Vice President Kamala Harris made a stop in Erie, Pennsylvania Monday to emphasize the importance northwest Pennsylvania has had on elections in the 21st century, picking the winner since 20008. "Erie County is a pivot county," said Harris in front of a full Erie Insurance arena. How you all vote in presidential elections often ends up predicting the national result."

Thousands attended the Erie rally, many traveling some distance in order to see the vice president and hear what she had to say about the election that in just a little over 20 days away. Several local dignitaries spoke. Senator John Fetterman came donning a Pittsburgh Steelers hat a day after the they demolished the Raiders.

The last day to register to vote is October 21. Last day to apply for mail in  or civil absentee ballot is October 29. Election Day is November 5.

Below are more photos we captured at the rally.

Addendum: As a small community journalist it is always interesting when the "circus comes to town. I told a national journalist back on the George W. Bush era that you're in my town here, you don't push me around.

We are important.

And northwest Pennsylvania is critically so to both the Democrats, who hope to snag Erie county and garner enough votes to cancel out the rural voters who mostly vote Republican.

It is always interesting covering these campaigns that are so focussed on the big issues, they often miss the little picture of all the folks, all around, that mean a great deal to the little piece of this great puzzle they are in control of and that affect their community. The community is where life is.

​The journalists, for the most part that follow national politics try to tap into those lives in order to know the fabric that makes up America. We all have our way of seeing that slice of America.

​The truth is we're all important and deciding who leads this nation is also important. It does define us.

​The next month, a Thursday night concert featuring the Junior Silver Cornet summer camp kids in Bandstand Park was noticeably affected by music coming from Trails. A person who was in the park that night commented on the Eight & 322 post this weekend saying the volume of the music from Trails ​affected their enjoyment of the Junior band show.

We were also there. We also noted the music and its disruptive effects on the regularly scheduled public concert in the park. The comment about the concert was one of more than 50 made under the post, some which came from a manager at Trails and one of the owners.

The comments revealed several things, including some communication breakdowns, claims of music overlapping between Trails and other businesses, and that the volume affects nearby residences.
The conversation started before Saturday’s shows at Trails and the Barrow, so we intentionally took time to investigate with our ears the performances that evening.

The video here was recorded in Bandstand Park on Saturday night around 7:45 to give an idea to the volume. Shortly after that, we walked by Trails and then went into the theatre.

We stood inside the theatre near the wall where the Trails stage is outside. The sound from the band was pouring in, especially through the emergency exit doors.

We walked to the top of the theater on the opposite side to listen again. We can say with certainty that the pit orchestra and the strong singer at the time were powerful and we could barely hear the band from Trails.

Then the song ended and there was the band once again – intruding on the theater experience.

Music is a funny thing. If it is layered, it is more and more interesting. But if the layering is a dissonance, a different song altogether, then it becomes a disruption.

We are huge fans of live music. The arts and downtown cultural gatherings like at Trails to Ales, The Smoke Cantina, Bella Cucina, FoxTales, Benjamin’s, Iron Furnace Coffee and Bandstand Park certainly contribute to the vibrant atmosphere of Franklin.

So how do we maintain that vibrancy without creating competing noise? How can we all be neighborly?

​In one of his comments in the Eight & 322 thread, Trails owner Dave Ballard suggested that everyone affected should join him at a city council meeting to civilly discuss what can be done in the best interests of all involved.

He said "we would much rather be the solution than the problem."

He made further comments about the times included in the city’s ordinance, suggesting it should be extended to 11 p.m., but did not directly address the issue of volume despite time of day.
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City council member Christian Marshall got on the thread to let everyone know that the council meeting at 7 p.m. on August 5 will likely be held in the professional building at Miller-Sibley due to renovations at city hall.

So, we got our panties in a twist a little on Friday and stirred the pot on Saturday. Hopefully the subsequent scuttlebutt about the music at Trails will lead to a neighborly solution that strikes a good harmony between the needs of the residences on 12th Street, all businesses in that area, as well as who use the park for a variety of activities.  
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There are a few things the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association should use a bottle of Wite-out to correct.  Putting into motion disciplinary actions against a school for a football game back in October meant to bolster the spirits of a school holding a "White-Out" is one one of them.

This situation stinks of egos run-a-muck and a rule that is at its least poorly written andif held steadfast misses the point of what a community involved in its kids sports is all about.

Before I get to the heart of this, because frankly, I'm a bit steamed about this and it isn't even a team I cover. Rules are meant to preserve the integrity of the game so that those participating, both as players and as supporters, benefit. If a rule interferes in this, then it is a poorly designed rule.

There are a few poorly designed things within the PIAA and we'll touch on two here. One based on the current events and one that has been burning my you know what for a few years now.

The PIAA schedules playoff games on Memorial Day and often on Veterans Day each year. Parents and grandparents become torn whether to attend the parade or watch their family play in a game. Their military families are important to them and it truly causes some grief having to decide.

The parades and festivities are much more than a local tradition to many of these veterans, to them it is them still giving to their country by reminding everyone why it is important for freedom that men and women to serve the greater good of democracy.

It is their chance, again to honor the country they served while receiving the small honor of recognition they deserve, though many will say the recognition belongs to the duty, not the individual.

But PIAA doesn't have a problem scheduling games right in the heart of the day that these events take place. And it's been burning my butt for awhile. 

I've been meaning to write about this for a couple years, but I usually forget because - a couple days pass and I forget like everyone else that these things matter.  Until they do again.

But today, reading about this ridiculous back and forth between the PIAA and Iroquois High School about wearing a different color jersey to create a bit of school spirit reminded me just how out of touch these folks have become with the needs of the communities they are supposed to be bringing together through regional and statewide competition.

An article from our friends up at the Erie Times painstakingly goes through the long list of events that led the PIAA to now hold a hearing as to whether  impose sanctions or some level of disciplinary actions against Iroquois for its decision this past fall to hold a home white out game despite their usual home jersy color is dark.


Many high schools around these parts raise school spirit by hosting a white-out game, a tradition started to show school unity back in the early 2000s by Penn State. They tend to really draw the kids to the event and raise decibel levels considerably, especially when the teams are doing well.

Read the article here, it is long, but thorough.

I understand rules and the need to maintain a level of order to preserve an equal opportunity for all.

I get it.

But, if this article is accurate, and it appears great effort to dot the i's and cross the t's was given here, the schools involved communicated with one another and even sought the officials approval to proceed - so what in the world could possibly be the problem?

Was the rule book's ego hurt. The team asked to wear their white jersey's for a home game. The request was granted. The other team wore their dark jersey's. They had no issue. There was no confusion who was who and they played the game without incident.

And it was back in October and here we are on the Day of Infamy talking about a disciplinary action against the school who played a game and did their best to get the school and community to bond together for a common good. If a rule was broken, but given the green-light by those officiating at the time, who, thought it was an acceptable breach, then how can the school be held responsible for this?

And why is this a steadfast rule anyway?

I was at a basketball a year or three ago when the visiting team simply goofed and wore the same color jersey as the home team. It was confusing for some of us, but the officials seemed to figure it out and they played the game. No big deal. Stuff happens.

This game between Greenvile and Iroquois was coordinated, discussed, planned, hashed-out, mulled over and ratified in agreement.

PIAA - change the stupid rule to make sense and leave Iroquois alone. This is ridiculous.

​A social media post by retired journalist Jim Carroll grabbed our attention due to its subject matter - little-known movie from the 1930s.

"Just watched a 1937 movie I found on YouTube—'High, Wide and Handsome.'
The plot revolves around the discovery of oil near Titusville and the conflict between local oil producers and big money interests and the conflict between the railroads and pipeline developers.
Plus it’s a musical.
I never heard of it before.
Interesting flick but a little weird at times.
Stars Randolph Scott and Irene Dunn."

​We reached out to Carroll to see if he wanted to write a review and he obliged.

​Here is what he wrote.

Thousands of people came to downtown Franklin Saturday to enjoy the holiday festivities that culminated in a parade, the official holiday light up of the town and a pretty impressive fireworks display.

Most seemed to take away a great memory, but some, unfortunately, didn't take away their trash.

Usually after a parade a fair amount of flattened candy is on the road. That's collateral damage for the fun of giving out bushels of small individually wrapped treats along the parade route. But after Saturday's electric light spectacular it seemed that a fair amount of the wrappers on the ground were without treats. Simply disregarded after the candy was consumed. Why can't people pick up after themselves?

​Franklin is a very unique small town. There is a fairly large contingency of people who do an immensely large amount of planning to make sure residents, businesses and visitors have a lot of things to do all year round. Is it really too much to ask those taking advantage of all the hard work put in by staff and volunteers to not leave the place looking like crap?

​Strolling around Saturday night after the fireworks, I was pretty taken aback by all the trash left behind. I was all the way up Liberty to where the parade ended. It was in the road, on the sidewalks and throughout the grass. It was candy wrappers, hot chocolate and coffee cups, water and soda bottles and even a pair of ear muffs. 

Sometimes there was a even a garbage can nearby but admittedly there were sections without anywhere to easily dispose of trash.

Franklin's public works crews did a great job of cleaning up most of the litter left in the street. But on Monday morning there was still a noticeable amount of refuse scattered about the grass, especially near the intersection of Liberty and 12th streets.

The Scouts of America had a saying "Leave No Trace." It means whatever you take in, you take out, specifically garbage. 

Perhaps the city can work to put out more garbage cans next time around and that will help. But even if they can't, attendees should respect the festival, event volunteers and city workers, and take their garbage with them if needed. 

Sportsmanship is one of those things that you can't always define what it is, but you certainly can describe what it isn't. This weekend I witnessed sportsmanship in a manner that should remind us of not only what it means to be an athlete but also what it means to be a decent human being.

When a play is over oftentimes there is some smack talk between players or boasting about what was just accomplished. Most of it is in good fun, jabs at each other, and a way to psyche up or psyche out. Fans even get involved sometimes.

But when one of the players is lying motionless out in the middle of the field, there isn't a scarier moment in all of football. Especially if you're a parent in the stands trying to see the number on the jersey.

Unfortunately, we've been reminded of this a lot lately. Karns City's Mason Martin is still unconscious in a hospital bed a month ago after being life-flighted away from the game. The following week, Jersey Shore's Max Engle and Oil City's Hayden Wilson were both flown from their games on stretchers in two separate instances. Wilson, thankfully, was back on the field playing against Meadville. Engle, sadly passed away a few days later.

On Friday, Franklin's Sam Wimer was there lying motionless in the middle of the field during the game against Warren. His mother Amy said she was told he was initially unconscious. "We were terrified," she said. But before he left the field he was conscious, knew exactly where he was and even answered questions correctly, according to Franklin coach Matt Turk.

But there was no question he needed to be checked out. So a stretcher was brought onto the field to take Wimer to a nearby hospital.

In response to the situation, the Warren team, coaches and cheerleaders lined up, and raised their helmets and pom-poms in the air to salute their opponent as he left the field. "It was such a lovely gesture," Amy said. As she walked off the field with Franklin's athletic director Becky Barnes they both thanked the team for their caring attitude and sportsmanship.

The Warren Dragons haven't won a game all season and were getting trounced again by the Knights, but they weren't going to let this player leave the field without all the positive energy they could give him.
​
I witnessed another bit of sportsmanship take place near the end of the night.

Late in the game, with the score 35-0, Franklin intercepted a pass and was running it back towards the end zone when Alex Wible did what is instinctive on a football field, he lowered a shoulder on a player putting him on his back. 

The referees flagged him and negated the touchdown. Turk said the refs claimed Wible targeted the player in an unsportsmanlike way. Wible was beside himself on the sideline and you could see in his face and body language he was sorry for what happened in a split-second judgment in the heat of battle.

​At the end of the game, Wible wanted to own his actions and express his regrets to his opponents,

"Alex profusely apologized to Warren and he apologized to the young man," Turk said. "He was distraught. But I'll tell you (his apology) shows his leadership as a captain and as a mature young man. He did not mean to hurt that player."

​The two met at midfield, shook hands, talked and even hugged.

A third bit of good sportsmanship from the weekend came at the end of the Meadville versus Oil City game on Saturday where tempers were, at times, bubbling toward the boiling point. The Bulldogs were way up on the Oilers in the last minute of the game as Meadville's Brighton Anderson had a long pass play and a clear path to the end zone. He could've walked in, padded his stat sheet and added to the already lopsided score, but instead took a knee at the one. 

This was not only selfless, but it potentially prevented any other possible injury on an ensuing kickoff and last plays of the game. Instead, the Bulldogs just took another knee and ran out the clock.

Three examples of life lessons learned from watching team sports.

Why is this important to share?

​Because in a day and age where winning is heralded above most things, it is often important to stop and acknowledge lessons we can all learn. 

An entire team showed us what community means as they supported their opponent and his family during a scary time.

We all do things we regret and are afraid to face. Friday night a teenager acted like an adult to apologize to an entire team, the coaches and his fellow athlete.

And Saturday a player had the wherewithal to say 'I'm not going to rub salt in your wounds" and took a knee even though it will go down as one less touchdown in his career.

None of these things will make it into the historical record of any of these games. But hopefully witnessing and experiencing these moments will have a lasting impression that will help us all become better sportsmen and better people all around.

More photos from Memorial Day observances in the Franklin area can be found by clicking here.

During coverage of recent Oil City Area School District board meetings, certain terms have been used that have led to confusion, misinformation and misdirection when describing how the "We Care Elementary" and  "Sexual Abuse Free Environment for Teens (SAFE-T)"  has been implemented in the schools. Here is a breakdown of terms that seem to be at the heart of the conversation, including definitions and explanations of how they apply to this situation. 

Controversial
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate.
Other than a handful of parents, we haven't found how either program is "controversial". In talking with Devin Aaron, one of the group of "concerned parents and taxpayers" of the Oil City School District, the controversy in this situation may come from an affiliation of the PPC Network with Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape group. The PCAR website states on its homepage "Abortion is a human right." We haven't really found how the two curricula resources have been deemed controversial in any large scale protests or initiatives. Both are Pennsylvania Department of Education approved.

Curriculum
Curriculum is the subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college.
Superintendent Lynda Weller and Tracy Delmonaco, the district's Title IX coordinator admit the confusion. "Basically we overuse the word curriculum," Delmonaco said. 
"When we talk about curriculum we talk about things we must provide under chapter four of the school code. PA academic standards are tied to these. So when we talk about our official curriculum, that’s  what the board needs to approve. This other stuff which we may use the term curriculum really is a resource or material to help meet the standards under the core curriculum. So it gets confusing," Weller added.

Delmonaco further explained that teachers often find resources to help them address the specific needs of a given class. The teachers are trained to understand their class and know every student learns differently.
Weller admits it has been confusing and that in discussions that end up in board minutes and agendas the use of the term curriculum needs to be more precise moving forward.

Sex Ed
Sex education or sex ed is the provision of information about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships.
These programs facilitated by PPC have been referred to as sex ed on more than one occasion. "Absolutely not," Weller said when asked if the healthy relationships program is sex ed. She said the lessons are part of a Sexual Abuse Prevention Program and that they are different from sex education taught in health class.

Sexuality
Sexuality is a person's identity in relation to the gender or genders to which they are typically attracted; sexual orientation.
From a script read by the facilitators of the SAFE-T program, “The term sexuality is an umbrella term. This means it is a word that we use to describe a number of different things. Your biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual feelings and sexual expression. The sheet was give so that students can think about the definition of each and match terms with appropriate definition. As you can see sexuality is a very complex thing that is unique to all of us. Misinformation about sexuality can sometimes lead to hurtful or unhealthy behaviors.

These things were discussed prior to handing out a worksheet that made its way onto social media without the context of the lesson.

Technology
Technology is machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific knowledge.
One of the issues facing today’s kids that perhaps their parents or grandparents did not face when they were growing up is the ever changing use of technology. These school curriculums and resources are designed to address this head on.
“This (the PPC facilitated programs) is not meant to replace those tough conversations that parents should be having in the home, it is supposed to only be a tool to get there.” Tracy Delmonaco said.
“I think parents are naive about what their children are accessing. ‘My child wouldn’t be doing that…’ well do a little digging and you might be disappointed.” Weller said about what kids are doing on their devices. “It’s right there at their fingertips.” Weller said there has been an increase in use of devices for bullying and innappropriate behavior.


Transparency
​
Transparency is the quality of being open to public scrutiny.
The “Concerned Parents and Taxpayers of OCASD” claim a lack of transparency from the administration. Tracy Delmonaco, with a two-inch thick folder of information relating to correspondences and resources she said she has shared with the parents, said she has tried to answer every question in a timely manner. She admitted a period of eight days when she took vacation time to work on her dissertation where things weren’t answered in a timely manner. She also admitted a couple other incidences when she needed to get information from others where it may have appeared she was avoiding answering questions, but said that was never her intention.
Weller concurred and added the administrators are dealing with a multitude of issues and priorities and that things sometimes take time. Weller added that the office has tried to supply information ahead of time and when asked, they invited PPC to set up an information table at an open house and sent letters home. Realizing that perhaps, not every letter sent home is delivered, they will now implement robo-calls to parents and guardians when they send important information home.
Weller also admitted that when the threat of lawsuit was mentioned, that changed how the district is allowed to respond.
According to Devin Aaron they do not wish to bring suit against the district.
​

Unilaterally

Unilaterally is used to indicate that something is done by only one person, group, or country involved in a situation, without the agreement of others.
The term "unilaterally" has been used to describe Dr. Lynda Weller deciding to use these programs. Weller,  worked with the district's Title IX coordinator to chose the programs. She also told the board about the program before implementing it. 
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