June 11 - 24 / Vol. 4, No. 12 / ErieReader.com LEAD WITH EXPERIENCE You may recognize Traci as an Erie news anchor — but to us she’s an alum of the Organizational Leadership master’s degree (MSOL) program. As a former Education Outreach Manager, Traci June 11 is no stranger to the value of education and Traci Teudhope `10 Jet 24/FOX 66, Morning News Anchor A Story of Children and Film leadership. Wanting to advance her degree, Sponsored by Erie Reader — Pennsylvania Premiere she looked to Mercyhurst and it’s track record Official Selection, 2013 Cannes FF for shaping successful leaders. Call:connect. 814-824-2297 She credits MSOL with helping secure her Email: [email protected] June 18 current position and becoming a high- Visit: mercyhurst.edu/graduate Hank and Asha quality journalist. MSOL exposed her to peer Sponsored by Erie Asian Pacific American Association With mentoring, expanded her personal growth Filmmaker Audience Award, Best Narrative Feature Skype and made her into a strong team player. GET THE 2013 Slamdance FF Q&A CONCENTRATIONS: EXPERIENCE. • Accounting • Nonprofit • Entrepreneurship Management • Higher Education • Sports Leadership Administration • Sustainability • Human Resources $5/Film $20/Film+Food 7pm Tickets, Food & Trailers at: filmsocietynwpa.org PAID SOCIAL MEDIA Be the ULTIMATE tourist INTERNSHIP in your own backyard! OPENING Download our free “Hello Erie!” App to get discounts and deals from restaurants, businesses and attractions in your own backyard. Must be proficient in Social Media, have overall GPA above 3.0, and be available 2 days a week. Scan to Through this opportunity you will be download able to network, build your portfolio, and gain professional experience. 800.524.3743 | VisitErie.com VISITERIE MAJOR SPONSORS: Send resume to [email protected] 2 | Erie Reader | ErieReader.com June 11, 2014 CONTENT June 11, 2014 Editors-in-Chief: Brian Graham & Adam Welsh Managing Editor: News & Notes Culture Ben Speggen Contributing Editor: 7 Reader Eater: Rebecca Styn 4 Street Corner Soapbox Cloud 9 Wine Bar Editor -at-Large: World Cup Soccer has Arrived! Again. Cory Vaillancourt 5 The Way I See It Copy Editor: 12 If We Were You Alex Bieler The Trouble with Raising the Minimum Here's what we would do Contributors: Wage Alex Bieler 16 Music Reviews Mary Birdsong 6 Just Toyin' Witcha 17 Lavender Country: Pen Ealain Violence in Erie is epidemic! Where is Rick Filippi The Reissue of Iggy Imig Ghost Mayor?! Country Music’s first James R. LeCorchick openly gay record John Lindvay Lili Morton 8 Erie Bluffs: 19 Geeked Out Dan Schank A Tradition of Trouble Ryan Smith The next level of next-gen Jay Stevens games is finally here Rebecca Styn 11 Rail Terminal Redux Bryan Toy Q&A with John Elliott and Steve Rubin Cory Vaillancourt of DevelopErie Cover Design: B. Toy 20 Upfront Photographers: Another Brick From The Wall Ryan Smith Brad Triana 22 ER Sports Designer: Local sports with James R. LeCorchick Leah Yungwirth Writing Interns: Jessica Courter Khadija Djellouli Ellie Hartleb Tom Ricci From the Editors Will Taylor 32 W. Eighth St. #302 or anyone in the world of media, there still remains a great rush passes through the Bayfront Connector gateway to The Gem City greeted Erie PA, 16501 of excitement and swell of pride that comes with truly breaking with advertisements? They also had concerns — Who actually owns this [email protected] Fa story. And perhaps this excitement and pride is amplified in to- land, and who is overseeing its development? And the comments — they day’s arena, as newspapers, TV, and radio compete against the likes of were plentiful. Which is why we decided to feature a fleshed-out, in- The Erie Reader is Erie’s only free, blogs, podcasts, and social media platforms. depth look at the Bluffs in this issue. independent source for news, culture, and But there is also a great responsibility of cultivating a story once it Chiefly, people lamented about a perceived lack of community input entertainment. The Erie Reader is a forum has blossomed and taken root in a community. throughout the process. As Mary Birdsong notes in her feature, com- for ideas and discussion, and seeks to drive two-way communication with its readers. At For us, an example of that responsibility began March 5 when CIVI- munity input was solicited — but that was back when the process of the Erie Reader, we endeavor to highlight the TAS members Lisa Austin, Michael Beightol, and Stephen Sonnenberg plotting the future of that land had just begun. What is clear to us, best of Erie by providing in-depth, magazine- wrote in their “Considering the City” column that “Erie’s Bayfront now, is that the community remains interested and still cares about a style journalism that cuts to the heart of the Bluff Park has Potential.” It continued April 30 in B. Toy’s comic strip, lot of land, and these community members demand transparency and issues that matter to Erie. The Erie Reader is published every other week at The Corry “Just Toyin’ Witcha” when he presented a single panel featuring the desire a seat at the decision-making table. Journal, 28 W. South St., Corry, Pa. 16407. The words “Beautification — Erie style” hovering above an all-too-realistic Also in this issue, Cory Vaillancourt’s “Upfront” returns with “Anoth- Erie Reader is distributed at over 250 high rendering of the Bluffs depicting tree stumps, bulldozers, and corpo- er Brick From the Wall: Education. Dark Sarcasm.” In it, Cory tells a foot-traffic locations in Pennsylvania from rate logos with signs sprouting up in place of pedestrian walkways and tale of seven Savannah women who, house by house, plot by plot, be- North East to Girard to Edinboro. The Erie Reader is also available by mail subscription; gardens. gan preserving historical landmarks throughout the city in the ‘50s, one year (26 issues) for $49.99. Send check or But the story actually began long before that, dating back to the simply by banding together and securing the money to purchase these money order payable to Flagship Multimedia, City of Erie’s incorporation in 1805. That narrow, 23-acre strip of land places themselves. Inc., to the address below. In addition to sprawling out from Cascade Street to Wallace Street remained under Engaged, active citizens with questions, comments, and concerns — appearing in print, Erie Reader adds new content daily at ErieReader.com as well social the ownership of the Keystone State — that is, until the Erie-Western and more importantly, the fortitude and will to not only become part media sites. All rights reserved. All content PA Port Authority obtained it in 2002. of a conversation, but to change that conversation entirely. © Flagship Multimedia, Inc, 32 W. Eighth From there, the story of that strip of once-forgotten, once-unused, Erie is good at losing itself in nostalgia, daydreaming for the days of St., Suite 302, Erie, Pa, 16501. No part of this once-overgrown land becomes a complicated one. Which is why you’ll yesteryear when things seemed better. But daydreaming doesn’t stop publication may be reproduced without permission. The opinions of our columnists find the history and status of what’s quickly becoming known as “Bill- the demolition and the conversion of historic relics into parking lots. and contributors are their own and do board Alley” on our cover — complete with new art from B. Toy. And it certainly doesn’t cultivate the future of strips of land brimming not always reflect that of the editorial When we first covered the topic back in early March and then again with great potential. Now is the time for concerned citizens to get their board or organization. Direct inquiries in April, we quickly learned from the conversation these initial pieces heads out of the clouds and onto the streets, where conversations can to 814.314.9364 or contact@ErieReader. generated that the people of Erie had questions — why is anyone who be made theirs, if their voices are loud enough to be heard. com. June 11, 2014 ErieReader.com | Erie Reader | 3 News of the Weird Street Corner Soap Box By: Chuck Shepherd World Cup Soccer Has Arrived! Again. What’s in a Name anellope, Rydder, Jceion and Burklee By: Jay Stevens Vhead the latest annual list of the most common baby names on the Social Security he last men’s soccer World Cup er professional sports in the country. than football: according to the 2010 Cen- Administration register of first-time-appear- was greeted with conservative hy- The sport has always been an oddball sus, 13 million Americans play soccer, be- ing names. There were 63 Vanellopes (girls), perbole. “I hate it so much, prob- game to American fans, a curiosity, some- hind only basketball for participation in a but only 10 each for Rydder and Jceion, the ably because the rest of the world thing to experience close up every so often team sport. That includes over 8 million most popular debut names for boys. Other Tlikes it so much,” said Glenn Beck. “Soc- to see what all the global fuss is about, but kids ages 7 to 17, more than the number notables were Hatch (eight times) and Psalms cer is a socialist sport,” wrote columnist then to eschew, as they settle in to watch that play baseball and football. Those num- (seven). (In other “name” news, among the Marc Thiessen, and saw similarities in it baseball, football, basketball, or hockey. Or bers have likely only increased since the finalists in April’s “Name of the Year” contest to Obamacare. “To conservatives, the trou- car racing.