Election Day events are still dominating the news this morning, a day and a half after the polls closed.  Of course, the polling was marked by some glitches, not the least of which was the seven voting machines that were somehow not included in the counting tuesday night.

In a tight race with Grossman leading Kerner by only 350 votes, the missed machines hold the possibility of changing the outcome.  So do the 1100 absentee ballots which still need to be processed.  The race for County Executive appears to be headed for a photo-finish.

In East County, Republican Ebert Beeman, whose somewhat radical background caused the Republican Party to disavow his campaign, won handily over any and all opponents, including incumbent Dave Mitchell, who first did not intend to run, then changed his mind and tried to run a write-in campaign. It should make for a somewhat more exciting council.

In the city voting, newcomer Jim Winarski gained a seat on Erie City Council, however, the old timers on council can be expected to conduct business as usual.  Mayor Joe Sinnott won by a huge margin.  Poor Jack Anderson, the Rodney Dangerfield of Erie politics, just keeps tryin’.
Such is the fate of a Republican in this Democratic bastion.

Speaking of City Council, it seems they intend to push for a cell phone ban while driving in the City of Erie.  State Representative John Evans opined that the ban should be on a state level, in fact there should be a vote in the Pennsylvania assembly within a week or two.   Of course City Council, which always knows best, will continue to seek a local ban.

It was sad to learn of the closing of the Marketplace Grill.  It has consistently been one of the highest rated fine dining spots in Erie for over 20 years.  The economy figured largely in the decision to close.  Thanks to Peter Lyons for many years of fine cuisine.

GoErie.com launched their website makeover this week.  We feel the new look here at ErieBlogs is better and easier to navigate. Have you tried the new version of this site for your iPhone and iPod touch?

If you know anyone who would like to advertise on two of the best blogsites in the Erie area, spots are available on both ErieBlogs and GlobalErie.  Be seen on both sites, each and every hit, for one low, low, price.  You can get more information here.

Sports

The Erie BayHawks today announced that seven players have been invited to participate in their 2009/10 training camp which is slated to begin on November 14.

Among the invitees are four returning players including; Jackie Manuel, Ivan Harris, Oliver Lafayette and Jarvis Gunter. The BayHawks also added a pair of local prospects Gannon University center Kyle Goldcamp and Edinboro guard Joe Jones to the roster through the team’s free agent tryouts.

Cleveland State guard Cedric Jackson rounds out the pre-draft roster via a D-League player allocation. The BayHawks will complete the training camp roster with eight players selected in the NBA Development League Draft. The team has the second overall pick in the draft set for Thursday night.

The BayHawks will host an NBA Development League Draft Party starting at 6:30 pm at the Fox and Hound English Pub and Grille, 250 Millcreek Plaza. 

The admission to the event is free and open to the public and everyone who attends will have the opportunity to win great prizes including: signed gear from the BayHawks, and prize packs from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sports Obsession in the Millcreek Mall.  Fans will also enjoy  free food and drink specials, plus appearances by BayHawks coaches John Treloar and Ben McDonald, members of the BayHawks Dance Team and “Clutch” the mascot.

The evening will also be highlighted by an appearance from returning BayHawks forward Jackie Manuel. The former North Carolina Tar Heel star and BayHawks shutdown defender, will be on hand to sign autographs and greet fans.

Following is the list of training camp invitees. 

Player                                    Pos     College                        Status                                              

Oliver Lafayette                         G        Houston                        Returning

Jackie Manuel                            F        North Carolina            Returning

Ivan Harris                                 F        Ohio State                      Returning

Jarvis Gunter                             F        Arkansas-Pine Bluff   Returning

Kyle Goldcamp                          C        Gannon University     Tryout

Joe Jones                                    G        Edinboro University  Tryout

Cedric Jackson                           G       Cleveland State Uni    Allocation

The Otters take on Niagara at the Tullio Arena Friday night at 7 p.m.
 

Events