Open you walets. Your 2006 Erie County property taxes are going up. A property with an assessed value of $100,000 will now pay $495, up $27 from this year. Along with raising your taxes, Erie County Council voted 7-0 to borrow $1 million and cut one full-time job to part-time.
The official vote county for Erie County Executive could be completed in our liftime, possibly by Friday. The election was held 8 days ago. The absentee ballots still need to be recounted. Democrat Mark DiVecchio, who just voted to raise your taxes, leads Republican Dale McBrier by 122 votes. The unofficial count had McBrier leading by six votes. Part of the vote count total was due to workers confusing the number 4 with the number 9.
Lieutenant Colonel Ron Fizer has been named comander of the Scranton (PA) Army Ammunition Plant and the Radford (VA) Army Ammunition Plant. Scranton is a metal-works facility which turns raw steel into shell casings. The Radford arsenal makes propellant and will soon be the only domestic provider of TNT. The US has been buying TNT from other countries for 17 years. LTC Fizer received his commission through the Gannon University ROTC program. (He was a Freshman in the progam the year I received my commission at Gannon. Great to see somone I served with do so well.)
The Great Lakes Aid Foundation, a local organization devoted to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes ecosystem, kicks off its fund-raising concert series with Roger McGuinn of The Byrds on Saturday at 7:30 pm at the Mercyhurst College Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $25 at the PAC box office, or call 814-824-3000 to reserve.
National Child Day is Saturday November 20 and the Achievement Center is holding an event called “Celebration of Children” that day from 5-7 pm at the center located at 101 East Sixth Street.
The Gannon University men’s basketball team crushed Penn State Beaver 108-47. Darmel Whitfield made his collegiate basketball debut after four years as the Golden Knights’ record-setting quarterback. The senior hit six consecutive three-pointers in the first half and finished the game with eight. He finished the night with a game-high 26 points, hitting 8-of-13 long-range attempts. Whitfield is a starting cornerback for the Erie Freeze. Aurimas Truskauskas posted a double-double with 20 points and 20 rebounds.
The Gannon women’s badketball team defeated Slippery Rock 80-70. Preseason All-American Christina Jackson led all scorers with 25 points. Freshman Carrie Nolan of Girard hit 5 three’s.
The Mercyhurst College men’s basketball team opened its 2005-06 season with a 75-62 win over visiting Notre Dame College of Ohio.
Notre Dame College of Ohio converted 27 free throws and held the Merychurst College women’s team to just 1 of 20 shooting from beyond the arc in posting a 71-60 win.
The Edinboro University men’s basketball team used a dominating performance on the glass and double double efforts by Daren Tielsch and Justin Moore in turning in an 89-56 win over West Virginia Wesleyan in the season opener for both teams.
