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Erie PA News and Events for Thursday January 18, 2007

The Millcreek Township School District has cancelled classes for February 1, the first day teachers could strike. Teachers could go on strike twice for a total of 20 days. It appears they are getting close to agreeing to a new contract but they aren’t quite there yet. The two sides are a couple of percent off on increases in teacher salaries (5.58 vs 3.4) and also have differences in health care benefits.

Word from Jenson and others that Tangent, the free monthly magazine aimed at 21-35 year olds in the Erie area, will soon cease being published. The magazine is owned by the Erie Times-News. The Times distanced themselves from the publication so it would be “cool” which made it hard for Tangent to succeed.

Erie City Council approved guarantees to two state grants which was needed for the state to release the funds. The Koehler Brewery Square project will get $4.5 million and Gannon University will get $4 million for their Technology Incubator. Both Gannon and the Koehler Brewery Square developers guaranteed the guarantees.

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 today, 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.

The musical “Stand by Your Man” will be performed at the Erie Playhouse tonight and Jan 19-21. For tickets or more info call (814) 454-2852 ext 0.

Exhibition opening receptions at the Erie Art Museum, Kada Gallery, Urraro Gallery, Glass Growers Gallery and Mercyhurst College’s Cummings Art Gallery are planned for Gallery Night, a new collaboration among local art galleries, on Friday, Jan 19, 2007 from 8-10 pm. “The galleries are working together to coordinate our exhibition openings and promoting them as an evening of art. Each gallery will display works in various media, as well as offer interaction with gallery staff and sometimes, the artists themselves,” said John Vanco, director of the Erie Art Museum. Gallery Night was organized by the Erie Art Museum. Exhibitions on view during Gallery Night are:

Erie Art Museum, 411 State Street
Artists of the Commonwealth
Objects Are Larger than They Appear: Recent Works by Ian Short
Eva Zeisel: The Shape of Life
Recent works by John Lysak

Kada Gallery, 2632 West Eighth Street
Works by Local, National and International Artists

Urraro Gallery, 2416 Peach Street
Works by Jeremy Beightol and Ashley Reitz

Glass Growers Gallery, 10 East Fifth Street
Ether & Ethos: Paintings by Jack Coville

Mercyhurst Cummings Art Gallery, 501 East 38th Street
Thomas Paquette: Gouache Paintings

Peek’n Peak Resort and Conference Center will be host of a Jeep Terrain Park Challenge grassroots qualifier event for amateur skiers and snowboarders Saturday January 20. The competition will be from 10 am to noon. Registration is from 9 to 10 am. You can download an Entry Form and Waiver form here. Participants must have a valid lift ticket. Helmets are required. The Jeep Terrain Park Challenge is an amateur ski and snowboard series which holds 75 events throughout the country. The Challenge invites skiers to show their moves on the rails, jumps and other terrain park obstacles. The top male and female participants from each qualifier will advance to six regional competitions. The top finisher in the four categories from each regional event will earn a spot in the finals March 10 in Sugar Bowl, CA.

Get some great exercise while enjoying the quiet winter woods with the “Forests by Cross-Country Ski: Skiing Basics” at Presque Isle State Park on Saturday January 20 at 10 am. If there is not sufficient snow, a hike of the same theme will still take place! No skis? Rent from the park concession located in Shelter 2. No fee, no registration. Meet at the Presque Isle Lighthouse lot.

Don’t let winter get you down. Get out and enjoy the season by taking a hike on snowshoes at Presque Isle State Park on Saturday January 20 at 1 pm. The hike will take participants through the interior trails. If you don’t have snowshoes, borrow ours! If there is not sufficient snow, a hike of the same theme will still take place. No fee, registration required to borrow snowshoes. Meet at the Presque Isle Lighthouse lot.

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.

Shake off the winter blues during with a day of fun during the “Winter Adventure Day” at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center on Saturday, January 20. Learn to snowshoe, check out cross-country skiing, test your winter survival skill, venture into ice fishing and more! No fee, No registration. Various locations on Presque Isle. 11am - 4pm. Meet at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. Call 814-833-7424 for more info. Check out some true survival skills on the BIG Green Screen during Winter Adventure Day: Adventure Movie Package - Buy Two regular priced Movie Tickets and get a FREE Large Popcorn! Not valid with any other discounts. Or “Two” True Adventure Package - See Everest AND Lewis and Clark for only $2 more than the regular price of 1 ticket. (valid for same day movie only)
Everest (Showtime’s at 12N, 2pm, 4pm)
Lewis and Clark Adventure Package (Showtime’s 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm)

The Mercyhurst College chapters of Kappa Gamma Pi education honor society and the Council for Exceptional Children will host their Second Annual Teaching and Learning Expo on Saturday, Jan 20, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm in the Audrey Hirt Academic Center. Presenters include both Mercyhurst faculty members and other highly skilled in-service educators. The cost of the program is $5, including lunch. For more information, contact Dr Ruth Auld at 824-3370 or e-mail rauld@mercyhurst.edu.

Curtis Granderson, the Erie SeaWolves Centerfielder and 2004 Eastern League MVP Canididate will be in Erie on Wednesday, January 24 at the annual Erie SeaWolves Hot Stove Banquet. The event begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour. Individual tickets are on sale now for $35 Fans can also purchase a table of eight for $240 ($5 discount per ticket). The event will be hosted by Jim LeCorchick and will feature many special guest speakers including Detroit Tigers Director of Player Development Glenn Ezell, Mandalay Sports Entertainment VP of Development Rich Neumann and 2007 SeaWolves Pitching Coach A.J. Sager. For more information or to purchase tickets for the event, contact the SeaWolves at (814) 456-1300.

Identity theft can wreak havoc on otherwise perfect credit ratings and wipe out bank accounts. And it’s a crime that’s growing by the minute. Learn more about this alarming crime as Stephen Szwejbka, director of the criminal justice program at Mercyhurst North East, presents “Information on and Prevention of Identity Theft,” on Wednesday, Jan 24, at 7:30 pm in Miller Hall, Room 116, on the MNE campus. The presentation is free and open to the public.

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.

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.

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.

On Feb 25, the Brewerie at Union Station in Erie hosts the Erie Illusion women’s football team Beer Fest.

Dennis Weed

Posted by Dennis at January 18, 2007 7:31 AM

Comments

Posted by: Eden at January 18, 2007 4:01 PM

Posted by: S at January 18, 2007 6:29 PM

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