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Erie PA News and Events for Friday December 21, 2007

Parsimony is a ‘less is better’ concept of frugality, economy or caution in arriving at a course of action. Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio can’t grasp this concept. Somehow DiVecchio has taken the excellent idea of a community college and bastardized it into an incredibly expensive, complicated mess only a government bureaucrat can embrace.
DiVecchio’s idea for a community college is to let the local colleges - Gannon, Mercyhurst, Behrend and Edinboro - hold the classes. Students would pay tuition of $3,200 per year. The colleges would be paid $8,800 for each student. Erie County would lose $5,600 per student. WTF. Cripe, tuition at Edinboro is only $5,177 a year. Does he not own a calculator?
At $8,800, it would most likely be the highest cost per student of any community college in the nation.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections held a press conference yesterday on the November 25 escape of Malcolm Kysor from the State Correctional Institution in Albion. State officials including Secretary Jeffrey Beard were highly upset at the escape. “Compliancy” and “negligence” were mentioned over and over.
SCI-Albion Superintendent Marilyn S Brooks was relieved of her duties last Friday and it looks like five others will be shown the door. Raymond J Sobina was officially named acting superintendent to clean up the mess at the prison. Sobina has been with the Department of Corrections for 30 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Gannon University in Erie and a master’s degree in corrections administration and treatment from Youngstown State.
The PA Department of Corrections issued a 70 page report on the escape of Malcolm Kysor from the State Correctional Institution in Albion on November 25. Kysor was serving a life sentence for murder. He is still on the run.

Zabaware has launched AskTheCandidates2008.com , a political site allowing visitors to pose questions to any of the 2008 presidential candidates and get an immediate response based on a real quote by the candidate. Zabaware has loaded hundreds of quotes from each of the candidates into an artificially intelligent (AI) brain. When the visitor asks a question, the AI bot version of each candidate will attempt to answer using a real quote from his or her human counterpart. In addition visitors are able to rate each candidate based on the quality of the response and see how the candidates rank up against each other in this system. The technology running this site is based on award winning artificial intelligence software created by Zabaware, Inc. Zabaware is an Erie, Pennsylvania based company that specializes in artificial intelligence technology. Zabaware’s technology won the 2007 Loebner Competition in AI as the “most human” software. The company’s mission “giving your computer the power of thought” once considered a futuristic pipe dream is becoming a reality. Zabaware’s Ultra Hal software runs on most standard Windows computers. The artificial intelligence software is available for download at Zabaware.com as a free 30 day trial and sells for $29.95.

Forget tests and stressing over a grade while taking advantage of a special opportunity to learn conversational Chinese, Arabic or Russian at Mercyhurst College. The World Languages Study Program will offer the three non-credit courses to area high school and college students as well as the general public beginning in January 2008. The courses, which include Conversational Chinese I and II, Conversational Arabic I and II, and a Russian Roundtable, will start the week of Jan 21. The fee is $149 per session, plus books and study materials. Classes will be held one night a week from 6:30 to 9 pm in the language lab at the Hammermill Library. The term will end the week of May 19, 2008. Space in the classes is limited. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and is open to high school and college students as well as adults. For more information, contact the Mercyhurst College Office of Adult and Graduate Programs at 824-2270 or e-mail at adult@mercyhurst.edu.

Peek’n Peak won’t host a Nationwide Tour stop in 2008 because it would have been on the July 4th weekend and they didn’t want to lose the revenue from a busy weekend. Poor excuse.

The Mercyhurst wrestling team rebounded from its loss to Gannon in a big way on Thursday in Greensburg, PA, rolling to a 38-6 win over Mercyhurst North East and a 34-9 victory over Seton Hill.

Shepherd’s men’s basketball team shot 57 percent in the second half and the Rams defeated Mercyhurst Wednesday 63-58 at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. Terry Smith led the Lakers with 18 points in defeat.

The Gannon women’s basketball team fell to 15th ranked Stonehill 73-52 at the Cruzin Classic in Miami Shores, FL.

Designed especially for 3-5 year olds and an accompanying adult, Outside the Window: Nature for you and your little one will be held today, Friday, December 21 and each Friday at 10 am. These interactive programs get kids in touch with all of the nature of Presque Isle State Park. Meet at the Stull Interpretive Center. $2 donation, registration required beginning Monday prior to program. Call (814) 835-4550.

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.

Enjoy a meal and support the Erie United Methodist Alliance at the same time. Eat at Chick-Fil-A at the Summit Towne Centre on Saturday, Dec 22 from 7-10 am and 20 percent of the proceeds benefit EUMA (when coupons are presented). Download and print your coupons here.

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!

After a two-year hiatus, Vienna in Erie returns to the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, January 1 at 3 pm. Once again, Maestro Frank Collura will conduct a 65 member Pennsylvania Chamber Symphony in an elegant program of Viennese waltzes, gallops and polkas that have delighted audiences for years. Make this grand and lively concert part of your family tradition. And, of course, enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne at intermission. To order tickets, call the box office at (814) 824-3000.

Cross-Country Skiing 101 will be held Saturday, January 5 at 10 am at Presque Isle State Park. Weather permitting, meet at the cross-country ski concession to check out cross-country skiing. Get basic technique and skills for this exhilarating sport. Bring your own skis or rent. FREE. Rental fee only. Registration appreciated, (814) 833-7424.

For beginners and more experienced skiers wanting to know more about the winter world around them, enjoy Guided Cross-Country Skiing on Saturday, January 5 at 1 pm at Presque Isle State Park. If there is no sufficient snow, a hike will take place instead. Bring your own skis or rent. FREE, rental fee only. Meet at the cross-country ski concession.

There will be a Snowshoe Building Workshop on Saturday, January 5 at 9 am to 3 pm at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle. Build your own snowshoes - great to use, hang on the wall, or pass along for generations. $155 fee, registration required, call (814) 833-7424.

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 21, 2007 7:09 AM

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Posted by: Pete at December 21, 2007 9:13 AM

Posted by: Dittman at December 21, 2007 6:25 PM

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