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Erie PA News and Events for Thursday November 16, 2006
Posted by Dennis on November 16, 2006
Douglas A Spadey, a Edinboro freshman from Philly, was arrested for sending racial and threatening emails to fellow black Edinboro students. Hours before he was led away in handcuffs, he was saying he was one of the victims of the emails. About 20 students received emails with the N-bomb and threats that some would be shot. The reason I heard was that he threw a Halloween party and he was upset that nobody showed up.
Erie City Council voted unanimously to adopt a curfew on kids under 18. A second vote scheduled for December 6 will make it law. Kids will have to be home 10 pm to 6 am Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 6 am Friday and Saturday. During school breaks kids will have to be home midnight to 6 am. Exceptions are made for kids that work, attend night classes, sporting or other community events. The first time, they get a warning. Then the fines begin. Businesses that let kids hang out can be fined $50 for a first offense and up to $300 and/or 90 days in jail for subsequent offenses. I hate the fact of government wanting to control lives, but the curfew is necessary because too few parents are taking responsibility for their kids.
As part of the 207 city budget, the mayor will call for the sale of Erie Golf Course. They should be able to get $500,000 to $750,000 for it if they sell it to someone for to keep it a golf course and $1.5 million to $2 million if sold to a developer for residential housing. In other places, municipal golf courses are cash cows. With our politicians running them, they’re losing money.
Rent-Way is no longer an Erie-based company. Rent-A-Center (Nasdaq/NGS:RCII) announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Rent-Way, an operator of approximately 782 rent-to-own stores in 34 states. As a result of the completion of the acquisition, Rent-Way is now a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Rent-A-Center.
Photo from some of the recent days of filming at Brevillier Village of the movie “Schism” by John C Lyons of Erie based Lyons Den Productions.
Omega Plastics has received a $200,000 PIDA state loan to purchase and renovate its current Erie facility. The project will allow the company to retain all 25 employees and create six new jobs.
The Greater Erie Industrial Development Corporation has received a $2.25 million PIDA state loan for the purchase and renovation of a four-story building at the former Hammermill/ International Paper site in Erie. The 90,000 sq ft building is located in the North Yard and will be redeveloped to attract new businesses and tenants to the area.
Tom Ridge of Erie, former Secretary of Homeland Security, is in Taiwan for an international seminar on homeland security and related industry development.
LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine) President John M. Ferretti, DO will join representatives of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford to announce a “3+4 LECOM Medical Program” articulation agreement. Dr Steven Hardin, Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr Lauren Yaich, Chair of the Division of Biological and Health Sciences and Associate Professor of Biology, and James Baldwin, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Registrar are representing Pitt-Bradford at the signing ceremony which will be held at 2 pm today.
Erie got a mention in this weeks Tuesday Morning Quarterback column by Gregg Easterbrook of ESPN.com:
“The secondary market rule can be nutty — for instance, Erie, Pa, usually sees Bills’ games rather than Steelers’ games, and Erie is, after all, in Pennsylvania, not New York.”
Such is the case this weekend when you have to go to a bar or a club to watch the Pittsburgh and Cleveland game because the Bastard Bills game will be shown over the air.
Jeff Daisley of Erie has signed with the Buffalo Silverbacks of the ABA. The 7’ 2” center played college basketball at Mercyhurst.
The 24th edition of the McDonald’s High School Basketball Classic will be held in Erie on Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13, 2007 at Gannon University’s Hammermill Center. This year’s event features nationally renowned programs from California and Ohio, featuring rosters replete with top-ranked players. The field is highlighted by the appearance of two of the most renowned players in Classic history. Delvon Roe, a 6’7” wing player for St Edward of Lakewood, Ohio, is currently ranked as the Number 2 player in the junior class by PrepStars Recruiter’s Handbook, and is regarded as one of the best players in the nation regardless of class. Dallas Lauderdale of nearby Solon, Ohio, also is slated to perform, and the 6’10” explosive athlete is on everyone’s list of top centers in the nation. Also entering the field for Classic 2007 is vaunted Westchester High of Los Angeles, California. The Comets, competing in their third McDonald’s Classic, are annually one of the nation’s top interscholastic programs. The Classic will tip-off on Friday, January 12, with a first round, 7 pm match-up between Westchester and St Edward. The 8:30 pm nightcap will feature Solon High and the host team Erie Cathedral Prep. Reserved tickets, scaled at $12.50 per night, go on sale in Prep athletic office on Monday, November 20th until November 23rd, 2006, for season ticket holders only. General admission tickets cost $7 per night in advance for adults and $5 in advance for students, and will go on sale to the general public on November 29th, 2006. Any remaining reserved tickets will also be on sale beginning on Wednesday, November 29th at the Cathedral Prep athletic office. General Admission tickets will be available on the same date at the Erie Sport Store, the Avalon Hotel, Dee’s News, and select McDonald’s Restaurants while they last.
The opening reception of “Victorian Holidays: A Holiday Heritage Festival” will be held today, November 16 at the Erie County Historical Society Watson-Curtze Mansion, 356 W 6 St, from 6-9 pm. Cost is $20, from reservations call (814) 454-1813. Victorian Holidays is a multi-faceted exhibit which has been annual tradition for the Erie County Historical Society for more than 25 years. The 2006 exhibit, titled a Holiday Heritage Festival, features traditional seasonal decorations from several ethnic-oriented groups. The exhibit runs through December 31.
The Knights of Columbus Council 4262 St Alphonsus Ligouri is having a Sports Raffle at Skateway on Buffalo Road on Friday November 17. The doors open at 5 pm. The cost is $10 this gets you a chance on the 30+ guns they will raffle off and all the Stack’s wings and beer. There will be shuttle service from the K-Mart and Giant Eagle parking lots to Skateway.
Gannon University’s Erie Chamber Orchestra, Conducted and directed by Bruce Morton Wright, will perform on Friday, November 17. The performance will feature the Edinboro University Singers. It is free and open to the public and will begin at 7:30 pm at the Erie Central High auditorium, 3325 Cherry Street.
This Saturday, Nov 18, will be a Free Admission Day at the ExpERIEnce Erie Children’s Museum in celebration of National Chemistry Week 2006. The museum is intended for kids 2-12. The museum is located at 420 French St in Erie, and will be open from 10 am until 4 pm that day. Free admission is made possible by the member institutions of the Erie Section of the American Chemical Society: Penn State Behrend, Allegheny College, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Mercyhurst College, and University of Pittsburgh at Titusville.
Nicole was born with Cystic Fibrosis. She spent 20 years having trouble just breathing. She recently had a double lung transplant. There are two local benefit shows going on in Erie area for her hospital bills and living expenses.
On Saturday Nov 18 at 6 pm a benefit will be held at the Polish Falcons Club, 602 E 19th St. Joshua Reed and Tricia Hillbrich are hosting the party. Cost is $10 at the door. Raffles, food. Fun times.
Then the next day, Sunday Nov 19 at 6 pm Laura is hosting a benefit at 6 pm at Forward Hall, 2502 Peach St.
The Goo Goo Dolls will play a concert at the Warner Theatre in Erie Tuesday December 5. Tickets are on sale now.
Organizers of the Heart of the Alleghenies Folk Music Festival will present a special afternoon of workshops in the folk music tradition on November 19 from 1-3 pm at the Erie Historical Society Watson-Curtze Mansion, 356 West 6 St. Learn to play a mountain dulcimer, with no musical talent required. Mountain dulcimers will be provide, however participants are encouraged to bring their own if possible. Reservations required. Cost is $30.
The Gem City Jazz Ensemble will also be providing entertainment at this year’s St Vincent Festival of Trees on Friday, November 24th at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center on upper Peach Street. Take a break from your hectic and exhausting Black Friday shopping and enjoy the relaxing sights and sounds of Christmas, featuring 50 professionally decorated trees. You’ll probably be out-and-about anyway, so stop in and see them. Gem City will be playing from 7-8:30 pm that evening.
The next production at the Roadhouse Theater is “SantaLand Diaries” and “Season’s Greetings.” Playwright, author, and National Public Radio commentator David Sedaris compose two entertaining, irreverently witty essays which were adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello. The production opens with a post-show reception the evening after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 24 and continues through Saturday, December 23. Admission: Regular seating $12, Riser seating $15, VIP table seating $20. Reservations can be made by phone at (814) 456-5656 or in person at the Roadhouse Theatre for Contemporary Arts 145 West 11th Street. Box Office hours are 2-6 PM Tuesday - Saturday. The theater accepts cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard and Discover.
Two facets of the choral music program at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will be showcased at its annual fall concert on Tuesday, Nov 28. The concert will begin at 8 pm in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building. The College Choir and the Studio Singers both will perform under the direction of Daniel Barnard, lecturer in music. Tickets for the concert are $5 for adults and $3 for students and are available at the door or at the Reed Union Building information desk.
Shangahi Quartet, a versatile ensemble known for its passionate musicality, impressive technique, and multicultural innovation, will perform at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Friday, Dec 1. Their lunchtime appearance, part of Music at Noon: The Logan Series, will begin at noon in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building. It is free and open to the public.
The War at the Shore II wresting showcase will be held Friday, Dec 1 at the Tullio Arena. Fort LeBoeuf vs Mount Pleasant and McDowell vs General McLane takes place at 6 pm. Edinboro vs Michigan State and Mercyhurst vs Gannon go at it at 8 pm. Tickets are $10 day of event at the door or only $6 in advance through Ticketmaster.
The Holiday Toy Drive (benefiting SafeNet Erie) and Gift Wrapping Party will be held at the Plymouth Tavern, 1109 State Street, on Wednesday, December 13 at 6 pm. Contact Melissa Newell at melissamnewell(at)gmail.com for information regarding the Toy Drive. Yep! has partnered with United Way Young Leaders for this event. Please join them in providing gifts for local families currently being sheltered.
The movies for the Holiday Film Series at the Big Green Screen Theater are The Lion King (Dec 5), The Incredibles (Dec 12), the excellent 1961 version of 101 Dalmations (Dec 19) and Toy Story (Dec 26).
Posted by Dennis at November 16, 2006 7:09 AM
Comments
If people want to actually get a seat at the Knights of Columbus gun raffle, they'd better get there before 5pm. From what I've heard by an organizer of the event, the place can hold 2500 people, and they've come close to that number of pre-sale tickets already. If you haven't bought a ticket, get there at about 4 or so, because the lines start well before 5. With all you can eat Stacks wings, it's no wonder.
Posted by: Ron at November 16, 2006 8:17 AM
Why isn't Rentway story about not being Erie-based a bigger story? This company was held in such high regard for so long by the Erie paper, went through Accounting scandal, supposedly on their feet after problems, but guess what? This was just enough to make them marketable to sell. Most of the execs weren't from here and took off, no problem.
Posted by: Joe at November 16, 2006 10:18 AM
Joe - I'm sure when the HQ employees are laid-off, it will make more of a splash.
People should remember that Rentway wasn't owned by Erie, it was owned by the shareholders. Renway bought a number of smaller chains to become as large as they were. I'm sure the people in those other communities didn't like it when they lost jobs or had people relocate to Erie.
Posted by: Dennis at November 16, 2006 12:54 PM
Dennis - Can you explain to me what Erie City Council is thinking? Over the past two years they went into debt to the tune of $2.2-$2.3 Million to renovate Erie Golf Course. Then I see last evening the Mayor wants to pull the plug and sell Erie Golf Course.
I agree with you that golf courses are money makers for other cities. Erie seems to have a council and administration that wouldn't know how to make a dollar if it came up and bit them on the rear!
By the way, If the golf course ever is developed for residential homes put my name on a waiting list to buy a home. Beautiful area!
Posted by: Tim at November 16, 2006 3:20 PM
Tim - my only thought is so the can spend the money for the sale NOW. They could lease it out and at the very least break even. A new operator could market the course. The Only thing they have now is a phone number and the hope for a news story on a hole in one or a meteorite hiting the course.
Posted by: Dennis at November 17, 2006 9:22 AM
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