Governor Rendell announced the investment of $12.2 million as part of PennDOT’s Aviation Capital Budget/Transportation Assistance Program. Public-use airports with a public sponsor and a line item on an active capital budget act are eligible for funding. The state has 133 public-use airports and heliports and 14 airports have scheduled commercial service. The Erie International Airport Tom Ridge Field received $3 million for the next phase of the runway extension project.
Representative Kathy Dahlkemper held a news conference Monday to discuss projected funding for our area from the $819 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that passed in the House last week. Dahlkemper reports that northwest Pennsylvania school districts could receive around $70 million to upgrade technology, renovate classrooms, and improve energy efficiency. The Erie City School District would receive the most funding under the bill–over $20 million in the next two years.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook pronounced Timothy Oakes dead at the scene of a snowmobile accident in McKean Township this past Saturday. Oakes was wearing a helmet at the time he collided head-on with a SUV driven by James Stumpo of McKean.
Crime doesn’t pay, kids. A snowboard stolen from Peek’n Peak on New Year’s Day wound up on eBay, and investigators from the Chautauqua County Sheriffs Office tracked the account to brothers Scott and Patrick Fletcher of Waterford. Police recovered two snowboards, both stolen at the Peak on January 1st. The brothers were charged with larceny and possession of stolen property.
London, England received a heavy dose of snow this week prompting the city to shut down and locals to freak out. The accumulation? No more than 8 inches. Many people from around the world, especially parts of the world that receive a lot of snow, wrote to London papers chastising Londoners for being so whimpy, including one Erieite:
Our first snowfall this season was two weeks before Thanksgiving. Since then we’ve had more than 12ft of snow, some areas more than 20ft. Outside my house right now is about 35ins of snow. GET OVER IT, buy a shovel and get digging!
State Representative Pat Harkins was appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania House committees of Children and Youth, Education, and Labor Relations and Liquor Control.
GE Transportation was recently awarded a contract to provide an advanced communication and information system to the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District in San Francisco, CA. GE won’t be doing it alone as it has subcontracted to INIT Innovations in Transportation Inc. in Chesapeake, Va. to equip Golden Gate Transit buses with a computer-aided dispatch/automatic vehicle location system as well as supply the on-board computers, mobile data terminals, passenger information displays, and other fancy doo-hickies.
Sports
The Erie Otters play this Friday against the Sault St Marie Greyhounds and on Saturday against the Saginaw Spirit. Get your tickets here.
The Erie BayHawks return to Erie tomorrow night to play the Idaho Stampede with another home game next week against the Utah Flash. Get your tickets here.
Events
Gannon University will host a guest lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 4 in observance of Black History Month. The lecture, featuring Preacher Moss, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Yehl Room of the University’s Waldron Campus Center, 124 West 7th St. It is free and open to the public. His visit is sponsored by the Gannon University Activities Programming Board. For more information, call 814-871-7766.
The Advertising Federation of Northwest Pennsylvania (AFNWPA) is hosting national face reading expert and author Mac Fulfer, and his workshop “Amazing Face Reading: A Breakthrough in Communication” from 4:30 to 7 p.m., on Thursday, Feb. 5, at the Erie Art Museum, 411 State St. During the workshop, Mr. Fulfer will teach participants a new way to see people without labeling or judging them using face reading as a means of better understanding a person’s strengths and weaknesses. He will also show attendees how to immediately read anger, stress, deception, confusion and wariness on another person’s face. Fulfer guarantees that by the end of the session, participants will never look at another person the same way again. Registration for the AFNWPA “Amazing Face Reading” workshop is now open. Interested individuals may register online at afnwpa.org or call (814) 451-8677. The cost is $20 for AFNWPA members; $30 for non-members. A reception featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will follow the presentation.
Award-winning poet Henri Cole will read from his work at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5 in Quigley Auditorium at Allegheny College. The program, which is free and open to the public, is part of the college’s Single Voice Reading Series. The Single Voice Reading Series is sponsored by the creative writing program of the Allegheny College Department of English. The series will continue with readings by Katherine Min on March 4 and Mark Doty and Paul Lisicky on April 14.
The Erie RV, Camping & Powersport Spectacular will be held at the Bayfront Convention Center Thurs., Feb. 5 – Sun., Feb. 8, 2009 Thurs & Fri 12:00pm-9:00pm; Sat. 10:00am-8:00pm; Sun. 10:00am-5:00pm. Tickets: $3.00. For more information, please call (814) 725-3856.
Upcoming Erie Concerts and Shows:
Feb. 13: The Temptations, Warner Theatre (tickets)
Feb. 19: Jerry Seinfeld, Warner Theatre (tickets)
Feb. 22: Rain (Beatles Cover Band), Warner Theatre (tickets)
March 7: Motley Crue w/ Hinder, Last Vegas, Theory of a Deadman, Tullio Arena (tickets)
March 22: New Kids on the Block, Tullio Arena (tickets on sale 1/24)
March 29: Comedian Lewis Black, Warner Theatre (tickets)
View this past Sunday’s comprehensive Erie events list to see what’s coming up for the week and months ahead. If you would like your event posted here, please contact us via our online form.
