Erie PA Today News, Events and Info for today, New Years Eve 2009, Wednesday, December 31, 2008

New Years Eve, aka Amateurs' Night Out. Enjoy but don't drink and drive. The major events, activities and things to do are listed below after the Erie sports news. Please note that there is no "First Night Erie."
According to Pennsylvania tradition, pork and sauerkraut will bring good luck to you and your family in the year ahead, if it´s your first meal of the year. Many bars and clubs still abide by this custom.
On a history note General “Mad” Anthony Wayne died at Fort Presque Isle in Erie, PA on December 15, 1796. In 1808 the family wanted the remains transferred to family home in Radnor, PA. The trail (present day Route 322) being bumpy, some bones were lost along the way. Legend has it that very New Year's morning (Wayne's birthday), the ghost of Wayne makes a ride across the state to claim his bones.


Jeff Thoreson reported on Erie Shipping News that Erie Shipbuilding is currently in talks with SEACOR Marine to buy part of the shipyard's operations. SEACOR (NYSE: CKH) has deep pockets and SEACOR Marine itself operates one of the world's largest fleets of vessels. And Erie PA based GE Transportation is a major manufacturer of diesel marine engines.

ICT Group, a telemarketing firm, announced a mass layoff by taping a note to their front door. You would think a telemarketing company would at least tell workers by phone. They handled calls for banking and finance companies and you that industry is seeing a tough time so this shouldn't come as a shock.

Kenneth Gibson of Cleveland was arrested for a string of 12 bank robberies. The first was in Erie on October 27. Gibson faces 240 years. You just don't want to rob banks kids.

According to RealtyTrac, in Erie County (PA) there were 100 properties with foreclosure filings in November 2008. That's 1 in every 1175 properties in foreclosure, about 3 times better than the national figures which shows that one in every 452 US housing units received a foreclosure filing in October. RealtyTrac's report incorporates documents filed in all three phases of foreclosure: Default - Notice of Default (NOD) and Lis Pendens (LIS); Auction - Notice of Trustee Sale and Notice of Foreclosure Sale (NTS and NFS); and Real Estate Owned, or REO properties (that have been foreclosed on and repurchased by a bank).

Newly elected member of Congress Kathy Dahlkemper and the rest of the 111th Congress will take their oaths of office and be officially sworn in to their seats at noon on Tuesday, Jan 6 at the United States Capitol. Dahlkemper departed Erie yesterday with her husband Dan for Washington DC. Dahlkemper’s Washington Office is located in the Cannon House Office Building, Room 516.

The Governor's Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation is seeking a qualified candidate to represent northwestern counties on the Pennsylvania Game Commission's board of directors. The chosen candidate will represent District 1, which includes Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties. A vacancy occurred in District 1 when H. Daniel Hill II resigned the seat in order to join the staff of congresswoman-elect Kathy Dahlkemper. Individuals interested in applying should send a resume and detailed cover letter explaining their desire to serve to Robb Miller, Governor's Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation, Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market St, 7th Floor, PO Box 8767, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8767. Applications will be accepted until Jan 30.

The Manufacturer and Business Association Business Magazine January edition is now available online.


The Gannon University men's basketball team (8-0), ranked 4th in NCAA Division II, looked GREAT in crushing a pretty good Shippensburg team 76-45 in the championship game of the 35th annual Porreco Cup. Kyle Goldcamp led Gannon with his fourth double-double, posting a game-high 20 points and 14 rebounds. The tournament MVP added five steals and four assists. Pierre Howard, who landed a spot on the all-tournament team, reached double digits for the eighth consecutive game with 15 points. Tyler Stoczynski chipped in a season-high 14 points off the bench. Joe Lindsey was also named to the all-tournament team. The senior point guard recorded 22 points and six assists in two games. He committed only two turnovers in 59 minutes. Stephon Draper, an all-tournament selection, was Shippensburg's only double-digit scorer with 10 points. Gannon returns to action Saturday, January 3 against Kutztown (9-0) at the Hammermill Center. And if you want to make long term plans...the NCAA Men's Basketball Division II National Championship will be held Wednesday, March 25 through Saturday, March 28 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Tickets are on sale now: Wednesday, March 25, NCAA Div II Men's Basketball Championship Quarterfinals Session 1 - tickets. Wednesday, March 25, NCAA Div II Men's Basketball Championship Quarterfinals Session 2 - tickets. Thursday, March 26, NCAA Div II Men's Basketball Championship Semi-Finals - tickets. Saturday, March 28, NCAA Div. II Men's Basketball Championship Final - tickets.

The Edinboro men's basketball team tasted defeat for the first time on Tuesday night, as the 23rd-ranked Fighting Scots dropped an 85-83 decision at Alderson-Broaddus. Edinboro is now 8-1, with the loss snapping the longest winning streak since 1989-90.

The Mercyhurst women's basketball team dropped a 70-60 decision to UMass-Lowell Tuesday in their second game of the San Diego Surf 'N Slam Classic. Amy Achesinski and Stephanie Prischak were named to the Surf Division All-Star Team for Mercyhurst.

The Edinboro wrestling team turned in an outstanding showing in the 2008 Southern Scuffle but had to settle for second place in the two-day event. Cornell, tied for third in the latest USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Division I Top 25, finished with 139 points to take home the team title. Edinboro, ranked 17th, had three champions and a total of nine placewinners to finish with 134 points.

The Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League hit the ice tonight when they travel to Niagara to take on the IceDogs in a New Year's Eve contest beginning at 7 pm. The next Otters home games take place Friday and Saturday at the Tullio Arena when the Battalion and Kitchener Rangers visit for 7 pm starts respectively. Tickets for the Erie Otters games are available online.


Pop in the New Year together (just a few hours early) while the kids are still awake with the Experience Erie Children's Museum "New Years at Noon Celebration" which takes place 11 am to 1 on New Year's Eve, Wednesday, December 31. The celebration will include: make-your-own noisemakers, party hats, a countdown at noon, an "Auld Lang Syne" parent sing along and more. This event is included with Museum admission of $5, FREE to members and children under age two.

Join the celebration as the Erie Playhouse toasts 25 years in their downtown Erie location with a spectacular concert featuring the Erie Playhouse orchestra and chorus. Over 100 volunteers will fill the stage with magical music and song. Erie's best New Year's Eve party tradition continues at the Erie Playhouse. Click Here to purchase tickets online. All seats $35. Includes a pre-show champagne and hors d'oeuvres reception. Reception 6:30, curtain 7:30 on December 31.

Boogie at the Bayfront will be held on New Year's Eve, December 31 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. Tickets are $40 per person. Sheraton Bayfront Hotel Packages available, 2 tickets plus room for $179, including tax. Tickets for the Boogie on the bay are available only at the Erie Civic Center Box Office or by phone at (814) 452-4857. All net proceeds from the event benefit City of Erie Police and Fire departments.

Jr's Last Laugh will have live music with the M-80s on New Year's Eve. Dancing, light appetizers, party hats and a champagne toast at midnight, and as always lots and lots of confetti - cover your drinks and a full hot breakfast at 1 am - french toast, pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries, juice, and coffee. Cost is $35 per person. Call (814) 461-0911 to reserve, advance reservations required.

If you are not into drinking but still would like to go out for New Year's Eve, it's the Community Board Game Night: New Year's Eve Edition. It is a night full of fun and laughter. It is a nonalcoholic and nonsmoking event. It's held at the Community United Church at 1011 West 38th Street. Admission is $5 and includes food and drinks. Doors open at 9:30 pm. Games go from 10 pm until 1 am. Youth under 18 must have a guardian.

The Erie Runners Club New Year's Day 5 Mile Run/ Walk will be held at 10 am on Thursday, January 1 at Presque Isle State Park. Registration begins at 9 am at the Rotary Pavillion near the Waterworks area.

Want to get the kids out of the house this winter? Come down to Presque Isle State Park for the Mystery Outdoor Program for Kids on Saturday, January 3, 10 am to 11:30 am. You'll have to find out what all they have planned. Call (814) 833-7424 for more information. FREE. No registration, no fee. Dress for the outdoors.

Does your family have a little one (or little ones) that love to be outside? The Little Naturalist: Snowshoeing on Presque Isle is a great opportunity to encourage their outdoor exploration. The program will be held 1-2 pm on Wednesday, January 7. Children age 3-6 and an accompanying adult can join the Presque Isle Naturalist to discover Presque Isle and experience our winter wonderland on snowshoes. After the program, join us for hot cocoa at the Ranger Station and warm up by the fire. FREE. No Fee. No Registration. Dress for the outdoors, expect to be outdoors for the full hour.

The Erie Playhouse Youtheatre presents Willy Wonka January 9-11, 16-18. All of your favorite characters and songs (including “The Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination”) are featured in this show that overflows with music, comedy and heart. This delicious story is adapted from the 1971 film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which starred Gene Wilder in the title role.

The Asbury Woods Nature Center will hold a Snowshoe Night Hike at 7 pm on Friday, January 9. The moon will light the way as you experience Asbury Woods at night on snowshoes. Snowshoes provided if you don’t have a pair and they will teach you how to use them. They will also provide hot chocolate as you warm up by the fireplace after the hike. If there isn’t enough snow, hike will be without snowshoes. For adults and children age 8 and up. Pre-registration and pre-payment required. $8 members, $10 non-members. Call (814) 835-5356.

Get out and enjoy the season by taking a hike on snowshoes at Presque Isle State Park. The next next hike will be held 10-11 am on Saturday, January 10. Each hike this Winter will take participants through the interior trails, focusing on different themes. If there is not sufficient snow, a hike of the same theme will still take place. Meet at the Presque Isle Lighthouse parking lot. FREE. No registration, snowshoe rental fee only if you do not bring yours.

A weekend belly dance event with the Pittsburgh Bellies bellydance group will be held Saturday, January 10 and Sunday, January 11 at The Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel, 2800 W 8th Street, and Long's School of the Dance, 826 Selinger Avenue in Erie, PA. Bellydance workshops for all ages and levels from 9 am -3 pm both Saturday and Sunday at Long’s School of the Dance. The Saturday night family-friendly Bellydance Show at 7pm (doors open at 6) inside the Bel-Aire Hotel Ballroom features local and national belly dance acts. An after-party for adults only will be held in the ballroom 10 pm - 1 am with live music by the Khafif Music and Dance Ensemble, and a cash bar. Registration and tickets at TheFlemingSchool.com.

As part of their Composer/Lyricist Series, the Erie Playhouse presents The Music of Stephen Schwartz ("Wicked", "Godspell", "Pippin") at 7:30pm on Monday, January 12 and Tuesday, January 13.

The Manufacturer and Business Association is holding an Emerging Technology Roundtable 8 to 9:30 am on January 14 at the Manufacturer and Business Association Conference Center in Erie, PA. The roundtable, New Trends in Spam and the Emerging Threats of Spyware with speaker John Vedrody of Barracuda Networks, is FREE. Pre-registration is required to attend. Register today to reserve your seat.

Gannon University on Wednesday, January 14 will host a financial aid workshop designed to help high school students and their parents better navigate the sometimes complex financial aid process. The workshop is free and open to the public and will begin at 6:30 pm in room 1200 of the University's Palumbo Academic Center, 824 Peach St. It will include an overview of the entire financial aid process, including a step-by-step review of the questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It also will cover definitions of terms parents and students should know, the various aid programs available, and tips on how to apply and the application process. For more information, contact Gannon's Financial Aid Office at (814) 871-7337 or 1-800-GANNON-U.

Local author Ken Springirth will present "Make Way for the Trolley," a presentation on the history of public transportation in Erie, on Wednesday, Jan 14, at 7:30 pm in Mercyhurst North East's Alex Theater, 16 West Division Street, North East. Springirth has published six books on railroads and trolleys, and his seventh book, "Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad," will be released in February of 2009. The presentation is FREE and open to the public.

Representatives from the FCC will appear in Erie PA on January 15 in the Blasco Memorial Library HO Hirt Auditorium, 160 East Front Street, to raise awareness and educate consumers in the days leading up to the digital television transition on February 17. Two town hall meetings will be held with an FCC Commissioner to highlight the digital transition - 2 pm and 6:30 pm. Both are FREE and open to the public.

Gannon University's Erie Chamber Orchestra will hold its next concert at 7:30 pm Friday, Jan 16. The concert, a tribute to Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, will be held at St Patrick Church, 130 East 4th St. It is free and open to the public. Gannon University's Erie Chamber Orchestra is conducted and directed by Bruce Morton Wright. For more information, call (814) 871-7755.

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.

The Erie Playhouse Youtheatre will be offering classes in acting, singing for the stage, and musical theatre dance beginning January 17, 2009. Classes run seven weeks (until February 28th) and are held on Saturdays. An Audition Workshop will be held March 7th, 2009. For more information and to register, click here.

Baseball fans have something special to look forward to with the 2009 Cleveland Indians Winter Caravan set for Tuesday, Jan 20 at the Dr Gertrude A Barber National Institute. Doors will open at 5 pm, with the program set for 6:30 pm. The event features a ballpark dinner, remarks by the players and coaches, an auction of team memorabilia and game ticket packages, and autographs for all the kids. All proceeds from the event benefit the Barber National Institute. Tickets are just $8 per person, and are available in advance at the Barber National Institute, or at the door the day of the event. For information, call (814) 453-7661.

The Manufacturer and Business Association Eggs 'n' Issues program on Wednesday, January 21 will be a program on Penn State Behrend's New Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies Degree. Drs Ralph Ford and Diane Parente discuss the exciting activities and programs under way including the new degree. Members $30, non-members $60. Registration.


The Erie Kennel Club All Breed, Obedience and Rally will be held January 24-25 at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, PA. Admission is $5 per person.

The Sarah Reed Children's Center's Annual "Souper Bowl" will be held on January 25 at the Shrine Club. For tickets or information call (814) 838-1954 ext 306. This wintertime family favorite last year featured 22 Erie area restaurants serving their original soup recipe to 2,000 attendees.

The Erie Broadway Series presents Hairspray! at 7 pm on Sunday, January 25 at the Warner Theater in Erie, PA. Tickets.

Never been to Erie Bluffs State Park? Well here's your chance! Join a naturalist for a fun guided tour with the Erie Bluffs Night Hike on Saturday, January 31. Listen to the sounds of the night on this invigorating winter hike. Come to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie at 5:30 pm to carpool or if you don't know the way, otherwise meet at the Bluffs parking area at 6 pm. Hike will last approximately 2 hours. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at the park. Bring a flashlight. FREE. No registration, no fees.

The legendary Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their 2009 “Spinning the Globe” World Tour to Erie, PA on Tuesday, February 3 with their completely unique brand of exciting family fun, sure to create enduring memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. Fans will be captivated by the Globetrotters’ basketball wizardry, hilarious antics and fan interaction, all presented by some of the world’s greatest athletes and entertainers, such as the reigning Clown Prince of Basketball, Special K Daley; dribbling sensation Scooter Christensen; the gravity-defying Hi-Lite Bruton; fan favorite Ant Atkinson; ball handling extraordinaire Blenda Rodriguez; and El Gato Melendez, the first Puerto Rican-born player to ever suit up for the Globetrotters. Tickets.

The 11th annual MECA Bar Stool Open will be held on Saturday February 21, 2009 in downtown Erie, PA. Entry fee is $100 per team of 4 golfers, $25 per person. Must be 21 years of age or older to participate. Click here to for the registration form.

The 1st (annual) Mercyhurst vs Gannon Men's Basketball Alumni game will be held at Mercyhurst College on Saturday February 21 at 7 pm.

The 2009 Erie Heart Ball will be held February 21 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. The theme this year is The Beat on the Bay. For tickets contact Gina Klofft, (814) 836-0013.

The NCAA Men's Basketball Division II National Championship will be held Wednesday, March 25 through Saturday, March 28 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Tickets are on sale now.
Wednesday, March 25, NCAA Div II Men's Basketball Championship Quarterfinals Session 1 - tickets.
Wednesday, March 25, NCAA Div II Men's Basketball Championship Quarterfinals Session 2 - tickets.
Thursday, March 26, NCAA Div II Men's Basketball Championship Semi-Finals - tickets.
Saturday, March 28, NCAA Div. II Men's Basketball Championship Final - tickets.