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Erie PA News and Events for Saturday April 12, 2008


The Federal Election Commission has the latest quarterly candidate financial reports posted. (Gave me a migraine.) Here’s the breakdown for the Pennsylvania 3rd Congressional District for fundraising between Jan 1and April 2.
Republican US Rep Phil English - $829,561 raised with $537,340 cash on hand. He is unopposed in the primary.
The four Democratic challengers: Kathy Dahlkemper, $212,223 raised with $73,555 cash on hand. Dahlkemper contributed $6,283 to her campaign and loaned the campaign $60,000. Mike Waltner, $155,638 raised and had $38,896 in cash. Tom Myers raised $139,791 and had a cash balance of $75,368. Myers contributed $25,000 to his campaign. Kyle Foust raised $116,048 and had a $42,971 cash balance.
The government of Costa Rica signed a deal with the Port of Cleveland. Costa Rica had previously used Miami as the destination for their products into the United States. Because of high diesel fuel prices, a spokesperson said it makes economic sense to ship directly to the midwest and distribute from there. A large percentage of the North American population (52 percent) is within 500 miles of Cleveland - and Erie.
Dave Skellie provided an update on Four Mile Creek, Four Mile Creek Ecosystem Gets Makeover, on the Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed Association web site.
Palace Business Centres recently launched their redesigned site. newline Creations of Erie did the design work.
Communications Corp of America has named Gary Sotir general manager at Channel 9-KTSM, the NBC affiliate serving El Paso and Southern New Mexico. Sotir once worked at WICU-TV in Erie.
The Erie SeaWolves fell on Friday night in a slugfest against the Binghamton Mets 18-13. The two teams combined to score 31 runs on 39 hits and eight errors in the game. The ‘Wolves and B-Mets meet in day game action on Saturday afternoon at 1:05. RHP Andrew Kown (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the mound for the ‘Wolves against RHP Jake Ruckle (0-0, 0.00 ERA). The first 1,000 fans walk away with a free SeaWolves magnet schedules and Schedule Posters sponsored by Two Friends Italian Market. Plus, show your AAA card at the ticket window when buying tickets and receive $2 off your Reserved Seat tickets.
The Erie RiverRats of the AIFA could not overcome four costly turnovers, two within the last minute of the first half, as they were defeated on the road by the Huntington Heroes by the score of 54-24. With the loss, Erie drops to 3-2, and heads into the weekend a half-game behind Reading in the Northern Division.
Mount Union College has named Leonard Reich its director of sports information. Reich at one time was an assistant in the Edinboro Athletic Department.
Canada and the United States will meet Saturday halfway around the world for the Women’s Ice Hockey World Championship. The participants for the gold-medal game were determined when the United States rallied from a 2-1 first period deficit to defeat Canada 4-2. Mercyhurst College women’s hockey players Meghan Agosta and Valerie Chouinard are members of Team Canada.
Edinboro University senior Ryan McLemore (Cleveland, OH/St Peter Chanel) has been one of 65 players selected to play in the Collegiate Basketball Invitational. The invitational is set for Thursday, April 24 to Saturday, April 26 in Wadsworth, Ohio.
Picture a bird, as far away as your eyes can see, getting even closer, until it soars overhead and you see-its an eagle-or a hawk-or a falcon! This is Hawk Watch 2008. Come to spy hawks as they migrate along the Lake Erie shoreline, participate in fun family birding activities, or take a hike to a 90 foot bluff or a hemlock-shaded ravine. No fee, no registration. Meet at 9 am today at Erie Bluffs State Park, 12 miles west of Erie on Route 5.
The Erie Runners Club 5K Poker Run/Walk will be held Saturday, Apr 12 at 9 am at Presque Isle State Park.
The Erie Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents “Pedals, Pipes and Pizza” - an introduction to the King of Instruments - the Pipe Organ! Participants will learn about how an organ works; see the insides of the instrument; have a chance to play music on one of Erie s magnificent pipe organs; hear music that showcases the organ (what other instrument is like having a full orchestra at your fingertips?) Event registration is at 9:30 am On Saturday April 12 at the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 250 W 7th st. After the morning activities, participants will walk one block to the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul, 134 W 7th st., for a free pizza lunch. The final concert will be First United Methodist Church, 707 Sassafras St. This event is FREE and includes a pizza lunch. Please call Erik Meyer at (814) 459-4340 or email him for questions.
Are you a stargazer? Learn about the lifecycles of stars at the Erie Planetarium show “The Stargazer” today April 12 at 1:30 pm. Follow a young boy as he becomes a professional astronomer. Appropriate for ages 8 and above. Then today at 3 pm “Why Coyote Howls: A Star Story” will be shown. This Sky Tellers program reveals a Chickasaw story about how constellations came to be. Appropriate for ages 5 and up. Cost for each show is $4 Adults, $3 Seniors, $2 Children, and $10 Family (2 Adults and up to 4 Children).
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 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.

All An Act Productions presents Edward Albee’s ” Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” through April 20. Adults tickets are $8 with students and seniors at $5. Show times are at 7:30 with special Sunday matinees at 3 pm on April 6 and 20. This show contains mature language and situations that some may find offensive. It carries an “R” rating.
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.
William Witherup, a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, will give a lunchtime recital at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Thursday, April 17. Witherup’s performance begins at 12:15 pm in the Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel. It is FREE and open to the public. The organist and choirmaster at Christ Episcopal Church in Meadville since 1970, Witherup also taught music in Crawford Central schools for 24 years. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and did post-graduate work at Carnegie Mellon University and the Royal School of Church Music, then in Croydon, England. He became a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists in 1980, and has served several terms as dean of AGO’s Erie Chapter.
Registrations are now open for the Northwest Pennsylvania Association of Educational Communications and Technology Tech Fair and Student Showcase to be held April 17th, 3:00-7:00PM at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie, PA.
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.
The Allegheny College Playshop Theatre concludes its 2008 season with a production of Suzan-Lori Parks’ daring play “Venus,” directed by Professor of Theatre Beth Watkins. The production will be performed at 8 pm on Thursday, April 17, through Saturday, April 19, and at 2:30 pm on Sunday, April 20, in the Playshop Theatre, which is located in Arter Hall on the Allegheny College campus. “Venus” is based on the true tale of a South African woman, Saartje Baartman, who was taken to England in 1810 and displayed as “the Venus Hottentot” in freak shows in London and the countryside. After Baartman’s death in Paris in 1815, a cast of her body was made and put on display in the Musee de l’Homme. Only recently, following an official request from Nelson Mandela in 2002, were her remains returned to her homeland. Tickets for “Venus” are $7.50 for adults; $5 for non-Allegheny students, senior citizens and Allegheny employees. With identification, Allegheny students are admitted at no charge. For more information or to order tickets, contact the Playshop Theatre Box Office at (814) 332-3414.
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.

Poet Malena Morling will read from her works at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, as part of the college’s Creative Writer’s Speaker Series. Morling’s reading will begin at 6 pm on Thursday, April 24, in the college’s Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel. A reception for her will precede the reading at 4:30 in the chapel’s first-floor living room; both events are FREE and open to the public.
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.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host the 36th annual Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference on Saturday, April 26. The all-day event will be held in the college’s Research and Economic Development Center. Registration for the Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference is open to the public; for details visit the conference link or phone Victoria Kazmerski, Penn State Behrend associate professor of psychology, at (814) 898-6246.
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.
The Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, US Commercial Service and the Gannon University SBDC are sponsoring a seminar, “Exporting: First Steps to Success”, on Tuesday, April 29 at the Bessemer Corporate Conference Training Center, 764 Bessemer St, in Meadville. Cost is $40.
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.
Dr Charisse Nixon will present “Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Adolescence” on April 30 at 7 pm at the Villa Lecture Hall on Villa Maria Elementary School’s campus. The event, hosted by The Ophelia Project, is free and open to the public. “Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Adolescence” will provide those involved in the lives of adolescents insight into the development challenges they are facing. Nixon will also address what adolescents need during this time, whether their outbursts are normal and more. Dr. Nixon is an assistant professor of psychology at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. To RSVP, e-mail or call 456-5437. Villa Lecture Hall on Villa Maria Elementary School’s campus is located at 2551 8th Street, Erie, PA 16505. United Way of Erie County, Healthy Youth Development and Villa Maria Elementary School are supporters for this event. The Ophelia Project is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Erie, Pa. Recognized as a leader in assessing social conditions and advocating healthy, safe relationships, the organization partners with educational, civic and community leaders to educate and empower kids and adults across North America.
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.
The Erie County Bar Association and The Erie Runners Club Law Day 5k Run and Walk will be held Saturday, May 3 at 9 am. The race will start at the Erie County Courthouse.
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 12, 2008 8:03 AM








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