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Erie PA News and Events for Tuesday February 26, 2008

Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park Resort revealed their planned $6 million, 22,000 sq ft expansion. It will be a wave pool on the SE section of the property attached to the main building. It will still be open every day during construction. They are holding a contest to name the pool and pick a new mascot. The number of people the place attracts is stunning. I’d bet there were 1,000 people in the place by 10 am. And that’s a Monday morning, in February. With an average admission price of over $30 per person, you can see why they can afford to expand. This will be the third expansion and as soon as their done with that, they’ll start plans for a fourth expansion.

There is a bit of frustration with the speed of the investigation into the murder of Lindsay Graygo. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s tip line at (734) 973-7711 or or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP. funeral arrangements
Her friends on Facebook are discussing setting up a scholarship in her memory.

The eMarketing Learning Center at eBizITPA is researching the current attitudes, challenges, opinions and strategies to bridge the gap between Marketing and IT professionals through an online survey. Professionals in Marketing, Graphic Design, Media, Communications, Advertising, Programming, Information Technology, Information Services, Web Development/Design or IT service providers in Pennsylvania are invited to participate. PLEASE take the survey. Dr Kathy Noce Professor of Management Information Systems at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College, who is administering the survey said, “The barriers need to be broken down between these two departments. With the vital need for internet marketing, Marketing and IT departments need to come together and build bridges for growth opportunities.” The survey is sponsored by the Center for Business and Advanced IT: eBizITPA, The Sam & Irene Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend, eMarketing Learning Center at eBizITPA and the eMarketing Special Interest Group. Cathy Von Birgelen, Program Manager for the eMarketing Learning Center at eBizITPA said, “Because e-marketing activities can easily be measured, marketers need to understand how their campaign activities can be tracked and then optimized to improve results. To ensure the successful implementation of e-marketing programs, these two groups need to collaborate and agree on the process.”

Lora and Bobby are leaving Louisiana on Thursday for Erie, PA to celebrate Bobby’s “16th Birthday.” Bobby is a Leap Year baby and only gets to really celebrate every four years. They said the pressure is on Erie to show them a great time. Why are they coming to Erie? To visit their daughter, Camille, of the VisitErie ambassadors The Jennings (The Jennings Secede From the South).

John Kanzius, snowbirding from Erie in his Sanibel, Florida home, will hold a seminar along with representatives from Lee Memorial Health System and MD Anderson Medical Center on his breakthrough cancer treatment machine on Tuesday, March 4 at South Fort Myers High School. If you’re in the area and wish to attend, reservations are required by calling (239) 335-7595.

With record total enrollment, consistent top-tier national and best value rankings by US News and World Report, and increasing financial support from Gannon University and Villa Maria alumni, trustees, friends, and local and regional business leaders, corporations, and foundations, Gannon University is poised for continuous growth and success. The University is very grateful for the support received thus far to The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign.
Gannon launched the public phase of The Power To Transform Campaign in May, 2006. To date, the University has raised $28 million, or 94 percent of the $30 million Campaign goal. The $28 million in gifts to the campaign is in addition to $7 million that University has received in state and federal funding over the past five years, including a $4 million state capital grant to establish the region’s first-ever technology incubator, which will open on campus in summer 2008.
Gannon recently received a $1 million gift from Mr James E. Winner, Jr on behalf of the Winner Foundation. Mr Winner, a native of Transfer, Pa, is the CEO, President and Founder of Winner International, a successful consumer products company, and The Winner, Inc in Sharon, Pa. Winner developed The Club, the original patented vehicle steering wheel lock, and the number one selling mechanical anti-theft device for cars and trucks worldwide. In addition to Winner International, Mr Winner owns and operates The Radisson in Shenango Township, Pa, and Tiffany’s, a banquet hall facility in Brookfield, Ohio. The hotel and banquet center are managed by Winner Hotel Group. Winner is chairman of the Board of Winner International Inc. and other Winner businesses, including: Winner Aviation, the private flight side of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Youngstown, Ohio; and Tara, a country inn located in Clark, Pa. In the Sharon, Pa, area, Winner and his family own, and manage Winner Steel, an advanced galvanizing facility, as well as clothing stores, a culinary school, an inn, day spa and an art gallery.
Erie Insurance Group has also agreed to support The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign with its recent gift of $250,000 to name the Erie Insurance Learning Center in Room 101 of the Zurn Science Center on West Seventh Street. The Zurn Science Center, which is more than 35 years old, is about to undergo extensive renovations that will transform the building into a state-of-the-art academic and research facility to support Gannon’s science and engineering programs. Some of the donations to The Power To Transform Campaign will be used to fund a substantial portion of the Zurn renovations. Planned renovations will include the creation of more interior space for research, educational programming, and the addition of eight new laboratories. The renovation of Zurn and The Power To Transform Campaign represent an ongoing investment to: attract and retain high quality Gannon faculty and students, enhance a facility that will help advance learning and research, and strengthen Gannon’s roles in the scientific and engineering communities. The Erie Insurance Learning Center will serve as a technology-rich classroom, but will also be used for conferences, workshops and lectures sponsored by Gannon’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the forthcoming Erie Technology Incubator (ETI), and for other events open to the public.

A grant from the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, and the International Council for Canadian Studies will subsidize housing and excursion costs for Penn State Behrend students studying in Toronto this summer. Robert Speel, associate professor of political science, pursued the $7,000 grant to assist students enrolled in his summer session course North American Politics, which will meet at Ryerson University in downtown Toronto between May 12 and June 6. This Penn State Education Abroad course is team-taught by Speel and Gregory Inwood, professor of politics and public administration at Ryerson. “Because Ryerson students also are enrolled in the course, it’s a great opportunity for Penn State students to meet their Canadian contemporaries and exchange perspectives on political issues and attitudes in both a classroom and residential setting,” Speel said. “When I first taught this course two years ago we had lively discussions on how our respective countries handled controversial issues like involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, drug control, gay marriage, border security, and control of Arctic resources. Many Americans are unaware that along with sharing the longest international border in the world, the United States and Canada are the largest international trade partners in the world. One-third of all international exports from Pennsylvania go to Canada, far more than any other country. In addition, Canada is the largest international source of oil imports into the United States, more than any individual country elsewhere.”

Rivals.com reported that McDowell linebacker AJ Fenton has received scholarship offers from Pitt and Syracuse. West Virginia, Miami (Ohio), Akron, Penn State, Boston College, Vanderbilt and Maryland are also showing interest.

Despite opening the season with a convincing 9-3 win on the road against Queens (NC), the Mercyhurst men’s lacrosse team dropped one spot to No 3 in the first United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Coaches Poll of the 2008 season.

Rabbi Sydney Schwarz, named by Newsweek magazine in 2007 as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America, will present the annual Samuel Schick Lecture at Allegheny College on Tuesday, Feb 26 at 7 pm in the Tillotson Room of the Tippie Alumni Center at Cochran Hall. Schwarz will speak on “Religion, Social Justice and the Common Good: A Jewish Perspective.” The presentation is FREE and open to the public.

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.

Erie native Steve Scully of C-SPAN will be at Gannon University on Wednesday, Feb 27, as the speaker for the annual Chautauqua at Gannon Lecture. Scully’s lecture, “Campaign 2008: How did we get to this point, and what’s going to happen next?” is FREE and open to the public and will begin at 7:30 pm in room 104 of the Zurn Science Center, 143 West Seventh Street. Scully will discuss the recent Democratic and Republican primaries and assess the race heading to the November election. The Chautauqua at Gannon series annually has featured prominent lecturers addressing various topics related to politics and public and international affairs. Scully’s lecture will be the 35th in the Chautauqua at Gannon series; Scully also served as the Chautauqua at Gannon speaker in 2004. Sponsors of the program are Gannon University, the Chautauqua Institution, and the Gannon University Activities Programming Board. Steve Scully is C-SPAN’s Senior Executive Producer and Political Editor. Since 1990, Scully has been responsible for the planning and editing of all campaign programming, including presidential and congressional elections for the public affairs cable network. In addition, he manages a team of field producers who are responsible for the coverage of law and the courts, history, and international programming. Scully is an Erie native and is the 14th child in a family of 16 that also has five sets of twins. He and his wife, Kathryn, live in Virginia and have three children.

The Allegheny College Playshop Theatre continues its 2007-2008 season with Diana Son’s deeply moving play “Stop Kiss” under the direction of Assistant Professor of Theatre Mark Cosdon. “Stop Kiss” will be performed at 8 pm on Thursday, Feb 28, through Saturday, March 1, and at 2:30 pm on Sunday, March 2, in the Playshop Theatre, which is located in Arter Hall on the Allegheny College campus. Terri Clark, master’s degree of public health, will lead a discussion following Friday’s performance. “Stop Kiss” is a contemporary love story centered on two young women. Their deep, intimate friendship moves tentatively toward love, when suddenly the two are the victims of a particularly heinous hate crime. In the maelstrom of ensuing media scrutiny, the two women are forced to reevaluate their commitment to each other. “Stop Kiss” features a talented ensemble of Allegheny performers, including Lizzy Pecora (Pittsburgh, Pa) as Callie; Carrie Miller (Pittsburgh, Pa) as Sara; Shaun Hayden (Wilmette, Ill) as George; Brian Henderson (Wilmington, Del) as Peter; Katy Grant (Pittsburgh, Pa) as Mrs. Winsley/Nurse; and Corey O’Connor (Pittsburgh, Pa) as Detective Cole. Marianne Broome (Pittsburgh, Pa) serves as the production’s stage manager. Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Ellen E Jones designed sets and lights. The costume designer is Gail Kralj. Jim Sumerfield is the sound designer. Tickets for “Stop Kiss” are $7.50 for adults; $5 for non-Allegheny students, senior citizens and Allegheny employees. Admission is free for Allegheny students with identification. Audiences should note that “Stop Kiss” contains language and situations some may find offensive. For more information or to order tickets, contact the Playshop Theatre Box Office at (814) 332-3414.

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.

The Community Shelter Services Spaghetti Sauce Cook-Off will be held Noon-4 pm on Sunday March 2 at the Brewerie at Union Station. Call (814) 455-4369 for tickets. Community Shelter Services provides temporary emergency shelter, meals and referrals to homeless families and individuals.

Pink Martini will perform at the Mercyhust College Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center on Sunday, March 2 at 7 pm. After playing a packed house on their first visit, Pink Martini returns this time drawing heavily on music from their new CD, Hey Eugene! Tickets run $25 for students to $45 for Gold Members. For tickets, call the box office at (814) 824-3000.

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. Too late. Classes are filled.

The 2008 National Christian Invitational Basketball Tournament will be held at Family First Sports Park March 6-8. The preps and postgrads will play March 13-15.

The Aspen Ensemble, a mixed quintet of flute, piano and strings drawn from the famed Aspen Music Festival, will perform at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Thursday, March 6. Aspen Ensemble appears at the college as part of Music at Noon: The Logan Series. The performance will begin at noon in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building; admission is FREE and open to the public.

Melanie Rae Thon, once named a Best Young American Novelist by Granta magazine, will give a public reading from her works on Thursday, March 6, as part of the Creative Writer’s Speaker Series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Thon will read at 6 pm in the Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel; a reception for her will begin at 4:30 pm in the chapel’s ground-floor meeting room. Both events are free and open to the public.

Erie County Judge Michael Dunlavey will speak about international and Middle Eastern relations on Thursday, March 6, at 7:30 pm, in Mercyhurst North East’s Alex Theater, 16 W Division St, North East. Dunlavey is a retired two-star general in the U.S. Army Reserve and a Vietnam veteran with 30 years of military intelligence experience. He was put in charge of global anti-terrorism operations by US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, and oversaw interrogations at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay in Cuba from March to November 2002. The presentation is free and open to the public. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.

Get into the Irish spirit at the “Patti Sullivan and Friends Irish Concert,” Sunday, March 9, at 2 pm, in St Mary’s Chapel on the Mercyhurst North East campus, 16 W Division St., North East. Sullivan, MNE’s music director, will be joined by barbershop chorus Lake Erie Sound, the Rev Bill Sutherland, and Irish step dancers Rince Na Tiarna for an afternoon of entertainment. The performance is free and open to the public, and refreshments will follow. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.

Learn how to create Old World Easter eggs at “Easter Eggstravaganza!” a hands-on workshop, on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:30 pm, in Miller Hall 116 on the Mercyhurst North East campus, 16 W Division St, North East. Larry Kozlowski, director of student life at MNE, will share his expertise and talent in this ancient, beautiful art form. The workshop is free and open to the public. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.

Gannon University’s Small Business Development Center is presenting the first annual WILD Conference on Thursday, March 13 from 8 am to 2 pm. The Conference will be held at the Ambassador Conference Center located at 7792 Peach Street, Erie, PA 16509. The Conference will involve “women presenting to women” and focus on the areas of: wellness, leadership and personal development. It is anticipated that 150-300 women from Northwestern Pennsylvania will attend this unique event. The nationally prominent Keynote speakers highlighting the day are: Soni Dimond, Publicist, Speaker, author of Life’s A PITCH! As well as CEO of Soni Dimond Media; Jean Gatz, author of Mama Said There’d be Days Like This: Stories and Strategies for Less Stressed Life. The First Annual WILD Conference Chairwoman is Leah Elizabeth Humphries, Owner and President of the following companies: Apple Creative Group, Leah Elizabeth Jewelry, and My Heart Ties. In addition, women businesses will exhibit their products and services throughout the day and there will be several opportunities to learn from seminars, panelists and individual speakers focusing on the knowledge, passion and energy of women helping women. Limited seating. Tickets $75 (includes breakfast, lunch and gift bag). Make your reservations now. Call (814) 871-SBDC (7232) or toll-free (877) 258-6648.

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.

The Presque Isle Parrothead Club will hold a St Patrick’s Day Bash on Saturday March 15 at the Cathedral Center, 160 West 11th Street. Free parking behind Cathedral Center on West 10th. Music 8-midnight by DJ Michael John. Doors open at 7 pm. Ticket price includes beer, pop and snacks. BYOB, if you don’t want beer. $10 advance ticket, $12 at door. Prize for best dressed St Patty’s Day Attire. Basket of Cheer, raffle for an iPod Touch, raffle - $5/chance, 50/50 and more. For tickets call Heidi
Grumblatt at 384-0741 or via email her at heidi_grum@yahoo.com.

Arts and Drafts will be held March 27-29 at the Brewerie at Union Station. Over 30 artists will have their works exhibited, a number of local bands will perform in the 3 day arts celebration, and you’ll have the chance to enjoy excellent drafts from the Erie microbrewery. Admission is FREE. Hours are 12 noon to close each day.

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.

Calling all artists and those who love art! A community art show, “Throughout The Spectrum: Exploring Autism Through Art,” will be sponsored by the Barber National Institute in commemoration of Autism Awareness Month. The show, which provides an exciting opportunity to come together to discover all aspects of autism through various forms of artistic expression, will be held April 4-9 at the Barber National Institute. Who can submit art work include: Children and adults with autism spectrum disorders who want to share their creative work; Family members or professionals whose lives are touched by autism; and Artists from the community who want to show their support for autism. Entries will be accepted on Friday, March 14 and Monday, March 17 from 9 am - 4 pm, and on Saturday, March 15 from 9 am - noon in the north lobby of the Barber National Institute. The art show will be open for public viewing in the north complex of the Barber National Institute on Friday, April 4, and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 7, 8, and 9, from 9 am - 4 pm, and on Sunday, April 6, from 1-4 pm. Admission is FREE - all are encouraged to attend! For more information about making a submission, including an entry form, please call (814) 878-5903, or click here.

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.

The charity bellydance event, “Shimmy for a Cure”, will be held May 31 at the Erie Playhouse in downtown Erie, PA. This event will benefit the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation.

Head Coach John T Reilly of Gannon University will conduct three sessions of basketball camp this summer. Sessions will be held June 9-13, June 23-27 and August 4-8. His coaching staff, area high school coaches and several of his players will serve as camp instructors. The sessions are designed as teaching camps that emphasize the fundamentals of the game of basketball. The camps are for students in Grades 3-10.

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.

Posted by Dennis at February 26, 2008 7:00 AM

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