A tentative agreement has been reached between Millcreek Township School District and the teachers union, the Millcreek Education Association. Details were not announced so that the teachers could get the details first.

Bliley Technologies, an international provider of crystal-based frequency control solutions based in Erie PA, and Allan Space-Time Solutions, lead by renowned atomic clock physicist, David W Allan, have teamed up to form a new, co-owned company, EQUATE Space-Time Technologies. The new company will be based in Erie PA. “We formed EQUATE Space-Time Technologies to develop a first of its kind technology holding outstanding potential to provide precise time and frequency, position, velocity, acceleration, local vertical and orientation in a denied-GPS field environment (including building interiors, underground and in forestation),” said David Allan. “We expect that EQUATE technology will serve as an ideal military navigation tool for individuals, small units, sensor/surveillance platforms, unmanned aerial and undersea vehicles, as well as for avionic and space applications.” John W Cline, President and CEO of Bliley Technologies, indicated that Bliley will serve as the headquarters for EQUATE Space-Time Technologies, and will also develop crystal and oscillator-based technologies for the new company.

The state released unemployment figures. The unemployment rate for Erie was 5 percent for December, down from 5.1 percent in November. The unadjusted rate was 4.8 percent. There were 133,700 employed, up 300 from November. Here is the complete state report for December.

Last night WQLN TV aired “Power of Choice: The Life and Ideas of Milton Friedman.” Bob Chitester produced the show. While Chitester was general manager of WQLN, the PBS affiliate in Erie, he produced the 10 part 1980 series, “Free to Choose,” which was such a hit that it aired three times on public television and is gaining new viewers today via a free Internet video-stream.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission on Tuesday imposed a temporary ban on taking live fish out of the Lake Erie watershed. The ban is designed to protect the health of the region’s fishery by reducing the potential spread of fish diseases. PFBC Executive Director Doug Austen signed an order making it unlawful to transport or cause the transport of live fish out of the Pennsylvania portion of the Lake Erie watershed. Waters included in the Pennsylvania portion of the Lake Erie watershed are Twentymile Creek, Orchard Beach Run, Sixteenmile Creek, Twelvemile Creek, Eightmile Creek, Sevenmile Creek, Sixmile Creek, Fourmile Creek, Mill Creek, Cascade Creek, Walnut Creek, Trout Run, Godfrey Run, Elk Creek, Crooked Creek, Raccoon Creek, Turkey Creek, Conneaut Creek, Ashtabula Creek and their tributaries. The Executive Director has found that this action is necessary and appropriate for the protection, preservation and management of fish. The intent of the ban is to help reduce the potential spread of exotic fish species and fish diseases found in the Great Lakes to the state’s inland waters. The temporary ban goes into effect immediately and will remain in place until January 1, 2008. Press release.

You gotta love YouTube. Nerdman goes about his everyday life on campus at Gannon University in Erie, PA. He eats anything people give him, jumps off random things, throws bannanas from a tree at people passing by, and sets himself on fire.

A sure-footed group of Iroquois High School students will put two months of ballroom dancing lessons, a seminar on etiquette and a lesson on dressing dos and don’ts to the ultimate test when they unveil their own version of “Dancing with the Stars” at Mercyhurst College on Friday, Feb 2. Spurred by the popularity of the smash television hit, which pairs professional dancers with celebrities in a challenging dance competition, the students will begin their evening with a seven-course supper in Mercyhurst’s Grotto Dining Room at 5:30 p.m. and follow it with a grand ball – An Evening at Lake Como – in the Carolyn Herrmann Student Union at 7:30 pm. The evening is the culmination of weeks of preparation for a group of 60 juniors and seniors and a handful of faculty members, who began the adventure with Iroquois High English teacher and student council adviser Teri Marshall. Marshall’s mission was to find an entertaining way to teach poise, polite conversation, refinement and many of the so-called social graces that she believes are “a lost art.” Piggybacking on the appeal of “Dancing with the Stars” was the perfect plan, she figured.

Mercyhurst North East is well on its way to a record-setting year for applications, with the announcement that it has broken the applications record for the spring term. The office has received 284 applications for the spring 2007 term, compared to 136 received at this time last year, easily surpassing the previous record of 189 set in spring 2004. This latest announcement follows the applications record set for the fall 2006 term, when more than 1,358 applications were received, surpassing the previous record of 1,303. The winter term was also a record-breaker, with 111 applications received and 45 students confirmed, 42 of them full-time. Looking ahead, fall applications are already up about 11 percent from last year, and 23 students have already confirmed, compared to seven confirmations at this time last year.

Three faculty members and six students from the Mercyhurst College Intelligence Studies Department recently traveled to the Washington, DC, area to participate in the Second International Conference on The Ethics of National Security Intelligence. The conference was organized by the International Intelligence Ethics Association (IIEA). Department chair Jim Breckenridge presented “Teaching Ethics and Intelligence,” assistant professor Stephen Marrin presented “Ethics, Professionalism, and Codes in the Intelligence Community,” and assistant professor David Grabelski presented “Local Policing and Intelligence Ethics.” The students, who served as recorders for 30 different discussion sessions, were Kyle Horvath, Heather Horst, Cameron Ives, Cory Kutcher, Scott Melligan, and Angela Merski.

Are the Tigers dumping Erie after next year? The Detroit Tiger announced a 2 year extension with the Toledo Mud Hens. The Tigers have affiliation agreements through 2010 with every team except Erie which expires in 2008. Dan Lunetta, the Tigers’ director of minor league operations, said “We’re where we think we need to be, right now, with our contracts.” WTF.

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.

The 20-member Gem City Jazz Ensemble will present their winter concert on Tuesday, February 6, from 7:30 pm – 9 pm at St. John Parish Center, adjacent to St. John Lutheran’s Church, 2216 Peach Street. Under the direction of Tim McKinney, the jazz ensemble will perform many great jazz standards and big band favorites, including My Funny Valentine, Moten Swing, In the Stone, and Girl Talk. Plenty of off-street parking is available. The concert is free and open to the public; free-will offerings will be accepted.

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.