Erie PA Today News, Events and Info for today, Thursday, November 13, 2008

The Erie School Board and the Erie Education Association, the teachers union, approved a 5 year contract between the teachers and the School District of City of Erie. This is their joint version of Sex Ed called Screw The Taxpayers as it will cost an estimated $2 million more each and every year. The teachers voted during the day and approved it by over a 9-1 margin. The Erie School Board, all Democrats, passed it by an 8-1 vote. Both sides only had hours to review the contract. It was finished only the night before. Each side will spend more time reviewing the menu and preparing for their respective Christmas parties than this contract. Only board member Jeanine McCreary voted against the contract. McCreary read from a prepared statement that sounded like she was announcing a run for another office (Erie City Council?). Next year the average salary for a teacher in Erie will be close to $50,000.

The trial of Terry Sherlock of Union City began yesterday. Sherlock, by his own admission, shot and killed Kenneth Himrod who had molested his son. The prosecution has called it a premeditated murder.

The 3 week trial of former Judge Michael Joyce got a bit interesting yesterday on the day the defense rested it's case. FBI Agent Kelly Smith pretty much said some of the Judges testifying for Joyce were lying. Smith interviewed the Judges in question. Joyce never took the stand himself. There could be a rebuttal witness or two today and then closing arguments will begin.

Sad story by Kara Murphy today on GoErie.com. John Melody sold his share of Molly Brannigans to partner Colm McWilliams. The place will never be the same.


I spoke with Cape Air spokesperson Michelle Haynes last evening. She said there have been talks about Erie to Pittsburgh airline service but that they were just preliminary. I said the brass band is already warming up.

Lt Governor Catherine Baker Knoll passed away. She'll be replaced by Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph B Scarnati III. Bit of a problem with the state constitution as Scarnati doesn't have to resign his senate seat. This also happened when Gov Tom Ridge resigned to become Secretary of Homeland Security. Lt Gov Mark Schweiker became governor and State Senator Robert Jubelier became lieutenant governor. For almost two years, Jubelier was the second highest official in the executive branch and the highest ranking officer of the Senate, the legislative branch.

The mother of a Gannon University student will blast into space Friday, November 14 as part of the crew of STS-126, the next space shuttle mission to the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Heidemarie Martha Stefanyshyn-Piper will be one of seven crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The goals of the mission include delivering equipment and supplies to the station, servicing the Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ), and repairing the problem in the starboard SARJ that has limited its use since STS-120. Endeavour will launch from the John F Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Fla. Stefanyshyn-Piper is designated as a mission specialist, and is scheduled to perform three spacewalks as the lead astronaut. Her son, Michael A Piper, is a sophomore chemical engineering major at Gannon, and a member of the men’s water polo team.

The news James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace"opens on Friday. Six Bond movies were just released on Blu-ray including "For Your Eyes Only." There is a small Erie, PA connection to that Bond film. Lynn-Holly Johnson was skating with the Ice Capades when the producers tracked her down in to a stop in Erie and offered her of the Bond girl wannabee "Bibi Dahl" in the film.

In the first round of the 2008 ECAC Men's Soccer Tournament the Penn State Behrend Lions faced off against Wilkes University on the artificial turf at Gannon University on Wednesday, November 12. The colonels came away with a 2-1 win in overtime and advanced to the ECAC semi-finals, while the blue and white closed out its season at 13-8-1

The Penn State Behrend volleyball team (23-9) advanced in the ECAC South Tournament with a win over the Washington and Jefferson Presidents (17-15) on Wednesday, November 12 at the Junker Center.

Lauren Packer Webster, a former director of media relations for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), has been hired as director of sports information at Mercyhurst College and will begin her duties December 1, according to Mercyhurst Athletic Director Craig Barnett. She comes to Mercyhurst from Allegheny College, where she was the director of athletic communications and sports marketing.

Instead, McDowell advances to the PIAA District 6-9-10 subregional Saturday when it takes on DuBois (5-5) at 7 p.m. at Edinboro's Sox Harrison Stadium.

The Gannon Maroon and Gold Intersquad Basketball Scrimmages sponsored by the Gannon Athletic Boosters will take place today Thursday, November 13 at the Hammermill Center. Admission is FREE of charge. The women’s scrimmage and player introductions will begin the evening at 6:30 pm. The men’s scrimmage and player introductions will follow at 7:30 pm. Free refreshments will be available during the scrimmages. Autographed women’s and men’s basketballs, as well as other gifts, will be raffled off during the event. For more information, please contact the Gannon Booster Club at (814) 871-5668.

PIAA high school football playoff schedule:
Class AAAA regional - McDowell and DuBois, Sat Nov 15 at 7 pm at Edinboro's Sox Harrison Stadium.
Class AAA District 10 Championship - Erie Cathedral Prep and Erie Strong Vincent, Fri Nov 14 at 7 pm at Erie Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Class AA District 10 Semi-finals - General McLane and Wilmington, Sat Nov 15 at 7 pm at Allegheny College. Slippery Rock and Sharon, Sat Nov 15 at 7 pm at Slippery Rock University.
Class A District 10 Semi-finals - Linesville and Mercer, Fri Nov 14 at 7 pm at Wilmington High School. Saegertown and Farrell, Fri Nov 14 at 7 pm at Allegheny College.


The Erie County PA CareerLink office, at 1309 French Street in Erie, will hold a "Recruitment Day for the Health Care Industry" 10 am to 3 pm today Thursday, November 13. Jobseekers should bring copies of their resume and come prepared to fill out applications. Companies and organizations represented will include Abraxas Youth and Family Services, Brevillier Village, Comfort Care and Resources, Community Resources for Independence, EmergyCare, Erie Independence House, Healthcare Ventures Alliance and Saint Vincent Health System. If you can't come, you can apply for all jobs online.

Penn State alumna Gretchen Franz will give a Smith Music Series recital on the 21 stop mechanical organ at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, today Thursday, November 13. The performance begins at 12:15 pm in the Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel. It is FREE and open to the public; parking will be available in the nearby Junker Center lot.

Pennsylvania Sea Grant will facilitate a two-day Best Management Practices workshop for landscapers, Realtors, environmental engineers, surveyors, municipal officials, and other professionals whose work touches our region’s environmentally fragile shorelines. The Best Management Practices for Professionals workshop is scheduled for today Thursday, Nov 13 and Friday, Nov 14. Thursday will be a full day of presentations at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie; Friday will be used for site visits. Topics to be covered in the worship include coastal geology, hydrology, and the ecological impact of shoreline erosion; public access issues; the US Army Corps of Engineers’ permit process; similarities of and differences between the permitting processes in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio; landscape solutions for erosion-prone areas; habitat impacts of riparian projects; and in-stream habitat and bank stabilization devices. The cost to attend the two-day workshop is $25. The workshop is approved for Penn State Continuing Education credit by the Pennsylvania Board of Realtors and the State Board of Landscape Architects for an additional fee of $35. For more information or to register for the workshop, contact Marti Martz at (814) 217-9015, or visit the Pennsylvania Sea Grant web site.


Once again the Erie Playhouse is proud to premiere a new Disney musical, Geppetto and Son. Under the direction of Youtheatre/Education director Emily Cassano, this bright and bubbly musical is perfect entertainment for your family. Performances will be held November 14-16. Curtain times: Friday 7 pm, Saturday 2pm and 7pm, Sunday 2pm. All seats $13 (includes tax and fees). Purchase tickets online.

All An Act Theatre Productions presents “Caught in The Net”, the hilarious sequel to “Run For Your Wife!”, at their new home in Columbus Square, 652 West 17th Street in Erie, PA. Performances will be held Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm November 14 through December 6 with special matinee shows on Sundays at 3 pm on November 23, 30 and December 7. Tickets: adults $8 and student, seniors $ 5.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - a data collection technology that uses electronic tags for storing data - is rapidly becoming essential to supply-chain management. Adoption of the technology is growing at an annual rate of 46 percent. Now is the time to implement RFID into your business. The Center for eBusiness and Advanced IT (eBizITPA) offers quality, affordable RFID training delivered by expert instructors from the RFID Center of Excellence at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College. Two half-day courses - 'Introduction to RFID' and 'RFID Integration Management Strategies' - on the same day at the Penn State Behrend, Research and Economic Development Center (REDC) in Erie, PA on Tuesday, November 18. Cost: $49 per half-day session ($98 for both sessions). Register today.

In a relationship, who will be the first to be unfaithful? The question that playwright Pierre Marivaux explored in an 18th century garden plays out in a modern genetics laboratory in the upcoming Studio Theatre production of “The Dispute.” The updated setting also allows Chrystyna Dail, new director of the Studio Theatre at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, to add a second layer of inquiry to the dark comedy: When and how is it ethical to use human beings as scientific guinea pigs? “The Dispute” is appropriate for children over the age of 13. The 7 show run in the Studio Theatre at Penn State Behrend opens at 8 pm Thursday, Nov 13. Evening productions also will be held Friday and Saturday, Nov 14 and 15, and Tuesday through Thursday, Nov 18-20. A matinee performance will take place at 2 pm Sunday, Nov 16. Tickets are $7 ($5 for students) and may be reserved at the Reed Union Building main desk by calling (814) 898-6242.

The 7th Annual "Night With The Knights," a get-together for adults (30+ years of age) will be held Friday, November 14, from 7-9 pm at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the multi-purpose room at 1531 East Grandview Blvd in Erie. The event is sponsored by the Barber National Institute and the Knights of Columbus, and will include refreshments, horse races, and other activities. Registrations requested at the FSS office, 878-5961. Admission is Free of charge.

Gannon University's Erie Chamber Orchestra will hold its next concert at 7:30 pm Friday, Nov 14 at the Central Tech Auditorium, 3325 Cherry St. The concert will feature as soloist the Edinboro University Singers, with choral director Peter Van den Hornert. All concerts of the Gannon University Erie Chamber Orchestra are free and open to the public. The orchestra is conducted and directed by Bruce Morton Wright. For more information, call (814) 871-7755.

The Great International Beer Festival will be held on Saturday, November 15 at the BrewErie at Union Station. Two 3 hour sessions will run from 12-3 pm and 4-7 pm with unlimited samplings. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the event. Tickets are limited to 250 per session.

Have you ever wondered how to ID a tree with no leaves on it? Learn how at the Winter Tree ID at 1 pm on Saturday, November 15 at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. FREE. Identifying trees in the non-leaf season can be fun. Learn to use key features such as bark, twigs, and buds. Join guest instructor Tom Erdman form the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry to learn what trees are in your backyard. Dress to go outdoors. No fee, call TREC to register, (814) 833-7424.

The Disco Spectacular Dance will be held 7-11 pm on November 15 at Rainbow Gardens in Erie. The dance features radio great Captain Dan. There will be two giant video screens, a dazzling light show, prizes for best retro outfit, a dance contest, a chinese auction and more. Tickets cost $10 and are available at both Erie area Wegmans and the Voices for Independence office. Tickets at the door will be $12. Proceeds to benefit Voices for Independence.

Gannon University's Schuster Gallery will host its next exhibit, "The Art and the Artist," from Nov 16, 2008 through Jan 16, 2009. The exhibit will feature the work of Vitus J Kaiser, a member of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Artist Association and a longtime art teacher in the Erie School District. An artist's reception will be held from 3-6 pm Sunday, Nov 16. It is free and open to the public. The exhibit will feature about 50 watercolors that depict mostly outdoor scenes. Schuster Gallery is located on the third floor of the University's Nash Library, 619 Sassafras St, and is open during regular library hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 am to midnight; Friday, 8 am to 9 pm; Saturday 10 am to 5:30 pm; and Sunday 12:30 pm to 12 am. Access to the gallery is FREE and open to the public. For more information on the exhibit, contact Gannon's Schuster Program for the Arts at (814) 871-5467.

Gannon University's Office of Graduate Studies will hold an Open House from 3:30-6 pm Tuesday, Nov 18 on the third floor of the Palumbo Academic Center, 824 Peach St. Attendees can learn more about academic programs and talk with faculty and program directors. For more information, contact Graduate Admissions at (814) 871-7474, or toll free at 1-800-GANNON-U.

Many communities and individuals in Northwest PA are frustrated by the lack of high speed Internet access. The Bona Fide Retail Request (BFRR) program is producing results in helping many communities obtain high-speed Internet access, but is it producing results fast enough? How sustainable are the results of the BFRR program? What could we be doing, individually and as a region, to become more effective in developing broadband infrastructure to serve our homes, businesses, and communities? Please join the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission on Wednesday November 19 to explore these issues in results-oriented detail. All attendees will receive a "BFRR Took Kit" for going directly back to their communities and starting or completing a successful Bona Fide Retail Request for DSL service. The event is FREE. To Register emal name, organization, email address, and telephone number to Randy Rice or call (814) 677-4800 ext 100.

Gannon University's Dahlkemper School of Business Administration will host an informational workshop for high school students who are considering majoring in business. The Business Day workshop will be held from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Friday, Nov 21. It is open to high school juniors and seniors and their parents and is designed to help them answer questions such as: What type of career do I want to pursue? Is business administration the right "fit" for me? What will the job market be like after I graduate from college? What can I expect in terms of career opportunities? Depending on my interests, what salary range can I expect? Will the college or university I attend help me secure an internship? Throughout the day, students and their parents will be able to meet with graduates of Gannon's Dahlkemper School as well as current business majors and faculty members. Students also will be able to participate in an interactive workshop on the many and varied business programs Gannon offers, such as accounting, advertising communications, finance, international business, management, marketing, risk management/insurance, and sports management and marketing. In addition, families will be able to meet with representatives from the University's Office of Financial Aid and tour the campus. For more information or to register for the free event, call 814-871-7566 or send e-mail to gubusiness@gannon.edu.

The Zone Dance Club Think Pink - Breast Cancer Weekend will be held November 21-22. Show your support and come join in at the Zone Dance Club for a weekend of awareness and fun as they help raise money for a great cause. Friday - the Zone Divas and a few special guests will host the Pretty in Pink Benefit Show. Bring your dollar bills and tip them well. Saturday is the Zone's Pretty in Pink Party. Wear pink and black and join us for a night of dancing and fun. We will also be having a Pink Chinese Auction and Pink Bake Sale with items donated by the local community. Help raise money and awareness for a great cause. Think Pink! Phone: (814) 452-0125.

The Community Shelter Services Can Drive will be held on November 22 from 10 am to 8 pm at at the entrance to Wal-Mart on Elm Street in Erie. To help out or find out more information, visit Wal-Mart on November 22 or call 814-455-4369 ext 2 or email Denise.


Africa 6000 International second annual Project Water Dinner Gala will be held November 22 at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, PA. Click here for the dinner registration form, fill it out and mail it out with your check, money order or credit card information to Africa 6000 International, 2425 West 23rd Street, Erie, PA 16506. The goal of Africa 6000 International is to provide clean, safe water throughout the continent of Africa helping to prevent the premature deaths of over 6,000 children daily.

The Saint Vincent Auxiliary Festival of Trees takes place Nov 26-30 at the Ambassador Conference Center in Erie. See 50 professionally decorated Christmas trees and the Christmas marketplace. Cost is $5 for adults and $2.50 for kids.

The Warner Winter Wonderland Art and Craft Show will be held 10 am-5 pm on Saturday November 29 and noon-5 pm on Sunday November 30 at the Warner Theater in downtown Erie. Free, guided tours of the theater, chinese auction, pictures with Santa, refreshments, free parking. Save $1 off admission with a food donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank. Adults $3, seniors $2, children 12 and under FREE.

Join the Erie Playhouse as they celebrate the American Girl tradition with lunch and an American Girl Holiday show! The event will be held at St Peter Cathedral Center Cafeteria on November 30 starting at noon. In addition to the "American Girl" holiday musical revue, there will be several raffles and auctions taking place throughout the afternoon. Some of the raffle and auction prizes include: American Girl accessories, Mia doll and "meet" accessories. Silent auction items include Kirsten and her collection (valued at $1,000), Molly and her collection (valued at $1,000). - silent auction bids start at $400. Tickets $20 per person. Tables of eight (8) available for $120. For more information, please call Almitra Clerkin at (814) 454-2852 ext 8. Purchase Tickets online.

Nuncrackers - The Nunsense Christmas Musical comes to the Erie Playhouse this holiday season. Performances will be held December 4-7, 10-14, 18-21. It stars the nuns you love plus Father Virgil and some of Mt. Saint Helen's most talented students. This show is filled with "Nunsense" humor, some of your favorite carols, a "Secret Santa," and an uproarious take on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet. Nuncrackers will make you laugh and maybe tug at your heartstrings. It's the perfect way to insure your holiday season is merry and bright. Tickets go on sale November 10.

War At The Shore IV will be held on Friday, December 12 at the Erie Civic Center Tullio Arena. The very popular dual wrestling meet features youth, high school and college teams. Buy tickets online. Schedule: Youth - Noon to 4:30 pm; 5 pm - Harborcreek vs North East, McDowell vs General McLane; 6:45 pm - Erie Cathedral Prep vs Penn Trafford, Pine Richland vs Lockport, NY; 8 pm - Fort Leboeuf vs Burrell, Gannon University vs Mercyhurst College.


The 26th edition of the McDonald's High School Basketball Classic will be held in Erie on Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17, 2009 at Gannon University's Hammermill Center. This year's event features nationally renowned programs from Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington, DC, complete with many top-ranked players. The field includes Archbishop Carroll from Washington, DC, Westbury Christian from Texas, defending Pennsylvania state champ Chester High School, and host Erie Cathedral Prep. The best possible way to acquire reserved tickets to the Classic, scaled at $12.50 per night, is to purchase an Erie Area Metro season ticket, while supplies last. That can be done in the Prep athletic office beginning on Monday, November 17. General admission tickets cost $7 per night in advance for adults and $5 in advance for students, and are on sale now. Any remaining reserved tickets will also be on sale beginning on Wednesday, December 3 at the Cathedral Prep athletic office. General Admission tickets will be available on the same date at the Erie Sport Stores, Dee's News, and select McDonald's Restaurants while they last. No phone orders will be accepted, and no tickets can be held. Another sell-out crowd is expected, so fans are encouraged to buy their tickets early.