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Erie PA News and Events for Wednesday December 6, 2006
Posted by Dennis on December 6, 2006
As well intentioned as the smoking ban in Erie Councty is, County Solicitor Thomas Talarico advised the Erie County Council that it was illegal. The smoking ban passed the first reading last evening by a vote of 5-2. It is up to state legislators to pass a ban. Council is taking a broke county down the path of almost certain lawsuits. Erie County is already facing millions in lawsuits due to screw-ups at the Erie County Department of Children and Youth which County Council has mismanaged into the ground. King Kyle Foust (D-5th District) is an arrogant moron. Foust is quoted in an Erie newspaper article saying -
“Council has a right to make its own mistakes, and if this lands us in court, so be it.”
The only good news to come out of meeting last night was the announcement that Joy Greco (R-1st District) was resigning to take a new job.
The Greater Erie Board of Realtors released the Erie County real estate sales figures for November. There were 411 transactions totaling $41,771,797 which was down from 2005 when 438 properties worth $45,161,488 changed hands. This was the sixth straight month of decline with 9 of 11 months down in 2006. Ouch. Figures include residential, commercial, investment properties as well as vacant land. And since I finally found a decent place to store them in pfd format, here are the Erie County property transers for November 2006. If you have any questions on Erie are real estate contact me, Dennis Weed at dweed@prudentialadvantage.com .
Late by a day but…. December 5, 1843 - USS Michigan is launched at Erie, PA. Michigan was America’s first iron-hulled warship, as well as the first prefabricated ship.
Slade Peters who grew up near Meadville will have a good when the space shuttle Discovery launches this Thursday for a scheduled mission to the International Space Station. Peters is a fluid systems test engineer with NASA. He attended Penn State Behrend for two years then finished his degree at University Park.
Parkside Commons, the former Meadville Junior High School, had the first tenant move in on when the Pennsylvania Department of Health opened their new Crawford County office. Tom Kennedy, my boss at Prudential Advantage Realty, is the developer.
Want to learn a language without tests? No quizzes? No worry about grades? The World Languages Study Program at Mercyhurst College will offer non-credit courses in both conversational Chinese and Arabic beginning in January 2007. The courses will be open to area high school and college students as well as the general public. The courses, which include Conversational Chinese I and II as well as Conversational Arabic I and II, will start the week of Jan 15. The fee is $149 per person, plus books and study materials. Classes will be held one night a week from 6:30 to 9 pm in the language lab at the Hammermill Library. The term will end the week of May 14, 2007.
Must you sacrifice taste for a trim waist? The Mercyhurst College Sportsmedicine Department and the Office of Human Resources hopes not. Together they are piloting a timely holiday event called “Taste or Waist.” It goes like this. Students in sportsmedicine instructor Tim Harvey’s nutrition class have been challenged to each make a scrumptious holiday dish and then convert the same recipe into a healthier version, limiting fat content, calories, and other waist-thickeners. Any member of the Mercyhurst College community may elect to enter the event, which will culminate with a blind taste testing of the entrants’ dishes at the Carolyn Herrmann Student Union on Wednesday, Dec 13, from 11:30 am to 1 pm. Visitors can cast their vote for which of each entrant’s two samples - the original or the healthy version - they prefer. Harvey’s students are expected to whip up an assortment of appetizers, soups, entrees and desserts. Their recipes will be available for anyone who would like them. To vote, participants will be asked to contribute 25 cents a sample, with proceeds going to the Mercy Center for Women.
The Gannon women’s basketball team cut an 18-point, second-half deficit to one point with 2:42 to play, but was unable to get over the hump as the Lady Knights dropped a 66-60 decision at sixth-ranked Glenville State last night.
The Quad Mallards of the UHL announced that the team has acquired right wing David Herring from the Kalamazoo Wings in exchange for forward Jesse Rycroft. Herring played 216 games for the Erie Otters. He recorded 22 goals with 35 assists for 57 points with 620 penalty minutes.
Fish! philosopher Harry Paul will be the next lecturer in the Speaker Series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Paul, an author and management consultant, will speak at 7:30 pm this evening, Wednesday, Dec 6, in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building. His presentation is free and open to the public.
The Gannon University Concert Band, under the direction of Bruce Morton Wright, will perform it’s annual Christmas Concert this evening at 7:30 pm in the Gannon University Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, 512 Peach Street. The concert is free of admission charge; however, seating is somewhat limited and is on a first come, first served basis.
Charles M Telesco, a professor of astronomy at University of Florida, will host “Worlds in Collision” during an Open House Night in Astronomy program at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Telesco’s presentation will be held at 7:30 pm on Thursday, Dec 7, in 101 Otto Behrend Science Building. It is free and open to the public, and, weather permitting, will be followed by astronomical viewing from the college’s Mehalso Observatory.
Christmas Around The World with The Moscow Boys Choir will he held Thursday Dec 7 at the Warner Theatre. For tickets, call the Erie Civic Music Association at (814) 864-5681.
The Dave Callaghan Trio will perform on Thursday Dec 7,14, 21 from 7-10 pm at the Red Tomato Lounge in the Downtown Erie Hotel. The Trio consists of Dave Callaghan (guitar), Carl Holtman (saxaphone), and Dick Thompson (bass). There is a cover charge of $5.
The 2006 Stairways Behavioral Health Holiday Art Show and Sale will be held Friday December 8 from 3-6 pm at 2810 State Street. Choose from hundreds of one-of-a-kind gifts including artwork, ornaments and NEW for 2006—glass nightlights and handmade jewelry. Admission is Free and open to everyone in the community.
The Chillers, the dance team for the Erie Freeze, will hold a tryout on Saturday, December 9 at the Avalon Hotel, 16 West 10. Registration is from 9:30 am - 10:30 am with tryouts from10:30 am - 1 pm. The dancers will be taught a 30 second hip-hop dance and 1 sideline dance, which they will then perform. Each dancer will need to bring 4 “8 counts” of their own dance of hip-hop style that they will add to end of the dance they learn. Other various dance routines may be included though out the tryout. The dancers will be asked to do a series of high kicks, double-turn and an optional leap. The music for all routines will be provided. Each dancer will be notified by the end of the tryout, whether he or she has made the team or not and will be required to attend a meeting scheduled by the team’s captains. Everyone will need to bring the following: Black dance pants, black sports bra, tennis/dance shoes w/socks, and a valid ID. Each girl should be in full make-up and hair.Audition fee: $10 (cash or money order). For more information or to register, call (814) 454-0200 or email christina@eriefreeze.com .
The annual Dance Studies “Cookies and Milk” holiday concert will take place on Sunday, Dec 10 in the Montgomery Performance Space at Allegheny College. There will be two showings, the first at 2 pm and the second at 4 pm. Cookies, milk and coffee will be served in between the two performances, at 3 pm in the Campus Center lobby. The concert will include a wide variety of dance styles, including a welcome dance from Ghana, jazz, ballroom and contact improvisation pieces. The concert is free and open to the public, but reservations are recommended. For more information about this year’s “Cookies and Milk” concert or to reserve a seat, call the Dance Studies office at 332-2813.
The Gem City Concert Band will be presenting its annual Holiday Concert at St John’s Parish Center, adjacent to St. John Lutheran’s Church, 2216 Peach Street. The performance will be on Tuesday, December 12 at 7:30 pm and will include many holiday favorites and a Christmas Carol Sing-Along. Plenty of off-street parking is available. The concert is free and open to the public; free-will offerings will be accepted.
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 Presque Isle Chorus, a member of Sweet Adelines International, will be holding their Christmas Concert on December 18 at 7:30 pm at the Trinity Luthern Church, 14 East 38 St. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.
Posted by Dennis at December 6, 2006 7:02 AM
Comments
Question? With regard to the smoking ban why have other cities such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia been able to enact smoking bans and I have not heard of any lawsuits that have been filed??
Posted by: J Watts at December 6, 2006 2:26 PM
Had the same question myself. I was told that nobody has been charged with breaking the ban yet and that would be needed to challenge it in court. Not sure if that's right but sounded reasonable.
Posted by: Dennis at December 6, 2006 9:36 PM
I find that attorney's comments about the smoking ban being illegal, curious as well. It seems that the current PA state laws don't preempt any local or county action to ban smoking, they merely set the bare minimum requirement. Municipalities are free to extend smoking ban restrictions, not diminish them.
If smoking can be banned in other public facilities, then why wouldn't a court uphold a reasonable extension of the law like Erie County is proposing.
Link of interest:
Posted by: rich at December 7, 2006 8:14 AM
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