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Erie PA News and Events for Saturday October 20, 2007

Someone needs to fill the Sheriff Andy Taylor role if Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio is going to play Barney Fife and shoot himself in the foot or rear every week. Take the bullets out his gun already and just let him keep one in his pocket. Just a few days ago, after a public outcry, he scrapped plans to give top county officials raises 4-5 times that of other county employees. DiVecchio reversed course again this week by announcing he wants to restore the county run School Resource Officer program. He had cut the program from the 2008 preliminary budget. Deputy sheriff’s are assigned to schools to keep the peace and walk the halls. I like the idea of having law enforcement officers at schools but not my county tax dollars go toward having someone assigned to Harbor Creek, for example. Let that district foot the cost.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), on behalf of the major record companies, sends nearly monthly 411 pre-litigation settlement letters to universities nationwide as part of the ongoing campaign against online music theft. In the past 3 months they’ve sent out 99 letters. The letters reflect evidence of significant abuse of campus computer networks for the purpose of copyright infringement. Allegheny College in Meadville was included in the August letters. Each pre-litigation settlement letter informs the school of a forthcoming copyright infringement suit against one of its students or personnel. The letter requests that university administrators forward the letter to the appropriate network user to allow the individuals the opportunity to promptly resolve the matter and avoid a lawsuit. The RIAA just filed a federal lawsuit against 2 unnamed Allegheny College users. There is more info at www.p2plawsuits.com.
Erie is a bit too familiar with peer-to-peer (P2P) legal troubles as Erie Blogger Skot spent 5 months in prison, and received 5 months on home confinement, followed by 2-3 years of supervised release (probation) from his involvement in the BitTorrent P2P network previously known as Elite Torrents.

In other copyright legal news, Erie Blogger Eden made the Washington Post (story) with her lawsuit against Universal Music Publishing Group for abusing copyright law. Eden had a 29 second video of her cute little child dancing around the kitchen while Prince’s song “Let’s Go Crazy” played in the background. She posted the video on YouTube. Universal made YouTube take it down. “Good Morning Amercia” is coming to her home Monday or Tuesday to do a story on the matter. Not sure if her purple shirt “Universal, a tiny subsidiary of Eden Inc” will be back from the cleaners in time for the taping.

Andy Polakowski of Erie died one year ago today. Polakowski died the evening of Oct 20, 2006 after being crushed to death in an overcrowded elevator at Stradley Hall on the campus of Ohio State.

National Chemistry Week kicks off today with hands-on activities and demonstrations at the Millcreek Mall. This event runs from 10 am to 3 pm and is always a big hit with the kids. “The Many Faces of Chemistry” will be on display during National Chemistry Week 2007. National Chemistry Week, an annual public outreach and education effort of the American Chemical Society (ACS), takes place October 21-27. Tracy Halmi, lecturer in chemistry at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is the national chairwoman for the subcommittee responsible for developing programming nationwide for National Chemistry Weeks 2006 through 2009.

Two guys from Erie hauled away by Cleveland police outside the Jake Thursday night. One yelled “Sox in seven” just before the fight broke out. They’ll be happy to hear that BuckeyeNation12 posted that he was “gashed up, with a pissed off wife.”

Marion Armstrong of Erie was one of 17 people honored with the Governor’s Citizen Crime Prevention Volunteer Award. Armstrong is a neighborhood watch captain in Lawrence Park.

Julie Pieri who owns Quilted Pleasures, a quilt pattern design company, has started a blog also called Quilted Pleasures.

The Venice Florida area on the Gulf Coast is famous for Snook Alley. Jason Burne and Mark Johnson of Erie PA went down there to fish with Chris O’Neill of Tail Chaser Charter Services. They caught snook up to 28 inches using live shrimp as bait.

Erie area and Northwest Pennsylvania Friday night high school football scores:
Erie Strong Vincent 49, Erie East 26
North Hills 23, Erie McDowell 8
Fort LeBoeuf 28, Corry 22
Erie Cathedral Prep 31, General McLane 14
Erie Mercyhurst Prep 53, Union City 21
Fairview 49, Girard 6
North East 21, Seneca 6
Grove City 27, Northwestern 6
Iroquois 27, Cambridge Springs 7
Titusville 56, Warren 7
Clearfield 28, St. Marys 13
Cochranton 12, Sharpsville 6
Saegertown 38, Maplewood 10

The Erie Otters are now 3-8 with a 6-1 loss to London Knights. They might now win another 3 games all season. The Otters return home tonight to face-off against the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in a 7:30 pm start at the Tullio Arena. The first 3,000 fans into the game receive a free taco courtesy of Taco Bell.

The Erie Philharmonic, joined by three accomplished guest artists, will perform favorite Broadway hits to open this year’s Hanes Erie Pops Series on Saturday, October 20, at 8 pm. at the Warner Theatre. “Music of the Night” will feature music from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, Marvin Hamlisch and others. If you go you’ll notice that new Music Director Daniel Meyer is the spitting image of Doug Flutie.

Gannon University is holding its annual Alumni Homecoming and Reunion Weekend through Oct 21. For more information on events, see GannonAlumni.org.

The Belle Valley Volunteer Fire Department Valley Of The Ghouls - Haunted House will be held October 18-20, 25-27 and 29. Admission is just $5. Ghouling begins at 7:30 and lasts until 11 pm.

The 19th annual Erie Zoo Boo runs 6-9 pm, October 12-30. Admission is $4.50 for adults (ages 12 and up), $3.50 for children 2-11, and children under 2 will be admitted free.

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host an Admissions Open House for prospective undergraduate students on Saturday, October 20. The annual fall open house is part of Penn State Days, a University wide initiative to celebrate the educational opportunities available at Penn State for all interested students - from current high school students and recent high school graduates to returning adults. The Open House begins at 10 am and continues through 1 pm. To register or for more information, visit online, call (814) 898-6100 (toll free (866) 374-3378), or e-mail behrend.admissions@psu.edu. All events are free of charge, but advance registration is appreciated.

Author Holly Jacobs will be signing copies of The House on Briar Hill Road on Saturday, October 20, from 2-4 pm at Borders Express (inside the Millcreek Mall).

Erie’s Day of Gaming will be held at the Travelodge off Exit 29, I-90 on October 20 in Erie, PA. Games include Eurostyle Board Games, Warmachine, Star Wars Miniatures, Check Your 6!, World War 2 aircraft miniatures, World War 2 Battlefield Evolution, Heroscape, Sky Galleons of Mars and Pirates. Entry fee is $4 for all day and is for covering the venue and advertising.

“Buddy Holly: The day the music died” runs Saturday 8 pm and Sundays 2 pm through October 21 at the Roadhouse Theatre.

Three Erie colleges are joining forces to stage a food drive that’s expected to collect thousands of pounds of nonperishable food items for the Second Harvest Food Bank. The Collegiate Golden Harvest pools the efforts of student volunteers from Mercyhurst College; Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; and Gannon University. Last year’s partnership generated more than 9,000 pounds of food and organizers are hoping to drive that total even higher this year. Mercyhurst and Penn State Behrend have expanded their drives and will collect donations in the neighborhoods surrounding their campuses Monday through Saturday, Oct 22-27, from 4 to 8 pm weekdays; Mercyhurst also collects from 9 am to noon on Saturday, and Penn State Behrend, 9 am to 2 pm. Gannon will hold an intensive drive on Saturday, Oct. 27, with students volunteering throughout the city and Millcreek Township between 9 am and 4 pm. A number of drop-off stations will also be available Saturday morning, including: Mercyhurst College front gates, 501 E 38th St; Gannon’s Waldron Campus Center at 7th and Peach; Blessed Sacrament, 1626 W 26th St; Villa Maria Academy, 2403 W 8th St; and the Reed Union Building at Penn State Behrend.

Gannon University’s Nash Library, 619 Sassafras Street, will host a book sale Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct 23-24. The sale will run from 10 am to 6 pm each day. Thousands of books will be available in categories like fiction, children’s, history, engineering, business, psychology, science, education, and medicine. On the first day, hardcover books, videos, and audiobooks will be $2.50, paperbacks $1, and pocket paperbacks 50 cents. On the second day, all items will be sold at half price. Patrons should enter through the library’s back door by the West Seventh Street parking lot. Cash sales only. All proceeds will benefit the library’s book budget.

Music from Antonio Rosetti, Alessandro Marcello, and Joseph Haydn fill the menu of a lunchtime performance by the celebrated Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. CPCO will appear at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, as part of Music at Noon: The Logan Series. Their performance will be held at noon on Wednesday, October 24, in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building; admission is free and open to the public.

The Great Lakes Film Association is holding “An All Out Halloween Costume Party” on Thursday October 27 at 8 pm. The classic “A Clockwork Orange” will be screened and then stick around for great music by Matty B and the Dirty Pickles.

The Venango Digital Film Association will be holding it first Film Festival November 2 and 3. The festival will feature films of all genres, but will focus on local filmmakers and films set within the region. Screenings will be held on November 2nd at the Barrow Civic Theatre in Franklin from 7pm until 9pm and on November 3rd at the Latonia in Oil City from 7pm until 9pm at a cost of five dollars for admittance. Workshops are also being held on Nov 3rd at the Latonia from 9am until 5pm, topics include: lighting, sound, editing, making family dvds and camcorders demystified. The cost is $10 each or $40 for all. Eligibility: Ages 14 to Adult (filmmakers under 18 must include letters of permission from a parent with their submissions) . Filmmaker must live in Western Pennsylvania, or the film must reflect a theme or subject of the region. Film Length and Format: 10 to 30 minutes. DVD submissions are preferred but VHS entries will also be accepted. We cannot accept entries on mini-DV tape, hard drives, 35mm film, or other formats. Entry Fee: $20 per submission, checks or money orders made payable to the Oil City Arts Council. Please note that submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope. Mailing Address: Venango Digital Film Association Film Festival, PO Box 1082, Franklin, PA 16323. Deadline: All entries must be received by Friday, 19 October. Contact: Michael Dittman at simpub@hotmail.com or visit http://www.joannwheelerfineart.com/vdfa/index.html for more details.

Gannon University on Sunday, Nov 4 will host its annual Fall Open House. Students and their parents can attend an optional mass at 11 am in the Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, 512 Peach Street. Registration will begin at 11:30 am in the lobby of the Waldron Campus Center, 124 West Seventh Street. Students can enter Scholarship Contests in eight academic disciplines: English, French, Spanish, German, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, and Education. Contest winners are eligible for annual scholarships up to $3,000 should they decide to enroll at Gannon. For more information on Fall Open House, contact the Gannon University Office of Admissions at (814) 871-7240, or 1-800-GANNON-U.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will be shown at the Roadhouse Theatre, 145 West 11th St, on Thursday Nov 15 at 8 pm. Proceeds benefit the Great Lake Film Association.

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Student Scholarship Auction Committee has announced that the College will hold the 14th Annual Student Scholarship Fund Auction at the new Erie Bayfront Convention Center on Friday Nov 16 with the purpose of providing scholarships to their students. The program opens at 6 pm with a silent auction, followed by dinner at 7 pm and a live auction at 8 pm. For reservations contact the LECOM Communications Office (814) 866-8125 or (814) 860-5125. You may also send a request for ticket information by Email: communications@lecom.edu. RSVP by November 2.

Dennis Weed

Posted by Dennis at October 20, 2007 8:07 AM

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