« This Is Erie 5 - Soldier's And Sailor's Home | Main | Erie PA News and Events for Saturday December 30, 2006 »
Erie PA News and Events for Friday December 29, 2006
Posted by Dennis on December 29, 2006
Erie County Council appointed Charles Augustine to the seat formerly held by Joy Greco. Augustine spent years working as a pharmacist and part of the management team at the county owned Pleasant Ridge Nursing Home so he has a good understanding of how council operates. An official vote will take place today and then he will be sworn in.
If city official would have put a millionth the effort into Erie Golf Course as they as doing trying to get rid of it, it would have been successful. Deed restrictions seem to forbid a sale but Mayor Sinnott wants to challenge it. They want to get around $2 million for the course. It will be interesting to see what they do with any money they get. Will they spend it or will they pay off the $2 million loan obtained to renovate the course?
The worst train disaster in American history occurred on this date when The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Train No 5, The Pacific Express left a snowy Erie PA on the afternoon of December 29, 1876. As The Pacific Express plowed through the snow and crossed a bridge over the Ashtabula River, about 100 yards from the railroad station at Ashtabula, Ohio, the passengers heard a terrible cracking sound. In just seconds, the bridge fractured and the train plunged 70 feet into a watery abyss. Of 159 passengers and crew onboard that night, 64 people were injured and 92 were killed or died later from injuries sustained in the crash. The Ashtabula Railway Historical Foundation has comprehensive info on the disaster.
Sullivan University has named Dr. Hieu Tran as dean of its new College of Pharmacy. He most recently served as associate professor and chairman of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the LECOM School of Pharmacy in Erie, PA.
Verizon Wireless has activated two new cell sites in Erie County. Who ever wrote the press release has never been to Erie as the towers are in the “towns of Belleview Heights and Belle Valley.” Belle Valley is a neighborhood of Millcreek Township and Belleview Heights is a section around Summit Township.
Erie Cathedral Prep crushed Fort Lauderdale Western 70-45 in the second round of the Gulfshore Shootout. Prep faces Gulliver Prep Friday at 10:45 am.
The Mercyhurst College men’s basketball team opened the game with a 17-4 run and cruised to an 82-64 win over Concordia (NY).
The Gannon University men’s basketball team (2-5) faces Roberts Wesleyan tonight at 8 pm in the Porreco Cup. Bellarmine and Cal of PA open the tourney at 6 pm.
The Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League greet the second half of the 2006-2007 season on the road with a three-game trip starting Friday night in Ottawa against the 67’s. The Otters (8-25-0-2) will continue their eastern Ontario swing with stops in Belleville against the Bulls on Saturday night and in Kingston when they face the Frontenacs on Monday afternoon.
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.
Posted by Dennis at December 29, 2006 7:10 AM
Add a
link and graphic to your site to show that you're from Erie. Meet new peeps, share you thoughts on our fair city, do whatever you like.
