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Erie PA News and Events Tuesday July 31, 2007
Posted by Dennis on July 31, 2007
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Erie County for June fell to 4.4 percent. It stood at 4.6 percent in May. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June 2006 was 5.3 percent.
To ensure Interstate 80 remains a free highway, U.S. Reps. Phil English (R-Erie) and John Peterson (R-Pleasantville) touted the Free Highway Protection Act, legislation that will halt the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s proposal to toll Interstate 80. The lawmakers, whose districts include sections of the interstate, were joined by Pennsylvania legislators at their announcement. “We are not going to stand idly by and watch Harrisburg politicians pick the pockets of western Pennsylvanians to prop up Philadelphia’s mass transit system. Imposing tolls on I-80 will only burden our local communities, while shifting the benefits elsewhere,” said English, a former Executive Director of the State Senate Transportation Committee. “Like the middle of the night pay-raise and the gambling legislation, this reckless, short-term fix to toll interstate 80 was voted for in haste without consideration of the negative, long-term economic consequences. Our commonwealth is hemorrhaging jobs and businesses at an alarming rate and discouraging economic growth to subsidize ineffective mass transit programs is wrong,” said Peterson. “The question must be asked: does this proposal make Pennsylvania a more attractive place to do business? The answer is flatly no, Mr Governor, and that’s exactly what I hear from my constituents and small business owners throughout my district.”
The President intends to nominate Robert L Smolen, of Pennsylvania, to be Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration. Major General Smolen recently served as a Commander in the United States Air Force District of Washington. Prior to this, he served as Director of Strategic Policy and Arms Control at the National Security Council. Earlier in his career, he served as Director and Deputy Director of Nuclear and Counterproliferation in the United States Air Force. Major General Smolen received his bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College. He received his master’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma and Auburn University.
Pellegrino Food Products Company of Warren PA recently launched their web site. Pellegrino offers a wide array of baked or fried items such as: Calzones, Strombolis, Meat Pies, Fruit Pies, Chicken Pot Pies, Pepperoni Balls, and Ciabatta Breads. Canned items include many flavors of Peppers in Sauce, Peppers and Onions in Sauce, Pizza Sauce, Hoagie Sauce and Meat Based Sauce. Bakery items range from Cinnamon and Raisin Placek Breads to Italian Almond Cookies and Hand Made Puff Pastry Pretzels.
The first place Erie SeaWolves enjoyed a day off on Monday. The SeaWolves hit the road for six games and are back in action on tonight against the New Britain Rock Cats…7:05 First Pitch. Catch all the action of the upcoming road trip live on JET RADIO 1400 am and on SeaWolves.com.
Mercyhurst College was picked to finish 11th and Gannon University 13th in the GLIAC coaches pre-season football poll. Mercyhurst opens their season August 25 at Kentucky State and Gannon opens against Hillsdale on September 1.
The Presque Isle State Park Youth Environmental Learning Series (YELS) this week is for ages 6-8. Discover the cool habitats, like beach, ponds and wetlands, play games and make friends. Earn a cool patch, too. $5 fee, registration required. Class meets August 1,2 and 3 from 9 am to 11 am. Meet at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center.
The Footlights Summer Theatre will present “Singin in the Rain”, Free to the public at East High School Wednesday, August 1 through Friday August 3 at 7:30 pm. The program is collectively sponsored by The Erie School District, City of Erie Parks Department, All An Act Productions, and administrated by, the YMCA of Erie.
Enjoy the music of the Erie Heights Brass Ensemble on Thursday, August 2 at 7 pm at the Patricia McCain Amphitheater at the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park. This FREE concert is part of the Arts at the Arboretum series.
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.
Dan Rice Days will be held August 3-4 will be held in Girard, PA. A new addition to the celebration will be an antique road show to be held at the Culberston House. Entertainment for this year include Tennesse Back Porch, Presque Isle Chapter Sweet Adelines, along with DJ Bill Page and an Erie Zoo representative will have animals for viewing. McQuillen’s 8th annual “Cruise In” will be Friday, August 3 from 5:30 to 9:30PM There will be live entertainment, refreshments and door prizes.
The Battles Museum will be the backdrop for Battle for the Yellow House, a Civil War encampment and battle re-enactment August 4-5. Scheduled in conjunction with Dan Rice Days, the re-enactment is expected to bring in approximately 200 re-enactors. Battle for the Yellow House will include open camp hours, drilling and firing demonstrations, two battles, candlelight tours, a Sunday morning church service and a book signing. Battle Re-Enactments will be held Sat at 3 pm and Sun at 2 pm. The Candlelight Tour is Sat at 7 pm, reservations required. For additional information, please call (814) 454-1813 Ext 24.
The Lake Erie Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association will host its 2007 steak fry on Saturday, August 4, at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The annual event, which will be held at the Wilson Picnic Grove on the campus of Penn State Behrend, begins with a social hour at 5 pm, followed by the dinner’s signature “grill your own” steak fry at 6 pm. The fund-raiser is open to all Penn State alumni. Proceeds benefit the Lake Erie Chapter’s Robert W Sparks scholarship fund, which has awarded more than $55,000 to local students in the past 16 years. Tickets for the annual steak fry fund-raiser are $19 per person. For more information or to RSVP, contact Phil Mobilia, president of the Lake Erie Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, at 814-725-1999 (home) or 716-483-7219 (office), or via e-mail at Phil.Mobilia@psualum.com. Please respond by July 30. Visit www.behrend.psu.edu/alumni for more information about the Lake Erie Chapter or to become a member.
The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania 25th Anniversary Celebration will be held Saturday, August 4 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. Tickets are $35. RSVP by July 27.
Capture the magic of summer with PotterPalooza, a fun filled summer camp for young wizards in training. Five days of classes and activities include Astronomy, Potions, Transfiguration, Magical Crafts and More. August 6-10 at the Erie County Historical Society Watson-Curtze Mansion, ages 5-13. Call (814) 454-1813 Ext 24 for additional information.
Representatives of the waterfowl organizations, individual sportsmen and the public are invited to attend a briefing on Friday, Aug 10, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Northwest Pennsylvania Duck Hunters Association, on the status of Atlantic Flyway waterfowl populations and proposed preliminary federal frameworks for the 2007-08 hunting seasons. The briefing will begin at 1 pm, in Room 112 of the Tom Ridge Education Center at Presque Isle State Park in Erie.
The Erie Chamber Orchestra, in residency at Gannon University and under the direction of Bruce Morton Wright, will perform its 24th annual summer concerts entitled “Music in the Air” on the campus of Villa Maria Academy, 2403 West 8th Street Erie, PA. On Friday, August 10 they will perform a Classical Music Night and on Saturday, August 11 they will perform a Pop Music Night. Both concerts will be performed at 8 pm. The concerts are FREE of charge, with seating and are on a first come, first served basis. There will have a number of chairs at the site, but you are encouraged to bring your own chairs or blankets. In the case of rain, these concerts will be performed in the auditorium of Villa Maria Academy.
Titled “Local Government and the Erie Economy,” the 2007 Economic Research Institute of Erie (ERIE) conference will address topics relevant to Erie and its surrounding communities, including the debate about consolidating the area’s local governments and the smoking ban. The institute’s sixth annual conference will be held on August 14, in McGarvey Commons, located in the Reed Union Building at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The cost to attend this year’s conference is $149 and includes printed materials, breakfast and lunch. A reduced rate of $75 is available for nonprofit, government and economic development officials. For more information or to register for the conference, call (814) 898-7149.
Posted by Dennis at July 31, 2007 7:07 AM
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