Law enforcement is one of the most important government functions in any society. It is what makes the County of Erie such a safe and great place to live, work, raise a family and even retire. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office in cooperation with the Erie County Fraternal Order of Police  Lodge # 64, Paragon MediaOne, and EngageIT are honoring Erie County law enforcement by displaying photos of  the men and women that dedicated their lives and careers to the protection of county citizens. A virtual Police Museum can be located at http://www.eriealert.com and clicking the “Police Museum” button. Here you can visit law enforcement’s history and see what the Erie Bureau of Police looked like in 1915, or what the original Presque Isle State Park Police station looked like. Did you know that the Presque Isle Park Police once patrolled the park on horseback?

Any person in the County of Erie is welcome to honor their ancestors involved in law enforcement by emailing a photo with a description and date of photo, if known, to Chief County Detective Larry Dombrowski at ldombrowski@eriecountygov.org for inclusion in the virtual “Erie County Police Museum”.

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Joe Falocco, who has worked as a stand-up comic in both Washington, DC and Erie, PA, is in a one-man show entitled Shakespeare’s Villains, an hour long humorous look at Shakespeare’s most evil characters.  The show contains suggestive language, sexual humor, and is not appropriate for children under 13.  Unfortunately, Falocco’s show is currently running in Salisbury, NC.  I wonder if Erie can get Joe to come back to Erie and perform his show here.  It sounds like it would be right up my twisted little alley.

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What do Charlotte, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and St. Louis all have in common?  They’re all vying to be the host of the 2012 Democratic National Convention the week of September 3, 2012, just a week after the Republican National Convention, which will be held in Tampa.

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The trial of Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, the woman accused of masterminding the bank robbery/collar bomb scheme that resulted in the death of Brian Wells, will be postponed.  Originally scheduled to begin at the end of August, the trial is being delayed until at least October 12th so that Diehl-Armstrong’s attorney can learn more about his client’s cancer diagnosis.

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An Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been confirmed north of us in Brantford, Ontario. The Ash killing beetles do not move quickly on their own, but are transported when people move wood, particularly firewood from city to city. PLEASE DON’T TRANSPORT FIREWOOD. Buy your campfire wood where you camp to avoid spreading the destruction.

See the extent of the EAB now (updated June 2010):
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/MultiState_EABpos.pdf

More info about the EAB:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/fpm_invasives_EAB.aspx

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The ‘Twilight’ series of books and movies has created a tourism industry in the small town of Forks, Washington, population 3,120.  A tour guide explains that in 2005, Forks only had 5,000 visitors, and today they’re getting 70,000.
Video with annoying ad here:
http://www.usatoday.com/video/index.htm?bctid=102239703001#/Twilight+tours%3A+How+the+book+series+has+transformed+a+small+town/1

Quick, someone write a series of books using Erie as the location. Is Hollywood crass enough to make a pizza bomber story? And what ever happened to the Sam Jethroe story… Spike Lee, you out there?

Rumor has it the Erie was in the running to have the movie Slapshot filmed here, but producers didn’t like the Erie County Fieldhouse, I think? Chuck Pora would know. I bet if I said you can buy Chuck’s book Pora Lotta Lore at the Erie Book Store he might help.

Speaking of Slapshot, the Johnstown Chiefs in the Eastern Hockey League are moving to hockey hotbed Greenville, South Carolina. Johnstown had been a bitter rival of the Erie Blades in the old North American Hockey League and were called the Jets at the time. Who could forget the Carlson brothers with their coke bottle glasses playing for
the Jets? The Carlsons were the inspiration for Slapshot’s Hanson brothers, and the actual Carlsons were in the movie.

For more old time hockey nostalgia, check (pun intended, sorry) out this video slideshow about the old NAHL 1973-1977. It’s from these guys – oldjerseys.com. You can buy an old Blades jersey there. Does anyone in town sell them? How did I go from Twilight to hockey jerseys? Walk it back.

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Are you the last person on earth to know that everyone in Cleveland is afraid LeBron James will leave the Cavaliers to make a HELLOFALOTMOREMONEY?

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Why does trouble always find Michael Vick? He’s like the cousin Oliver of football.

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Is Wimpleton over yet? It hasn’t been interesting since John McEnroe and Bjorn Bjorg pjlayed for the championship with their wooden rackets and headbands. Oooh… a whole fortnight of tennis on grass.

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The 2010 Tour de France will be Lance Armstrong’s last. This year’s TDF starts on Saturday.

A French rider hasn’t won the TDF since 1985. Quel dommage fromage eaters…

Follow the coverage on Versus, the TV Channel or Versus, the website, or Versus, the iPhone app.

And don’t forget to count how many times Bob Roll says “Tour DAY France.”

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World Cup elimination games Friday, 07/02

Netherlands vs. Brazil at 10 a.m.
Uruguay vs. Ghana at 2:30 p.m.

World Cup elimination games on Saturday, 07/03

Argentina vs. Germany at 10 a.m
Paraguay vs. Spain at 2:30 p.m.