Anvil International.

A1 Buffet is open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays doors open at 10:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. On Sundays they are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Prices vary depending on menu items, but typically lunch buffet costs $5.95 a person, and dinner costs $9.95.

For more information, call 342-2643.

Bike auction is a hit

With spring underway and some day soon, the weather turning nice, residents are starting to think about getting outside and riding their bikes.

For those who don’t have a bike, Columbia Borough offered residents a chance to purchase a bike at a cheap price.

More than 90 bikes, of different styles and types were available for purchase at the

Columbia Market House on Saturday. The borough held an auction of bikes that were stolen or found in the borough.

It was Columbia’s first bike auction in two years.

The auction started at 1:30 p.m. and lasted for about an hour.

“The bike have been accumulating in the Borough’s basement and it’s time to distribute them,” said Borough Councilman Mike Beury. “These bikes have been confiscated, stolen, or just found.”

The bikes were sold as is. Residents had the option of registering it by purchasing a license for $1, in case the bike ended up stolen or lost.

A large majority of the bikes sold for under $20.