Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott announced he is forming a committee to plan for future use of the GAF Materials roof shingle plant on the Erie Bayfront. The property sits next to the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. The Erie Port Authority or the Erie Convention Center Authority seem to be the most likely buyers. Hopefully the land will be cleared and developed by a private developer. A mix of condos and commercial space would make the most sense economically. Bayfront condos on the water are what people are clamoring for. Just look at Niagara Pier. The developer there was given a 10 year tax break through the LERTA program and it’s been an outstanding success. Those condominiums have sold for $300,000 through $500,000. Most are now back on the tax rolls. There are two currently for sale – a 3 bedroom at $425,000 and a 2 br at $379,900.

I saw on Erie Media-Go-Round that an EMGR reader reports that WRIE 1260 will go ESPN starting Monday.

The state is now looking for lifeguards to work the beaches at Presque Isle State Park for the 2007 Summer season. Applicants must obtain lifeguarding, first aid, and CPR certificates before employment starts in May. Pay starts at $10.20 an hour. Apply in person at the Presque Isle State Park Office in the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, 301 Peninsula Drive Suite 1, Erie PA.

Erie PA native Mark Amendola has been appointed vice president of administration and chief financial officer of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. Amendola has a degree in accounting and finance from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mercyhurst broke opened a close game with an 8-0 run midway through the second half and secured a 64-53 victory over Gannon in men’s basketball action Saturday evening before a sold-out crowd at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.

The Gannon women’s basketball team (15-4, 9-1) used a tough defense that forced 29 turnovers to fight off its fourth-worst shooting night of the season and posted an 81-74 victory against rival Mercyhurst Saturday night before a sold-out crowd at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.

Freshman Meghan Agosta’s second period goal, her 27th of the season and fourth straight dating to yesterday’s win over Yale, propelled Number 1 Mercyhurst to a 3-0 win over Quinnipiac and spoiled the Bobcats’ first-ever game in their new arena. The Lakers improved to 23-1-2 overall and to 8-0-0 lifetime against Quinnipiac.

Mike Duco registered a hat trick and Peter Tsmikalis scored once and added three assists to lead the Kitchener Rangers to an 8-1 win over the Erie Otters in an Ontario Hockey League game played last night in front of 4,462 at the Tullio Arena.

Mercyhurst College men’s and women’s head soccer coach Keith Cammidge is interviewing for the vacant head coach position on the men’s soccer team at Fort Lewis College. Jeremy Gunn stepped down as head coach at Fort Lewis in December to take the same position at Division I University of North Carolina-Charlotte. National Letter of Intent signing day for soccer is Feb 7.

Kent State University has announced the hiring of Glen Conley as head volleyball coach. Conley was the head coach at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he compiled a 142-89 (74-34 Patriot League) record. He was head coach at Edinboro from 1986-94 and posted a mark of 195-81.

The 2007 Pittsburgh Pirates Winter Caravan will be in Meadville and Erie on Monday January 29. The Pirates Caravan stop to Meadville begins with a media session at the YMCA from 11:30 am to noon. The Pirates Caravan visit to Meadville will conclude with a luncheon and autograph session at the YMCA. Doors will open at 11:30 am for the noon to 1:30 pm luncheon. Fans who wish to attend the luncheon event in Meadville should contact WMGW 1490 AM at (814) 724-1111 or stop the radio station at the downtown mall in Meadville. The luncheon is free and open to the public. The Pirates Caravan stop to Erie begins with a media session at the Millcreek Mall from 5:30 pm to 6 pm. The Caravan’s stop in Erie concludes with a free autograph session open to the public at the Millcreek Mall from 6 to 8 pm.

The 31st annual King Cobra Open Karate Challenge Tournament takes place this weekend at the Avalon Hotel in downtown Erie. King Cobra Karate is the host for the event which will bring over 1,000 people to Erie to compete in 172 divisions.

Even if you’re familiar with the classic musical “Bye Bye Birdie,” you’ll want to revisit it this weekend when an all-student cast of 45 – music and non-music majors alike – puts a unique spin on the show in the Mercyhurst College D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. The plot of the Tony Award-winning musical from 1960 revolves around rock and roll superstar Conrad Birdie and the complications that arise when his agent stages a publicity stunt on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in which he will kiss one lucky girl before heading into the army. In the original, Birdie was an Elvis look-alike. To bring the musical up to date, the Mercyhurst students are costuming their Conrad (played by freshman poli sci major Garrett Evans) a la Clay Aiken and promotional materials are playing on the popularity of “American Idol.” The teenagers who sing “The Telephone Hour” are in contemporary dress and carry cell phones rather than rotary dial phones; some even have laptop computers. This weekend’s performances are at 2:30 pm on Sunday. Tickets are $12.50 for adults; $10 for seniors and students; $6.50 for President’s Cardholders; $5 for youths 15 and under; and $1 for Mercyhurst students with ID. Call the PAC box office at 824-3000.

Winterfest at the Arboretum – Weather or Not! will take place today, Sunday January 28 from noon – 4 pm at the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park, 8th and The Bayfront Parkway. Join your friends for horse drawn wagon rides, children’s crafts and games, an interactive ice sculpture, snow art, musical performances, food and more. Chase away the winter blues at this fun family oriented event. The winners of the Snow Baby Contest will be posted here after 2 pm on Sunday.

The Highmark Quad Games Ski Race will be held Sunday January 28 at 1 pm.

The Edinboro University Chamber Players will perform on Monday January 29 at 7:30 pm at Erie’s Blasco Library in the Hirt Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public.

The Allegheny College Humanities Lecture Series presentation originally scheduled for Jan 23 has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Jan 30 at 7:30 pm in Room 212 of Carnegie Hall. Aimee Knupsky of Allegheny’s psychology department will speak on “Operating in a Mixed-Up World: Contextual Factors and Their Impact on Bilingual Language Production.” The presentations is free and open to the public.

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host only the third performance of “Inspired by America,” a groundbreaking program that fuses live music performed by Cypress String Quartet with an original film based on Jacob Needleman’s best-selling book The American Soul. Directed by Emmy and Peabody winner Michael Schwarz, the film uses American art, landscapes, news footage, readings, and other images and sounds to reflect the diversity of the American story. The event, part of Music at Night: The Logan Series, will be held at 7 pm on Thursday, February 1, in the Reed Union Building’s McGarvey Commons. Tickets are required. Music at Night tickets can be purchased at the door on February 1, or in advance at the Reed Union Building main desk or online. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $8.50 for adults over 60, $5 for Penn State Behrend students, and $4 for children under the age of 16.

“The Piano Lesson” will be performed at the Erie Playhouse February 2-3, 8-11, 14-18. For tickets call (814) 454-2852 ext 0.

The 9th Annual MECA United Cerebral Palsy Barstool Open is set to take place on Saturday, February 24, 2007. Last years event had 1200 participants and raised $30000. Yes, 1200 people out drinking in downtown Erie on a cold February afternoon. Teams of 4 will compete in golf at 9 bars in downtown Erie PA. The putting exhibition contest takes place on holes with wacky designs. This year there are 14 bars participating. Mail the registration form and enclose your check for $100, $25 per person, made payable to: MECA United Cerebral Palsy, 3745 West 12th St, Erie, PA 16505.

On Feb 25, the Brewerie at Union Station in Erie hosts the Erie Illusion women’s football team Beer Fest.

The 25th annual Erie Sport and Travel Expo will be held at Family First Sports Park in Erie, Pa March 2-4. The show features fishing and hunting lodges, guides, outfitters, fishing charters and sporting goods vendors and boat and recreational vehicle dealers. General Admission $6 with children under 10 free.