Outside Erie

A couple of cool things have come through my e-mail box this week that are worth pointing out.
First, my former colleague at the Erie Times-News, Robb Frederick, is the author of a new book You Haven’t Lived Here If You Haven’t — a collection of his quirky essays about places, people and experiences that are […]

The Erie Times-News reports this morning that the city is likely to extend its controversial amusement tax.
Not much surprise there.
Governments often have a hard time getting rid of proven moneymakers — even if they only net about $225,000, which is the anticipated revenue from the 3 percent tax on tickets to concerts and theater […]

GoErie.com reports this morning that the city, county and Millcreek Township have agreed to a deal that clears the way for the airport extension project to finally get off the ground.
There are still some obstacles — mostly procedural — that stand in the way.
But this does represent progress, and it also shows that local government […]

Former Erie Times-News colleague Jack Grazier is stirring up quite a bit of interest lately on Heart Attack Jack — his blog that talks about recovering from a severe heart attack.
Jack is using his venue to push Hamot Medical Center to create a heart-healthy restaurant in Erie. If Hamot really is about promoting healthy hearts, […]

Bob Martin — the Erie radio veteran who posts a weekly podcast on this site — has a rather pointed comment about those who are calling for more information about the ouster of Don Gunter, Gannon University’s Director of Police and Safety.
News of Gunter’s retirement has irked those who believe there is more to the […]

Kudos to my former Erie Times-News colleague Jim Martin for his excellent series on Monterrey, Mexico.
I’ve heard from some people who believe the Times-News series was rubbing salt in the wounds of the former Steris Corp. workers who saw their jobs head south of the border to that Mexican city.
The truth is, the series was […]

Want evidence that this forum can make a difference?
I can provide tangible results.
The Erie Times-News today featured a story on a project that puts graffiti taggers to work creating sanctioned public art near Erie’s Union Station. The story talked about how the building’s owner — Logistics Plus founder Jim Berlin — reached out to graffiti […]