ErieBlogs.com: Erie PA News and Events for Wednesday August 16, 2006

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Erie PA News and Events for Wednesday August 16, 2006

Posted by Dennis on August 16, 2006

Like a crackhead that’s got to have their drugs and a welfare bum that needs a big screen TV when they can’t afford food or rent, Erie City Council will discuss hiring 5 police officers at their weekly meeting tonight even though the city is millions over budget, has millions in unpaid bills and faces a shut down of city services later this year. This is pretty much business as usual in Erie. The thought being they can always raise taxes or fees at a later date. The city is trying to get a state grant of $50,000 for each of the police officers which would be paid for the next 3 years. The city would be obligated to keep the officers for an additional 3 years after the grants expire. However, each officer cost the city about $80,000. Total cost to the taxpayers in the next 6 years - $1,650,000. There is nothing on tonights council agenda involving cutting costs, expenses or saving money.

The National Association of Realtors said existing single-family homes in Erie County appreciated by 3.9 percent from a year ago to a median price of $102,300. The prices I heard from the City of Erie were just a bit over $70,000 with the prices of the metro area (Millcreek, Fairview, Summit, Harborcreek, etc) at about $112,000. The national median existing single-family home price was $227,500 in the second quarter, up 3.7 percent from a year earlier. Prices in the Erie area are some of the most afordable in the country with prices rising at a steady, reasonable rate..

How Much Time and Money Are You Wasting on Business Travel? The Center for eBusiness and Advanced IT has developed the Field Guide to Web Conferencing, a webinar designed to introduce web conferencing and the benefits associated with the growing use of this communication. This webinar will be held on August 23, 2006 from 1:30 - 3 pm and is available to anyone with an Internet connection and telephone access. “Web conferencing applications can help your business extend your reach, enhance communication effectiveness, and reduce meeting and travel costs,” says Cathy von Birgelen, of Strategic eMarketing. This webinar will show:
• How to conduct meetings and conferences with people from across the world without spending the money it takes to get there
• The cost savings and opportunities available for interacting with customers, suppliers, and partners all at the same time
• How to evaluate web conferencing providers
Registration is online at http://www.ebizitpa.org/webconferencing. The deadline for registration is August 21, 2006.

The Erie Art Museum is now registering students for the fall class session. The new session begins Monday, September 11, 2006, with classes available for both children and adults. Deadline for registration is September 4, 2006. Adult classes include Weaving Basics, Free to Write, Yalla Habibi Hafla! (Bellydancing), Oriental Painting Class, New Approaches to Life Drawing, Freeing the Natural Body, Beginning American Sign Language, Jewelry Making, Watercolor Landscape Class, Digital Photography, Framing Basics Workshop, Still Life Painting Class, Pottery Classes, The Surface of Clay and Independent Study - Advanced Ceramics. Youth classes include Kids and Clay; Pottery for Young People; Fabric, Wood, Yarn, Paint & More; Drawing Basics for Young People; Printmaking for Kids; and Without Boundaries. Space is limited, so register today. Costs vary by class, but a discount is available for Erie Art Museum members.Teachers can earn Act 48 credits for each hour of class attended. For more information on these classes or to download an online registration form visit them on the web at ErieArtMuseum.org. A registration form and information on Act 48 credits can also be obtained by calling the Erie Art Museum at 459-5477.

The New Britain Rock Cats squeezed out a 2-1 victory over the Erie SeaWolves in 16 innings Tuesday night in downtown Erie. The two teams play a doubleheader tonight with a first pitch slated for 5:05 pm. There will be fireworks tonight sponsored by Rentway.

The AIFL announced the addition of a league franchise in Montgomery Alabama. The Montgomery, Bears will play in the league’s Southern Conference when the 2007 season kicks-off early next year. The Bears are co-owned by John Morris and Michael Mink, with Morris working as the team’s General Manager and Mink as Head Coach. The Bears are moving from the National Indoor Football League. The Lakeland, Florida ThunderBolts have also joined the league. And finally, Huntington, West Virginia decided to stay in the AIFL after it was announced last month the team was jumping to the World Indoor Football League. Huntington is in the North Division with The Erie Freeze and 6 other teams. The next AIFL season will begin in early February.

Ramsey Pualwan has been named the new coach of the Norwich University men’s and women’s cross country teams. He’s a 1981 graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa, and in 1992 he obtained a MEd in Physical Education from Springfield College.

The Reading Royals of the ECHL announced that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman TJ Kemp. Kemp was selected to the ECHL’s All-Rookie Team after racking up forty points in sixty games for the Royals in his first pro season. TJ had a stellar four year career at Mercyhurst College in Erie.

Georgia has offered wide receiver prospect Maurice Williams a football scholarship. This is his 7th offer from a major college. Williams is the quaterback for Erie Strong Vincent. He is scheduled to officially visit Georgia September 23. Williams is listed as the 30th best wide receiver prospect in the country.

Family First Sports Park is hosting the 2006 Hoops Classic 3-on-3 Streetball Tournament on Saturday August 18.

Celebrate Erie takes place Aug 18-20 in downtown Erie. The Clarks, Seven Mary Three, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Povertyneck Hillbillies and the Beach Boys are a few of the musical acts. This event was formerly called ‘We Love Erie Days.’ It’s been 5 years since the name change.

The 4th Annual Erie SeaWolves Family Fun Run/Walk for Epilepsy will be held Saturday morning August 19. Proceeds of the event will benefit the Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central Pennsylvania.

The 2006 Hamot 10k Mayor’s Cup and 5K Walk/Run takes place on Sunday August 20.

The 10th annual Erie German Heritage Festival will be held September 2-3, 2006 from 11-8 daily at St Nick’s Grove, 5131 Old French Road (Route 97).

Erie’s last blast of summer, the second annual Erie Heritage Festival, featuring a special Erie Philharmonic Pops concert on the Bay, will be held on Saturday, September 9, at Liberty Park’s Pepsi Amphitheater.

Former Mecyhurst College basketball great Brent Swain is organizing a Mercyhurst Laker Alumni Basketball Game which is scheduled for September 9 at 7 pm in the Mercyhurst Athletics Center (MAC)..

Barbara Hurd will open the 2006 Creative Writer’s Speaker Series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, with a reading on Thursday, Sept 14. Hurd’s reading will begin at 6 pm in the worship space of the Smith Chapel. A reception for her at 4:30 pm in the chapel living room will precede her appearance; both are free and open to the public. Hurd is the author of two literary nonfiction books, Stirring the Mud: On Swamps, Bogs, and Human Imagination, which was named a Los Angeles Times Best Book of 2001, and Entering the Stone: On Caves and Feeling Through the Dark, and a book of poetry, Objects in This Mirror.