This week's edition

This week's edition of the Columbia Ledger has five pages of graduation pictures and stories; along with the awards that were given at the Senor Recognition Banquet, the middle school along with the Park and Taylor Elementary Schools.

Also, just a reminder about the events this weekend in Columbia -- the Columbia Consolidated Fire Department hosts its annual Native American Powwow on Saturday and Sunday.

The Cruisin Columbia Car Show will fill the downtown streets on Saturday.

This week's edition

This week's edition of the Columbia Ledger has five pages of graduation pictures and stories; along with the awards that were given at the Senor Recognition Banquet, the middle school along with the Park and Taylor Elementary Schools.

Also, just a reminder about the events this weekend in Columbia -- the Columbia Consolidated Fire Department hosts its annual Native American Powwow on Saturday and Sunday.

The Cruisin Columbia Car Show will fill the downtown streets on Saturday.

Starting to change

I am the type of person that doesn’t like too much change. At almost 50, I’m sort of set in ny ways.
In order words, a tough nut to crack.
But each night as a sit on the old recliner and watch the Phillies, I am amazed at how well this team continues to do.
Sure, they got five of the best players in the game -- Utley, Rollins, Lidge, Howard and Hamels and a couple of other players that are borderline being the best like Myers, Burrell and Victorino.
They play hard night in and night out and no deficit seems to faze them.
They have some holes, but lately the holes seem to be producing.
Sure, this is the Major Leagues and they are being paid big bucks to produce.
So I keep asking myself why and then then show Charlie Manuel in the dugout, blowing a bubble or looking like he doesn’t belong in the dugout. He just looks the part of a hillbilly.
I have been tough on Charlie ever since he replaced Larry Bowa and will continue to do so.
There are a few of us who think had Bowa been managing last year, the division race wouldn’t have went down to the last day of the season.
This year, the Phillies are on a roll. I think only the Cubbies have a better record in the National League.
So even though he looks like a “buffoon” in the dugout, maybe the laid back approach by the manager is the way to go.
As I right this, the Phillies have a four game lead in the National League. They have a big series with Florida this week and could easily create some more space.
While I am not completely converted yet as a Charlie Backer, because my fear is he’ll do something stupid that will cost the team, right now, he’s one of the reasons they are doing well.
Of course having the best player in the game right now in Utley doesn’t hurt either.

Odds and ends...

• I saw the Eagles are holding their annual summer celebration this weekend at their End Zone store at Rockvale. No word on any of the players who might attend.
Hard to believe but training camp is a little more than a month away.
• Like watching the college world series in baseball and softball, but John Kruk was out of place at the softball championships.
• Now that I have the digital cable package, there are a couple of old favorites I’m tuning in for.
Remember Emergency with Squad 51? How about the A Team (I pitty the fool)? Hawaii 5-0 (book ‘em Danno!).
• Don’t want to say that I told you so, but I warned everyone that Big Brown had a built in excuse for not winning the Belmont. But to finish last, come on!
• Can you believe the NBA season will be ending maybe tonight or over the weekend. Three months of playoffs is too much.
• From the who cares file. I was home one day last week and EPSN or the Duece had European Soccer on live.
Like tennis, golf and sorry to say auto racing, a waste of time on the tube.

Pickets at Council meeting

arrying signs, about 15 members of Columbia’s Service Employees International Union 668 held an informational picket prior to Monday’s borough council meeting.
The union, which consists of 25 highway and wastewater department workers, along with office workers in the municipal office and police department, is in the process of negotiating a new five-year contract with the borough.
Members of SEIU has been working without a contract since December 2007, said Harry Howard, union head.
Howard said prior to the start of Monday’s council meeting, the borough’s final offer isn’t good enough for the union.
“What they offered us is very degrading. We would end up paying the borough to work here,” Howard said.
Howard said the union has entered into the fact finding part of negotiations. The borough, the union said, has offered them lump sum payments twice a year and is proposing an increase to employees’ contributions for health care.
Howard said the union blames Borough Manager Norm Meiskey for the lack of a new contract. Meiskey was not at Monday’s meeting as he was attending a seminar.
The union has authorized a strike. Howard said Monday, no date has been set.
He said there is a possibility they will hold an informational picket again Saturday during the Cruisin Columbia Car Show, which will be held downtown.
“We want to get the fact finding back and get back to the bargaining table,” Howard said.
“On one hand they (the borough) pats us on the back and tells us how good of job we are doing, but then they think we are the worst people around,” Howard said.
As the meeting started, the workers made their way inside the council chambers. They got some support inside.
“We are blessed to have good workers in this borough. There should be an agreement with them,” said Herbert Spiese of the 200 block of Perry Street.
“We’ve been negotiating with them since last June,” said Council Vice-President Mary Wickenheiser.
“You are going to lose some of these people if you don’t treat them right. It’s important to the workers have a real good, living wage,” Spiese said.
Later in the meeting, Councilman Vern Detz said he couldn’t help but notice the union’s presence.
“I echo Mr. Spiese’s comments,” Detz said.
He said he was a little disappointed that the union used the media to get the word out about the lack of a contract.
“It made for an ugly sore eye for the borough,” Detz said.
“I was a little disappointed this got out before fact finding was done and hoped the fact finding would have taken place first,” Detz said.
“Now we have to deal with it,” Detz said.
“The borough wanted to see the facts come back before we invite you back to the bargaining table,” Detz said.
Howard countered Detz’ comments by saying the fact finding is complete and the union had received the borough’s final offer.
“It’s a done deal,” Howard said of the fact finding.
Wickenheiser said the borough was waiting for the fact finder to be named before proceeding.