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Erie PA News and Events for Wednesday December 27, 2006

Drew Astorino of General McLane was named PIAA Class AAA Football Player of the Year. The Kent State recruit led his team, General McLane, to the state championship. Linebacker Brad Callan and specialist Dan Skelton of GM joined Astorino on the first team. RB Donte Harden and DB Maurice Williams of Erie Strong Vincent, which beat General McLane during the season, were also named first team All-State. To top it off General McLane’s Jim Wells was chosen as the Coach of the Year.

Ronald Allen McMillen might be back in jail now if the police could use the Internet and provide a picture. McMillen escaped from the State Correctional Institution at Albion. He carjacked someone in Crawford County. He is wanted from assault in Mercer County. There were articles on him in the Erie and Meadville papers with a couple of details but no picture. He made the area newscasts but no picture. There is no mention on him on the State Police nor any County Sheriff’s site. Yet your average 12 year old can post pictures and keep their MySpace page current.

Last week, Erie Blogs was the 152,930th most visited site on the Internet according to Alexa.com. GoErie.com was 192,745th. That’s got to make some advertisers really happy.

Former General McLane standout wrestler Hayden “Hurricane” Harrison is ranked Number 1 NAIA wrestler at 157 pounds. Harrison attended Edinboro before transferring to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University because he wants to become a pilot. He competes this weekend at the Collegiate All-Star Challenge in Omaha.

The “Victorian Holidays: A Holiday Heritage Festival” exhibit at the Erie County Historical Society Watson-Curtze Mansion, 356 W 6 St, runs through December 31.

The Erie Runners Club New Year’s Day 5 Mile Race takes place at 10 am on Monday, January 1, 2007 at Presque Isle State Park.

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, 7:00 PM match-up between Westchester and St. Edward. The 8:30 PM nightcap will feature Solon High and the host team Cathedral Prep.
St Edward is making their second appearance in the Classic, having won the title back in 1997. Head Coach Eric Flannery has been guiding the Eagles for eleven seasons and boasts of a 177-60 record including seven District titles, four regional crowns, and one state championship. His top players include current professionals Sam Clancy (USC), Jawad Williams (North Carolina), Steve Logan (Cincinnati), and Steve LePore (Wake Forest).
Also coming from neighboring Ohio is Solon High, featuring 6’10” All-American Dallas Lauderdale, who will play next season for Ohio State. The Comets are coached by highly-successful mentor Todd VanReeth, who in an 18-year career has compiled a 302-120 record, including a 92-29 record with Solon. His squads at Solon have won four league titles in the last six seasons, and have twice been a regional finalist.
The other visiting squad always brings impressive credentials and high aspirations for national championship recognition. Westchester High was California’s AAAA State Champions in 2005 and will feature 6’7 Dane Suttle, the reigning Los Angeles player of the year and junior Oscar Bellfield, who has been offered a scholarship by USC. The Comets are hoping their third trip to Erie ends with their second Classic crown.
Making a return to the Classic for the 24th consecutive year will be the Cathedral Prep Ramblers who are under the direction of head coach Brian Flanagan, who has gone 48-11 in his two seasons on the bench.
In his first season in 2004-‘05, he led the Ramblers to the Final Four in Pennsylvania with a banner record of 26-5, the fourth highest win total in school history. The Ramblers return just one starter from a year ago in junior Mark Blazek, but also have three seniors who saw regular minutes in guards Josh Licata and Ryan Heidt, along with center Jeff Wisinski.
General admission tickets cost $7 per night in advance for adults and $5 in advance for students, and went 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. No phone orders will be accepted, and no tickets can be held. Another sell-out crowd is expected, so fans are encouraged to buy their tickets early.

A comprehensive, hands-on, 2 day RFID training will be offered in Erie, PA on January 17-18, 2007 from 8 am - 5 pm. This course is designed to prepare attendees for the CompTIA RFID+ examination, at a fraction of the cost of other national trainings. CompTIA certification is the industry standard for foundation-level information technology skills. Individuals interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of RFID technology, hardware and software capabilities, RFID system implementation and system maintenance should attend this course. The course is presented by the RFID Center of Excellence at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and the Center for eBusiness and Advanced IT (eBizITPA).

Martin Luther King III, oldest son of Martin Luther King, Jr and Coretta Scott King, will speak at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, as part of the college’s 2007 King holiday celebration. King’s address, “My Father’s Dream, My Mission,” is part of Penn State Behrend’s annual Speaker Series and will be held at 7:30 pm on Thursday, January 18, in the Reed Union Building’s McGarvey Commons. Admission is free and open to the public, and King will take questions from the audience following his talk.

Dennis Weed

Posted by Dennis at December 27, 2006 7:06 AM

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Posted by: Dan at December 27, 2006 10:50 AM

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