ErieBlogs.com: Erie PA News and Events for Wednesday December 5, 2007

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Erie PA News and Events for Wednesday December 5, 2007

Posted by Dennis on December 5, 2007

On August 12, Terri Rhodes, a member of the volleyball team at Mercyhurst College, gave birth to a baby girl. Rhodes gave birth in her apartment. The baby survived 10 minutes before Rhodes allegedly killed the baby. Her own baby. The baby died by suffocation - either by having something placed over her face or by being sealed in a plastic bag. Police found the baby in a plastic bag in a bathroom.
Teri Rhodes once again had her preliminary hearing postponed. It’s now set for January 12 at the Erie County Courthouse. Rhodes was charged with criminal homicide, abusing a corpse and concealing the death of a child. In Pennsylvania, first degree murder carries the possibility of death by lethal injection.

The housing situation in Erie continues to get worse. The Greater Erie Board of Realtors reported the Erie County real estate sales for November 2007. Sales fell about 10 percent from the previous year. In November 2007, there were 376 sales for $36,371,765 vs 411 for $41,771,797 in November 2006. The data includes all sales in which a property transfer tax was paid including residential, investment and commercial properties as well as land. There are currently 2,611 active listings in Erie County with GEBOR.

For some reason, the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership named Jim Dible CEO. Current CEO Jake Rouch was reassigned to the position of Vice President of Economic Development. Dibel recently retired as President and CEO of the Times Publishing Company. (Press release.)
Hopefully for Christmas, Dible will receive a calendar so he knows the correct year and a copy of The Internet for Dummies.

December 5, 1843 - The USS Michigan is launched at Erie, PA. USS Michigan is America’s first iron-hulled warship, as well as the first prefabricated ship. She was 167 feet long, displaced 450 tons, and was powered by side-paddlers and sails. In 1905, she was renamed USS Wolverine when a new battleship was commissioned as USS Michigan. The USS Wolverine was scrapped in 1949. Her prow is all that remains and is on display at the Erie Maritime Museum.

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet named B J Clute of Erie “America’s Biggest Cheapskate.” Clute once taped his refrigerator light switch off to save electricity.

Gebil Jibul was arrested for fighting with security at the Erie International Airport. The wannabe terrorist nut said something about wanting to go the Middle East. Jibul was arrested days earlier for a fight at the YMCA in which he threw an American Flag out of the building.

Erie PA native Mike Woycheck has formed a company called Wear Pittsburgh. WearPittsburgh brings great t-shirt designs that not only celebrate but also poke fun at the city and surrounding communities of Pittsburgh. Here’s some of their product categories:
YinzWear: Tees that are inspired by or designed by those who love the Pittsburgh. Web sites, blogs, podcasts, and other forms of new media here are often great sources for their designs.
JagWear: As the tagline says, “If you don’t know already, then you don’t know.” Seriously, these are shirts that poke fun (in an endearing sort of way) at the idiocycracies, phenomena, and general uniqueness that is found in The Burgh.
BurghWear: Designs that showcase the neighborhoods and places that make the city special, or things that make Pittsburgh unique.

Administrators from Heidelberg College and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pa, recently signed an agreement that will pave the way for Heidelberg students who have completed three years of study to enroll at LECOM to pursue their doctor of osteopathic medicine degree. The “3+4 LECOM Medical Program” will allow Heidelberg students to transfer to LECOM after three years of study to begin medical education. After completing their first year at LECOM, they will earn their bachelor’s degree from Heidelberg. The program is currently available to chemistry majors in the biochemistry track. Heidelberg is the only Ohio university to have an articulation agreement with LECOM.

WERG-FM recently added a couple of holiday songs to their playlist. The songs are “Don’t Shoot Me Santa” by The Killers and “Santa Claus is Thumbing to Town” by Relient K.

Approximately 400 Academic Sports League students from 24 high schools will take part in an ASL competition at PennState Erie, The Behrend College on Saturday, December 8, from 1:15 pm to 3:45 pm. Titled “Science: The transmission, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases,” the Super Quiz Relay at 1:15 pm is the only event that is open to the public.

The Detroit Tigers are sending six either former or current Erie SeaWolves players to the Florida Marlins for 3B Miguel Cabrera and LHP Dontrelle Willis. The Marlins get LHP Andrew Miller, CF Cameron Maybin, C Mike Rabelo, RHP Burke Badenhop, RHP Dallas Trahern and RHP Eulogio De La Cruz.

Join your friends at the Watson-Curtze Mansion for the 28th annual Victorian Holidays program Whimsical Wonderland. Included in this exhibit are professionally decorated evergreens, fireplace mantles, doorways, windows and other displays that will be open to the community. Whimsical Wonderland features more than ten different themed rooms; including a Seussical room decorated in all things Dr Seuss, a wintertime teddy bear picnic, a Victorian garden and much more. Participating decorators includes Traditions, the Carrie T Watson Garden Club and Melody Potratz of Potratz Garden Shop. Try you luck with the annual Chinese auction and win gift certificates from local eateries and specialty shops, or a holiday wreath. Victorian Holidays will run until December 30. Wednesday - Saturday 11 am - 4 pm, Sunday 1 pm - 4 pm. Museum Admission: $4 Adults, $3 Seniors, $2 Children.

The Gannon University Concert Band will present their annual Christmas Concert today, Wednesday Dec 5 at 7:30 pm in the Gannon University Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, 512 Peach St. It’s FREE and open to the public.

The monthly SAM and ED meeting will be held at 5:30 pm on Thursday, December 6 at the Plymouth Tavern. Renee Lamis and Alan Kugler of PA Futures will lead the meeting. FREE and open to the public. Food and drink are available for purchase.

Kirk Nesset, this year’s winner of the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Award for short fiction, will read and discuss his work at Mercyhurst College on Thursday, Dec 6, at 8 pm in Taylor Little Theatre. Nesset’s talk will unofficially kick off Mercyhurst’s annual Literary Festival. The 2008 edition, set for April, will bring to campus noted science fiction and fantasy writer Terry Bisson and Native American poet Joy Harjo and will culminate in the release of the student-produced Lumen literary magazine. A book-signing and reception will follow Nesset’s presentation. For information, contact Dr Kenneth Schiff, coordinator of the Mercyhurst Literary Festival, at (814) 824-2461.

On Friday, December 7, 2007, there will be a citizenship ceremony at the Erie Federal Courthouse at 10 am. All are welcome to attend.

Looking for an event to make this the most memorable holiday season ever? The Peppermint Ball is the area’s grandest event. The Peppermint Ball will be held Sat, Dec 8 from 7-10 pm. At the Peppermint Ball you will be treated like royalty and the elegance will make you feel as if you were a part of a fairy tale. Events of the evening include: Dancing, Competitions, and Fun for the whole family. Sponsored by the Erie Chapter of Demolay. Refreshments will be served. Family friendly environment - alcohol free. Music by Digital Thunder. Admission is $5 in advance or $6 at the door. Contact Ronald Cox at (814) 397-5859 for more info.

Family First Sports Park is in the process of making youth football more than just a seasonal sport. This year they are introducing a Winter Indoor Tackle Football League. The league will focus its emphasis on the basic fundamentals of football rather than the competitive nature of the sport. “We are very excited to start an instructional program during the off season, a place for youth to focus more attention to their individual skill,” said Mat Carpinello. The league is open to children ages 7-13 and will start on Dec 10. For more information, please contact Mat Carpinello by e-mail or call him at (814) 866-5425 ext. 247. You can register online here.

The Erie IT Network’s next Lunch’n Learn tackles the complexities of Blackberry Integration. It will be held on Thursday Dec 13, 11:30-1:00, at the Ambassador Banquet and Conferece Center, 7792 Peach Street in Erie. Data phones and PDAs are gaining prevelance in today’s workplace. More and more executives, sales agents and IT professionals are using hand held wireless devices to monitor servers, check emails and manage contacts. The speakers are with Research In Motion (RIM), the group that brought you the Blackberry. Join them for a technical seminar as they discuss the Blackberry Enterprise solution, including a look at the advanced security features inherent in the server software, as well as the framework used to deploy mobile applications. Register now, by clicking HERE. Or contact Karen at karen.kimet@technwpa.org or call (814) 451-1174.

The Lake Erie Ballet 49th annual production of the Nutcracker will be held Sat Dec 15 at 7 pm and Sun Dec 16 at 2:30 pm. Purchase tickets at the Erie Civic Center box office or at Ticketmaster.

The 25th annual McDonald’s High School Basketball Classic will be held in Erie PA on Friday, January 18 and Saturday January 18, 2008 at the Gannon University Hammermill Center. St Edward of Lakewood Ohio, Rice High School of NYC, Saint Patrick of Elizabeth NJ and Erie Cathedral Prep are in the powerful field. Adult General Admission tickets are $7 and Student General Admission are tickets are $5. Reserved tickets are $12.50.

Dennis Weed