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Erie PA News and Events for Wednesday February 6, 2008

Oops, Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio did it again. Another report of DiVecchio breaking the law and costing the over burdened taxpayers of Erie County more money. Erie County got a bill for a parking ticket DiVecchio received. He received a $30 parking ticket for illegal parking in Washington, DC. DiVecchio, possibly thinking he has some sort of diplomatic immunity from any law, didn’t pay the fine. The fine doubled after the due date. The rental car company tracked him down and added a $25 fee for the unpaid ticket.

NBS Trucking recently purchased the facility located at 1411 Wayne St which previously housed Affinia (formerly Dana Brake Parts Erie) from the Greater Erie Industrial Development Corporation. Currently located in Custer City, PA, NBS Trucking will utilize the facility for their new division, Supply Chain Connection. “We are pleased to welcome NBS Trucking to Erie, and are happy that we were able to facilitate their expansion with the sale of this facility to them,” said Monica Brower, President and CEO of GEIDC. NBS Trucking, LTD currently operates with 36 company drivers and 40 owner operators, with a total of over 75 tractors and over 150 trailers. The NBS team of 60 employees provides services in the lower 48 states and Canada primarily transporting commodities such as paper, clothing, foam cushioning and plastic bottles. The company’s newest division which will be located at the 1411 Wayne St Erie facility, Supply Chain Connection, will focus on offering logistics management services to new and existing customers. Supply Chain Connection has steady growth plan projections of 10 percent annually. The Greater Erie Industrial Development Corporation is an affiliated agency of the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County. GEIDC develops shovel-ready industrial land and facilities at a reasonable cost and is the main conduit for grants and loans through the Pennsylvania Land Recycling Act for site assessments and remediation of environmental contamination. In addition, GEIDC owns and leases space in several industrial buildings as well as Knowledge Park.

For the week of Jan 28 - Feb 3, Presque Isle Downs and Casino reported wagers of $34,656,134 and payouts of $31,661,437. Track handle from simulcast Thoroughbred racing isn’t released.

The parishioners of the Church of the Nativity, with the blessing of Metropolitan Laurus, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, invite all Orthodox Christians and their families to attend Orthodox Christianity in the 21st Century, the 2008 Orthodox Conference. This family conference will be held from June 17-22 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is the second conference hosted by the Russian Orthodox Old Rite parish. Divine Services will be conducted at the Church of the Nativity and conference sessions will take place on the beautiful campus of Mercyhurst College, located three miles south of the church. This conference is intended for all members of Orthodox families and also for all single individuals who may not have a family to accompany them. There will be daily lectures, workshops, and divine services along with meals and social events during the week. There will also be a full youth program for all youth from 4 years of age and above and a baby sitting service for infants of parents who wish to attend the conference.

Welcome back home to Jenson.

The climb to the top continues for the Gannon men’s basketball team. The Golden Knights jumped five spots and are ranked 10th in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)/Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll released Tuesday afternoon. Gannon has received a Top 10 ranking 34 times in the history of the national poll. The Golden Knights can clinch their first GLIAC quarterfinal home game since 2003-04 with a victory Thursday night against Hillsdale. Game time for the men’s game is scheduled for 7:30 pm with the ladies playing at 5:30 pm.

The Edinboro University men’s basketball team made its first appearance in the NABC/Division II Coaches Poll since February 2005. The Fighting Scots are ranked 25th in the latest poll, receiving 15 points. A week ago Edinboro was among “Others Receiving Votes”.

The Gannon wrestling team remained third in the latest NCAA Division II East regional rankings released Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Knights have been ranked third in three consecutive regional polls. Newberry (SC) overtook Pitt-Johnstown for the region’s top spot. Pitt-Johnstown dropped to second. Gannon, Mercyhurst, and Limestone rounded out the top five.

David Long of Cloverleaf High School will sign a letter of intent to play football at Merchyhurst College in Erie, PA. He played defensive end and running back but will switch to linebacker in college.

On Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 7:30 pm at the Tullio Arena, Troyer Farms and the Erie Otters will set a Guinness World Record at the Tullio Arena for “The Most People Eating Potato Chips at the Same Time!” In appreciation to their customers for the last 40+ years, Troyer Farms is asking chip lovers and sports fans to be part of history when the Otters face the Saginaw Spirit! The Guinness World Record Event will take place during the game. Chips will be distributed, and at the designated time, everyone together will CRUNCH! There is currently no record of this caliber in the Guinness Book, and with your help, we can put Troyer Farms on the map! Special buy one get one free ticket coupons for Saturday’s game are available on Troyer Farms products at participating Country Fair locations.

Every Wednesday is FREE admission to all four Erie Art Museum galleries from 11 am to 5 pm.

The Erie Playhouse production of Crowns will be performed Wed Feb 6 at 7:30 pm, Thu Feb 7 at 7:30 pm, Fri Feb 8 at 7:30 pm, Sat Feb 9 at 7:30 pm and Sun Feb 10 at 2 pm.

Darkwood Consort, the world’s only touring viola and bass clarinet duo, brings an impressive repertoire spanning 10 centuries of music to its February performance at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Darkwood’s concert takes place at noon on Thursday, February 7, in the McGarvey Commons of the college’s Reed Union Building. The performance is sponsored by Music at Noon: The Logan Series and admission is FREE to the public.

All An Act Productions presents Ray Cooney’s classic farce “Funny Money” at their space in Columbus Square on Friday February 8 and running , Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm through March 1 (no show Friday Feb 15) and Sundays at 4 pm February 10, 17, and March 2.

The 14th annual Sarah Backstrom Memorial Women’s and Girl’s Hockey Tournament will be held in Erie February 8-10, 2008. Admission is FREE to all games. About 1,000 young ladies plus family and friends will be in town for the weekend. Hotel rooms will be hard to come by and expect delays at restaurants. Who was Sarah Backstrom? She was a feisty red headed defensewoman who gave all off her love of the game and passion to play it to the Erie Lady Lions. Sarah fought every battle to the end, with passion and determination. The Erie Lady Lions lost Sarah to Leukemia but have never lost her spirit.

The Mercyhurst Dancers will present the 10th edition of their “Raw Edges” series of concerts of student choreography on Feb 9 and 10. The annual dance concert is a showcase for the Mercyhurst Dance Department and is the culmination of the work of Choreography II and III classes taught by dance faculty members Mark Santillano and Tauna Hunter, respectively. “Raw Edges X” will be presented Saturday, Feb 9, at 2 and 7 pm and Sunday, Feb 10, at 2 pm in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on the Mercyhurst campus. Tickets are: Adults, $15; Seniors/Students, $12.50; Youth under 15, $5; Mercyhurst Students, $1, President’s Cardholders, $7.50. They can be purchased at the door or by calling 824-3000. Each performance will include an intermission chat during which some of the young choreographers will speak about their new works and answer questions from the audience.

The Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail Wine and Chocolate Weekend will take place 10 am to 5 pm, Feb 9-10. Tickets, which can be purchased online or by phone, are $21 a person. None will be sold after Friday Feb 8. If you are unable to get tickets to the event, you can still visit the wineries for wine tastings, but you won’t get to sample the goodies and get the recipe cards.

The 6th annual “Spirit Against Cancer” Dance and Cheerleading Competition is scheduled for February 9 at 10 am in the Junker Center. “Spirit Against Cancer” was created in memory of Becky Hubler Decker. Her commitment to the community included serving as dance coach at Penn State Behrend, cheerleading coach at Edinboro University, she was captain of the Invaderettes dance team, and a member of the Buffalo Bills (Jills) dance team. All proceeds from this special event will benefit the American Cancer Society. For more information, please contact Assistant to the Director of Athletics, Stacy Pondo at (814) 898-6240 or by email at slp15@psu.edu.

The 41-year-old Expo Erie is set to become a technology summit of industrial leaders. The Technology Council of Northwest PA has partnered with the Erie Engineering Societies Council (EESC) to host the first Great Lakes Industrial Technology Summit on February 12 and 13 of 2008. The two day summit will feature regional products, address workforce development, innovation, technology and other competitive advantages for industry in the PA Great Lakes Region. Technology Council CEO, Perry Wood said, “The direction change in the Summit is part of the Council’s strategy to create an Advanced Manufacturing Network in northwest PA.” The Summit’s theme is Global Competitiveness and will host a series of speakers and special presentations on the topic. The term “advanced manufacturing” connotes a network of industry that embraces emerging technologies in order to tackle new markets, create efficiencies and innovate product lines.

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.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, February 17 from 12:30-3:30 pm and/or 8-11 pm and get ready to “rock and bowl” with the Erie Playhouse Family at Eastway Lanes, 4110 Buffalo Road. The cost for a Family/Team (4 or 5 bowlers) for one session is $80. Individual bowlers are welcome - Adults $20 and $15 for children 12 and under. Teams registering by Feb 14 will recieve a $10 discount. The cost includes 3 games, shoes (no discount if you bring your own) and unlimited pop and pizza. A cash bar and additional food will be available. Contests and games of chance throughout each bowling session.

On January 28, 2008, asteroid 2007 TU24 came within 300,000 miles of Earth—a safe distance, but one that reminds us that ours is not the only chunk of rock hurtling around the sun. Nearly 1,000 potentially hazardous asteroids, or PHAs, orbit the sun in the vicinity of Earth; one, Apophis, will be the subject of the next Open House Night in Astronomy at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Darren Williams, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the college, will present the one-hour program “Asteroid Apophis: Will it Hit the Earth?” at 7:30 pm on Thursday, February 21, in 101 Otto Behrend Science Building. His FREE lecture is intended for a non-technical audience and suitable for children at least 8 years of age; astronomical observing at the college’s Mehalso Observatory will follow, weather permitting.

The 2008 Erie Home and Garden Expo will be held February 21-24 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. Hours: Thursday 4-9 pm, Friday 2-9 pm, Sat 10 am - 8:30 pm and Sun 11 am to 5 pm.

On Friday, February 22, the Penn State Behrend RFID Center of Excellence and the RFID Project of the NWPA Technology Industry Partnership will host Eric Domski for a talk on Auto ID Technologies with SAP. Eric is the Auto ID Solution Director for SAP Labs. Eric will speak from 10-11am at the Research and Economic Development Center, Room 180 on the campus of Penn State Behrend in the new Black School of Business Auditorium. Although the talk with be centered around SAP, the concepts will also apply to other ERP and enterprise applications and will be a great source for solution ideas to anyone using, or considering use of AutoID. Eric will be available for questions after the talk. An early lunch is planned, so attendees must RSVP email Brian Zentis or call him at (814) 898-6704. This event counts as participation in the Technology Industry Partnership of Northwest PA, a partnership of the Technology Council, eBizITPA, Ben Franklin Partners CNP and Penn State Behrend’s RFID Center of Excellence. Why is that important? Participation allows your business access to grant dollars to offset training costs. The training dollars come from the PA Department of Labor and Industry in conjunction with the Workforce Investment Board of Northwest PA.

The 10th annual MECA Bar Stool Open will be held on Saturday February 23, 2008 in downtown Erie, PA. Entry fee is $100 per team of 4 golfers, $25 per person. Must be 21 years of age or older to participate. Click here to for the registration form.

Want a cure for the winter blahs? Got cabin fever? Come to the Community Board Game Night at Community United Church on Saturday Feb 23. Doors open at 7 pm, Games begin at 7:30 and end at 10 PM. Admission Donation: $2. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Under 18 years old must have guardian. This is an alcohol and smoke free event. Open to the public. We will play board games for groups such as Scruples, Pictionary, etc. Want to save on the admission? Bring grocery bags of empty recyclable aluminum beverage cans. For each bag, the admission will be reduced by 25 cents.

There will a fund raiser for Marine Sergeant Art Fuller on Saturday Feb 23 from 6 pm to 1 am at the North East Vet’s Club at 28 Vine Street in North East, PA. SGT Fuller suffered a stroke and is unable to return to work. The cost is $6 at the door which will cover food (chili, hot dogs and macaroni salad) from 6-9 pm. There will be a Chinese auction and cash bar available and the band Black Diamond will be playing from 9 pm - 1 am. SGT Fuller, an Iraq veteran, is from Corry Pa.

Documentary filmmaker Christopher Quinn and John Bul Dau, one of three Lost Boys of Sudan profiled in Quinn’s prize-winning feature film God Grew Tired of Us, will visit Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, in February as part of the college’s Speaker Series. Quinn and Dau will speak at 7:30 pm on Thursday, February 28, in the Reed Union Building’s McGarvey Commons. Additionally, the film God Grew Tired of Us will be shown at 7 pm on Wednesday, February 27, in 117 Reed Union Building, and at noon on Friday, February 29, in the Samuel P “Pat” Black III Conference Center in the college’s Research and Economic Development Center. Admission to all three events is FREE and open to the public.

The 2008 Erie Outdoor Sport and Travel Expo will be held February 29 - March 2 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. Hours: Noon-9 pm Friday, 10 am-8 pm Saturday and 10 am-5 pm Sunday.

Erie CareerLink is hosting Crystal Reports Training in both introductory and advanced sessions on March 3-6. Info and Registration form. Crystal Reports is a business intelligence application used to design and generate reports from a wide range of data sources. Several other applications, such as Microsoft Visual Studio, bundle an OEM version of Crystal Reports as a general purpose reporting tool. Crystal Reports became THE report writer when Microsoft released it with Visual Basic.

Pennsylvania Sea Grant is sponsoring a FREE one and a half day workshop March 13-14 at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie. The workshop will provide an update and overview of current ballast water policy, legislation and research as it applies to the Great Lakes. Scientists, legal experts, legislators, industry personnel and agency staff will discuss the current state of ballast water policy, pending legislation, proposed ballast water treatment methods and evaluating the current risk of introduction and spread of AIS to Great Lakes ports by foreign and domestic ships. For Registration form email Karla Kaczmarek, or Marti Martz.

As the signature event for Young Erie Professionals (yep!), the Generation-E Leadership Awards recognize young professionals who are paving the way to the future of Erie, Pennsylvania. Yep! has honored 34 individuals over the past three years who not only have chosen to live, work, and play in the Erie area, but who have made a lasting impact on our region. The 2008 winners will be recognized the evening of Friday, March 28 at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center.

The GE (NYSE: GE) 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on April 23, 2008 in Erie, Pennsylvania at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center.

There will be a Rust Belt Bloggers Summit on July 11-12 in Erie. People from Youngstown, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and other area cities will be attendance to discuss economic development issues in the region.

The Manufacturers’ Association and Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority annual Roar on the Shore motorcycle rally will be held July 17-20, 2008. While downtown Erie serves as the hub of the rally, related events take place throughout the city and region. Most notably, two outdoor concerts featuring major artists will be held Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19, at Liberty Park along Presque Isle Bay.

Dennis Weed

Posted by Dennis at February 6, 2008 7:06 AM

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