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Earth-focused events, news, views and resources on a separate page.
ARTS & READS
ARTS & READS
PSU Behrend Smith Creative Writers Reading Series begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. (preceded by receptions at 5:30 p.m.). April 10 – Avitus B. Carle, Fiction Metzgar Lobby April 17 – Julie Danho, Poetry Metzgar Lobby "All events are free and open to the public"
Gangstagrass in concert April 26 7:30 PM Reg Lenna 116 East 3rd St. Jamestown, NY
Mother Earth Day at Poetry Park, May 17 from 2-3 p.m. at 636 East 22nd St. in Erie. "celebrate poetry that cultivates our love of Mother Earth as home. Featuring local poets Niecey Nicole and Matt Borazon, plus open mic" Sponsored by Trinity Square Foundation and Poetry NWPA. Poetry Park was a vision of Erie Benedictine Sister Mary Lou Kownacki, she and Sister Mary Miller made it a reality.
Chris Hayes at CHQ June 27 MSNBC host, editor-at-large of The Nation and the author of The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource, Hayes will discuss Sirens' Call.
National Theatre Live: Dr. Strangelove Fredonia Opera House Fredonia NY Oct 4
COMMUNITY
CRITTERS
PA Legislation Affecting Animals 2025/26 (Humane PA PAC)
My Dog and Me "Purrista Cat Cafe" (via Armstrong Neighborhood Channel) Host Sue Anderson interviews Dena Rupp, owner of Purrista Cat Cafe in Erie, who explains the cafe and its collaboration with Because You Care, with lots of helpful wisdom about kitties included. 48 minutes.
ELECTIONS
Dems in flipped Pa. Senate race took inspiration from an Iowa special election campaign (Penn Capital-Star) Democrats build on their down-ballot winning streak in PA (Politico)
Democracy champions list the commonsense election solutions Pa. still needs | Opinion
(Ed Rendell, Melissa Hart, Jim Gerlach and Keith McCall )
Four Ways PA Could Fix Its Campaign Finance Laws to Reduce the Power of Money In Politics. (Spotlight PA)
Collaboration or combat? How Fetterman & Lamb take different Democratic approaches to Trump (Chris Potter/WESA)
Erie County Council, in override vote, reaffirms that county resources be free of politics (Erie Times-News)
FOOD
4th Street Community Farm Work Day April 26, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm 4th Street Farm 318 East 4th Street Erie, PA. "Join the Food Policy Council for a work day to prepare for spring planting... Food grown here will go back to the community at Emmaus Soup Kitchen and distributed to the Pay What You Can Network this summer. Bring a water bottle and a shovel and rake if you have one!"
Meadville Market House First Farmers Market May 10 9am-1pm
Benevolent Beers: Meals on Wheels May 15 at Erie Ale Works 416 W. 12th "Every purchase between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. will count toward a donation to this great group!"
Gov. Shapiro Stands Up for PA Farmers, Appeals USDA’s Unlawful Decision to Cancel Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program (PA Gov press release)
Edinboro food pantry seeking new location (Erie News Now)
Grow Chautauqua Food Distribution returns (WRFA) Program that brings boxes of locally grown and sourced foods to the Chautauqua Co. community returned in March. (WRFA)
HOME
Erie landlord group explored waivers related to new tenant's rights bill (Erie Times-News)
EUMA +++
Erie County United Housing Townhall April 26 12pm – 3pm at ECU office 1720 Holland St Erie, PA
Chautauqua Co. new housing security program (Spectrum) Women's shelter opens in Jamestown (WRFA)
Habitat ReStores are independently owned reuse stores operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations. "The sales from donated items help Habitat for Humanity partner with local families to build, rehabilitate and repair safe and affordable homes in your community and around the world" Erie location: 4922 Pittsburgh Ave. Erie, PA (814) 464-8946
IMMIGRANTS
Good Friday Pilgrimage for Peace on April 18. This year’s theme is The Way of the Cross; The Way of the Migrant. The walk begins at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter Cathedral in Erie (W. 10th & Sassafras). Host: Benedictines for Peace
Refugee services
Erie refugee agencies seeking lifeline (Erie News-Now)Refugees help Erie - now it’s our turn to help them | Opinion Kim Thomas and Karen Bilowith Refugee resettlement - what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters for Erie | Opinion Katie Kretz Your TurnWarren continues to support Ukrainian refugees (Erie News Now)
“Office of New Pennsylvanians” State Rep. Izzy Smith-Wade-El plans to reintroduce legislation creating an office to attract, retain and “embrace” immigrants statewide. (Lancaster Online)
SCHOOLS
DEI Is Disappearing - Not by Force, But By Compliance (by Dr. Jay Breneman, President, Erie School Board/Erie Reader)
NY Education Dept refusing to sign anti-DEI (Chalkbeat)
Opinion: Why we need diverse teachers in PA schools (Lacey Anderson/Penn Capital-Star)
Savor for Scholars, a Meadville Heritage Celebration Fundraiser for Meadville Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund, Inc., founded in 1968. Held April 26 at the Italian Civic Club, 869 Water St., Meadville from 5pm - 9pm.
Mental health
Savor for Scholars, a Meadville Heritage Celebration Fundraiser for Meadville Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund, Inc., founded in 1968. Held April 26 at the Italian Civic Club, 869 Water St., Meadville from 5pm - 9pm.
Mental health
Our Youth are in Crisis: How You Can Make a Difference April 25 12:00 PM Admission: Free. Lunch $5. (veg option available) Location Jefferson Educational Society 3207 State Erie PAHidden Voices: The Unheard Struggles of Students May 15 | 7:00 PM JES Raimy Fellows Katie Phillips and Jacob Jones will delve into the escalating challenges confronting public school students in Erie County, grappling mental health issues. Jefferson Educational Society - 3207 State St, Erie, PA[LISTEN] Rural Reach addressing adolescent mental health in rural WNY (What's Next/WBFO)
SPIRIT
Good Friday Pilgrimage for Peace on April 18. This year’s theme is The Way of the Cross; The Way of the Migrant. The walk begins at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter Cathedral in Erie (w. 10th & Sassafras). Host: Benedictines for Peace
The Rev. Jim Wallis at Chautauqua Inst. June 22 "Jim Wallis is a writer, teacher, preacher and justice advocate who believes the gospel of Jesus must be emancipated from its cultural and political captivities."
[LISTEN] Sister Lou (NEXT with Marcus Atkinson) "special guest host Daryl Craig—better known as Brother D—leads a powerful conversation honoring the life and legacy of Sister Lou, one of Erie’s most influential and respected community figures. Joined by friends and family, Brother D explores the profound impact Sister Lou had on the streets of Erie, the lives she touched, and the community she built through unwavering determination and prayer."
[WATCH] Meadville 1825: "Harm Jan Huidekoper" Josh Sherretts from the Crawford Co. Historical Society on Harm Jan Huidekoper's life, legacy and involvement in the Unitarian faith, which helped lead to the opening of the Meadville Unitarian Universalist Church and the Meadville Theological School. Huidekoper was also an active abolitionist, though that is not the focus of this presentation.
WORK
Workers Memorial Day (AFL-CIO) Nearly 55 years ago on April 28, Workers Memorial Day, the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect, promising every worker the right to a safe job—our fundamental right.
FREEDOM & DEMOCRACY
Voters have questions about DOGE cuts, Rep. Mike Kelly should face them | (Letter by Chris Magoc)
Rachel Maddow posts Sister Jacqueline's message about Mike Kelly (Erie Benedictines)
Erie Times-News coverage of Hands Off rally (includes photos)
ICYMI: This Once-Undecided Erie PA Union Leader Is Backing Harris. Here’s What Made Up His Mind (Capital & Main) Living in Erie County, I just come to ignore the election year interviews with swing voters. However, this one with a union activist bears a look. Ryan Sanders is president of the Erie-Crawford Central Labor Council (CLC), the local arm of the AFL-CIO and member of the Sheet Metal Workers. In the initial interview he talks about his reasons for being hesitant with Harris, even though he knows Trump is not union-friendly. In a later interview with Capital & Main, he says he decided to vote for Harris, and explains why. There are certainly many union members who like, Ryan Sanders, "lean conservative," so I'm not picking on him, he was new to it after all. But the national AFL-CIO has resources for educating members about pro-working class voting, and judging from this fellow's early remarks, he seems to not made aware of those resources. By the way, in 2024 Harris did better with the union vote than Biden did in 2020.
Benevolent Beers: Journey: Healing Together April, 17 5:00PM Journey: Healing Together (J:HT) exists to foster connections and build equity among diverse affinity groups, uniting communities in collective healing. J:HT is a 501c3 non-profit offering healing spaces to New Majority communities and providing opportunities for diverse groups to gather, heal, restore, discover, and rebuild. Every sale rung in between 5:00 and 8:00pm will provide a donation to this great group.
https://www.eriealeworks.com/the-latest/events/event/04/17/2025/benevolent-beers-journey-healing-together
First Annual Ethnic and Gender Studies Symposium April 10, 2025 9am to 11am Williams Center S204-ABC, Conference Room SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia NY Open to public https://events.fredonia.edu/event/first-annual-ethnic-and-gender-studies-symposium
diverse erie
One-Hundred Black Men: National Impact to Erie's Chapter April 11 at 12:00 PM Professor/Instructor/ Speakers: Parris Baker and Marcus Atkinson. Host: Jefferson Educational Society Location: 3207 State St, Erie, PA Lunch optional, $5/person, rgister 48 hr ahead. https://www.jeserie.org/events/details/one-hundred-black-men-exploring-the-history-and-relevance-from-national-impact-to-eries-chapter
https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/52629891/canadianfunded-billboard-sign-on-tariffs-appears-in-erie
Sunday, April 6, 2025
EARTH EVENTS & LOCAL NEWS
EVENTS
April 21-26 - Earth Day Extravaganza at Erie Co Library (various locations) "A celebration of Earth Day, Arbor Day, and all things nature! Erie County Public Library hosts programs at our library locations and highlights partner events at community locations."
April 22 - Sustainability through a child’s eyes: Camille Licate "As the featured speaker for Mercyhurst University’s annual Sister Maura Smith Earth Day Lecture, Licate will present at 7 p.m. in Mercyhurst's Walker Recital Hall. Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability and Office of Mission/ Free, open to public, provides Act 48 credit for area educators.
April 22 - Earth Day Silent Peace Walk 7:00 pm Perry Square (west side), Erie PA Host: Benedictines for Peace
April 26 - DCNR Earth Day Cleanups in the area: Pymatuning Shoreline Presque Isle shoreline Maurice Goddard
April 26 - Earth Day Festival - City of Hermitage 9am to 5pm 3580 Innovation Way, Hermitage Pa 16148 Lindenpointe
May 1 - Erie County High School Envirothon "Any Erie County school district can put together up to five teams of 3-5 students grades 9-12. Homeschoolers and cyber school students may also form teams. For schools outside of Erie County, please contact your county's conservation district for information on your local event."
May 1 - Benevolent Beers: Groundwork Erie At Erie Ale Works 316 W 12th, Erie. Every sale rung in between 5:00pm and 8:00pm will provide a Groundwork’s environmental workforce programming for young people.
May 3 - Native Plant Sale Event 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Westfield Nursery, 8320 W Main St, Westfield, NY Hosts: Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy and Westfield Nursery
May 17 - Mother Earth Day at the Poetry Park, 2-3 p.m. at 636 East 22nd St. in Erie. "celebrate poetry that cultivates our love of Mother Earth as home. Featuring local poets Niecey Nicole and Matt Borazon, plus open mic" Sponsored by Trinity Square Foundation and Poetry NWPA. Poetry Park was a vision of Erie Benedictine Sister Mary Lou Kownacki, she and Sister Mary Miller made it a reality.
May 17 - Bird Walk at Morton Conservation Easement 9:30am, register by 5/14. "Dr.Bridget Stutchbury invites us to explore an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area in the French Creek watershed" (outside Cambridge Springs)
May 30 - June 1 Allegany Nature Pilgrimage 2025 Red House area of Allegany State Park in NYS. Hosts: Audubon Community Nature Center (Jamestown), Buffalo Audubon Society (Buffalo), Presque Isle Audubon (Erie, PA), Burroughs Audubon Nature Club (Rochester), Allegany State Park
LOCAL/REGIONAL NEWS & VIEWS
IRG plastic waste plant canceled (Erie Times-News)
Water Taxi returns to Erie (Erie Times-News) The Water Taxi plus EMTA's PI Express bus shuttle and multipurpose/bike trails will offer options for car-free travel to and within Presque Isle.
The Guardian: New Bill to Recognize Legal Rights of All Water Bodies in NY State (CELDF)
Opinion: Why Kristy Gnibus gave up shopping (Kristy Gnibus)
PAVinES" Grape growers resource "PA VinES (Vested in Environmental Sustainability) is a voluntary program that promotes sustainable viticulture practices through a grower self-assessment workbook. "
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