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Erie PA News and Events for Sunday April 6, 2008
Excellent story by Ed Palattella on District Magistrate Judge Gerard Alonge of North East, PA who doesn’t seem to have to have a clue when it comes to women. It appears he’s coming close to stalking some women he has come in contact with. More than a bit disturbing.

Here’s the list of the Top 50 Erie County employers as of the 2nd quarter of 2007 according to the state (document). It’s a bit disturbing how many government bodies and non-profits, and how few real companies are on the list. Scott Enterprises would be high up on the list but employees are counted as working for individual companies (ie Applebee’s) under the Scott umbrella.
1 GE, 2 Hamot Medical Center, 3 Erie Insurance, 4 St Vincent Health Center, 5 State Government, 6 Wal-Mart, 7 Erie School District, 8 Federal Government, 9 Erie County, 10 Millcreek School District, 11 Dr Barber Center, 12 Plastek, 13 Verizon, 14 City of Erie, 15 Country Fair Convenience Stores, 16 Presque Isle Downs and Casino, 17 Lord Corp, 18 Career Concepts (employment agency), 19 Penn State Behrend, 20 Snap-Tite, 21 Edinboro University of PA, 22 Gannon University, 23 Wegmans, 24 West Telemarketing, 25 Mercyhurst College, 26 YMCA, 27 McDonalds, 28 Regional Health Services (medical insurance claim submission and collection services), 29 Tamarkin (medical), 30 Pleasant Ridge (nursing homes), 31 Welch’s, 32 Clinical Pathology Institute (Hamot and St Vincent owned co-op that does lab work), 33 Creditron (Telatron, telemarketing), 34 Infinity Resources (employment agency), 35 Parker White Metal, 36 St Mary’s (nursing homes), 37 Achievement Center (social service agency), 38 Lakeshore Community Services (social service agency), 39 Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit, 40 Adecco (employment agency), 41 Harbor Creek School District, 42 Erie Homes for Children and Adults (social service agency), 43 Millcreek Community Hospital (includes LECOM), 44 Lowe’s, 45 Penn Traffic (Quality Markets), 46 Erie Plastics, 47 Sarah Reed Childrens Center (social service agency), 48 Corry School District, 49 General McLane School District, 50 Modern Industries.
There is a press conference scheduled for Monday afternoon in Griswold Park which I’m guessing is to announce further funding for the City of Erie Downtown Erie Revitalization Plan.
The Erie County district attorney’s office received a $200,000 state grant to eliminate illegal slot machines in bars and clubs, and other illegal small gaming in bars. Club managers and bar owners better clean it up or they’ll be on TV being led away in handcuffs.

The Erie SeaWolves and Baysox went to extra innings for the third straight game in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader at Prince George’s Stadium with Erie prevailing in 10 innings 9-6 to improve to 3-0 on the season. The ‘Wolves won game one 3-2 in 9 innings of a scheduled 7 inning game.
Seven different players scored as the No 10 Mercyhurst Lakers men’s lacrosse team opened their home season with a 9-8 win over the Molloy Lions. The Lakers built up a sizable 6-1 lead going into the last two periods and held on through a late Molloy rally for the win.Mercyhurst improves to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the East Coast Conference.
Senior Christine Somera scored a season-high five goals in leading the Mercyhurst women’s water polo team to a 15-8 rout of rival Gannon Saturday evening. Earlier in the day, the Lakers nearly upset 17th-ranked Indiana, but fell just short, 11-7.
The Penn State Behrend women’s water polo team lost at home to Indiana and on the road at Gannon on Saturday. In Saturday’s early game, Behrend could not keep pace with the Division I Indiana Hoosiers, falling 17-3. In the second game, Behrend traveled across town to face the Golden Knights and were defeated by Gannon 18-8.
The Gannon women’s softball team split a doubleheader with Ashland winning game one 10-5 before falling 2-1 in the second game.
Jessica McNurlen went 3-for-4 with a pair of triples and drove in four runs as the Mercyhurst softball team rolled to a 6-0 victory in the opening game of its doubleheader with Findlay Saturday. Findlay came from behind to score a pair of runs in the fourth to win game two 3-2.
Shortstop Tim Lipp of Blackhawk High School announced he will attend Gannon University to play baseball.

The community art show, “Throughout The Spectrum: Exploring Autism Through Art,” will be held through April 9 at the Barber National Institute in commemoration of Autism Awareness Month. The show provides an exciting opportunity to come together to discover all aspects of autism through various forms of artistic expression. The art show will be open for public viewing in the north complex of the institute on Sunday, April 6, from 1-4 pm and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 7, 8, and 9, from 9 am - 4 pm. Admission is FREE - all are encouraged to attend. For more information, please call (814) 878-5903.
Gannon’s Center for Social Concerns is asking the community to join with the university in marching to end sexual assault and domestic violence. The Center for Social Concerns will sponsor the annual Take Back the Night march and rally on Monday, April 7. The events are FREE and open to the public. Those wishing to participate should gather at the Perry Square gazebo at 7 pm.
Wal-Mart pressures its 60,000 suppliers to reduce packaging waste. GE’s ecomagination campaign commits the company to solving the world’s environmental problems - and creating $10 billion in new revenue while doing it. What’s going on? Eco-consultant Andrew Winston has the answer: Business is talking about the environment because it has to. The limits of the natural world, from global warming to water scarcity, are obvious. Companies also face growing internal and external pressure. “There are two reasons you could choose to ride what I call the Green Wave,” Winston says. “One is that you feel it is the right thing to do. The second is that your customers, employees and stakeholders believe it’s the right thing to do. And the reality is that you don’t need number one.” Winston, founder of the consulting firm Winston Eco-Strategies and co-author of Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage, will discuss how environmental thinking can drive growth (and profit) at the next Speaker Series event at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Winston will speak at 7:30 pm Monday, April 7, in the McGarvey Commons of the college’s Reed Union Building. Admission is free and open to the public.
A fund raiser combat SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) will be held Tuesday, April 8 from 4:30 pm - 8:30 pm at Country Foods, 98 East Columbus Ave, Corry (Route 6). Adults $7, Kids $4. This dinner is being held in honor of Grady Louis Yatsko, son of John and Jen Yatsko, of Corry, PA. Grady passed away on October 19th, 2007 when he was just 4 months and 8 days old. He was a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - which means, in short, that he was a perfectly healthy baby who died with no warning, no cause, no explanation. The proceeds from this dinner will be sent to the American SIDS Institute to support their research efforts. Hopefully, together, we can make a difference and help to save other babies’ lives. Please help Grady and his family keep other families from suffering this kind of loss. The dinner includes Spaghetti and Meatballs, Soup and Salad Bar and Bread Service. There will be a chinese auction featuring artwork by Kevin-John Jobczynski. The artwork has a combined value of $2,700, including a Jerome Bettis lithograph autographed by Bettis. One lucky fan will have a chance to win a package that includes an Erie Riverrats football, autographed by the entire team, a Kevin-John Jobczynski litograph of Jovon Johnson autographed by Johnson, and to be on the field for the coin toss at an upcoming game. Tickets are available at the door, but we are doing a presale on tickets so they know how many to cook for. If you would like to purchase a presale ticket, please email Jen Yatsko. Tickets are available now.
The Erie Bloggers will be meeting again Tuesday April 8 at Pio’s Italian Restaurant, 815 East Avenue 7-9 pm. This is a social gathering of those who blog, those interested in blogging, interested in learning about blogging and those who want to meet their favorite bloggers. No notes or speeches. Just sharing a cold one and hot food.
The Erie Community Health Fair, “What’s the Buzz? Bee Your Best!” will run from 4-7 pm on Thursday April 10 at the John E Horan Community Center, 730 Tacoma Road. FREE and open to the public. The fair will focus on areas like fire safety, bicycle safety, and healthy recipes and nutrition. Attendees also will be able to partake in family-oriented fun activities, and children can play in a Dino Jump. Prizes and food provided. The event will be hosted by the Gannon University Nursing Center. For more information, call Gannon University’s Villa Maria School of Nursing at (814) 871-5523.
Gannon University’s Schuster Theatre presents “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby.” Adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens by David Edgar; music and lyrics by Stephen Oliver. Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Play, this extraordinary event has thrilled and delighted audiences since it first was staged 25 years ago. The performance is the story of a young gentleman, his mother, and sister who fall on hard times after the death of his father. The audience is taken on a roller coaster ride that eventually comes to a celebration of mankind’s capacity for kindness and reconciliation. The play is performed in two segments. Showtimes are: April 10: part I, 7:30 pm April 11: part II, 7:30 pm April 12: part I, 1 pm; part II, 7:30 pm April 17: part I, 7:30 pm April 18: part II, 7:30 pm April 19: part I, 1 pm; part II, 7:30 pm. Schuster Theatre is located at 620 Sassafras Street. For more information, contact the Schuster Theatre box office at (814) 871-7494, or call (814) 871-7493.

Gannon University’s Erie Chamber Orchestra: Conducted and directed by Bruce Morton Wright will perform in concert on Friday, April 11 at 7:30 pm at Gannon’s Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, 512 Peach Street. The concert is FREE and open to the public. This concert will feature soloist Laura Nelson (alp horn).
The Gem City Jazz Ensemble, 20-member jazz band under the direction of Scott Tomlison, presents afternoon entertainment 2:30-4 pm on Sunday April 13 at the All Season’s Marketplace and Flea Market in the Millcreek Mall Pavilion (Next to Dick’s), 2080 Interchange Rd, Erie PA. The performance is FREE and open to public. For additional information visit online at or (814) 899-8467.

The St Martin Center 10th annual Homeownership Expo will be held Tuesday, April 15 at the Erie County Blasco Library, 160 East Front St in Erie. There will be info on new homes, mortgages, homeownership programs, re-financing options, avoiding predatory lenders, fair housing issues, home inspections, home improvement loans, lead paint issues and more. Admission is FREE, no registration is required and everyone is welcome to attend.
Local historian, author and mariner Dr David Frew will present a visual account of his newest book, “Dreams Afloat: The Nolans and Erie Boat Building,” on Tuesday, April 15, at 7:30 pm, in Alex Theatre on the Mercyhurst North East campus, 16 W Division St, North East. The book provides a pictorial history of Erie’s ship building heritage through an in-depth look at the Nolan family. The event is FREE and open to the public. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.

The Gannon University annual English Awards Night will be held Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 pm in the Yehl Room of the Waldron Campus Center, 124 West Seventh Street. The event is FREE and open to the public. The winners of the High School Poetry Contest will be announced and awards will be given. In addition, Ted Kooser will be the featured speaker for the event and will read a selection of his poetry. Kooser is one of the most distinguished voices in contemporary poetry, having served as the United States Poet Laureate from 2004-06. He has published 11 books of poetry and his many awards include the Pulitzer Prize, the Pushcart Prize, the Stanley Kunitz Prize, the James Boatwright Prize, and two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships. For more information, contact Berwyn Moore, associate professor, Gannon English department, at (814) 871-7504.
The Office of Adult and Graduate Programs at Mercyhurst College will host an Open House on Thursday, April 17, from 4-7 pm, at the Catherine McAuley Adult Education Center, 511 E 34th St. (at the corner of 34th and Wallace). Prospective students can meet with admissions and financial aid staff and learn more about Mercyhurst’s bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, teacher certifications and post-baccalaureate certificates. Refreshments will be served. Call (814) 824-2270 for more information.
Two members of the creative writing faculty at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will read from their newest works on Thursday, April 17, in the Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel. The readings by George Looney, associate professor of creative writing and English, and Tom Noyes, assistant professor of creative writing, will begin at 6 pm. Admission is FREE and open to the public. Looney’s novella Hymn of Ash (Elixir Press, 2008) is winner of the national 2007 Elixir Press Fiction Chapbook Competition. Tom Noyes will read from Spooky Action at a Distance and Other Stories (Dufour Editions, 2008), a collection of short fiction that was runner-up for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs’ 2006 Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction.
Roger Knacke, professor of physics and astronomy and director of the School of Science at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host the next Open House Night in Astronomy on Thursday, April 17. “Sending a MESSENGER to Mercury: A Mission Update” will share the latest research on and photos of the mysterious Mercury beginning at 7:30 pm in 101 Otto Behrend Science Building. Admission is FREE and open to the public; weather permitting, astronomical viewing from the college’s Mehalso Observatory will follow. On January 14, NASA’s MESSENGER, the first spacecraft to visit Mercury in 33 years, swept by the planet at an altitude of just 125 miles. “Because Mercury is the planet closest to the sun, it is difficult to see and to study,” Knacke said. “This small, hot world still holds many mysteries, like how it can be almost 70 percent iron, and how it was formed so close to the sun.” Knacke also noted that Mercury’s surface records traces of the second-largest impact in all of the solar system. “There was a catastrophic hit by an object estimated to have been 90 miles in diameter that left a crater about 960 miles across. How did that event affect the surface and interior of Mercury?” MESSENGER will make two more rendezvous with Mercury before settling into orbit around the planet in March 2011.
“schism” is the story of one man’s descent into Alzheimer’s dementia. The movie by John C Lyons of Lyons Den Productions has it’s premier at Louis C Cole Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania on Thursday, April 17 at 8 pm. You can purchase tickets for $5 right now. They go up to $7 the week of the premiere. John uploaded a couple of clips (Clip 1, Clip 2) on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.
The Family Services of Northwestern Pennsylvania 26th annual Bowl For Kids’ Sake will be held April 18 and 25 at Greengarden Lanes.
Prospective students can visit Mercyhurst North East for an Open House on Saturday, April 19, from 10 am - noon, at the Michele and Tom Ridge Health and Safety Building on the MNE campus, 16 W Division St, North East. Learn about MNE’s two-year associate degrees and one-year certificate programs, meet with admissions and financial aid staff, and tour campus. Call (814) 725-6144 for more information.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, hosts an evening of English, French and Italian art songs presented by Salvatore Champagne, associate professor of singing at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, on Monday, April 21. Champagne’s recital will begin at 7:30 pm in the Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel and is free and open to the public. He will be accompanied by John Champagne, his brother and an associate professor of English at Penn State Behrend.
Got Math Game? Elementary math education students and faculty at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host two Elementary Parent Math Night events to help moms and dads help their young children. “These nights are free and open to all parents of local elementary-age kids,” said Danielle Goodwin, assistant professor of mathematics education and program host. “We’ll share fun math activities and games they can use at home to build their child’s math skills and number sense.” Goodwin added that the evenings are “for adults only. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate children.” Elementary Parent Math Nights are scheduled on Thursday, April 17, and Tuesday, April 22. Both will be held from 5:30 until 7:30 pm in 114 Reed Union Building. There is no cost to attend, but reservations are mandatory and may be made by e-mailing Danielle Goodwin or phoning her in the Penn State Behrend School of Science at (814) 898-6090.
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 Saint Vincent Auxiliary invites you to join them for A Runway Event from Noon - 2 pm on Wednesday, April 23 at the Lakeshore Country Club, 5950 Lakeshore Drive in Erie. Doors open at 11:30 am for shopping. Fashions by Talbot’s followed by a light luncheon. $25.00 per person. Registration - Checks payable to St Vincent Auxiliary, mail to: Sue Krzeszewski, 725 East 34th Street, Erie, PA 16504. RSVP prior to April 16th, 2008. Proceeds benefit the projects of the Saint Vincent Auxiliary. For additional information call: Jackie at (814) 452-5323.
Michael Acri Boxing Promotions presents the 2008 debut of undefeated former IBF lightweight champion “The Pittsburgh Kid” Paul Spadafora. Returning to the ring for the first time in over a year, Spadafora (40-0-1), fighting in a 10-round welterweight bout against an opponent to be named shortly, headlines a six-bout card at The Avalon Hotel in Erie, PA (16 West 10th Street) on Friday, April 25. Tickets, priced at $60 (Golden Ringside), $40 (Ringside), and $20 (General Admission), go on sale Monday March 10, and can be purchased at the Avalon Hotel, Dee’s Cigar Store, Pony Express (1903 W 8th St) and the Ringside Restaurant. The card will also feature Cincinnati super middleweight Stephan Pryor (10-3-1), Erie heavyweight Rocky Mullooly (2-1), Pittsburgh middleweight Chris Archer (9-2), and the pro debut of heavyweight Andres Taylor from Johnstown, PA.
Students from the Mercyhurst North East Dance Institute and a group of Mercyhurst musicians will combine their talents in a performance on Sunday, April 27, at 2 pm in St. Mary’s Chapel on the Mercyhurst North East campus, 16 W Division St., North East. The event is free and open to the public. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.
OneRepublic and Fabolous will perform an outdoor concert on April 29 at 7 pm at the Gannon University Athletic Field. In case of rain it will be moved indoors to the Gannon Hammermill Center. Tckets go on sale Monday March 17 at GannonTickets.com.

here.
On April 29, three well respected local Business Leaders are pooling their knowledge and experience in order to help their fellow Professionals and Business Owners. They have put together a high impact conference for The Ultimate Executive. The three presenters and creators of The Ultimate Executive are, Tom Kennedy (Business Leader and Real Estate Developer), Steve Rosen (President of Domino Effect, Inc), and Tom Benson (Training Director, JL Nick Associates). The cost of admission is $69 before March 31 and $79 after April 1. Group rates are also available, call for details. The conference will be held at the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel in Erie, PA from 8 am till noon. A continental breakfast is included.
The Moving Wall, the half-size replica of the Washington DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial that has been touring the country for more than twenty years, will be on display in Edinboro, PA May 1-5.
New Found Glory will perform a concert at the Edinboro University McComb Fieldhouse on Saturday May 3 at 8 pm. Tickets are available online or at the Edinboro University Pogue Student Center SGA Convenience Store.
In celebration of The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2008 Preservation Month theme, “Place Matters,” the Erie Center for Design and Preservation is hosting a lecture, seminar and walking tour on May 9-10. All three events are FREE and open to the public. The internationally-known founder of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, Mr. Arthur Ziegler, will be the featured speaker at the Erie Center for Design and Preservation’s first public event. Ziegler’s lecture, “The Good Works of Historic Preservation,” will be delivered Friday, May 9 at 7 PM in the Orientation Theatre of the Erie Maritime Museum, adjacent to the Blasco Memorial Library on Erie’s Bayfront. Ziegler says “historic preservation should be looked upon as both a cultural and economic development tool, leading to community revitalization, local investment, jobs, and a better quality of life.” On Saturday morning, May 10, the Erie Center for Design and Preservation (ECDP) will sponsor a seminar on historic preservation. Topics include: an overview of the National Register of Historic Places, the economics of preservation, and the tax credits afforded to property owners who rehabilitate historic buildings. The seminar will be held Saturday, May 10 from 9 AM to Noon at the Erie Art Museum Annex, 20 East 5th Street. On Saturday afternoon, May 10 , Mr Jeff Kidder AIA of Kidder Wachter Architecture will offer a 90 minute architectural walking tour of lower State Street and Perry Square. Kidder will meet members of the tour on the front steps of the Erie Art Museum, 417 State Street at 1 PM. Kidder will discuss the history of the City of Erie, neighborhood changes and attributes of the remaining historic structures. Kidder believes that “historic preservation in Erie is an effective tool for managing growth, revitalizing neighborhoods, fostering local pride and maintaining community character while enhancing livability.” Kidder serves on the City of Erie Planning Commission, the Downtown Improvement District board, the Erie Center for Design and Preservation board, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Historic Preservation board.
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.

Posted by Dennis at April 6, 2008 8:03 AM
Comments
Regarding the recent list of top 50 employers in Erie County, you are very wise to mention and be concerned about the number of government and service industry companies listed. In fact, by my count, there are only 7 true manufacturing companies listed out of the top 50.
Economists have long preached about the need for USA to have open borders and a truely free market. Even though Japan, China, Korea and most other countries do not. I am waiting for an economist to explain how an economy can exist and prosper when it does not make anything. It has only government and service jobs.
Posted by: Bob Martter at April 6, 2008 11:27 AM







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