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Erie PA News and Events for Wednesday March 29, 2006
Posted by Dennis on March 29, 2006
Voices for Independence filed a federal lawsuit against Penndot claiming that the curb cuts don’t meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Voices for Independence is an advocacy and service organization of and for individuals with disabilities in wheelchairs. With the money the City of Erie spend doing curb cuts around the city, somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million, we could have bought each one of them a handicapped equipped van. I can’t figure out why the idiot contractors that didn’t properly install the cuts aren’t held responsible.
The deal fell through for Erie County to buy a chunk of land near Erie County Vo-Tech as part of the 25 acres they intended to buy included wetlands. I can not fathom in the first place why they would need that much land for a public safety building. I know they need an area for offices for 30 people, communications equipment and parking but dang. Unless they were expecting 747’s or blimps to stop there, they don’t need anywhere close to 25 acres. Google and Microsoft can afford to build sweet looking suburban office parks but this is being built the taxpayer money. Your money. My money. 25 acres is over 1 millions square feet. You could put 250 houses on 25 acres. You could build 19 football fields including the endzones on 25 acres.
Erie PA native Ray Glaz retired from International Paper and moved to Florida in 1994. For the past 29 years he’s been a cancer survivor. Glaz wasn’t expected to see the end of 1977 when he was diagnosed with stage five melanoma. He prayed and said he’s work with cancer victims if he lived. He went through a special support training program at St Vincent Health Center and worked with cancer patients in Erie. Because of his service to the community and the hospital, Glaz was named to the St Vincents board of directors. When he moved south a dozen years ago, he tried to find a cancer support group where he lived. There wasn’t any in the area so he started one. Soon afterward, doctors found that he had prostate cancer. Doctors successfully treated that and he’s been cancer free for over ten years. He said that if you get cancer, treat it but don’t worry about it. Life is too short. He just worrys about his golf game.
The blood supply had never fully recovered from the early shortage and now in the past 12 hours the already limited supply of type O was reduced by half because of heavy usage and further affected by very light donor turn out for the past 4 days. Type O positive is the most common type of blood with about 38 percent of area residents having this type. Since more than 1 in 3 people has O blood the need for type O donors is constant. The lingering shortage has adversely affected the Blood bank’s ability to attract donors quickly, as most people have heard the “give blood, there’s a shortage” message so much in the past month that they tune it out. All donors are strongly encouraged to donate at the Community Blood Bank, 2646 Peach Street. The Erie Community Blood Bank is open from 9-6 Monday through Friday and until 7:30 pm Tuesday night and Saturday 9-12:30. Photo ID required.
Penn State Behrend’s accounting 421 course, volunteer income tax assistance and introduction to tax research, introduces students to the practical side of income tax preparation through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. VITA offers free tax help to low- and moderate-income people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Volunteers receive training to help prepare basic tax returns and can help with special credits, including the earned income tax credit, child tax credit and credit for the elderly, for those who may qualify. The 2006 VITA sites are the Blasco Memorial Library, Booker T Washington Center, Conrad House at Brevillier Village, International Institute, John F Kennedy Center, Lawrence Park Township office, McCord Memorial Library, Methodist Towers, and Wesleyville Borough office. Assistance is available Monday to Friday at specific times during the day and evening. Some locations are not open to the general public. For more information, contact the site. In order to have a tax return prepared at the designated VITA sites, be sure to bring the following:
— Photo identification required
— Social Security cards and birth dates for primary filer, spouse and dependents on the tax return
— Current years tax package (if received)
— Wage and earning statements (Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R) from all employers
— Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099)
— Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit
— Other relevant information about income and expenses, such as total paid for day care and the day care providers identifying number
— A copy of last years federal and state returns (if available)
Erie Bloggers and those interested in learning more about blogging are invited to attend an informal get together on Thursday, March 30 at 7 pm at Panera’s Yorktown, 2501 W 12th St, Erie PA. A blog (short for “web log”) is an online diary/journal that can easily be edited/updated. Blogs run the gamut of subjects covered, tone and purpose. If you’re not sure about this exciting technology and means of self expression, feel free to ask. Some of us are new to blogging as well. We are looking forward to getting to know each other, and to help others become involved as well. For more information, check the Yahoo Erie Bloggers Group or this site.
The 8th annual Erie Homeownership Expo will be held Thursday March 30 from 11:30 am to 7 pm at the Blasco Library Admiral Room and Hirt Auditorium at 160 East Front Street. There will be information on mortgages, real estate services, home inspections and even an appearance by myself. Admission is free and open to the public. If you have any questions, get in touch with me. I’m a real estate agent. Contact me, Dennis Weed at Prudential Advantage Realty, (814) 833-2741.
Poet Larissa Szporluk will read from her works at Penn State Behrend at 6 pm on Thursday, March 30, in the worship space of the Smith Chapel. An artist’s reception will precede the reading at 4:30 pm in the Smith Chapel living room. Both are free and open to the public.
Mitch Albom will speak at Mercyhurst College on Thursday, March 30, at 8 pm. His topic will be “Tuesdays with Morrie: Lessons for Living.” Albom’s speech requires a free ticket. Tickets will be available at the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. The box office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to noon and 1 to 6 pm.
The Erie office of Pennsylvania Career Link will hold a job and career fair, the 2006 Erie CareerFair on April 25, 2006 from 11 am to 4 pm at the Zem Zem Shrine Club, 2525 West 38th Street, Erie PA.
The Asheville NC based Carolina Ghostriders of the American Indoor Football League have ceased operations. Owner Robert W Boyd claims his former general manager David Dix spent a ton of money he was never authorized to spend such as money to hold home games. American Indoor Football League President Andrew G. Haines announced Tuesday that due to the actions of owner Robert Boyd, the Carolina Ghostriders have been declared inactive for the remainder of the 2006 season and that a travel team will be created to give the Ghostriders’ opponents their full complement of home games. The new team will be called the AIFL Ghostchasers and will play five games in Daytona Beach, Augusta, Rome, Richmond and Florence. Though it will wear the Ghostriders colors, Haines emphasized that it is not be a continuation of the Ghostriders and will have a separate listing in the team standings.
Posted by Dennis at March 29, 2006 6:48 AM
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