The Greater Erie Board of Realtors released the January 2008 property transfer figures for Erie County PA. The reports shows that 243 properties were sold for $41,202,807. This compares to January 2007 when 280 properties sold for $44,849,368 and January 2006 when 254 changed hands for $26,951,813. The figures include residential, commercial, investment properties as well as land in which a transfer tax was paid.

One year ago the subprime mortgage mess news first hit. The Keystone Research Center compiled data on the housing market, including the number of subprime mortgages. In 2006 for Erie County, 25 percent of mortgages originated were subprime loans. Crawford County was at 29 percent and Warren County was at 37 percent.

The Mike Birbiglia special What I Should Have Said Was Nothing debuts on Comedy Central tonight (Saturday) at midnight. Birbiglia has performed stand-up in Erie a number of times. Needing a small city that people have heard of, he put an Erie reference in his act.

Some towns are so small they shouldn’t have zoos. Like in Erie, Pennsylvania I went to the zoo and it was just the guy in town with the most animals. He was like, “These are the penguins.” And I was like, “That’s a dog.” “And this is the hammerhead shark.” And I was like, “That’s a half a can of tuna fish.”

Some people in Erie took offense and defended the city by sending him hate mail. Hey, any PR is good PR. Just spell the name right. The next time Birbiglia was in Erie, Scott Mitchell gave him a private tour of the zoo. Birbiglia loved it – Mike Birbiglia gives the Erie Zoo a second look, decides it’s awesome. However just after the visit, the polar bear died. His blog entry I did not kill the Erie Zoo polar bear is a classic. The tame controversy has given him national exposure and increased his popularity. He knows it. Mike Birbiglia has sponsored exhibits and donated money to the Erie Zoo.

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon obtained a temporary restraining order against a pair of computer salesmen who accepted $50,000 in payment from a Missouri business for computer monitors but then delivered the wrong merchandise that was badly damaged and failed to refund the company’s money. Greene County Circuit Judge Dan Conklin signed the order against Jeffrey Kodba, who does business as JSK Computers, of Erie, Pa, and Orlando Bevilacqua and his business, The Bevilacqua Group, of Pittsburg, KS, temporarily barring them from doing business with Missourians. Nixon will seek a preliminary injunction against the defendants at a hearing Feb 15. Nixon says his office has also heard from consumers in other states who paid JSK Computers for various electronics equipment but received incorrect, damaged merchandise and have never received a refund. Nixon also obtained an order freezing $75,000 of JSK Computers’ bank account to secure payment of consumer restitution, and for appropriate penalties. Complete press release.

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) announced record earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2008 (the quarter ended December 31, 2007) of $70.6 million or $0.82 per share. Earnings a year earlier were $54.5 million or $.64 per share. NFG also released degree day data. For the third quarter of 2007, Erie had 1,871 degree days which was .4 percent warmer than 2006 at 1,878. Buffalo, only 90 miles away, was 7.6 percent colder in 2007 than in 2006.

A new environmental center will be named for Richard J Cook, president of Allegheny College, college officials announced today. The Richard J Cook Center for Environmental Science, to be housed in Carr Hall, will honor Allegheny’s 20th president, who is retiring at the end of the academic year.Cook was one of the early signatories of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) – a national challenge to colleges and universities to develop a comprehensive action plan to reduce their global-warming emissions – and he serves on the ACUPCC’s steering committee. The ACUPCC now comprises 500 colleges and universities.

Antoine M Garibaldi, president of Gannon University, will deliver the keynote address at the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education banquet Feb 29 at the Marriot City Center in Pittsburgh.

Erie PA native Madelyn Greco, daughter of Joy Greco, is performing this weekend at the Broach Theatre in Greensboro, NC as Foxy Moxy with the burlesque troupe Cabaret Risque.

The Detroit Regional Chamber is hosting leaders of its counterpart chambers of commerce in at least 16 other cities for a two day conference on community partnerships Feb 11-12 at The Henry Ford. That gathering, with support from the Washington-based nonprofit Brookings Institution, includes chamber representatives from Erie, Pa; Chicago; Toledo; Grand Rapids; Pittsburgh; Cleveland; Minneapolis; Kalamazoo; Cincinnati; Indianapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Buffalo; Des Moines; Rockford, Ill; Akron; and Kitchener, Ontario.

The Wayne State women’s hockey team came into Erie winless against Mercyhurst in 33 tries. Friday afternoon, the Warriors enjoyed their first victory over the No 7/6-ranked Lakers, 5-4 in overtime. Wayne State, winners of nine straight, improved to 17-6-2 overall, 5-0-0 in the CHA. Mercyhurst dropped to 19-6-2 and 4-1-0, respectively.

The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team remained hot as the Lakers defeated visiting Air Force, 3-1. The win was Mercyhurst’s third straight and are now 5-1-3 in its last nine games. Mercyhurst improved to 10-14-5 overall, 10-6-5 in Atlantic Hockey, while the Falcons dropped to 13-11-5 and 10-9-4, respectively.

Michael Machuga of Erie finished 31st and cashed for $2,200 at the Denny’s Professional Bowlers Association Bayer Classic.

Bryan Pitton turned aside 28 shots for his third shutout of the season as the Brampton Battalion knocked off the Erie Otters 3-0 in an Ontario Hockey League game played last night in front of 2,967 at the Tullio Arena. The Otters wrap up weekend action tonight when the Saginaw Spirit visit for a 7:30 pm start. All fans are invited to take part in a world record attempt for chip eating presented by Troyer Farms.

The Gannon, Mercyhurt and Allegheny women’s basketball teams are asking the community to “Think Pink” on Saturday, Feb 9. Games Gannon and Mercyhurt are scheduled for 1 pm while Allegheny has a 2 pm tip-off. At Gannon, all proceeds will be donated to the Erie Unit of the American Cancer Society – Making Strides Against Breast Cancer; all funds raised stay local. All proceeds at Mercyhurst and Allegheny will benefit the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund and The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The Erie Playhouse production of Crowns will be performed Sat Feb 9 at 7:30 pm and Sun Feb 10 at 2 pm.

All An Act Productions presents Ray Cooney’s classic farce “Funny Money” at their space in Columbus Square on Friday February 8 and running , Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm through March 1 (no show Friday Feb 15) and Sundays at 4 pm February 10, 17, and March 2.

The 14th annual Sarah Backstrom Memorial Women’s and Girl’s Hockey Tournament will be held in Erie February 8-10, 2008. Admission is FREE to all games. About 1,000 young ladies plus family and friends will be in town for the weekend. Hotel rooms will be hard to come by and expect delays at restaurants. Who was Sarah Backstrom? She was a feisty red headed defensewoman who gave all off her love of the game and passion to play it to the Erie Lady Lions. Sarah fought every battle to the end, with passion and determination. The Erie Lady Lions lost Sarah to Leukemia but have never lost her spirit.

The Mercyhurst Dancers will present the 10th edition of their “Raw Edges” series of concerts of student choreography on Feb 9 and 10. The annual dance concert is a showcase for the Mercyhurst Dance Department and is the culmination of the work of Choreography II and III classes taught by dance faculty members Mark Santillano and Tauna Hunter, respectively. “Raw Edges X” will be presented Saturday, Feb 9, at 2 and 7 pm and Sunday, Feb 10, at 2 pm in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on the Mercyhurst campus. Tickets are: Adults, $15; Seniors/Students, $12.50; Youth under 15, $5; Mercyhurst Students, $1, President’s Cardholders, $7.50. They can be purchased at the door or by calling 824-3000. Each performance will include an intermission chat during which some of the young choreographers will speak about their new works and answer questions from the audience.

The Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail Wine and Chocolate Weekend will take place 10 am to 5 pm, Feb 9-10. Tickets, which can be purchased online or by phone, are $21 a person. Too late – SOLD OUT.

The 6th annual “Spirit Against Cancer” Dance and Cheerleading Competition is scheduled for February 9 at 10 am in the Junker Center. “Spirit Against Cancer” was created in memory of Becky Hubler Decker. Her commitment to the community included serving as dance coach at Penn State Behrend, cheerleading coach at Edinboro University, she was captain of the Invaderettes dance team, and a member of the Buffalo Bills (Jills) dance team. All proceeds from this special event will benefit the American Cancer Society. For more information, please contact Assistant to the Director of Athletics, Stacy Pondo at (814) 898-6240 or by email at slp15@psu.edu.

The public is invited to join the Allegheny College community for the college’s annual soul food dinner at 5 pm on Sunday, Feb 10 in Schultz Dining Hall. Tickets are $5. The dinner is one of the highlights of the college’s Black Heritage Month celebration, which is sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Black Culture. This year’s dinner will feature home-cooked catfish, fried chicken, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, homemade corn bread, baked beans and a variety of other dishes. Vegetarian options will also be available. Tickets will be sold all this week in the Campus Center lobby from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Tickets will also be sold at the door starting at 4 pm on Sunday if space is available.

The Erie Civic Music presents the Duquesne University Tamburitzans on Sunday Feb 10 at 3 pm at the Warner Theatre in downtown Erie. The Tamburitzans are dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the cultural heritages of Eastern Europe and its neighbors through their incredible performances. A wide variety of folk musical instruments, singing, vast array of costume changes and dazzling dance performances will thrill you and keep you on the edge of your seat. A joyous explosion of youth spirited dance with music. This is for the entire family and grandchildren. Tickets are $22 for adults and $12 for students. Call (814) 864-5681.

Director J T Petty will be present for a screening of his controversial new film, “S&Man” at Penn State Behrend’s REDC Conference Center on Monday, February 11, at 8 pm. “S&Man” (pronounced “Sandman”) is a documentary which explores America’s obsession with violence and sexuality in horror films. It contains mature material and although unrated by the MPAA, would probably get an NC-17 if it was rated. Following the screening, there will be a Q and A session with the director, Dr Eric Corty (PSU Psychology Department), Dr. Joshua Shaw (PSU Philosophy professor) and Mark Steensland (Vice President of the Eerie Horror Film Festival). The film has played at several prestigious film festivals, including South by Southwest and the Midnight Madness segment of the Toronto International Film Festival. The free event is sponsored by the University’s Communication Department and the Eerie Horror Film Festival and is open the public. You must be 18 years or older to attend.

The 41-year-old Expo Erie is set to become a technology summit of industrial leaders. The Technology Council of Northwest PA has partnered with the Erie Engineering Societies Council (EESC) to host the first Great Lakes Industrial Technology Summit on February 12 and 13 of 2008. The two day summit will feature regional products, address workforce development, innovation, technology and other competitive advantages for industry in the PA Great Lakes Region. Technology Council CEO, Perry Wood said, “The direction change in the Summit is part of the Council’s strategy to create an Advanced Manufacturing Network in northwest PA.” The Summit’s theme is Global Competitiveness and will host a series of speakers and special presentations on the topic. The term “advanced manufacturing” connotes a network of industry that embraces emerging technologies in order to tackle new markets, create efficiencies and innovate product lines.

Join The Ophelia Project for a Girls Night Out on February 15, 2007 from 5:30-8:30 pm at Grace Church. Girls in 6, 7 or 8th grade and the special woman in their lives are invited to a night out where they will learn how to keep their heart happy and healthy by promoting a positive self-image and discussing issues facing girls today, such as friendships, cliques and bullies. Participants will also be treated to a special self defense lesson from Rachel Cheeseman, owner of Street Smart Defense, a hip hop dance instruction and a healthy snack. The cost is $10 per couple and check-in starts at 5:15 pm. For more information and to register call The Ophelia Project office at (814) 456-5437. Grace Church is located at 7300 Grubb Road in McKean. The Ophelia Project is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Erie, Pa. Recognized as a leader in assessing social conditions and advocating healthy, safe relationships, the organization partners with educational, civic and community leaders to educate and empower kids and adults across North America.

The Association of Program Members (APM) of General Electric Transportation in Erie PA announced that it will be sponsoring the 13th Annual Winter Wishes Benefit Gala for the Foundation of Western Pennsylvania on February 16, 2008. Each year, the members of APM reach out to the community to collect donations for the silent auctions, live auctions and raffles that are held at the event. They also solicit “table sponsors” from local businesses. As a table sponsor, the business’ name appears on the centerpiece showing their support for this wonderful event as well as in any promotional materials that they put together for the function. The money raised with the auctioned items donated by local businesses will help provide funding for Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Community support of this event is recognition of the importance of this cause are greatly appreciated. Along with your assistance, GE will be able to make an impact on the day-to-day life of children whose lives are threatened.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, February 17 from 12:30-3:30 pm and/or 8-11 pm and get ready to “rock and bowl” with the Erie Playhouse Family at Eastway Lanes, 4110 Buffalo Road. The cost for a Family/Team (4 or 5 bowlers) for one session is $80. Individual bowlers are welcome – Adults $20 and $15 for children 12 and under. Teams registering by Feb 14 will recieve a $10 discount. The cost includes 3 games, shoes (no discount if you bring your own) and unlimited pop and pizza. A cash bar and additional food will be available. Contests and games of chance throughout each bowling session.

On January 28, 2008, asteroid 2007 TU24 came within 300,000 miles of Earth–a safe distance, but one that reminds us that ours is not the only chunk of rock hurtling around the sun. Nearly 1,000 potentially hazardous asteroids, or PHAs, orbit the sun in the vicinity of Earth; one, Apophis, will be the subject of the next Open House Night in Astronomy at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Darren Williams, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the college, will present the one-hour program “Asteroid Apophis: Will it Hit the Earth?” at 7:30 pm on Thursday, February 21, in 101 Otto Behrend Science Building. His FREE lecture is intended for a non-technical audience and suitable for children at least 8 years of age; astronomical observing at the college’s Mehalso Observatory will follow, weather permitting.

The 2008 Erie Home and Garden Expo will be held February 21-24 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. Hours: Thursday 4-9 pm, Friday 2-9 pm, Sat 10 am – 8:30 pm and Sun 11 am to 5 pm.

On Friday, February 22, the Penn State Behrend RFID Center of Excellence and the RFID Project of the NWPA Technology Industry Partnership will host Eric Domski for a talk on Auto ID Technologies with SAP. Eric is the Auto ID Solution Director for SAP Labs. Eric will speak from 10-11am at the Research and Economic Development Center, Room 180 on the campus of Penn State Behrend in the new Black School of Business Auditorium. Although the talk with be centered around SAP, the concepts will also apply to other ERP and enterprise applications and will be a great source for solution ideas to anyone using, or considering use of AutoID. Eric will be available for questions after the talk. An early lunch is planned, so attendees must RSVP email Brian Zentis or call him at (814) 898-6704. This event counts as participation in the Technology Industry Partnership of Northwest PA, a partnership of the Technology Council, eBizITPA, Ben Franklin Partners CNP and Penn State Behrend’s RFID Center of Excellence. Why is that important? Participation allows your business access to grant dollars to offset training costs. The training dollars come from the PA Department of Labor and Industry in conjunction with the Workforce Investment Board of Northwest PA.

The 10th annual MECA Bar Stool Open will be held on Saturday February 23, 2008 in downtown Erie, PA. Entry fee is $100 per team of 4 golfers, $25 per person. Must be 21 years of age or older to participate. Click here to for the registration form.

Want a cure for the winter blahs? Got cabin fever? Come to the Community Board Game Night at Community United Church on Saturday Feb 23. Doors open at 7 pm, Games begin at 7:30 and end at 10 PM. Admission Donation: $2. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Under 18 years old must have guardian. This is an alcohol and smoke free event. Open to the public. We will play board games for groups such as Scruples, Pictionary, etc. Want to save on the admission? Bring grocery bags of empty recyclable aluminum beverage cans. For each bag, the admission will be reduced by 25 cents.

The American Heart Association’s 2008 Erie Heart Gala will take place 6 pm to Midnight on Feb 23 at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center in Erie, PA. In addition to providing an exciting night of glitz and glamour, the Heart Gala has become Erie Division’s largest fundraising event. Contributions received support cardiovascular research, professional and community education, and advocacy efforts. The affair also promotes the American Heart Association’s mission to reduce disability and death due to this nation’s leading cause of death….cardiovascular disease. The festivities will begin with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 6 pm, followed by dinner and dancing as well as both live and silent auctions. For info email Gina Klofft or call her at (814) 836-0013.

There will a fund raiser for Marine Sergeant Art Fuller on Saturday Feb 23 from 6 pm to 1 am at the North East Vet’s Club at 28 Vine Street in North East, PA. SGT Fuller suffered a stroke and is unable to return to work. The cost is $6 at the door which will cover food (chili, hot dogs and macaroni salad) from 6-9 pm. There will be a Chinese auction and cash bar available and the band Black Diamond will be playing from 9 pm – 1 am. SGT Fuller, an Iraq veteran, is from Corry Pa.

Documentary filmmaker Christopher Quinn and John Bul Dau, one of three Lost Boys of Sudan profiled in Quinn’s prize-winning feature film God Grew Tired of Us, will visit Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, in February as part of the college’s Speaker Series. Quinn and Dau will speak at 7:30 pm on Thursday, February 28, in the Reed Union Building’s McGarvey Commons. Additionally, the film God Grew Tired of Us will be shown at 7 pm on Wednesday, February 27, in 117 Reed Union Building, and at noon on Friday, February 29, in the Samuel P “Pat” Black III Conference Center in the college’s Research and Economic Development Center. Admission to all three events is FREE and open to the public.

The 2008 Erie Outdoor Sport and Travel Expo will be held February 29 – March 2 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. Hours: Noon-9 pm Friday, 10 am-8 pm Saturday and 10 am-5 pm Sunday.

Erie CareerLink is hosting Crystal Reports Training in both introductory and advanced sessions on March 3-6. Info and Registration form. Crystal Reports is a business intelligence application used to design and generate reports from a wide range of data sources. Several other applications, such as Microsoft Visual Studio, bundle an OEM version of Crystal Reports as a general purpose reporting tool. Crystal Reports became THE report writer when Microsoft released it with Visual Basic.

Pennsylvania Sea Grant is sponsoring a FREE one and a half day workshop March 13-14 at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie. The workshop will provide an update and overview of current ballast water policy, legislation and research as it applies to the Great Lakes. Scientists, legal experts, legislators, industry personnel and agency staff will discuss the current state of ballast water policy, pending legislation, proposed ballast water treatment methods and evaluating the current risk of introduction and spread of AIS to Great Lakes ports by foreign and domestic ships. For Registration form email Karla Kaczmarek, or Marti Martz.

As the signature event for Young Erie Professionals (yep!), the Generation-E Leadership Awards recognize young professionals who are paving the way to the future of Erie, Pennsylvania. Yep! has honored 34 individuals over the past three years who not only have chosen to live, work, and play in the Erie area, but who have made a lasting impact on our region. The 2008 winners will be recognized the evening of Friday, March 28 at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center.

The GE (NYSE: GE) 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on April 23, 2008 in Erie, Pennsylvania at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center.

There will be a Rust Belt Bloggers Summit on July 11-12 in Erie. People from Youngstown, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and other area cities will be attendance to discuss economic development issues in the region.

The Manufacturers’ Association and Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority annual Roar on the Shore motorcycle rally will be held July 17-20, 2008. While downtown Erie serves as the hub of the rally, related events take place throughout the city and region. Most notably, two outdoor concerts featuring major artists will be held Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19, at Liberty Park along Presque Isle Bay.