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Erie PA News and Events Sunday January 7, 2007

Timothy Flanagan was going to take a job as a probation officer in Erie PA when his faculty advisor, Gannon Univeristy anthropology professor Jude Kirkpatrick, told him to go to grad school. After graduating from Gannon he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in criminal justice at the State University of New York at Albany. Dr Flanagan rose quickly through academia, during which he became one of the nation’s most cited criminology experts. He begins his second semester as President of Framingham State College on Monday.

Connoisseur Media dumped The Froggy oldies format and has gone to the Bob format. The call letters were changed from WFGO to WXBB.You would think a media company would have some public relations ability but nope. The DJ’s including the great Captain Dan found out when the newspaper called them asking for comments. And in what made me go out and buy a Sirius satellite radio was word that SportsRadio 1330 is going to be replaced by an ABC Radio Oldies format starting Monday. We’re getting pretty close to the day where the only local DJ’s are the ones at the college radio stations. See more on the story on Jack Tirak’s Erie Media-Go-Round.

Marc Blucas of Girard is starring in the movie “Thr3e.” The low budget (estimated at $2.4 million) thriller earned an estimated $205,000 on Friday, it’s first day of release. It’s playing in 460 theaters but none in the Erie area.

I had someone ask me if there was an awards show for Erie theater along the lines of the Tony awards. Not that I’m aware of. Local awards sound like a great idea. There are a number of very talented performers in the area. Erie is a theater hotbed with the Erie Playhouse, the Roadhouse Theatre, the United We Stand Theatre Troupe, the Director’s Circle Theatre, the Stage Right Community Theatre, Gannon University, Mercyhurst College, Penn State Behrend, etc.

Erie PA native Carrie Lund Cacioppo portrays the grandmother in the Florida Repertory Theatre’s production of “Rabbit Hole,” now playing at the Arcade Theatre in downtown Fort Myers, Florida. Lund Cacioppo founded the Florida Rep and is the groups producer.

Richard L Pfingstler, a member of Gannon’s class of 1972, recently established an endowed scholarship honoring his parents. Pfingstler, through a $10,000 gift to the university, has established the Pfingstler Family Endowed Scholarship Honoring Regis and Dolores Pfingstler. The scholarship is designed for academically qualified Gannon students with a demonstrated financial need. Scholarship funds specifically will be awarded to Gannon students graduating from Elk County Catholic High School as well as those from St Marys, Pa.

Toward an increased focus on alumni relations and advancement, Mercyhurst College President Dr Tom Gamble announced that Linda Bennett has joined the college as vice president of development.

Bob Sanders (Erie Cathedral Prep) returning from a knee injury completly changed the Indianapolis Colts defense as the Colts beat the Kansas City Chiefs 23-8. Sanders helped shut down the Chiefs running attack and also had an interception. Eric Hicks (Erie Mercyhurst Prep) could have played his last game for KC as the 9 year veteran didn’t see much playing time this year and signed a big contract in 2004.

The Mercyhurst College wonen’s hockey team got an early scare from Cornell Saturday before rallying for a 6-2 victory at the Ice Center. The Lakers, 18-1-1 overall, won their eighth straight.

Seventh-ranked Findlay snapped a 39-39 second-half tie by out-scoring the Gannon University men’s basketball team 52-24 over the last 17:11 and coasted to a 91-63 victory Saturday afternoon before 1,558 fans at the Hammermill Center.

TJ Mathis scored a career-high 24 points and Avi Fogel matched the total as the Mercyhurst College men’s basketball team defeated Ashland, 79-71 at the MAC.

Mercyhurst’s Julie Anderson had a career high 29 points in Saturday’s game against Ashland at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center, but the Lakers were unable to overcome a large halftime deficit in a 94-82 loss.

The Gannon University women’s basketball team (10-3) held off a pesky Findlay team on four different occasions in the second half when the Oilers pulled within three points and earned an 87-79 victory to remain undefeated in GLIAC play at 4-0. Christina Jackson (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain Southview) posted her fifth double-double of the season and 39th of her career with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

The Penn State Behrend men’s basketball team beat Penn State Altoona 65-56. The Behrend women’s team cruised past Altoona 76-59.

Air Force scored three times in the second period and went on from there to defeat the Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team 3-1 Saturday night at the Ice Center to sweep the two-game weekend series. Mercyhurst will travel to the conference’s other service academy, Army, next weekend for a pair of games.

Vince Scott scored two goals against his former team, including the winning goal with 3:49 left in the game, as the Sarnia Sting defeated the Erie Otters 7-6 in an Ontario Hockey League game played last night in front of 3,923 at the Tullio Arena. The Otters lost for the fourth straight time to sink to 9-29-0-2 on the season. Josh Vatri paced the Otters with two goals. Kelly Geoffrey, Jordan Skellett (with his first as a member of the Otters) and Josh Kidd rounded out the Erie scoring. Sean O’Connor supplied two assists. The next Otters home game takes place Saturday, January 13 when the Guelph Storm visit for a 7:30 pm start.

Florida play Ohio State for the national championship on Monday. Bit of a local flavor in the game. University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer and Ohio State offensive coordinator Jim Bollman both grew up 40 miles away from Erie in Ashtabula, Ohio and Florida running backs coach Stan Drayton was an All-American running back at Allegheny College.

The 2007 Lake Erie Speedway Late Model Rookie class is growing fast, and Lake Erie Speedway is preparing by once again hosting a Late Model Rookie School on Friday, May 11, 2007. The school focuses on all aspects of being a Late Model driver and crew member on and off the track. Rookie drivers will get to learn driving techniques and practice by taking laps around the track. They will learn important public relations and marketing skills, as well as ideas for sponsorships. Crew Chiefs and crew members will also be able to participate, where they are instructed on topics such as car maintenance, car handling, tires, and more. The Lake Erie Speedway season starts on May 26th, 2007 with the MAARA 100.

Gem City Concert Band of Erie, PA, is seeking new members for the Spring 2007 season. The concert band, currently consisting of 40 members, is very versatile, playing music such as old overtures, show tunes, traditional concert band pieces, movie scores, and marches. The band presents a spring and fall concert at St. John’s Lutheran Church, as well as numerous other nursing home and community performances throughout the year. Rehearsals are held Tuesday evenings from 8 to 9:30 pm in the lower-level meeting room of St. John’s Lutheran Church at 23rd and Peach Streets. Spring 2007 rehearsals begin January 9th. Interested musicians should contact the director, Betty McKinney, at 814-602-9247 for more information. All instruments are welcomed. Membership is free.

The Erie Broadway Series presents “Cirque Dreams-Jungle Fantasy.” A European circus act full of acrobatics and theatrics comes to the stage at Erie’s Warner Theatre on January 12 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $49.75, $39.75, $29.75. For more details call 814-452-4857 or 814-456-7070.

The Roadhouse Theatre production of “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers” will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm from January 12th - February 10. Admission: Regular seating $12, Riser seating $15, VIP table seating $20. Reservations can be made by phone at 814.456.5656. The Roadhouse Theatre 145 West 11th Street, Box Office hours: 2-6 pm Tuesday - Saturday. The Theater accepts cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard and Discover. It has been twenty years since Scott McClelland toured the country in Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues. After 625 performances of that Tony award winning play, Mr. Simon’s timing and comedic style had become part of McClelland’s acting arsenal. Now for the first time since Biloxi Blues the actor returns to a play by the greatest comic writer of the American Stage. The show is being directed by his wife Kim McClelland who acted in this same play on the stage at 1505 State Street several years before the McClelland’s met.

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.

There will be a fundraiser for the proposed skate park in Erie on January 20 at Forward Hall. Admission for the all age show is $10. The bands that will be playing include Common Enemy, Whiplash, Cardboard Box, Piranha Deathmatch and Last of a Dying Breed.

The Cleveland Indians have announced the line up for this year’s Winter Caravan that will be visiting Erie on Thursday, Jan 25. The event will be held at the Dr Gertrude A Barber National Institute, 136 East Avenue. A ball park dinner will be served in the gym starting at 5 pm, with the program beginning at 6:30. Players scheduled for the Caravan include star first baseman Ryan Garko, left fielder Jason Michaels, and second baseman Josh Barfield. Hitting Coach Derek Shelton is also on the roster, along with team announcer Matt Underwood. The players and coach will present a brief program and answer questions from the audience, and will sign autographs for youngsters in attendance. A charity auction will be held featuring team memorabilia and apparel and prime game ticket packages. All proceeds from the auction and the event will benefit services to children and adults at the Barber National Institute. Dinner includes hot dogs, chips and beverages. Tickets are just $7, and are available in advance at the Barber National Institute and Hector’s Restaurant. For more information, please call 453-7661.

The Erie Chamber Orchestra in residence at Gannon University presents “The Annual Tribute Concert to Dr Martin Luther King, Jr” on January 19 at St Patrick’s Church, 130 East 4th St. The Shiloh Baptist Church Choir, under the direction of Evangelist DM Jamerson, will honor Dr King’s memory at 7:30 pm. The performance is free and open to everyone.

The 9th Annual MECA United Cerebral Palsy Barstool Open is set to take place on Saturday, February 24, 2007. Last years event had 1200 participants and raised $30000. Yes, 1200 people out drinking in downtown Erie on a cold February afternoon. Teams of 4 will compete in golf at 9 bars in downtown Erie PA. The putting exhibition contest takes place on holes with wacky designs. This year there are 14 bars participating. Click here for a registration form. Mail the registration form and enclose your check for $100, $25 per person, made payable to: MECA United Cerebral Palsy, 3745 West 12th St, Erie, PA 16505.

Dennis Weed

Posted by Dennis at January 7, 2007 7:23 AM

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