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Erie PA News and Events for Wednesday March 1, 2006 Ash Wednesday
Posted by Dennis on March 1, 2006
Yesterday Erie took one step closer to the state taking over the city under Act 47. Pennsylvania Act 47 is the law that allows the state to take over cities that qualify for ‘distressed city status.’ The city was turned down in an attempt to refinance bonds. No insurance company would bond the cash strapped city in the transaction. City Council was expecting $800,000 from the deal. If they would have done the deal a couple of months ago when they first talked about it, it might have gone through. The delay cost the taxpayers money. The year is two months old and already has a deficit of $2 million. I haven’t heard one city council member or the mayor say anything about cutting expenses, just raising taxes and fees.
Attorney General Tom Corbett announced the formation of a Public Corruption Unit within the Attorney General’s Office. The unit is designed to primarily combat corruption through the prosecution of elected officials and government employees. Senior Deputy Attorney General Margaret Cassidy was assigned to the Pittsburgh Office. Currently she is prosecuting the former mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania and his colleagues for public corruption.
To help students who experience emergency financial problems, Mercyhurst College has established the Alumni Emergency Scholarship Fund. This special assistance program helps students who have a demonstrated financial need and have exhausted all other financial resources. In the few months since fundraising began for it, donors have contributed nearly $10,000 to get the fund started.
Boys to Men Math and English Academy in Chicago has an enrollment of 15 students. All are basketball players. Students are taught by correspondence or online. The entire student body will be in Erie PA for the National Christian Invitational Tournament on March 9-11 at Family First Sports Park. The team is led by 7’0” center Xavier Crawford who will be attending Bradley University and 6’7” forward Emmanuel Cass who will be going to DePaul University. With 600 players and over 2,000 people total traveling to Erie for the event not only the Sports Park but many of the local restaurants and hotels will see a high amount of traffic.
Four of the Penn State Behrend student music ensembles will perform together in the appropriately named Collage Concert on Thursday, March 2. The performance will begin at 8 pm in the Reed Student Union Building’s McGarvey Commons. It is free and open to the public. The Behrend college choir, the Studio Singers, the jazz ensemble and the Behrend concert band will perform.
The Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity at 109 German Street will be holding their Russian Maslenitsa Festival beginning from 3-10 pm on Friday March 3, 2006. This church is gorgeous. Come visit their re-creation of an authentic Russian village with hand-painted “storefronts” and vendors selling traditional Russian food and drinks. Entertainment includes Russian ballet selections by the Lake Erie Ballet, folk music by the Great American Gypsies and an amateur folk “wedding” performance. Homemade baked goods and Russian gifts also for sale as well as a 50/50 drawing. Admission is free.
The 24th annual Erie Outdoor Sport and Travel Expo will be held March 3 through March 5 at the Family First Sports Park, 8155 Oliver Road in Erie (I-90 at Peach Street, Exit 24). Click here for a printable $1 off coupon.
The theater group All An Act Productions is performing the comedy “The Middle Ages” by AR Gurney. The show will run Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 3 pm through March 5th at East High School, located at 1001 Atkins Street, Erie, Pa 16503. General Admission is $5.
Religious Awareness Week, March 5-11, at Allegheny College will celebrate the theme “Many Faiths: One Community.” All events are free and open to the public. Events scheduled for the week are listed here.
The Woman’s Club of Erie presents the 4th annual Erie’s Famous Food Event to be held at Porters Restaurant and Tap Room on Sunday, March 5. Dozens of Erie’s best restaurants have been invited to participate and display their best dishes. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, children under 10 are free. Call 838-9036 or 864-8306, or visit Porters for tickets. All proceeds benefit Erie County CASA, SafeNet, and Mission Activities of the Women’s Club.
A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies Colloquium will take place at Allegheny College on Saturday, March 11 from 1 to 5 pm in Campus Center rooms 301-302. This inaugural event provides an opportunity for members of the community to share research, pedagogy and strategies for campus activism on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. The colloquium is free and open to the public. The event will begin with a keynote address at 1 pm by the Reverend John Colatch, former Allegheny College chaplain and current chaplain and director of religious life at Lafayette College.
The always popular International Night at Gannon University will be held Saturday, March 25. The theme of this year’s theme will be, “A Passport to Entertainment.” The event is scheduled for 6-9 pm in the Yehl Room of the Waldron Campus Center, 124 West Seventh Street. The always-festive event will feature a dinner buffet/food bazaar with foods from nearly 20 different countries as well as music, dancing, and more.Tickets are priced at $5 for students and children under 10; $10 for children 10-up, senior citizens, and military; and $15 for adults. Tickets can be purchased in the lobby of the Waldron Center.
The Edinboro men’s basketball team defeated California of Pennsylvania 97-78. Torry Mitchell had 35 for the Scots. They’ll play in the PSAC semifinals against host West Chester.
Ashland edged the Mercyhurst College men’s basketball team (19-9) 70-68 Tuesday night in a GLIAC quarterfinal game before 450 fans at Kates Gymnasium. The Lakers won 11 more games in 2005-06 than the prior season and made its second trip to postseason play in the last three years.
The Gannon University women’s basketball team beat Hillsdale 84-78 at Hillsdale. Gannon used a balanced offensive attack to win the contest, led by 17 points from Ashley Lowdermilk. Casey England and Abby Bunstine each scored 16, while Christina Jackson had 13 points and 10 boards. Gannon advances to GLIAC Semifinals on Friday and will take on top-seeded Grand Valley.
The 7th ranked Gannon women’s lacrosse team won its second straight match to open the season, defeating Belmont Abbey 20-5 Tuesday afternoon on the road. Sarah Belen paced the offensive attack with seven goals.
The Penn State Behrend men’s basketball team (19-7) has been selected to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament and will host Wesley College (16-9) on Wednesday, March 1 at 7:00 pm in the Junker Center.
The Erie SeaWolves have announced today the hiring of new play-by-play broadcaster Greg Gania for the 2006 season. Gania, a Warren, Ohio native, has spent last three seasons as the broadcaster of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Class-A Short Season Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. A 2005 graduate of Bowling Green State University, Gania replaces Justin Kutcher who served as the 2005 SeaWolves broadcaster.
Erie McDowell Junior offensive lineman Dan Matha (image) will be making a recruiting visit to Notre Dame on Saturday. He already has scholarship offers from Pittsburgh and West Virginia. Matha is 6’ 6” and weighs 310 lbs.
Posted by Dennis at March 1, 2006 6:59 AM
Comments
I heard Sinnott say that we weren't close to Act 47 yet even with this recent shortfall. But I have to wonder, how close ARE we? Is it millions, thousands...pennies?
Posted by: Ron at March 1, 2006 10:27 AM
Based on what I have read of the act, two of the bright-line criteria for distressed status are:
1) three years of deficits above 1%, and
2) two years of deficits above 5%.
I have no idea what there deficit has been over the past two years, but this year they are currently above the 1% mark (2.3 million of an around 59 million budget, from what I've read). I guess they would need just about 600-700,000 more in deficit to get over the 5% mark (about 3 million). Considering they were just blindsided with this 800,000, I don't know if Sinnott should be in a position to be saying they are nowhere near the mark. No one seems to know anything.
In all likelihood, this year looks to be a step in the direction of an Act 47 takeover.
Posted by: Jerry at March 1, 2006 12:35 PM
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