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The Heart Of Art
By Cindy Hemper

Through the decades, art has taken many forms, faces and transformations, and through it all Erie has had one stead fast standard, standing in the center of the heart of the art as a shining beacon to new comers and veteran artists alike, always offering a helping hand and warm encouragement.

For more than forty years, Fran Schanz has dedicated his life and his love to art as a way of life, never ignoring his convictions or gifts, allowing him to stand out as conceivably the most talented and respected artist in our City.

This Friday, February 17th, the Erie Art Museum and Glass Growers Gallery will mark the spot for what promises to be the art event of the year, the Heart of Art-Book Signing and Artist Reception.

The book written by Bob Hagle, “Heart of Art” focuses on the art of Fran Schanz and features nearly 400 photographic depictions of Schanz’s work. Schanz will be on hand to meet and greet art enthusiasts and to offer autographed copies of the book to his adoring fans.

The Artists Reception that will simultaneously take place at Glass Growers Gallery will highlight some forty art pieces featured in the book.

Holding both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Fine Arts, Schanz has spent his life creating original and sometimes cathartic collections and constructions using a variety of found, recycled and otherwise insignificant bric-a-brac. His creations include everything from paintings to artistically fantastic makeovers of ordinary bowling balls.

As an award winning artist, Schanz has exhibited in countless Erie and regional competitions, exhibitions and shows, while contributing his time and talent to helping new artists hone their skills and grow their passions, teaching adult and children's art classes at the Erie Art Museum, Martin Luther King Center and Edinboro University.

As perhaps the most accomplished artist in the City today, Schanz also serves the art community as the Executive Chairman of the Northwest Pennsylvania Artists Association and is the owner and operator of the Schanz Gallery located at 1505 State Street.

Since 1974, Glass Growers Gallery has been known for displaying the most distinctive array of American Crafts, Fine Art, and Sculptures, and has been nominated as one of the top 100 galleries in the United States.

The evening will also feature live performances by the award winning Jazz fusion group, Is What It Is and famed local Hoop Dancer, Jen Dennehy, along with an after party at Erie’s premier Jazz club, Scotty's Martini Lounge located at 301 German St., Erie.

Scotty's is a laid-back club with top of the line cigars, amazing old fashion atmosphere and a heavily stocked bar with an experienced staff that can whip up just about any drink you can think of.

As an intimate and innovative jazz spot, Scotty's features some of the best blues and jazz acts in Erie, rivaling those of the "Blue Note" in New York City and “Blues Alley” in Chicago.

Jen Dennehy is Erie’s leading Hooping dance artist and uses amazingly artistic movements and dancing with only a hoop used as a dance partner. Dennehy’s tricks, techniques, and energy along with her skill as a dancer, all make for one of the most unique and innovative dance performances around.

Comprised of the most talented musical artists in the City, Is What It Is includes Stephen Trohoske on Bass, Ian Smith on Guitar and Kenny "Stix" Thompson on Drums and Vocals.


Though this group has only been together for about a year now, the band has achieved successes and acclaims far beyond other bands that have been together for much longer.

As Erie’s most progressive Jazz band, Is What It Is takes the music to new levels as all the members lend their considerable musical backgrounds and vast talents to creating what is arguably the most pioneering and popular band of its kind in Erie.

This trio has created a great package of the most dazzling pieces, which vary in style, tempo, mood and intensity, though all have the ability to get the listener high on pure, present-day jazz and fusion.

This Friday, beginning at 7pm, come down to this multifaceted artistic extravaganza at the Erie Art Museum and Glass Growers Gallery to check out the art and meet the man that has fostered the legend, Fran Schanz.

The entire evening kicks off at 7pm and the after party gets underway at 10pm. Is What It Is will be performing at both the Erie Art Museum as well as the after party with special guest Sean Patrick at Scotty’s. For more information on Fran Schanz or the Heart of Art-Book Signing and Artist Reception, please visit the event's Facebook's page.

A Wedding, A Funeral, and Some Laughs
By Dan and Alison Tingley

The Wedding and The Wake of the Darkashians is now at the Station Dinner Theatre and Tavern. It was conceived by Paul Urbanowicz and written by David W. Mitchell and Adele Crotty. The show is loosely based on the Kardashian family, but you really don’t need to know anything about them to get the jokes. The audience members are wedding guests at the wedding of one very pregnant Donna Marie Darkashian and her fiancée, Cole Digger. The show is broken up into four parts, and the actors serve the meal in character, spacing the audience-pleasing, plentiful courses throughout the show.

The characters are as follows. Kyle LeBeouf – flamboyant, famous, and quick-thinking wedding planner. Donna Marie Darkashian – pregnant, desperate to get married before giving birth tomorrow, and rather dim-witted. Cole Digger – a regular guy who wants to marry the love of his life. Franny Digger – drunken, trashy, mother of the groom. Hope Darkashian – supportive older sister of Donna Marie and very into fashion. Dirk Dragnet – stereotypical dumb athlete. Mik Darkashian – blind, mafia-like father of the bride. “Snaps” Malone – wedding photographer. This combination of characters, of course, leads to a bit of craziness.

As wedding guests, we are welcomed by Kyle LeBeouf, and the festivities begin. The wedding party gets into position and there are already problems. There’s no minister and someone gets poisoned. Before they can have a wedding, they need to solve the murder, and have a funeral. Side note to brides-to-be: relax; your wedding is bound to go smoother than this one.

The cast includes Rob Mellesh (Kyle LeBeouf), Amanda Stevenson (Donna Marie Darkashian), Greg Hill (Cole Digger), Carrie Smith (Franny Digger), Teri Zalewski (Hope Darkashian), Zach Work (Dirk Dragnet), Barry McAndrew (Mik Darkashian), and David Durst (“Snaps” Malone). They all do a great job at getting the audience to participate and making sure everyone has a good time, so make sure you wear your dancing shoes.

The show is cute and intentionally cheesy, and there are a few twists and turns in the plot. The set and costumes are appropriate. Each actor does a fine job with his or her part. Mellesh is flamboyantly charming. McAndrew and Durst demonstrate their usual comfortable comedy and enthusiasm. Smith is obnoxiously eye-catching. Zalewski is fashionably entertaining. Hill worked well with the other actors, even saving a forgotten line.

However, two actors really shine. Stevenson’s line delivery as a rather obtuse young woman is perfect. The laughs she draws come as much from the lines themselves as from her presentation. Work is a new-comer to the stage at the Station, having acted in a couple of plays in high school and college. He’s a natural, with perfect timing and delivery. Even in the background, Work’s dense, but good-hearted character stands out. Seeing him do the chicken-dance, a wedding staple, is something we won’t soon forget. We really hope to see him in more shows.

The Wedding and The Wake of the Darkashians runs through March 3. Call (814) 864-2022 or go on line to www.canterburyfeast.com for show times, reservations, and access to the season schedule.

Erie’s Mardi Gras Party
By Terry Pentelli

Mardi Gras is all about music, parades, picnics, floats, excitement and one big party.
Wearing the traditional colors of purple, green, and gold as they are adorned with long strings of beads for what is the largest two-week party in the world.

This Tuesday February 21st marks the centuries old tradition of Fat Tuesday, spawning countless house parties, bar shows and most importantly, the biggest party day of the year.

This year, the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel will host the kickoff event of the Fat Tuesday celebration, Brett Fallon’s Mardi Gras party.

The event will feature live music by DJ Lisa Keating, along with Dancers Brett Fallon, Carla Fleming, Kristen Sara, & Amber Cooke of the Dance Elite Performance Company.

Dazzling countless audiences with both well-choreographed and improvisational dance, Brett Fallon has danced and performed since the age of three and is trained in jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, and folk dance.

Since founding the Dance Elite Performance Company in 2005, Fallon has established several community programs including the Dance Outreach Project, which visits schools, childcare, and community centers with performances, classes, and workshops enriching the children of our community in their formative years with dance, giving them a means to channel and develop their creativity and abilities.

In addition to working with the Dance Elite Performance Company, Carla Fleming founded the Lake Erie Belly Dance Performance Company in Jan 2009 and is by far one of Erie’s most talented and popular dancers and dance instructors.

This mega bash will also feature Erie’s women of Rock, the Stiletto singers and the Tennessee Back porch Band Members as celebrity servers, along with other surprise celebrities in attendance, and of course, what Mardi Gras party wouldn’t be complete without beads, beads, and more beads.

Stiletto is very unique in more ways than being the only all female band in Erie, they are also a fusion of perhaps the three most talented and exciting women in the City who have put together a band the sets the tone and breaks the boundaries of what a female band should be.

Admission to this mammoth soiree is fee, and all tips collected with be donated to and benefit Our Lady's Christian School.

The entire event kicks off at 6pm and is set to be the Mardi Gras party of all Mardi Gras parties. Come rock and roll, twist and shout and get your freak on and party hearty at this event to end all events, Brett Fallon’s Mardi Gras party.

For more information on Brett Fallon’s Mardi Gras party, please visit the event’s Facebook page.

Mercyhurst Fiber Artifacts Work is Focus of Publications, Analysis

For centuries, fiber artifacts took a back seat to stone tools in offering up insights into the lives of ancient Americans. The vast numbers of stone tools and the emphasis on ancient hunting methods eclipsed their archaeological value.

Today the research of eminent archaeologists like Dr. James Adovasio, director of the Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute and a specialist in the analysis of perishable material culture (basketry, textiles, cordage, etc.), have demonstrated how fiber artifacts afford us glimpses into past cultures at a personal level.

The research of Adovasio and of Mercyhurst colleague Edward Jolie was recently chronicled in an article, “The Fiber of Their Being: Direct Dating Fiber Artifacts,” published in the January 2012 issue of Mammoth Trumpet, a publication of the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas A & M University.

Adovasio also had an article, “The Appearance of Plant Fiber Artifacts: A Late Ice-Age Event Horizon,” published in a French mainstream science magazine called Sciences et Avenir. The magazine’s November 2011 issue addressed the theme of What Makes Us Human? Adovasio’s piece focused on textile artifacts as a signature of humanity.

In a related development, textile specialist Dr. Jeffrey Splitstoser from the American Museum of Natural History is on campus this month studying ancient South American materials from the north coast of Peru. The artifacts are being studied in the university’s R. L. Andrews Center for Perishables Analysis, the only lab of its kind in North America dedicated to analyzing prehistoric and historic perishable artifacts.

Several months ago, two representatives of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) and a student from Illinois State University visited the university's unique lab for a one-week crash course on perishable artifacts.

Sis-Boom-Botany! Science Olympiad Puts STEM Education in the Game

In 1983, a small group of high school teachers in Michigan adopted the ethos of varsity athletics–challenge, competition, teamwork, and reward—to encourage and inspire standards-based science education. From a grassroots movement to a national presence with 6,200 teams in 50 states, Science Olympiad has since grown into the premiere science competition in the nation.

On Monday, March 5, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host the regional Science Olympiad competition for the first time. Middle and high school teams from 24 northwestern Pennsylvania schools will spend the day on campus to compete in individual and team events in the fields of biology, earth science, chemistry, engineering, physics and computing in hopes of becoming one of the 120 teams to qualify for the 2012 National Tournament to be held at University of Central Florida in May.

Science Olympiad teams of up to 15 students per school work in advance on the 23 challenges they’ll be presented with on March 5. “Whether building a robot arm or a homemade musical instrument or studying the cosmos and the evolution of a star, most schools have been planning for their events since August,” says Paul Ashcraft, competition coordinator and lecturer in physics at Penn State Behrend. “Science Olympiad allows students to compete against their most talented peers from other schools. It’s great to see our next generation so excited about science, and many Science Olympics alumni tell us that it was these competitions that led them to pursue careers in what we call the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math.”

Examples from the 2012 Science Olympiad event list include:

Compute This Teams are presented with a problem that requires quantitative data capture from a web site (this year, the Center for Disease Control at cdc.gov) followed by presentation of that data in a graphical format.

Disease Detective Students will be required to apply principles of epidemiology to a published report of a real-life food borne illness situation.

Fermi Questions A science-related question that requires a rough estimate of a quantity that is difficult or impossible to measure directly, for example, "how many drops of water are there in Lake Erie?" Answers will be estimated within an order of magnitude recorded in powers of 10.

Forensics Students will identify polymers, solids, fibers, and other materials in a crime-scene scenario.

Mousetrap Vehicle Teams will design, build and test a vehicle that uses one mousetrap as its sole means of propulsion. The vehicle is expected to reach a target as quickly, accurately and as close to its predicted time as possible.

Sounds of Music Prior to the competition, students will build two different instruments of any type based on a 12-tone tempered scale. At the competition, the team must describe the principles behind the instruments’ operation and be able to perform a major scale, a required melody and a chosen melody with each instrument.

Write It/Do It A technical writing exercise. One team writes the description of a contraption; another team attempts to recreate it using only the written description.

The schools participating in the 2012 regional competition at Penn State Behrend are Brookville Area Jr.-Sr. High School, Clarion Area High School, Clarion-Limestone High School, DuBois Area High School, Franklin Area High School, Kane Area High School, Kittanning High School, Laurel Jr.-Sr. High School, Maplewood Jr.-Sr. High School, Neshannock Senior High School, North Clarion High School, North East Middle School, North East High School, Northwestern Middle School, Oil City Middle School, Oil City High School, Perseus House Charter School of Excellence, Redbank Valley Jr.-Sr. High School, Ridgway High School, Seneca High School, Venango Catholic High School, Wattsburg Middle School, Wilmington Area Middle School, and Wilmington Area High School.

For additional information about the Science Olympiad competition at Penn State Behrend, phone Ashcraft at 814-898-7268 or e-mail pga106@psu.edu.

Click here to learn more about the Pennsylvania Science Olympiad. For information on the national program, click here.

Free MBA Information Sessions Offered

The Sam and Irene Black School of Business at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host three spring information sessions for anyone interested in learning more about the college’s master’s in business administration degree program.

The Black School of Business is the only school in the region accredited by AACSB International, the premier accrediting agency for schools of business worldwide. The school is also listed in U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Business Schools and The Princeton Review’s Best 300 Business Schools.

The free MBA information sessions take place on Tuesday, March 20, Thursday, March 29, and Monday, April 2. Each will be held in the college’s Robert and Sally Metzgar Admissions and Alumni Center.

MBA faculty members will be available from 5:30 to 6 p.m. to field questions from and network with attendees. At 6 p.m., Dr. Al Warner, director of the MBA program and associate professor of management, and Ann Burbules, assistant director of graduate admissions, will discuss MBA curriculum, course content and expectations, credit exemptions, application requirements, GMAT preparation, tuition reimbursement and scholarships.

For more information or to register for a session, visit www.behrend.psu.edu/mba, phone 814-898-6818 or e-mail PSBehrendMBA@psu.edu. Anyone unable to attend the sessions can request that MBA information be mailed instead.

Click Image For More Info

Teachers on Tap – Teachers by Day, Performers by Night!

The Erie Playhouse is thrilled to present Teachers on Tap – a concert of Broadway show tunes performed by some of the talented teachers who perform on our stage – for one performance only, Saturday, March 3.

Following the success of the summer fundraiser – Reverends Uncork’d – where clergy who perform on the Playhouse stage are showcased in a musical revue, the Erie Playhouse is casting the spotlight on the talented teachers who perform at the Playhouse in Teachers on Tap.

And, yes…it is rumored there will be tap dancing (in one number), although the “tap” includes more than just a dance. Included in the ticket price will be beer selections (Labatt Blue Light or Long Trail Blackberry Wheat), root beer, pub snacks and a complimentary logo pint glass. Teachers from the tri-state area who teach preschool, grade school, high school and college will fill the stage at the Erie Playhouse with Broadway melodies.

In addition to the vibrant music, the Erie Playhouse will pay tribute to Bob Martin for his years of dedication and love in the classroom and on the Erie Playhouse stage. Bob is retired from McDowell High School. He will be receiving the Dr. Doris Snell award. Doris was our first honoree at last year’s Teachers on Tap.

Many Playhouse favorites will grace the stage, including Sherree Beltz, Emily Cassano, Shawn Clerkin, Patty Corella, Chris Dearbeck, Jerry Gill, Leah Johnson, Judy Matthews, Kate Murosky, Karen Nasca, Elle Smith and many more. They will be accompanied by Kate Amatuzzo on piano and Bob Martin on bass. Come to the Erie Playhouse on Saturday, March 3 at 7:30pm!

SHOW DATES & TIMES
Saturday, March 3 at 7:30pm
All Seats 26.50 (includes concert, complimentary logo pint glass, selection of beer, root beer, pub snacks)
The Erie Playhouse, 13 W 10 St, Erie PA
Box Office: 814-454-2852 ext 0
Website: www.erieplayhouse.org

Click Image for Upcoming Schedule

Not Too Late To Get Your Bond Phil

Less Than 150 Tickets Remain For This Saturday's Post-Valentine's Day Pops Concert, James Bond: From Russia With Love.

Vocalists From The Erie Playhouse Who Will Perform Include: Kate Amatuzzo, Ellise Chase And Kirstan Orgel. The Junior Philharmonic Will Perform Side-By-Side With The Orchestra On Select Pieces, And Cellist Nadine Sherman Will Also Be Featured.

A Five-Course Dinner, Catered By Kuebler's Kitchen, Will Be Offered In The First Niagara Bank Community Room, Adjacent To The Warner Theatre. The Menu Includes: Artisan Cheese Board, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Bayou Salad, Chicken Marsala With Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Savory Green Beans With Almonds And Chocolate Mousse.

If You Have Concert Tickets, The Cost Is Just $50/Person, Or $75/Person Which Includes A Ticket To The Show. Today Is The Last Day Reservations Will Be Accepted. Call The Erie Phil Office At 455-1375.

Tickets For The Concert, Which Begins At 8 Pm In The Warner Theatre, Can Be Purchased Here. This Hanes Erie Pops Concert Is Presented By Werkbot, Classy 100 And Wsee Tv. The 2011-12 Season Is Presented By Scott Enterprises.


Happy Birthday, Daniel Meyer!

In Honor Of Music Director & Conductor Daniel Meyer's 40th Birthday This Month, We Encourage You To Make An Additional Donation To The Annual Fund In His Honor. Monies Raised From This Special Drive Will Be Used To Further The Mission Of The Erie Philharmonic To Strengthen Our Community And Region By Providing High Quality Live Orchestra Concerts And Programs That Enrich, Entertain, And Educate People Of All Ages.


Donations Are Graciously Accepted. May We Suggest $40 For Daniel's 40th!

You Can Donate Online Or Send To 609 Walnut Street, Erie, Pa 16502. Thank You For Your Continued Support.


Pink Floyd Tribute Returns

On Saturday, March 3, The Machine Performs The Music Of Pink Floyd With Your Erie Philharmonic.

Find Out Why The Machine Has Been Called "The World's Greatest Pink Floyd Show." The Machine's Performance Includes Computerized Light Arrays, Pristine Audio Production And A Compelling Video Component Presented On A Circular Screen. Acclaimed Director And Conductor Raffaele Ponti Will Be The Conductor For The Show.

Tickets To The Machine Featuring The Erie Philharmonic At The Warner Theatre Are $29.50, $36.50, And $44.50. Tickets Are Available At The Tullio Arena Box Office, 809 French Street, Or By Calling 452-4857, Or Online. The Show Starts At 8:00 Pm.


Mix It Up With The Maestro

Relax At The End Of Your Work Day And Support The Erie Phil! On Thursday, March 8, Maestro Daniel Meyer And Friends Will Serve You Drinks At The Bel-Aire Hotel. Stop By And Enjoy Drink And Appetizer Special From 6 - 9 Pm.

Your Generous Tips Benefit The Programs Of The Erie Phil!


Orchestras Feeding America

Your Erie Phil Is Again Participating In Orchestras Feeding America In March. Your Donation Of A Non-Perishable Food Item Will Help Us Surpass Last Year's Collection Of More Than 1,000 Pounds Of Food Which The Second Harvest Food Bank Distributed To Our Neighbors Right Here In Northwest Pennsylvania.

For Your Donation You Will Receive An Offer To Receive A Two-For One Ticket To One Of The Remaining Two Symphonic Series Concerts Of The Season -- March 10 And April 21.

Drop-Off Locations Include: Erie Phil Office At 609 Walnut Street; Wqln, Erie Art Museum, Experience Children's Museum, And The Warner Theatre Lobby On Our March 10 And 31 Concerts.


Take Note


Feb 18 James Bond: From Russia With Love, Warner Theatre, 8 Pm

Mar 3 The Machine's Pink Floyd Tribute, Warner Theatre, 8 Pm

Mar 8 Mix It Up With The Maestro Guest Bartending, Bel-Aire Hotel, 6 Pm

Mar 10 Rachmaninoff 3, Warner Theatre, 8 Pm

Mar 27 Erie Phil On The Move, Cole Auditorium, Edinboro University, 7:30 Pm

Mar 31 The Wizardly World Of Harry Potter, Warner Theatre, 8 Pm

Poignant, Powerful, Purple
By Dan and Alison Tingley

The Erie Playhouse is currently presenting The Color Purple, a Tony Award winning musical, with book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. The play is based on the novel by Alice Walker and the movie by Warner Brothers and Amblin Entertainment. The novel was published in 1982, winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1983. The 1985 movie, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, and Oprah Winfrey, accrued 11 Academy Award nominations and won a Golden Globe for Goldberg’s portrayal of Celie.

The Color Purple, set in rural Georgia in the 1930’s, is a story about Celie, a young woman who is forced to give up two children fathered by her own father. Then she is given away to Mister, who really wants to marry Celie’s younger sister, Nettie. Mister is as cruel as Celie’s father and keeps Celie and Nettie separated, even keeping the letters Nettie writes away from Celie. Everything remains as status quo until Shug Avery comes to town and shakes things up. The drama follows Celie’s struggle to find herself, find a friend, find a life, and find God. The tale is full of conflict, sadness, and humor.

The cast for this production includes Carla B. Hughes (Celie), John Burton (Mister), Denise Mosley (Nettie), Krista Lamb (Shug), Hayes Moses (Harpo), Sharon Newell (Sofia), Cheryl Horton-Jong (Darlene), Lyn Twillie-Darby (Doris), Kimberly Overton (Jarene), Cy Sharp (Squeak/Olivia), Shavon Thurston (Church Soloist), Bill Williams (Ol’ Mister/Buster), and Waine M. Byrd (Preacher/African King). We have yet to see a finer assembled cast.

With such an incredible cast, it is difficult to find actors who stand out. However, we do believe that some of these actors do deserve a special mention. Specifically, Hughes carries the weight of the world with grace and beauty and a powerful voice, showing conflict, pain, and inner-strength. Burton, always a talented singer and actor, masterfully plays a cruel man with a weak spot for an old love. Burton’s passionate acting is most obvious when he brings tears to his own eyes as well as ours during a soulful lament. Mosley portrays peaceful innocence with charm and a beautiful voice. Moses is hysterically enthusiastic and perfect as a man in love with a very strong woman, and Newell embodies that strong woman with humor and precision timing. Three other notable actors on that stage include Horton-Jong and Thurston for excellent voices and Da’Mone Morris for polished motion. Most people can only aspire to sing or dance like these individuals.

The set is fantastic. The burled tree that frames many of the scenes is beautiful. The store, homes, and juke joint are perfectly simple. The costumes are era-appropriate, the African costumes are gorgeous, and Miss Celie’s pants are just so cute. The choreography is both strong and graceful. The songs were beautifully executed with skillful accompaniment from the orchestra.

Congratulations are in order for the cast and production staff, especially Almitra Clerkin, director/staging, Kelley N. Ulmer and James Dixon, choreographers, Andrew Rainbow, music/vocal director, Joe Hassler, set and lighting design, and Richard Davis and Angela Howell, costume design. Their behind-the-scenes efforts contributed to an excellent production.

The Color Purple runs through February 26. It might make you laugh, it might make you cry. It will definitely make you glad you went to see it. For more information and tickets call the Erie Playhouse box office at 814-454-2852 or go online to www.erieplayhouse.org.

Watch for a Hole Under Vehicle's Door Lock --- What next?!?!?!?!

Hole Under Door Lock -

A victim wrote:

Wednesday, I approached my truck from the passenger side to place my computer bag (aka my man purse) in the front passenger seat.

As I reached to open the door I noticed there was a hole right under my door handle. My first thought was,

"someone has shot my truck !" I began to think about it and inspect it a little closer and the "light" slowly

Began to come on.

I phoned my friend who owns a body shop and asked if he had any vehicles with damage to the doors that looked like a bullet hole.

"Yes, I see it all the time. Thieves have a punch and place it right under the door handle, knock a hole through, reach in and unlock it,

Just as if they have a key. No alarms, broken glass, or anything.

I then placed a call to my insurance agent and explained it to him. I was puzzled that they left my GPS and all other belongings. Here is where it gets scary!

"Oh no, he said, they want the break-in to be so subtle that you don't even realize it. They look at your GPS or look at your registration/insurance card to see where "home" is. Now, they know what you drive, go to your home and if your vehicle isn't there they assume you aren't and break into your home." He said they will even leave a purse or wallet and only take one or two credit cards. By the time you realize there has been a theft, they may have already had a couple of days or more to use them.

(I didn't realize my situation for two full days!)

They even give you the courtesy of re-locking your doors for you!

Periodically, walk around your car, especially after you park in a shopping center or other large parking area.

Report thefts immediately....your bank w/missing check numbers, your credit card agencies, police, and insurance companies, etc.

Psychology Professor Aimee Knupsky Named a GLCA Teagle Pedagogy Fellow

Aimee Knupsky, assistant professor of psychology at Allegheny College, has been named a GLCA Teagle Pedagogy Fellow by the Great Lakes Colleges Association. Knupsky is one of 20 Fellows chosen through a selective process of nomination and application.

GLCA Fellows are distinguished not just by their knowledge of research on human learning and pedagogical technique but also by their strong interest in working with faculty colleagues within and across GLCA member colleges to enhance liberal arts teaching and learning.

Teagle Pedagogy Fellows will have key roles in the development of a new consortial program, called the GLCA Lattice for Pedagogical Research and Practice, created with funding from the Teagle Foundation. These Fellows will engage with interested faculty members on their own campuses and at other GLCA colleges, helping to generate heightened interest and momentum in exploring different modes of pedagogy to enhance student learning and achievement.

“Our vision for this pilot program is to establish the foundation for a sustaining GLCA center for pedagogical research and practice,” said GLCA president Richard Detweiler. “We are confident that the skills and knowledge our Teagle Pedagogy Fellows bring to this collaborative initiative will help us achieve that goal.”

Founded in 1962, the GLCA is a nonprofit organization governed by 13 selective liberal arts colleges: Albion, Allegheny, Antioch, DePauw, Denison, Earlham, Hope, Kalamazoo, Kenyon, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, Wabash and Wooster. Its purpose is to strengthen and extend education in the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences. GLCA often works with similar associations of liberal arts colleges to enhance the strength and vitality of member institutions.

Order your official ANNA Shelter/Erie Otters Hockey Jersey TODAY - quantities are limited so order today!

Game worn and signed by the player of your choice!!!

All proceeds benefit the shelter animals!

Call the Erie Otters to order your jersey today!

(814)455-7779 or email them at puck@ottershockey.com

Student Art Exhibit Opens

Mercyhurst University students will exhibit their artwork at the annual Juried Student Art Show beginning Tuesday, Feb. 14, in the Cummings Art Gallery. The student artists will be honored at a reception on Thursday, Feb. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the gallery.

Students were encouraged to enter up to three pieces in any medium for consideration by local artists who serve as jurors. This year’s jurors – photographer Patty Baldwin and sculptor Brian Pardini – chose 58 works by 41 artists for inclusion in the exhibit. The varied pieces include ceramics, sculpture, photography, painting and drawing. The jurors will announce their choices for Mercyhurst University Purchase Awards and Juror’s Honorable Mentions during the Feb. 16 reception.

Baldwin is an artist and photographer who has taught photography for 25 years, locally and in Colorado. For 15 years she photographed her grandmother, focusing on their unique relationship and capturing the process of aging.

Pardini is a sculptor who searches the Lake Erie shoreline for unique pieces of driftwood which become, with varying degrees of manipulation, a myriad of real and imagined life forms. He began making art in the mid-1990s after 25 years of renovating and building rural and urban homes using primarily recycled materials.

The Juried Student Art Show remains on display through March 18, although the gallery will be closed Feb. 23-March 4 during Mercyhurst’s term break.

Cummings Gallery, located in the lobby of the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center, is open Tuesday-Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. and Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Call 824-2092 for more information or look for Cummings Art Gallery on Facebook.

Pocket Factory 22 Founders to Talk About Innovative, Sustainable Modes of Manufacturing

Bilal Ghalib and Alex Hornstein, two entrepreneurs who left San Francisco in mid-January on a cross-country road trip to talk about innovative and sustainable modes of manufacturing, are making a stop in Meadville this week.

Ghalib and Hornstein, founders of Pocket Factory 22, will be at the Meadville Market House on Saturday, Feb. 11. From 9 to 11 a.m. they will demonstrate an assortment of 3D printers, sell unique creations they have made from those printers and talk about the potential of desktop manufacturing. They will be joined by faculty and students from Allegheny College.

Everyone is welcome to attend this free event, whether they are interested in sustainable manufacturing, want to learn more about how to use 3D printing to create their own designs or are just curious about how the technology works.

“We’re starting a business designing, producing and selling products made on these printers,” Ghalib and Hornstein say on their website, pocketfactory.org. “We’re documenting our successes and failures as we go, with the intention of making it easy for others to replicate our efforts. In our dream world, the only barrier between a desire to make a living off of creative design and doing so is just a click of the print button. We hope this project helps bring that dream closer to a reality.”

Their journey has taken them through Seattle, Salt Lake City, Chicago and Detroit. Their final stop, New York City, will take them to NYC Resistor and Makerbot, the home of the Thing-O-Matic 3D printer.

“Their trip is simultaneously educational and inspirational,” said Matt Jadud, assistant professor of computer science at Allegheny College, who encouraged the pair to make a stop in Meadville. “They are driving across America — in a hybrid, no less — running an entrepreneurial business along the way. They will be demonstrating not only the technologies involved but how anyone can learn to design and make anything they can imagine.”

The event is part of the Year of Sustainable Communities at Allegheny College, a series of activities, workshops and events aimed at inspiring the campus and community to examine what makes a community sustainable in the richest sense of the word—that is, able to provide a good quality of life to those who live and work there and to be resilient in the face of challenges.

For more information on the Year of Sustainable Communities, including a schedule of events, visit www.allegheny.edu/events and click on the “Year of Sustainable Communities” tab.

Internationally Renowned Choreographers to Perform at the Erie Art Museum

Guggenheim Fellows based in New York City, Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer have toured the world presenting their choreography. Their innovative work developing “video partnering”—the total integration of live performance and video technology—has been acclaimed for exploding the duet form into a magically populated stage where image and reality collide. The duo will perform live on the Museum’s stage Friday, March 9, 2012 at 8 p.m. Admission is free with a suggested $20 donation.

The pair will also host a Dance Workshop, Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 11 a.m. utnil 1 p.m. at the Museum. This popular workshop transmits Bridgman/Packer’s unique approach to partnering for beginners through advanced performers. The class is nongender specific, and participants do not need to come with a partner. The dance workshop, held in the Museum’s Multipurpose Room, is free and open to all levels of dancers.

Call 459-5477 for more information or visit www.erieartmuseum.org.

About the Erie Art Museum
The Erie Art Museum anchors downtown Erie’s cultural and economic revitalization, occupying a group of restored mid-19th century commercial buildings and a modern, ‘Green,’ 10,500 square foot expansion. The newly expanded Museum marks the first LEED-certified building in the region, soon to be complete with a planted rooftop.

The Museum maintains an ambitious program of changing exhibitions annually, and holds a collection of over 6,000 objects, which includes significant works in American ceramics, Tibetan painting, Indian bronzes, contemporary baskets, and a variety of other categories.

The Museum offers a wide range of education programs and artists’ services including interdisciplinary and interactive school tours and a wide variety of classes for the community. Performing arts are showcased in the 25-year-old Contemporary Music Series, which represents national and international performers of serious music with an emphasis on composer/performers, and a popular annual two-day Blues & Jazz Festival.

The Erie Art Museum, café, and gift shop is open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. For additional visitor information, visit online at erieartmuseum.org or call 814-459-5477