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Erie PA News and Events for Friday May 2, 2008

Erie Management Group has a new video on their site called ‘Erie: A Great Place to Live and Work.’ The link to the popup in on the right side of the site. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, wait till someone posts it on YouTube.

Gannon University has placed a job opening for the position of Director of Public Relations and Communications and Special Assistant to the President. The position is also on the Erie Blogs Job Board.

Attorney Rena Moakeh was hired to oversee the Erie County share of gaming revenue.

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) announced record earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 and for the six-months ended March 31, 2008. Highlights: Reported GAAP earnings for the second quarter increased over 21 percent to $95.0 million or $1.11 per share, an increase of $16.6 million, or $0.19 per share. Increased earnings in the Exploration and Production segment provided the bulk of the increase. Higher average commodity prices realized and increased natural gas production were the main drivers of the higher earnings. Quarterly operating results before items impacting comparability were $94.4 million or $1.10 per share, an increase of $21.3 million, or $0.24 per share, from the prior year’s second quarter.

The School of Engineering at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will welcome 20 regional and national sponsors to its annual Richard J. Fasenmyer Engineering Design Conference this Saturday, May 3, beginning at 8 am, in the Research and Economic Development Center (REDC). This year’s conference will feature 156 senior engineering students who will present their capstone projects, the final requirement for many before graduating on May 17. The half-day event includes 58 technical presentations. The conference is free to attend; all but two presentations are open to the public. Parking is available in the Junker Center parking lot and the REDC parking deck.

Despite the fact that auto crashes are the top killer of US teens, a recent survey by Erie Insurance and Lookin’ Out, the company’s teen driving awareness program, reveals that most teens consider themselves to be good drivers. But while most respondents (91 percent) believe they’re driving safely, their other answers told a different story. The survey, conducted in spring 2008 among 2,127 licensed drivers aged 16-19 at 16 Lookin’ Out participant schools, revealed a number of risky behaviors: Cell phone use among teens is high (76 percent regularly talk on a cell phone while driving); Text messaging while driving is common among teens (57 percent sometimes or often read or send text messages while driving); Most teens (93 percent) play loud music when they drive; and Nearly half (48 percent) admit they’re easily distracted when friends are passengers. “These survey results also reveal a real discrepancy between how students perceive their own driving behaviors and how they judge others’ habits behind the wheel,” said Mark Dombrowski, Public Relations supervisor at Erie Insurance. While 91 percent consider themselves good drivers, only about a third (34 percent) say their friends are good drivers. And nearly all (97 percent) of the respondents reported seeing other teens taking risks (speeding, not wearing seatbelts, etc.) while driving. According to the National Safety Council, young drivers aged 15 to 20 are involved in fatal traffic crashes at more than twice the rate as the rest of the population. The Erie Insurance-created Lookin’ Out program, which has 72 participating schools for the current school year, is unlike other teen driving programs because it’s rooted in positive peer influence. “Each activity is created by teenagers for their peers,” added Dombrowski. “We believe that helping to make teenagers better drivers will make the roads safer for everyone.”

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and Robert Morris University recently signed an affiliation agreement to offer students the opportunity to complete their medical education in two phases over an eight-year period. The deal was signed April 23 at Robert Morris University, in Moon Township, Pa. LECOM representatives Christine S Kell, PhD, Associate Dean of Preclinical Education, and John Wojtkielewicz, Facilitator/Admissions Associate, participated in the ceremony, along with RMU representatives Winston Erevelles, dean of the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, Maria Kalevitch, associate dean of that school and head of the Department of Science, and Provost David Jamison. The “4+4” LECOM Medical Program is established to provide select undergraduate students to continue their education in medicine at LECOM after completing specific course requirements at RMU. RMU will confer the Baccalaureate degree to students who have successfully completed the first four years of the program, and LECOM will confer the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree to students at the end of four years of medical school.

Thousands of elementary students in classrooms throughout 58 Pennsylvania school districts across the Commonwealth are showcasing the hands-on science learning a part of the statewide Science: It’s Elementary (SIE) initiative. During the SIE Showcases of Student Learning, students are facilitating and actively engaging parents, legislators and community members through science investigations sparked by hands-on, inquiry-based teaching and learning. Below is the Erie County schedule withcontact information for each Showcase of Student Learning: City of Erie School District, McKinley Elementary School, April 24, Cheryl Rush Dix (814-218-5038); City of Erie School District, Wayne School, May 16, 10 am - 2 pm, Cheryl Dix (814-218-5038); General McLane School District, James W Parker Elementary School, April 9, Steve Macfarlane (814-273-1033); and Girard School District, Elk Valley Elementary, May 27 ay 9-11 am, Donna Miller (814-774-5602).

The artwork of Edward E Jonasen will be featured at The Williamsport Frame Shop, throughout the month of May. His exhibition, “Time In Boxes” includes a variety of assemblages and box constructions. These non-representational reliefs are constructed from found objects, various textures, and an array of mixed materials. Jonasen is a native of Erie. He has lived and taught art in Williamsport since August 2000. He is a graduate of Mercyhurst College. Jonasen currently has a sizable collection of his sculptures on display in the Kada Gallery at 2632 W 8th St in Erie.

The Akron Aeros took down the Erie SeaWolves on Thursday afternoon at Canal Park by a score of 6-2. The loss was the second straight for the ‘Wolves who are now 14-12 on the season. The SeaWolves now head to Altoona to continue their six-day road trip on Friday night.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed defensive back Jovon Johnson of Erie. Johnson was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and played in three games for the Steelers that season, registering two total tackles. He attended Pittsburgh’s training camp in 2007 but was released prior to the start of the season. He joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Oct 5, 2007 and played in two regular season games for the Riders. Johnson has played this season for the Erie RiverRats.

College Hockey America (CHA) Commissioner Bob Peters will retire at the end of June. And that means another duty, albeit interim, for Mercyhurst Director of Athletics, Craig Barnett. Barnett will take over as interim commissioner for the CHA Women’s Conference in 2008-09 while Niagara AD, Ed McLaughlin, will assume a similar role for the men.

The OHL draft is Saturday morning. The Erie Otters, with the second pick, are expected to choose center Greg McKegg of the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs.

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 through May 5.

The Erie Playhouse presents Shakespeare in Hollywood through May 4. Magic and mayhem abound in this hilarious comedic ramp as Shakespeare’s most famous fairies magically materialize on the 1930’s Hollywood set of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The BrewErie at Union Station Mai Fest will be held Friday and Saturday, May 2-3. The weekend will feature the release of The BrewErie “Mai Honey Bock”, the Erie Brewing Company “Golden Fleece” Mai Bock, and the Sprague Farm and Brew Works “Kick Bock”. Great entertainment both nights with The Mans Room Band on Friday Night from 9-midnight and the Duke Sherman Blues Band on Saturday Night. from 9-1am. Mai Fest also marks the re-opening up The Trackside Beer Garden (THE best outside bar patio in Erie).

The Directors Circle Theatre will be presenting Rupert Holmes’ comic thriller “Accomplice” through May 17. Performances will be held Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm. The Directors Circle Theatre is located at 1001 State St on the second floor of the Renaissance Centre. For reservations please call (814) 451-1153.

The Erie Opera Theatre presents “La Traviata” Friday, May 2 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 4 at 2 pm at Erie Central Tech High School Performance Auditorium, 3325 Cherry Street in Erie.

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.

A public open house on Wednesday, May 7, will introduce the Erie community to the nursing education laboratories at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The open house is scheduled from 2 until 6 pm in the Benson Building, located on the west end of Penn State Behrend’s campus. Members of the nursing faculty will be on hand to explain the teaching features and equipment found in the college’s nursing technology laboratory and patient simulation center. Admission is free and open to the public.

St Martin Center is offering a free homebuying class that will take place Wednesdays from May 7 - May 28. The class will be from 6-8 pm at St Martin Center, located at 1701 Parade Street. During the four weeks, students will learn how to read loan documents, how to budget, what predatory lending is, how to determine what they can afford, and much more. For required registration, call (814) 452-6113 ext 221.

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 Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission is holding a seminar called Gaining Access to Europe on May 13 at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center, 7794 Peach Street in Erie. Cost is $50. You must register by May 6.

The Gannon University Small Business Development Center along with Paulsen Productions are sponsoring “From Service To Success”, a seminar for entrepreneurial veterans. It will be held May 20 at the Gannon Yehl Ballroom, 124 West 7th St in Erie. Cost is $15 and registration is required.

The Technology Council of Northwest PA brings you the 5th Annual Business Intelligence and Technology Summit (BITS) event that will be held on Wednesday, May 21 at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. This event presents an opportunity for IT managers, CEOs, and professionals to gather, discuss, and learn about the forces shaping our regions IT industry. This year’s BITS theme will focus on Emerging Technologies for Business. This one-day event will be host to a full day of seminars, workshops and product demonstrations. They will have 15 topic speakers, as well both a morning and luncheon keynote address. Register online.

KillerWolf Films is holding meetings/open auditions for their new feature film “Warriors of the Apocalypse” on Friday May 23 and Friday May 30. They will be held at the Playhouse Rehearsal space on 950 State Street in Erie from 6-9 pm both days. Shooting commences Saturday July 19 and wraps Sunday July 27, with filming being in the Northwestern PA area and possibly a few dates on the NJ/PA/NY border. KillerWolf Films latest release, “Fist of the Vampire”, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com and is to be released worldwide July 8 from Maxim Media International/Brain Damage Films. KillerWolf Films is co-owned by Erieite Len Kabasinski and Meadville,PA native Lisa McQuiston.

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.

The Saint Vincent Sports Medicine 2008 Edinboro Triathlon will be held March 31. You can register here.

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.

The Erie Summer Festival of the Arts will be held June 27-29 at Liberty Park.

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 May 2, 2008 7:03 AM

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