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Erie Survival Kit

Sister Mary Paul

Act V Scene I: Women’s Lacrosse vs Seton Hill 4/1/09

4 PM Erie, PA- There was no contest last Wednesday when the nationally ranked Mercyhurst Lakers outscored the Seton Hill Griffins 20-3. Less than 30 seconds in, Kim Masterton scored the first goal from an assist by Kristen Toomey.

And the game was stuck on instant replay for the next 15 minutes until Seton Hill’s Stephanie Lazzaro found the back of the net for the first time, making the score 9-1.

All 28 Lakers got playing time and nine different players contributed goals. With 8:00 minutes remaining, Mercyhurst lead by ten, enforcing the mercy rule of having a running clock, exactly what the Griffins hoped for.

Prior to the game, our reporters went behind the scenes into the training room to see the injured

athletes on both teams get treatment. At the ankle taping station, two Seton Hill players were discussing their game strategy and getting pumped for contest against the number three Lakers. It was inspiring.

“Hopefully [Mercyhurst] scores ten goals fast so we can get it over with and go home.”

Mercyhurst became 9-0 and the Griffin’s bus was on I-90 by 6 p.m.

After a stellar performance, senior midfielder Kristen Toomey gave her input on the day’s game.

“It was a good game for everyone to get some playing experience especially with our tough games coming up. I think it also gave us some confidence after having a terrible game against Bloomsburg.”

The Lakers’ winning streak of 7-0 almost ended last game when they went into double over time with Bloomsburg.

It’s hard to choose the best moment in a successful season but for Toomey, winning the first game against rival Gannon stands out.

She adds, “however, beating West Chester who was ranked 1 feels good, so I don’t know what my favorite moment is.”

Mercyhurst has not always had seasons like this, in fact the year before Toomey put on the number 7 jersey the Laker’s record was 6-9. More losses than wins don’t seem attractive but, there must have been something about Mercyhurst Toomey liked.

“To be honest, I wanted to play volleyball in college but at the last minute I changed my mind. Mercyhurst was the first school I looked at for lacrosse and it was a good distance from home and my mom really liked it.”

Once at Mercyhurst, she realized the difficulties of being a student athlete in regards of balancing school and lacrosse. Lots of compromises must be made between the weekends, athletics and grades; at times Toomey must miss class for a game.

“Teachers don’t always understand sports or why we play them and that can be somewhat difficult. However, some teachers really do support the decision to also be an athlete so it all just depends on who the teacher is.”

Outside of school, the events on the road to different schools provide entertainment for the team as Toomey explains an incident earlier this year. The team knew they were in for nine hours of highway fun when their bathroom-less, Lucky Charms Band Bus pulled up having more shamrock decals than seats.

“Our spring break in Farmville, VA was lovely; it snowed for the first time in 9 years. The fields were closed so for practice we ran up and down slush filled steps of the hotel at 9 am. We ate at Longwood University’s cafeteria to cut down costs and after dinner one night, students began pegging us with snowballs and after we found cover on the bus, it got stuck so we had to run to the next building while still getting hit with snow balls. Pretty much, we don't win at anything but games.”

Even with the bad luck she is pleased with her decision of playing in college, “I don’t know where I would be if I never played lacrosse, possibly 20 pounds fatter. Over the past 4 years, I have met so many people that I know I’ll keep in touch.”

As for her future after graduation, Kristen Toomey wants to continue being a student athlete by being a college lacrosse coach and receive her masters in elementary and special education.

Green Screen Demo

Erie, known for long winters, potholes, construction and a ... National Landmark?

Presque Isle

Scene II
Presque Isle

Sand Dunes, Beach Eight

Translated to “almost an island," Presque Isle includes over 13 miles of roads and 3,000 sandy acres and protrudes into Lake Erie. The peninsula’s neck, located four miles west of downtown Erie connects to the mainland, creating Presque Isle Bay. This National Natural Landmark welcomes over 4 millions hikers, boaters, fishers, swimmers, skiers, skaters and bikers each year.



Battle Flight, Perry Monument

Built in 1926 on the banks of Misery Bay, the Perry Monument commemorates Commodore Perry's victory over the English during the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813.
Mistrustful Safety, Misery Bay
The temporary shelter for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and his men during the construction of his fleet in the War of 1812. After fighting the British near today’s Sandusky, Ohio, Perry and his men returned to Misery Bay in fear of another British uprising. That winter, many of Perry’s men suffered and died from smallpox while experiencing other hardships, giving Misery Bay its name in remembrance of the Battle of Lake Erie




Light Houses

Channel Light

When it was built in 1872 the Channel Light became the second light house on Lake Erie. Today it is maintained by the US Coast Guard and is the residence of the park manager. The signature white flashes warn ships of the sandy peninsula that protrudes into Lake Erie.

North Pier Light
The 30-foot black and white steel tower maintained by the Coast Guard marks the mouth of Presque Isle Bay. In 1995, the narrow Fresnel lens was replaced with a modern optic that provided a longer focal length

US Coast Guard Station #236

The US Life Saving Service was established at Presque Isle in 1876 and became US Coast Guard Station #236, LSS Presque Isle almost 40 years later after merging with the Revenue Cutter Service.

Marina

Accommodates 500 boats up to 42 feet in length from the beginning of May to the end of October, provides gasoline including diesel as well as food, refreshments and a sewage pump out station.

Picnic Areas



Pavilions can be reserved for larger parties or are available free of charge on a first come first serve basis. Shelters also include electricity, water, tables, fireplaces, grills as well as charcoal disposals.

Fishing

Presque Isle’s four boat launches create easy access to popular fishing spots that are home to perch, walleye, smelt, panfish, bass, muskellunge, northern pike, crappies, and steelhead.

The Last Glacier Standing

The moraine across Lake Erie was formed by the last major ice sheet tha covered the majority of northern Pennsylvania at the end of the Wisconsin Glaciation.

Beach 9, Pine Tree Beach

One of the park's largest and sandiest beaches, includes a picnic pavilion and a restroom.

Protected Shelter

Each containing a different plant and animal community, Presque Isle’s six distinct ecological zones can be seen in the lake; including the bay and shoreline; new ponds; dunes and ridges; old ponds and marshes; as well as forests.

Fossil Beach, Beach Eleven

Most sheltered beach; known for its shallow and clear waters.

Presque Isle was created from 11,000 years of constant wave movement and still continues to slowly shift Eastward. Although Presque Isle's history began after the last Ice Age, its present beauty attracts over four million tourists a year.

ACT III: Folding Corners

SCENE I
Social Bookmarking

Traditional
Pros:
Easy to navigate
Quick- faster than typing in URL
Ability to save websites that you frequent and want to return to and for the purpose of forgetting one

Cons:
Clutters tool bar, displays minimal amount of sites at a time

Social Bookmarking
Cons:
No structure for tagging; spelling errors can occur that impact tags
Increasing popularity has attracted spammers to falsely tag their websites for more hits

Pros:
Can access Delicious list from any computer
Organize large amounts of links by keywords and tags
Ability to share with other people with common interests

Delicious Bookmarking Page http://delicious.com/MaeveMcGoff

Scene III The Tri-State Redneck Date

The saying goes, “You smoke in Kentucky, gamble in Indy, and drink in Ohio” but on a summer day in Cincinnati its, “You jump Indiana, ride Kentucky, and float Ohio.”


There are many pros with the numerous options for photo sharing however, there are some cons. Through Facebook, Myspace and other social networks uploading photos allows people to keep in touch and be updated visually on people's lives. However, whether its a display of achievement or images of a drunken night, pictures that are uploaded to the Internet can be seen not only by fellow partiers but, also by parents teachers and possible employers. On the plus side of photo sharing, one can upload photographs for the world to see and possibly a person willing to buy the work. In general, businesses are making the shift to become more web based to communicate through what their target audience uses everyday.

Tri-State Redneck Date

The Transition

Scene II:
Web 2.0

Being a part of the internet generation, I’ve used the Web 1.0 method of communication and experienced the transition to Web 2.0. Subconsciously I realize the differences but, being an internet user during the shift, I’m not effected or restricted by the changes.
My family got internet when I was in the 6th/7th grade. My first online service was AOL, I can still hear the buzzing of the modem as the connection process window appeared on the monitor of our Mac Desktop. A couple years later, I downloaded AIM and online chatted from there.
With the world connected through wires, mass communication was available; if I wanted to talk to a large number of people I would join a chartroom or send a mass email. Years passed and technology advanced. Myspace was overtaken by Facebook which now has other social network competitors such as Twitter. Blogging and Wikis have made sending a message easier than mass emailing. The list can go on.
In summary, Web 2.0 is the new generation of the web that connects numerous parties online by acting as a platform to enhance business success and expand communication through interpersonal computing, web services and using software as a service.

Act I: Red Brick Graveyard

Scene I:
Decaying buildings in Erie

Erie Mill and Press Inc Building 07 E 12th and East Ave


Advancing machinery and industrial equipment caused the need for a large work force to become a thing of the past and companies such as this began to shut down. While driving on the Bayfront Connector, I saw the faded print of Erie Mill and Press Inc and as I walked around the area I discovered the entire building was also deteriorating. The numerous mounds of broken wood and garbage that were seen throughout the lot made me think about what those nailed up boards were covering in the inside.

Left Erie City Iron Works Building 07 S 12th and East Ave Right Erie Engine and Manufacturing Co 07 S 12th and East Ave

Well after escaping to a fair distance after an unkept man creeped from the overpass and began following me with a garbage bag full of his life possessions, I finally got to walk around the broken down buildings. The area was an obstacle course; I had to step over barbed wire, overgrown weeds, rusty metal, and garbage. Once I thought I was in the clear, I had to turn around because a broken fence was blocking my path to my car. As I start my car I see the unknown man sitting on the cement surrounding pillars, I get out with a few beers someone left in my car and I walk towards the guy, knowing this could be really bad or fine. We get to talking and it turns out he’s nothing but a simple, normal guy just living his day. After 15 minutes of story telling, I get back in my car and see him start to walk and I begin to think, you never know what something is until you learn about it. The building’s off appearance may look run down but at one point it was someone’s possession and hundreds of worker’s lives similar to the life possessions that just grew six beers richer disappearing down the ally.

Docks 1- 3 East Ave

During the Industrial Revolution, Erie became an important city for steel manufacturing. So, when I walked down the gravel ally, I pictured iron workers flowing out of all the doors carrying tin containers to go on their lunch break. This big business carried onto the 20th century and day after day, men would complete the same routine until the company changed or closed.

Shipping 12th Street Tracks

As I walked by a Wal-mart shopping cart, a train passed through blurring the lower half of a shipping building with metal boxcars. I pictured workers unloading and loading passengers and cargo onto trains when Erie was a major railroad hub in the mid 19th century.

The Last Fisherman/Pennsylvania Beer Company East Lake Road and Lighthouse Street

Beer, Bait and Butane are words to live by but might not guarantee business survival. I couldn’t help but think of the variety of people that this product combination attracted. With various fishing times and drinking hours, you would never know if someone is beginning or ending their day. Maybe if the owners used the bait and hook advertising method, they would have been a better catch.

Eastway Plaza Buffalo Road A bank you can't trust

The bank is located on the end of the Eastway Plaza, which isn’t really a plaza considering there were more vacant stores than occupied ones. I don’t venture down these parts of Erie that often so I’m not sure if these were old closings or a recent effect of the economy.

Flaming Grill Buffalo Road and Brooklyn Ave

This looks like an upgrade after three summer’s worth of saving up quarters from a lemonade stand. Before becoming a restaurant that sold burgers and other grilled food, they should have worked their way up by adding Kool-aid to the menu to save up for expansion because this establishment is the size of a Dixie cup. I suppose their interior designer’s color choice backfired and the decorative and textured blue and green dots on the walls attracted the health department rather than customers with an appetite.

House on Buffalo Road

And we thought living in a three person apartment on Briggs Ave with a thin layer of black mold on the bathroom ceiling was bad. I did not want to get too close to this house because it looks a bit suspicious and I could see a creepy, witch lady from a fairytale coming out of it if I got within a short distance. However, on the other hand, the unattractive appearance could be intentional if this house were a meth lab because you don’t want to be interrupted during the crystallization process by someone who admires your house and wants a tour.

Church of God McCain Street and Buffalo Road

Every Sunday when people come together to praise and worship the name, I can just picture the Good Lord smiling down on this honorable establishment. I wonder how and why the sign is broken; did someone have a bad day or did a rebellious teen experimenting with atheism walk by and thought I’m going to throw this rock in the name of God. I really do see the light- of a strip club/drive thru/church.

No Gas East Lake Road

When this gas station was open, I picture an older man wearing overalls, smoking a pipe, sitting on a bench all day and talking to whoever he can. The friendly local entertains the customers while the tobacco spitting owner fills up the cars and his son checks the tires. Then I began to think about the current oil situation and how independently owned gas stations are beginning to close. I also wonder if the sign in the pump is the truth of this business and gas stations will become recharging stations for hybrids.

Gas Station Wagner and Buffalo Road

When this gas station was open, I picture an older man wearing overalls, smoking a pipe, sitting on a bench all day and talking to whoever he can. The friendly local entertains the customers while the tobacco spitting owner fills up the cars and his son checks the tires. Then I began to think about the current oil situation and how independently owned gas stations are beginning to close. I also wonder if the sign in the pump is the truth of this business and gas stations will become recharging stations for hybrids.

Hardy’s Auto Sales East 18th Street

Hardly selling, run down auto sales and repair services are commonly seen on many streets. When I pulled into this driveway and saw the beat up Chevy I asked myself, what did this car look like before it either was wrecked or stripped of everything on the site or why someone would buy it or agree to try to sell it? The rust on the tire wells and soggy looking interior make it apparent that this car has been exposed to the elements for quite some time so, if its been sitting there for a while already, when will it be removed? Vacant lots filled with abandoned cars can be seen in any city, but why are they there? Were they just dropped off as a gift to the area like a Good Will donation? Can’t these tin boxes on wheels get towed to a junk yard and possibly be recycled? There should be laws about blighted areas and if they do exist they should be enforced better.

Christopher Auto Pearl and Water Street

This auto shop located on the corner of Pearl and Water Street is attracting more mold than gold. The smell of stagnant water lying on top of the rusty barrels assures people will abide the No Trespassing sign.

Sanitary Wiping Cloth Co East 18th Street

The occupants or land lords of all of these buildings should call this number for some spring cleaning tips and maybe a few cloths or industrial size cleansing sheets if they do custom orders. The appearance of this building really does not compliment the company’s purpose. This looks like an Erie hole in the wall bar rather than a cleaning/janitorial service, so in exchange for cleaning tips, the interior decorator for the Flaming Grill should offer some advice in return.