ErieBlogs.com: Erie PA News and Events for Sunday December 18, 2005

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Erie PA News and Events for Sunday December 18, 2005

Posted by Dennis on December 18, 2005

The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, which has an office in Erie, is a building a $23.5 million performing arts center in Midland, PA. Students who attend cyber schools take classes via computer. Midland doesn’t even have a high school of its own. This little tidbit comes from a PittsburghTribune-Review article titled State-funded cyber school draws concern. The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School has an enrollment of 4,500 Pennsylvania students and over 3,000 from out of state including hundreds from New Mexico and Arizona. Parents do not pay tuition, the public school district where the student resides pays the tuition based on tuition costs in the student’s home district which ranges from $5,409 to $15,204 per student. The school has millions pouring in every year. Rodis LLC, which gets a percentage of the tuition in management fees, recently purchased a 143 acre farm to build housing for Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School teachers. The teachers would work out of their homes.

WJET-TV reported that long-time firefighter Tony Pol will become the new Erie Fire Chief. Pol will replace the current chief Russell Smith, who was appointed by Mayor Rick Filippi. Charles “Chuck” Bowers will keep his job as Chief of Police.

My friends took their kids yesterday to Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park in Erie for the first time. They said it was busy, of course. You can’t beat 85 degree water when it 30 degrees out. The trip will be the only thing the kids talk about for the next 5 years.

Tickets for the Jerry Seinfeld show at the Warner Theatre on March 16 at 7 pm sold out in just over a half hour. A second 9:30 pm show was added. Some tickets for the second show are still available.

Photo by Ron Richardson on a beautiful card created by C-Rolla.

The Marine Corps Reserve Erie Toys For Tots program is asking for your help. Their goal this season is to make sure that every child in Northwestern Pennsylvania has a gift to open on Christmas. Please Help by Donating new, unwrapped toys at one of the designated drop off locations or at one of their events where you can help.

This is the 47th year the Lake Erie Ballet will present the holiday favorite “The Nutcracker.” The final performance will be held at the Warner Theatre today, Sunday December 18th at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $15 to $30.

The Allegheny Chamber Singers will present a free recital in Ford Memorial Chapel at Allegheny College on Sunday, Dec 18 at 3:15 pm. The program will include duets and trios drawn from oratorio and sacred song. The opening piece will feature all 16 singers in “Silent Devotion and Response” from Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service. It will be sung in Hebrew and accompanied by Ward Jamison on the organ.

Take a break from the Christmas shopping and hubbub and enjoy a free holiday concert. The Gem City Concert Band, under the direction of Betty McKinney, will present a special Holiday Concert at St. John Parish Center, adjacent to St John Lutheran’s Church, 2216 Peach Street. The performance will be held on Tuesday, December 20th at 7:30 pm and will feature many holiday favorites and a Christmas carol sing-along. The concert is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted.

The Erie Youth Hockey Association 35th annual Christmas Invitational Tournament will be held December 27- 29, 2005.

Erie McDowell Junior offensive lineman Dan Matha was named to the Associated Press Pennsylvania Class AAAA all-state football team.

The Gannon University men’s basketball team defeated Daemen College 70-58 at the Hammermill Center. Gannon returns to action Thursday, December 29 against Daemen in the first round of the 32nd annual Porreco Cup at the Hammermill Center. Game time is scheduled for 8 pm. Lake Superior State and Quincy (Ill) open the tournament at 6 pm.

Kerry Wilkinson scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-8 from long range as Mercyhurst (8-2) ran away from Slippery Rock, 75-43, at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.

The Windsor Spitfires beat the Erie Otters 5-2 in an Ontario Hockey League game played Saturday night in front of 3,812 at the Tullio Arena. Josh Vatri, with the first of his career, and Andrew Hotham scored for the Otters. Erie dropped their third straight and are now 13-16-3-1. The next Otters home game takes place Wednesday, January 11th.