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Erie PA News and Events for Sunday December 9, 2007

Erie City Council unanimously passed Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott’s proposed 2008 $57.1 million budget. A second reading is still required. All members of Erie City Council as well as Mayor Joe Sinnott are tax-and-spend liberal Democrats. Council ignored $335,500 in budget cuts recommended by their own accountant, Sean T Sullivan, CPA. Here are the recommended cuts and a memo to council by Sullivan. Here’s the budget support document to go along with them.
If they can’t cut expenses, at least they could change the ‘Communication Account’ description from ‘Telephone, cellphones and telegraph.’ Maybe they didn’t get the telegram telling them this is 2007 and not 1937.
It appears that Curtis Jones, Jr will be the next council president with support coming from Jim Thompson, Rubye Jenkins-Husband and Joe Schember.
One correction on my figures from yesterday. City of Erie employees only work a 7 hour day, not 8. Plus they get a 30 minute paid lunch break.

Gannon University President Antoine M. Garibaldi, PhD, will award some 311 degrees at the school’s Winter Commencement Ceremony, to be held today. The ceremony will begin at 2 pm in the university’s Hammermill Center, Peach Street and South Park Row. The graduates include three students receiving doctoral degrees, 203 receiving master’s degrees, 97 receiving bachelor’s, and 8 receiving associate’s. Three students are graduating summa cum laude, 13 magna cum laude, and 11 cum laude. In addition, three students are graduating with academic honors. Robert F Ruyak, a 1971 Gannon graduate, will deliver the keynote address and will be awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree during the ceremony. Ruyak is the managing partner and CEO at Howrey, LLP, an international law firm specializing in trademark and patent litigation.

Only someone from Erie, PA would come up with having snow at an event to attract people. At the Dotzler YMCA in Charlotte Harbor, FL kids made snowballs and tubed down a snow covered hill. For many of the kids it was the first time they had seen snow. Proceeds benefited the St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Sean Perseo, an Erie native who is Sales and Marketing Director for The Bove Company which sponsored the event, handed out information on The Avenues, a condo development in Punta Gorda, FL with a YMCA incorporated into the plan.

NBC is bringing back American Gladiators. The series returns on Jan 6. The original American Gladiators ran originally in weekly syndication from September 16, 1989 to May 11, 1996. The idea for the series came from Erie.
The Erie Ironworks Union (International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 348) had a number of competitions at their annual picnic. Being Ironworkers they needed manly games. Union member Dann Carr, a two-time world and five-time national arm-wrestling champion, came up with the contests. Then in 1983, Carr asked his friend Johnny Ferraro to help him run a charity version of the games at Tech Memorial. The place was packed and the duo took the idea to Hollywood.

The number one team in Division I women’s hockey, New Hampshire, scored five unanswered goals to subdue 6th ranked Mercyhurst, 5-2, Saturday afternoon at the Ice Center. The Lakers dropped to 13-3-2, while UNH improved to 16-3-0.

The Gannon University men’s basketball team (6-1) went 18 for 70 shooting (25.7 percent) and suffered their first loss of the season losing 64-60 to Edinboro.

Justin Hodgman scored once and added three assists to lead the Erie Otters to a 4-2 win over the London Knights in an Ontario Hockey League game played tonight in front of 3,583 at the Tullio Arena. Sean Jones, Nick Palmieri and Zack Torquato also scored for the Otters, who won for the third straight time to move to 7-20-2-1 on the season. Jones extended his points streak to eight games. Jaroslav Janus posted the win with a 33-save performance.

Using a 3-pointer barrage and hot shooting, Laker Superior State turned a close game into a 16 point halftime lead and coasted to an 80-59 victory over the Mercyhurst men’s basketball team in Sault Ste Marie, Mich, Saturday afternoon.

The Gannon University women’s basketball team (6-2) crushed Edinboro 89-64. Sophomore Kim Vargas led Gannon with 25 points and 7 rebounds.

The Mercyhurst Lakers jumped out to an early 17-8 lead but could not hold on as Lake Superior State came back for an 87-76 victory Saturday afternoon. Mercyhurst drops to 2-7 on the season and 0-2 in the GLIAC.

The Edinboro University wrestling team won the team title at the 2007-08 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships held at Clarion. Edinboro won 7 of the 10 weight classes.

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has added media timeouts for all basketball games beginning this season. Gannon University and Mercyhurst College join the conference in 2008-09. All Gannon and Merchurst games are broadcast on the radio.

Get the family together and take them to the Erie Playhouse for the heartwarming holiday musical “It’s a Wonderful Life”, through December 16. The lights will shine bright at the Erie Playhouse throughout the holiday season with the mounting of this classical seasonal tale. This new musical is a faithful adaptation of the 1946 film, which has entered into our national mythology, and has become as much a part of the Christmas holiday as the evergreen tree and fruitcake.

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.

Gannon University will be holding open auditions Sun, Dec 9 and Mon, Dec 10 at 7 pm in the Schuster Theatre, 620 Sassafras St, for their spring production of Nicholas Nickleby. Rehearsal will begin after the first of the New Year; production dates are April 10 - April 19. The production will be co-directed by Fr Shawn Clerkin and Paula Barrett. You’ll be reading right from the script so preparation is not necessary, although British accents will be encouraged. People can just show up at the theater at 7 pm and go upstairs into the theater space. No need to call in advance.

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 Gem City Concert Band will offer its annual Christmas concert on Tuesday, December 11 at St John’s Lutheran Church Parish Center at 2216 Peach Street. Special guests for the evening will be Bridge City Brass, a brass ensemble from Pittsburgh that will premier several new arrangements composed by ensemble members. The program will begin at 7:30 pm and is free and open to the public. Plenty of off-street parking is available and the Parish Center is wheelchair accessible.

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.

While you are finishing your last minute shopping at the Millcreek Mall on Saturday, December 22, stop by the Center Stage located by Burlington Coat Factory between noon and 1:30 pm. The 20-member Gem City Jazz Ensemble will be filling the halls with Christmas carols and other jazz selections. Join the band for the entire show or just a couple songs to keep you in the holiday spirit!

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.

The Association of Program Members (APM) of General Electric Transportation in Erie PA announced that it will be sponsoring the 13th Annual Winter Wishes Benefit Gala for the Foundation of Western Pennsylvania on February 16, 2008. Each year, the members of APM reach out to the community to collect donations for the silent auctions, live auctions and raffles that are held at the event. They also solicit “table sponsors” from local businesses. As a table sponsor, the business’ name appears on the centerpiece showing their support for this wonderful event as well as in any promotional materials that they put together for the function. The money raised with the auctioned items donated by local businesses will help provide funding for Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Community support of this event is recognition of the importance of this cause are greatly appreciated. Along with your assistance, GE will be able to make an impact on the day-to-day life of children whose lives are threatened.

Dennis Weed

Posted by Dennis at December 9, 2007 8:04 AM

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