Three-term City Councilwoman Rubye Jenkins-Husband sat in her council seat for the last time yesterday.  She has been one of the most active members of the council, especially in her efforts to spearhead the revitalization of the Parade Street corridor and surrounding areas. A loquacious and colorful speaker, Rubye has served her constituants and the entire City of Erie well.  She will be missed.   Thank you Rubye, for 12 years of excellent service.

City Council approved the 2010 budget of $58 Million dollars at Wednesday’s meeting.  While  taxes remain the same, refuse and sewer rates will be going up.  The increases for refuse service will increase by $9.25 quarterly, and sewer rates will increase $8.40 per quarter.  Still sounds like a tax increase of $70.60 per year to us, no matter what they call it.

Council also approved a ban on the usage of hand-held cell phones while driving in the City of Erie.  The ban includes talking and texting, and any other use while operating a vehicle.  As a secondary offense, users can only be charged in conjunction with another, primary offense.  The safest way to avoid charges is to pull over to use the phone.  The law takes effect on January 5, 2010.

Erie General Electric has made a quarter-million dollar donation to several local charities.  Unfortunately, our  personal budget was not among the recipients.

Erie Shipbuilding should soon be back in business after the Port Authority completed an agreement with a New Jersey based marine services firm.

Meanwhile, the Airport Runway project is now on the fast track and is projected to be completed in 2012.  We won’t hold our breath on this one!

A young lady who didn’t like school has discovered that truancy is not the best way to go.  The $300 fines mounted up and went unpaid by the girl’s mother.  the girl then made a deal with the judge that she would get her GED.  Didn’t happen.  Now she has been sentenced to jail for 58 days.  We hope she enjoys her forced vacation as much as she did the seven times she played hooky.

An $800,000 dollar jobs bill passed last night in the U.S. House of Representatives is earmarked to update the Amtrak train fleet, which would include 50 new locomotives.  Erie GE Transportation officials have indicated that they will be competitive with their bids.  Kathy Dahlkemper, D-3rd District, made the announcement.

Sports

Gannon’s Kaitlyn Bosy was selected to run a 300-meter leg of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Wednesday, December 16.  The Sophomore is a member of the Gannon Swim Team.   We hope it was warmer in Ontario, Canada than it was in Erie, Pa yesterday.

Events

With all the activities taking place in Erie these days, it is impossible to decide which to highlight, so we’re just going to  urge you to go out and have yourselves a great time in the final week leading up to Christmas.  There are bands playing all over town, concerts to attend, theatrical presentations to enjoy( hint: ‘White Christmas’ at the Erie Playhouse looks like the local hit of the year, better get your tickets before they’re snapped up.  Lastly, many local churches present programs for the Christmas Season.  Enjoy the great things Erie has to offer!