Kevin Flowers reported on GoErie.com that the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission is investigating Erie County Maintenance Supervisor Mike Krause for misuse of county assets. Back when this mess first surfaced, someone at the commission that that they were aware of the situation in Erie County BUT that someone had to file an official complaint (SEC-3) for them to investigate. Guess someone did. Could Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio be next on their list?
The Forensic Nurse Examiners Team at Saint Vincent Health Center will be honored by the Crime Victim Center (CVC) of Erie County for continued excellence and care in assisting victims of sexual assault. The Forensic Nurse Examiners Team will be presented with the “Reducing the Impact of Crime Award” from the CVC during its 4th annual awards luncheon on April 23, 2008. The Saint Vincent Forensic Nurse Examiner Team, the first of its kind and the largest team in the Erie region, was formed in 1998 with members on call 24 hours a day seven days a week in the Saint Vincent Emergency Department. The forensic nurses are responsible for working with sexual assault victims – children and adults – as well as collecting evidence and assisting police and prosecutors in presenting the evidence during criminal trials. “The specialized training of the Saint Vincent Forensic Nurse Examiners ensures that sexual assault evidence collection is professionally, thoroughly, and consistently obtained from all victims who present themselves at Saint Vincent’s Emergency Room, said Angela Porfilio, CVC Director of Development. The Forensic Nurse Examiner Program was developed at Saint Vincent in an effort to better serve victims of violent crimes, specifically sexual assault and child abuse. The Saint Vincent forensic nurse’s work with local law enforcement, CVC, the District Attorney’s office and the State Crime Lab and have formed Erie County’s first SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) which is a collaborative effort to improve the care and services provided to victims of sexual assault and child abuse in our region. These nurses have either received certification in the field of Forensic Nursing or specialized training in such areas as evidence collection, photo documentation and expert witness testimony. Since receiving their credentials, the forensic nurses have undergone additional training in working with pediatric patients. The Saint Vincent forensic nursing team includes founding members, Rhonda Henderson and Sharon Grossman as well as Barbette Swick, Sue Taylor and Kristi Althof, Patricia McMahon and Cheryl Beckman.
The next Young Erie Professionals Executive Coffee Talk will be held at the Intermodal Transportation Center on Wednesday, May 14 at 5:30 pm. The speaker will be eBizITPA’s President Susan K Breon. Breon has more than 25 years of experience in corporate public relations; media and government relations; and strategic planning. Prior to being named to her current position in late 2002, she spent 10 years as the communications director for GE in northwest PA. She also managed public relations, marketing, advertising, and government relations support for Gulf Oil Corporation, Duquesne Light Company, and Cyclops Corp, in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. She has a degree in education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in information science from the University of Pittsburgh. For additional information and to register, please contact Craig Corsi.
Calling all basketball stars, amateurs and fans…are you ready for the ultimate challenge? Make plans to compete against, or watch Gannon University President Antoine Garibaldi, PhD hit the hardwood at the Fifth Annual G-U Basketball Shoot-Out Tournament during Springtopia on Wednesday, April 30 from 11:30 am to 2 pm outside the Waldron Campus Center near the Gannon Arch. In the event of rain or cold weather, the Basketball Tournament will be held inside Gannon’s Hammermill Center. Gannon students, coaches, faculty, staff and alumni line up every year to challenge Gannon’s President. Some of Gannon’s top student-athletes, including members of the men and women’s basketball teams participate. For just $2 a game, students, faculty, coaches and staff can challenge Dr Garibaldi. The $2 fee will benefit Gannon’s Relay for Life event. The Gannon community (faculty, staff and students) will participate in a 12-hour walking event to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society. The annual event will be held at Gannon’s Athletic Field on Friday, May 2, 2008 from 1:00 pm until 1:00 am on Saturday, May 3. Last year, the Gannon community raised a record $24,186 for Relay for Life. GUTS Chair and SGA sophomore class representative, Shane Lavin is organizing this year’s basketball Shoot-Out Tournament. “I would like to raise $150 this year so that the GUTS organization can make a significant donation to Gannon’s Relay for Life total,” said Lavin. Those who would like to challenge Dr Garibaldi in the basketball competition should e-mail Britt Daehnke, Associate Director of the Annual Fund, or call at ext 7261 or at to reserve a spot in the competition between 11:30 am-2 pm.
The Erie SeaWolves fell on Monday night Commerce Bank Park to the Harrisburg Senators 4-3 to open up a three-game series. The SeaWolves and Senators meet in game two of a three-game series on Tuesday night at Commerce Bank Park…6:05 First Pitch. RHP Ben Fritz (0-0, 5.06 ERA) takes the mound for Erie against RHP Josh Hall (1-1, 7.53 ERA).
The Penn State Behrend Lions hosted the Medaille Mavericks on Monday at the Behrend softball field. Behrend and Medaille would split the doubleheader with Behrend winning game one 7-1 and Medaille taking the second game of the day 7-2.
The location of the Mercyhurst and Gannon baseball doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday, April 23 has been moved to Jerry Uht Park, the home of Erie SeaWolves, the AA-affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 4:30 pm, and the second game will begin approximately two hours later, allowing the two rival squads to play under the lights. Admission to the doubleheader is FREE. Concessions will be made available by the SeaWolves staff, and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Nanaimo Clippers defenseman Kevin Noble will attend Mercyhurst College next year.
Gannon has released its 2008 volleyball schedule which includes its inaugural Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) 15-match slate. Second-year head coach Matt Darling’s squad opens the 2008 campaign by hosting the inaugural Gannon Invitational August 29-30 at the Hammermill Center. The Lady Knights will face Lake Erie, Pitt-Johnstown, and Daemen.
Bob and Marcy Saras who were selected as the winners of the Erie Otters Early Bird Season Ticket drawing. In addition to taking advantage of the automatic savings and bonuses offered as part of the Early Bird Renewal Package, the Saras’ won a pair of tickets to a preliminary round game of the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup (including a night’s accommodation), an autographed jersey, two tickets to the Otters Annual Summer Awards Banquet and an opportunity to drop the opening face-off at the Otters 2008-2009 Home Opener. The Saras’ have been Otters Season Ticket Holders since the 2000-01 season.
Got Math Game? Elementary math education students and faculty at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host two Elementary Parent Math Night events to help moms and dads help their young children. “These nights are free and open to all parents of local elementary-age kids,” said Danielle Goodwin, assistant professor of mathematics education and program host. “We’ll share fun math activities and games they can use at home to build their child’s math skills and number sense.” Goodwin added that the evenings are “for adults only. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate children.” A Elementary Parent Math Night is scheduled on Tuesday, April 22. It will be held from 5:30 until 7:30 pm in 114 Reed Union Building. There is no cost to attend, but reservations are mandatory and may be made by e-mailing Danielle Goodwin or phoning her in the Penn State Behrend School of Science at (814) 898-6090.
The Allegheny College Art Department will present its Senior Projects Exhibit in the Bowman, Penelec and Megahan Galleries from Tuesday, April 22 through Saturday, May 10. This show is an opportunity for graduating studio art majors and art and technology majors to present to the public their senior projects, which are the culminating experience of their art studies. A public reception for the exhibit will be held in the galleries on Tuesday, April 22 from 7 until 9 pm. All events are free and open to the public. The Art Galleries are wheelchair accessible and are located in Doane Hall of Art, east of North Main Street, between College and John Streets. Please call (814) 332-4365 for special hours during this exhibit or for more information.
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.
Goodell Gardens and Homestead is looking for volunteers. Join them for their Volunteer Recruitment Days on Wednesday April 23 or Saturday May 3. Goodell Gardens and Homestead is a non-profit, education-oriented botanical garden and arboretum on the 78-acre Goodell family farm in Edinboro PA that emulates the Goodell family passion for gardening, history and horticulture. Goodell Gardens provides for the care of a significant collection of both botanical specimens and local historical archives. The Gardens are open to the public yearly, May through October.
The Saint Vincent Auxiliary invites you to join them for A Runway Event from Noon – 2 pm on Wednesday, April 23 at the Lakeshore Country Club, 5950 Lakeshore Drive in Erie. Doors open at 11:30 am for shopping. Fashions by Talbot’s followed by a light luncheon. $25.00 per person. Registration – Checks payable to St Vincent Auxiliary, mail to: Sue Krzeszewski, 725 East 34th Street, Erie, PA 16504. RSVP prior to April 16th, 2008. Proceeds benefit the projects of the Saint Vincent Auxiliary. For additional information call: Jackie at (814) 452-5323.
The Crime Victim Center of Erie County 4th Annual Awards Luncheon to honor people in the community for their role in “reducing the impact of crime” will be held at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center on April 23 from 11:30 am-1:00 pm. This year the honorees are Saint Vincent Forensic Nurse Examiners, a specially trained team of nurses who work with sexual assault victims in the emergency room, and the Sexual Offender Program, a collaborative treatment team from Erie County Adult Probation Department. Spnosors for the event are PNC Bank, a Silver Medal Sponsor for the fourth year in a row; DeMarco Wachter and Co. and Evans Capital Management, Bronze Medal Sponsors. Registration fee is $25. Food choices include prime rib sandwich, chicken cordon bleu or a vegetarian entree. A “Bounty-ful Bouquet” of gift cards/gift certificates/free tickets worth nearly $1,000 will be raffled-off the day of the event. Call (814) 455-9414 for more information.
Poet Malena Morling will read from her works at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, as part of the college’s Creative Writer’s Speaker Series. Morling’s reading will begin at 6 pm on Thursday, April 24, in the college’s Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel. A reception for her will precede the reading at 4:30 in the chapel’s first-floor living room; both events are FREE and open to the public.
Michael Acri Boxing Promotions presents the 2008 debut of undefeated former IBF lightweight champion “The Pittsburgh Kid” Paul Spadafora. Returning to the ring for the first time in over a year, Spadafora (40-0-1), fighting in a 10-round welterweight bout against an opponent to be named shortly, headlines a six-bout card at The Avalon Hotel in Erie, PA (16 West 10th Street) on Friday, April 25. Tickets, priced at $60 (Golden Ringside), $40 (Ringside), and $20 (General Admission), go on sale Monday March 10, and can be purchased at the Avalon Hotel, Dee’s Cigar Store, Pony Express (1903 W 8th St) and the Ringside Restaurant. The card will also feature Cincinnati super middleweight Stephan Pryor (10-3-1), Erie heavyweight Rocky Mullooly (2-1), Pittsburgh middleweight Chris Archer (9-2), and the pro debut of heavyweight Andres Taylor from Johnstown, PA.
You’re invited to a night of fun and fellowship at Community Board Game Night on Saturday, April 26 at the Community United Church, 1011 West 38th Street. At this event, you can play Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit, or Scruples (just to name a few). It always is a great night of laughter and good-natured game playing. Doors open at 7 PM, Games begin at 7:30 PM and run until 10 PM. Admission donation is $2. Youth under 18 must have a guardian.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host the 36th annual Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference on Saturday, April 26. The all-day event will be held in the college’s Research and Economic Development Center. Registration for the Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference is open to the public; for details visit the conference link or phone Victoria Kazmerski, Penn State Behrend associate professor of psychology, at (814) 898-6246.
The Cat Nation Fanciers 19th Annual All-Breed Cat Show will be held April 26-27 at the John M Cochran (JMC) Ice Arena, 423 West 38th St in Erie.
Students from the Mercyhurst North East Dance Institute and a group of Mercyhurst musicians will combine their talents in a performance on Sunday, April 27, at 2 pm in St. Mary’s Chapel on the Mercyhurst North East campus, 16 W Division St., North East. The event is free and open to the public. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.
The Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, US Commercial Service and the Gannon University SBDC are sponsoring a seminar, “Exporting: First Steps to Success“, on Tuesday, April 29 at the Bessemer Corporate Conference Training Center, 764 Bessemer St, in Meadville. Cost is $40.
Gannon University will host a concert headlined by OneRepublic and with special guest Fabolous on Tuesday, April 29. Additional acts include Tim Blane and Romantic Era. The concert will be held at Gannon University Field, West Fifth and Sassafras. Doors will open at 6 pm and Blane will open the show at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 plus applicable service fees and can be purchased at GannonTickets.com. For more information, call (814) 871-7659 or (814) 871-7766.
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On April 29, three well respected local Business Leaders are pooling their knowledge and experience in order to help their fellow Professionals and Business Owners. They have put together a high impact conference for The Ultimate Executive. The three presenters and creators of The Ultimate Executive are, Tom Kennedy (Business Leader and Real Estate Developer), Steve Rosen (President of Domino Effect, Inc), and Tom Benson (Training Director, JL Nick Associates). The cost of admission is $69 before March 31 and $79 after April 1. Group rates are also available, call for details. The conference will be held at the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel in Erie, PA from 8 am till noon. A continental breakfast is included.
Dr Charisse Nixon will present “Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Adolescence” on April 30 at 7 pm at the Villa Lecture Hall on Villa Maria Elementary School’s campus. The event, hosted by The Ophelia Project, is free and open to the public. “Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Adolescence” will provide those involved in the lives of adolescents insight into the development challenges they are facing. Nixon will also address what adolescents need during this time, whether their outbursts are normal and more. Dr. Nixon is an assistant professor of psychology at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. To RSVP, e-mail or call 456-5437. Villa Lecture Hall on Villa Maria Elementary School’s campus is located at 2551 8th Street, Erie, PA 16505. United Way of Erie County, Healthy Youth Development and Villa Maria Elementary School are supporters for this event. 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 Moving Wall, the half-size replica of the Washington DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial that has been touring the country for more than twenty years, will be on display in Edinboro, PA May 1-5.
A Gannon University professor on Thursday, May 1, will host a discussion on the individual psychology of Alfred Adler. Ken McCurdy, PhD, associate professor, Gannon University community counseling program, will discuss “The Nuts and Bolts of Adlerian Clinical Supervision.” The discussion will be held from 8-10 pm in the Dean’s office on the first floor of Gannon’s Palumbo Academic Center, 824 Peach Street. The event will serve as the monthly TAPTalks colloquium hosted by Gannon University. Gannon’s Community Counseling program, the Gamma Upsilon Chi chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, and the Lake Erie Adlerian Institute are sponsoring the event. The TAPTalks colloquiums present brief, in-depth training experiences focusing on the individual psychology of Alfred Adler. They are designed to help professional counselors, psychologists, social workers, teachers, students, and other human service professionals expand their knowledge and skills through a foundational approach to human growth and development based on the strengths and individuality of each person. RSVPs can be made with Melissa Schmidt, graduate assistant, community counseling program, at (814) 871-5730. The session is free, and two continuing education credits are available for NCE/LPC through the Community Counseling program and for APA through NASAP, for a nominal fee.
The Erie County Bar Association and The Erie Runners Club Law Day 5k Run and Walk will be held Saturday, May 3 at 9 am. The race will start at the Erie County Courthouse.
New Found Glory will perform a concert at the Edinboro University McComb Fieldhouse on Saturday May 3 at 8 pm. Tickets are available online or at the Edinboro University Pogue Student Center SGA Convenience Store.
In celebration of The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2008 Preservation Month theme, “Place Matters,” the Erie Center for Design and Preservation is hosting a lecture, seminar and walking tour on May 9-10. All three events are FREE and open to the public. The internationally-known founder of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, Mr. Arthur Ziegler, will be the featured speaker at the Erie Center for Design and Preservation’s first public event. Ziegler’s lecture, “The Good Works of Historic Preservation,” will be delivered Friday, May 9 at 7 PM in the Orientation Theatre of the Erie Maritime Museum, adjacent to the Blasco Memorial Library on Erie’s Bayfront. Ziegler says “historic preservation should be looked upon as both a cultural and economic development tool, leading to community revitalization, local investment, jobs, and a better quality of life.” On Saturday morning, May 10, the Erie Center for Design and Preservation (ECDP) will sponsor a seminar on historic preservation. Topics include: an overview of the National Register of Historic Places, the economics of preservation, and the tax credits afforded to property owners who rehabilitate historic buildings. The seminar will be held Saturday, May 10 from 9 AM to Noon at the Erie Art Museum Annex, 20 East 5th Street. On Saturday afternoon, May 10 , Mr Jeff Kidder AIA of Kidder Wachter Architecture will offer a 90 minute architectural walking tour of lower State Street and Perry Square. Kidder will meet members of the tour on the front steps of the Erie Art Museum, 417 State Street at 1 PM. Kidder will discuss the history of the City of Erie, neighborhood changes and attributes of the remaining historic structures. Kidder believes that “historic preservation in Erie is an effective tool for managing growth, revitalizing neighborhoods, fostering local pride and maintaining community character while enhancing livability.” Kidder serves on the City of Erie Planning Commission, the Downtown Improvement District board, the Erie Center for Design and Preservation board, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Historic Preservation board.
The charity bellydance event, “Shimmy for a Cure“, will be held May 31 at the Erie Playhouse in downtown Erie, PA. This event will benefit the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation.
Head Coach John T Reilly of Gannon University will conduct three sessions of basketball camp this summer. Sessions will be held June 9-13, June 23-27 and August 4-8. His coaching staff, area high school coaches and several of his players will serve as camp instructors. The sessions are designed as teaching camps that emphasize the fundamentals of the game of basketball. The camps are for students in Grades 3-10.
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.
