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Erie PA News and Events for Friday June 8, 2007
Posted by Dennis on June 8, 2007
WJET-TV ran a story on the 26 laid-off Erie Firefighters returning to work. Erie didn’t find a bundle of money to re-hire them, they are taking the place of firefighters retiring.
As part of a statewide tour to highlight Pennsylvania’s bridge needs and Governor Edward G Rendell’s proposed funding solutions (raising your taxes), state Transportation Secretary Allen D Biehler, PE, visited a 44-year-old bridge that carries nearly 10,000 vehicles each day over Walnut Creek in Millcreek Township, Erie County. The bridge, which carries Sterrettania Road over the creek, is one of thousands statewide that are considered by PennDOT to be structurally deficient, but funding to replace the span is not available. “This important link is deteriorated to the point that heavy blocks of wood were added to help provide additional support,” Biehler said. “While this fix is safe, it’s all too clear that the bridge needs to be replaced. But the $5 million to do so is not available and the reality is that far too many bridges face similar problems all across the state.” PennDOT has the bridge on an accelerated inspection cycle, once every year instead of every two years. In 2006, PennDOT invested an unprecedented $558 million in 867 bridge projects statewide with $133 million being spent on bridge preservation and the remaining $425 million devoted to rehabilitating and replacing structurally deficient bridges, including ones damaged by floods. Despite this record level of investment, Pennsylvania has the largest number of structurally deficient bridges in the nation — nearly 6,000 statewide.
Clete Thomas drew a game-winning, bases loaded walk in the last of the ninth inning, rallying the Erie SeaWolves (31-26) past the Portland Sea Dogs (29-26), 9-8 on Thursday night at Jerry Uht Park. The SeaWolves are at home again tonight and will face the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at 7:05 pm.
Paul “The Pittsburgh Kid” Spadafora is back in prison. Spadafora is being held in the State Correctional Institution at Albion on a parole violation. The former IBF world lightweight champion has been living and training in Erie since serving a prison sentence for the shooting of his girlfriend. His professional boxing record is 40 wins with 16 KO, zero loses and one draw. He would be a rich champion instead of sitting in prison if he wasn’t such a head case.
The Erie Chamber Orchestra in residence at Gannon University presents “A Tribute to American Composer Aaron Copland” this evening, Friday June 8 at 7:30 pm at St Patrick’s Church, 130 East Fourth Street. The event is free and open to the public.
The Erie Art Museum’s Contemporary Music Series will present jazz duo Billy Bang and Kahil El’ Zabar at the Erie Art Museum Annex, 423 State Street on Monday, June 11 at 8 pm. Admission is $12 for general admission, $10 for Erie Art Museum and Jazz Erie members and $6 for students and seniors.
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.
The 19th annual Thurston Classic Hot Air Balloon Event takes place June 14 to 17 at Robertson Soccer Field on the campus of Allegheny College in Meadville PA.
A provocative evening of poetry and dance will celebrate the release of a new book by a faculty member in the BFA in Creative Writing program at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Lecturer in English and performance poet Sean Thomas Dougherty will collaborate with modern dancer Shelly Walker to premier readings from his latest collection, Broken Hallelujahs (Boa Editions, 2007). The event will take place at 8 pm Friday, June 15, at the Erie Art Museum Annex, 423 State St, and is free and open to the public.
Join Szymanski Consulting for a dynamic event featuring the Microsoft Across America Mobil Event Experience. The Mobil Event Experience technology bus provides business leaders and professionals the opportunity to learn more about essential technologies that help small and medium-sized business operate more efficiently and successfully. The technology bus will be located at the Inter-Modal Center on June 21, 2007 from 10 am until 2 pm. The 27 foot bus is filled with computers loaded with the latest Microsoft software, a large display screen, a complete point of sales system and other equipment to demonstrate the technology that can assist businesses in saving time and money by increasing their productivity and efficiency. While having fun, enjoying a picnic lunch, and networking with area business professionals, you will have the opportunity to talk with Microsoft experts, and attend an overview presentation on the new Microsoft Vista. The Microsoft Vista presentation, co-sponsored by SCI and the Erie Network Users Group (ENUG), will be from 9 am until Noon inside the Inter-Modal Center. To RSVP for the Microsoft Vista presentation, please contact Cathy at 814-455-6069 Ext. 218 or cathy@szy.com. To RSVP for the technology bus, please click here.
Measuring up to the nonprofit management challenges of the future will the order of the day as leaders in the field examine the major trends that will impact life in the nonprofit world. The Nonprofit Partnership presents Erie’s 2007 Nonprofit Leadership Forum “Engage The Future” featuring keynote speaker, Bill Croasmun, a futurist with Social Technologies, Inc. Social Technologies is a global research and consulting firm, specializing in the integration of foresight, strategy and innovation. They serve the world’s leading companies, governments and nonprofits. “Engage The Future” will be held Tuesday, June 26 from 9-11 am in Gannon University’s Yehl Ballroom. RSVP to Amy Eisenberg at (814) 454-8800 or aeisenberg@thenonprofitpartnership.org.
Darren Williams, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host a Summer Open House Night in Astronomy event at the college on Wednesday, June 27. Williams’ lecture, “What is a Planet? Why Not Pluto?” will begin at 8:30 pm in 101 Otto Behrend Science Building, and will be followed by astronomical viewing from the college’s Mehalso Observatory, weather permitting. Williams’ lecture and telescope viewing are intended for a non-technical audience, and are open to the public free of charge. For more information about Open House Nights in Astronomy phone the Penn State Behrend School of Science at (814) 898-6105.
The Counting Crows, Live and Collective Soul will play a concert at Jerry Uht Park in Erie, PA on July 31 as part of “The Rock ‘n’ Roll Triple Play Ballpark Tour.” Tickets go on sale June 2 at 10 am. Tickets can be purchased at the SeaWolves box office at Jerry Uht Park and on SeaWolves.com. Children under 12 get in FREE with each paid adult ticket holder.
The Motorcycle, Car, Boat and Truck show called the Lake Erie Classic will be held August 3-5 at Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field.
Posted by Dennis at June 8, 2007 7:08 AM
Comments
The bridge story drives me crazy! I drive through Johnsonburg (8 miles north of St Marys) a lot for work. They are building a $25 million dollar, brand new bridge 'by pass' so that the townspeople can avoid driving through 1 stop light and not have to drive past the plant entrance for a big Weyerhauser facility. Johnsonburg's population is less than 6000 people. PENNDOT's problem is not money, it's how they choose to spend it!
Posted by: Heavy D at June 8, 2007 9:29 AM
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