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Erie PA News and Events Wednesday January 10, 2007
Posted by Dennis on January 10, 2007
The first railroad line in Erie was the Erie and Northeast Railroad. Their first train arriving 155 years ago on this date - January 10, 1852.
The Millcreek Education Association said they would strike next month is they don’t get a contract. The greedy teachers were upset that details of the contract negotiations were posted on the district’s website (Teacher Negotiations Update Part 1 and Teacher Negotiations Update Part 2). The teachers most recent proposal to the district seeks an average salary increase of 5.58 percent per year, over a 5 year contract. The average teacher already receives over $50,000 a year, receives over $9,000 in health care benefits and only works 1,373.75 hours per year.
Megan Fecko, a former Villa Maria Academy teacher, pleaded no contest to two charges, involving an affair she had with one of her students. She faces a max of 4 years in prison and a $10,000 fine at her sentencing in February.
Looks like we won’t be getting a parking ramp at 5th and Peach Street. The Erie Parking Authority had a feasibility study done which showed it wouldn’t generate enough money as most of the people that would use the ramp would be paying a set monthly fee and not the hourly charges that would make it financially viable. Bad news for anyone that works at or near the courthouse.
David Lough, Joe Luli and Adam Nine of the Mercyhurst College baseball team were tabbed as Preseason All-Americans by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Additionally, John Mang was dubbed a Player to Watch and Jeff Stoll is a Newcomer to Watch.
The musical “Stand by Your Man” will be performed at the Erie Playhouse Jan 11-14, 18-21.For tickets or more info call (814) 454-2852 ext 0.
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 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.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host only the third performance of “Inspired by America,” a groundbreaking program that fuses live music performed by Cypress String Quartet with an original film based on Jacob Needleman’s best-selling book The American Soul. Directed by Emmy and Peabody winner Michael Schwarz, the film uses American art, landscapes, news footage, readings, and other images and sounds to reflect the diversity of the American story. The event, part of Music at Night: The Logan Series, will be held at 7 pm on Thursday, February 1, in the Reed Union Building’s McGarvey Commons. Tickets are required. Music at Night tickets can be purchased at the door on February 1, or in advance at the Reed Union Building main desk or online. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $8.50 for adults over 60, $5 for Penn State Behrend students, and $4 for children under the age of 16.
Posted by Dennis at January 10, 2007 7:04 AM
Comments
Isn't there any other way for the city to gain revenue besides dream up a new way to tax people? I understand that some taxes are necessary, but it seems to me that the city (and the school district, when they redo their tax structure) is trying to squeeze as much out of the residents as possible without doing anything themselves.
Dennis, during the time that you hand out the Act 47 Hearing petition, are you going to bring up the fact that City Council, a part time position, gets full health care on this "bare bones" budget? That's a point that needs to be made, that they're not doing everything in the interest of the people to keep us in the black.
Posted by: Ron at January 10, 2007 8:20 AM
There's plenty of parking downtown if you're willing to walk a little ways to where you want to go.
Posted by: Eden at January 10, 2007 11:14 AM
That's sad about the downtown parking garage. Something that might actually help downtown Erie. Couldn't they make it possible to still put the garage in but not make it so costly??
A downtown garage is what Erie needs! Where do people park???
Courthouse, Gannon, downtown events.
They want people to come downtown but with a half-a$$ed port authority and a half-a$$ed parking authority, where do they want people to park??????
Ugh. So sad.
Posted by: Bobbo at January 10, 2007 7:02 PM
I've posted regarding the supposed "parking problem" before. The people whining are the ones who think that if there's no spot to park right in front of the door they want to enter, then "there's no place to park." I attend events downtown all the time (hockey games, baseball games, events at the Warner, the comedy club, etc.) and also frequent downtown restaurants. I have NEVER had a problem finding a parking place. We already have several parking garages that are not being filled to capacity. So why build another one?
Posted by: Emma at January 11, 2007 12:40 PM
How about this? Why don't we tie teachers raises to the CPI? As far as their health care coverage is concerned, they should pay all (or at least 50 percent) of the premiums. They should be lucky enough to have a job that provides health care coverage and, if they have dependent coverage, they should DEFINITELY have to pay the ENTIRE cost of that coverage.
Posted by: Pat at January 12, 2007 12:12 PM
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