ErieBlogs.com: Erie PA News and Events for Thursday May 3, 2007

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Erie PA News and Events for Thursday May 3, 2007

Posted by Dennis on May 3, 2007

Jon Whaley has resigned as assistant to Mayor Joe Sinnott. I’m not sure if he was just frustrated with trying to deal the the bureaucracy of government work or if it had anything to do with the hiring of former TV reporter Erika Howland who is now working for the City of Erie. The timing is a bit suspicious. Ms Howland is nice, hard working and very bright. I’m not sure of her actual job title but the unofficial one is Paid Girlfriend.

Tom Maciulewicz Jr, the former McDowell principal, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three counts of theft. His sentencing is scheduled for June 8. He also agreed to pay restitution which could be near $20,000. Maciulewicz took a truckload of thing from the school. He was caught when a music store owner saw missing district synthesizers listed for sale on eBay.

There is a good article in USA Today titled Bills wedge between universities, towns on the financial problems colleges cause to their communities. Schools have a huge positive economic impact but crush local governments and taxpayers. In Edinboro PA, the home of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, around 40 percent of town is exempt from property taxes but Edinboro still has to pay for fire, police, and the other expenses associated with running the town. To make matters worse in Pennsylvania, state law dictates that students’ income taxes go to the town or city where their parents reside.

Perot Systems Corporation announced that Erie Family Life Insurance Company, a member of Erie Insurance Group, providing life insurance and annuity products in ten states, has signed a multi-year policy administration contract with TAG, a Perot Systems company. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Under the contract, Perot Systems will consolidate Erie Family Life’s four platforms to one by migrating all products to Perot Systems’ LifeSys policy administration system, and will provide a broad range of policy issue and policy management services, for both active and closed policies, while Erie Family Life will retain sales service and support, claims adjudication, underwriting and actuarial responsibilities. “Through Perot Systems’ services, we expect to inject Erie Family Life with innovative approaches involving new technologies and processes that Erie Family Life cannot cost-effectively do on its own,” said Mark Dombrowski, spokesperson for Erie Family Life. This agreement is part of Erie Family Life’s plan to boost its competitiveness in the life and annuity market, which includes enhancing its agent experience and continuing to ensure top-quality service for policyholders. The move is also expected to result in significant cost savings for Erie Family Life, which Dombrowski said the Company can pass along to its policyholders and prospects in the form of competitive pricing.

PSB Industries, a dehydration/ purification system manufacturer, will receive a $976,500 PIDA loan for the expansion and renovation of its facility in the City of Erie on 12th Street. The company currently operates in 12 buildings with 300,000 square feet. The funding will allow for upgrades to the current site, as well as a 50,000 sq ft expansion which means PSB will be able to add 21 new workers to the 45 it currently employs. This investment is part of a Governor’s Action Team funding package totaling more than $1.6 million.

Troupe Road Warehousing LTD, beneficial owner of Port Erie Plastics, will receive a $760,000 PIDA loan for the construction of a 75,000 sq ft warehouse in Harborcreek Township. Port Erie Plastics, a custom molded plastic product manufacturer, has two warehouses that each total 100,000 square feet. It also has a manufacturing facility with 300,000 square feet. The $1.9 million project will help to retain 248 jobs. EIDCO Inc. is also sponsoring this project.

Nathaniel J Coon of Sigel, PA, a junior marketing major, has been named a William G McGowan Scholar for the 2007-08 academic year. Coon will receive an $18,000 scholarship for his senior year at Gannon University. He is a staff writer for the university’s student newspaper, The Knight, and serves as a projects assistant for the Gannon University Small Business Development Center. Coon is a member of Phi Eta Sigma and Delta Mu Delta and serves as vice president of the Advertising Club and of the Gannon chapter of the American Marketing Association. He also has been accepted into Gannon’s five-year Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) program. The William G McGowan Charitable Fund awards $18,000 tuition scholarships to seniors and graduate students studying in business schools. McGowan founded MCI Communications Corporation in 1968.

The Erie SeaWolves took game one of the doubleheader against the Reading Phillies on Wednesday night by a final count of 6-4. Dallas Trahern took the hill for the ‘Wolves in search of his fifth win of the season and he got the job done going five innings. Trahern struck out a season-high five batters en route to his Eastern League leading fifth victory. The SeaWolves could not get the offense going in game two of Wednesday’s doubleheader, falling by a final score of 8-1. The game was in the hands of the ‘Wolves bullpen from the start with Andrew Kown making a spot start. Kown (0-1) allowed six runs off of six hits and took the loss. Three other relievers, Kyle Sleeth, Anthony Tomey and Kevin Ardoin combined to allow two runs off of six hits over the final four innings of the game. Erie and Reading wrap up their three-game series Thursday morning at Jerry Uht Park, 11:05 on the first pitch. RHP Jair Jurrjens (1-1, 3.57 ERA) takes the mound for Erie while RHP Landon Jacobson (3-2, 4.44 ERA) throws for Reading.

The Huntsville Otters have been sold to two Huntsville businessmen. The team has been on the selling block since March 16, when Irwin announced that he, chair Sherwood Bassin and Saginaw Spirits owner Dick Garber were putting their 75 per cent of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League team up for sale. The Huntsville team will continue its affiliation with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, of which Irwin is part owner with Bassin.

The Erie Otters announced today that former captain Brad Boyes will be a special guest at the Otters Priority Selection Party presented by Evans Capital Management, Inc. being held this Friday (May 4th) from 5-7 pm at The Brewerie at Union Station. The Otters Priority Selection Party, presented by Evans Capital Management, is by invitation only with Otters Corporate Partners and the first 50 renewals from 2006-07 Season Ticket Holders receiving invites. Plus, the Otters are offering an exclusive opportunity to secure an invite by being one of the first 50 fans to place a deposit on a new 2007-08 Season Ticket Package.

Mercyhurst College golfer Brendan Flood shot a 73 to take medalist honors at the Edward Jones Shootout hosted by Carnegie Mellon University at Longue Vue Country Club. As a team, Mercyhurst tied for 2nd out of five teams with a 309 team score.

Penn State Behrend second baseman Nikki Kaschauer has been named Player of the Week for the ECAC Division III Southern Region.

Gannon has announced the resignation of women’s basketball assistant coach Briana Fields and the promotion of Randi Johnson to top assistant. A national search to fill the second coaching position is ongoing. Fields resigned to pursue her master’s degree at University of Washington.

Nicole Smith (Erie, Pa/ McDowell) has the best junior college jumps in the country in the long, triple and high jumps, and is fourth in the 100-meter hurdles. She will represent Pima Community College at nationals May 17-19.

The Erie Art Museum Contemporary Music Series presents Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem in concert on Friday, May 4, 8 pm in the Erie Art Museum’s Annex, 20 East 5th Street. Tickets are $12 for non-members, $10 for Museum and JazzErie Members and $6 for students and seniors.

The Seventh annual Black Bass Workshop, sponsored by Pennsylvania Bass Federation, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and a host of other agencies, and fishing and conservation groups, is set for May 4 at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie. Professional angler Joe Balog will present a program on the latest techniques for catching smallmouth Bass in Erie. A limited attendance fishing outing is scheduled slated for May 5. The workshop is open to the public. For more information, call 814-833-7424 or e-mail lwoznicki@state.pa.us.

The Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail will host a “wine and cheese weekend” May 5-6, with 15 wineries participating.

After four years of work on land and at sea, Daniel Barnard’s full 10 movement “Requiem for a Sailor” will be publicly sung in its entirety for the first time on Sunday, May 6. “Requiem” grew out of research undertaken after Barnard, a member of the music faculty at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, decided to create the first major musical effort that honors Erie’s maritime heritage. To underscore the piece’s celebration of community, Barnard invited the voices of the Behrend College Choir, the Erie Philharmonic Chorus, the Edinboro University Chamber Choir, the Harbor Creek High School Choir, and soloists from Mercyhurst College to perform the 40-minute work under his direction. Fittingly, the concert will take place in the H O Hirt Auditorium of the Erie Maritime Museum, 160 E Front St. A composer lecture with Barnard will begin at 3:30 pm, to be followed by the performance at 4 pm; both are free and open to the public.

On Wednesday, May 9, Mercyhurst College welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jack Rakove, the W. R. Coe Professor of History and American Studies and Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, where he has taught since 1980. His 8 pm address in Walker Recital Hall is titled “The Dilemma of Declaring Rights” and it is free and open to the public.

The Salvation Army in Erie will be celebrating National Salvation
Army week starting May 14. Throughout the week The Salvation Army will have several events ongoing to bring attention to the Erie Community of the many services and programs they provide. One of the major events that week will be the Kettles for Kids campaign. The recognizable Red Kettles will be located at numerous entrances of the Millcreek Mall. All proceeds from this fund-raising event stay in the Erie area, which will allow them to send less fortunate children to summer camps. The Salvation Army is looking for members of the community to help with this campaign by volunteering their time and standing with the Red Kettles. The Camp for Kids campaign kicks off on Monday, May 14 and continues through Saturday, May 19. They offer 2 separate shifts for individuals; they encourage large groups and organizations that have many volunteers to take a location for the entire day. Should you have any questions, please contact Dan Hanson at The Salvation Army at (814) 454-6497.

The Tragically Hip play the Warner Theatre in Erie, Pa on May 18. Reserved seat tickets are $31.50.

Penn State Behrend’s popular College for Kids returns this summer with over 150 weeklong classes to educate, entertain, and inspire young people ages 6 to 18. College for Kids courses begin June 11 and continue through August 10, with the exception of Fourth of July week. Classes are organized by age and held during morning or afternoon sessions, with before- and after-care available for an additional fee. Returning classes include past favorites in guitar, golf, knitting, word processing, PowerPoint, model rocketry, acting, sign language, and scrap booking instruction; World War II history, “Engineering MythBusters,” and “Dinosaur Discovery.” New courses this year: “Storm Chasing 101” taught by WJET-TV meteorologist Tom Atkins; two finance classes, “Kids and Money” for the younger student and “Show Me the Money” for teens; “Let’s Cheer,” “Conversational Spanish,” “Introduction to Chess,” “Star Wars and the Roman Empire,” “Crafts from the Beach,” “Space Camp: Return to the Moon,” and an investigation of the paranormal called “X-Files.” “We also have a very special opportunity this year for kids ages 12 to 18—a chance to paint a mural on the fountain in Perry Square under the direction of local artist AJ Noyes,” Mary Trott, College for Kids program coordinator, noted. “Because of the significance of this community service project, this will be one of the rare College for Kids classes that meets for a full day.” Perry Square fountain painting will take place the week of July 23. For artists not old enough to participate in the mural project or unable to commit to a full-day class, Noyes also will teach College for Kids courses in hand-sewing and beading, craft painting, nature drawing and painting, and portrait drawing. Costs vary by course but start at $70 per weeklong class. Before- or after-class supervision is available for an additional $10 per week. Schedule and registration information will be distributed through area schools and also is available by calling 814-898-6212 or clicking here. Mail and online registration will begin in early May. Participants are encouraged to register early for best class selection.

Dennis Weed