CONTENTS: From the Editors The only local voice for news, arts, April 13, 2016 CZB’s Charles Buki seems to believe in and culture. Erie. Now it’s up to us to do the same. Editors-in-Chief: Brian Graham & Adam Welsh ecently, the City of Erie received the comprehensive plan Just a Thought 4 created by urban planning firm CZB. The plan arrived with Managing Editor: a letter from principal consultant Charles Buki, which we Katie Chriest “The language your soul R have included unabridged in this issue. Contributing Editors: would speak if you could Though the full plan is now publicly accessible, and though Pat Ben Speggen teach your soul to speak.” Howard included passages of this letter in his Erie Times-News Jim Wertz column on Sunday, April 10, we chose to run it in full to share its impassioned call to action with all leaders and citizens of Erie. We Contributors: Grasping Erie’s were deeply moved by what is obviously a genuine hope that Erie Lisa Austin, Civitas will find the will and courage to move forward, and we wanted Mary Birdsong Comprehensive Plan 6 you to see this language firsthand. Rick Filippi Charles Buki’s urgent letter As Buki writes, “The time has long passed when Erie had the Lisa Gensheimer to the leaders and citizens of luxury of assuming future prosperity, and of not having to make Gregory Greenleaf-Knepp hard choices. The only reality now is that future prosperity might John Lindvay Erie come from making choices few will enjoy making.” Brianna Lyle Dan Schank We Have Met the Tommy Shannon Erie’s comprehensive plan arrived with a letter Ryan Smith Raindrops and They Are from principal consultant Charles Buki, which Ti Summer Ours 9 we have included unabridged in this issue. Matt Swanseger Sara Toth The ‘Don’t Give Up the Drip’ We chose to run the letter in full to share its Bryan Toy rain barrel project goes impassioned call to action with all leaders and Nick Warren public. citizens of Erie. We were deeply moved by what Senator Sean Wiley is obviously a genuine hope that Erie will find Cover Art: the will and courage to move forward, and we Dan Schank Considering the City 13 wanted you to see this language firsthand. Cover Design: Don’t miss Toni Griffin on Nick Warren April 28th. Photographers: Encouragingly, though, he adds that “Fortunately, the Erie com- Ed Bernik munity is full of energized, smart, hard-working, committed civ- Ryan Smith News of the Weird 14 ic voices who both want to make a difference and are prepared, now, to start breaking with the status quo. We detected a sig- Brad Triana Honoring the dead by parking, nificant appetite in the community to be leveled with, and for Publisher’s Assistant: and other triumphs of the partnership. But those voices need to be mobilized. That means Emily Hanisek human spirit. hearing them, and then being candid with them about the set of Intern: choices available, and about the real challenges and the real op- portunities and the real work of tackling the former by investing Angie Jeffery A Liege Of One’s Own 19 in the latter.” 1001 State St. Suite 901 In short: Engaging and celebrating Erie’s change agents is criti- Erie, Pa., 16501 Setting the barre high at cal. Disengagement, on the other hand, could be fatal. Millcreek’s Liege Barre and In her book Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnera- [email protected] Pole ble Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brené The Erie Reader is the only local voice for news, arts, Brown writes, “Disengagement is the issue underlying the major- and culture, and is Erie’s only independent, alternative newspaper. Founded in 2010, the Reader has quickly ity of problems I see in families, schools, communities, and or- become the region’s award-winning source for arts ganizations and it takes many forms … We disengage to protect coverage, a strong cultural compass, and a dynamic Spotlight on Erie 23 resource for news and opinion. With a dedication to ourselves from vulnerability, shame, and feeling lost and without long-form journalism and a commitment to provoking Here we are now. Entertain us. purpose. We also disengage when we feel like the people who are thoughtful discussion, the Reader tells the stories of the people and places making and shaping Erie, while leading us – our boss, our teachers, our principal, our clergy, our highlighting the events and issues influencing life in parents, our politicians – aren’t living up to their end of the social northwestern Pennsylvania. The Erie Reader is pub- contract.” lished every other week and distributed at over 300 ‘Plenty’ to See 31 high-foot-traffic locations in Pennsylvania from North Brown, whose 2010 Houston TEDx talk on The Power of Vulner- East to Girard to Edinboro. In addition to appearing in And even more to think about print, Erie Reader adds new content daily at ErieRead- ability is one of the top five most viewed TED talks globally, has er.com as well social media sites. All rights reserved. at the Erie Art Museum been hired by enormously successful firms to ignite leaders into All content © Flagship Multimedia, Inc, 1001 State St., Suite 901, Erie, Pa., 16501. No part of this publication the sort of risk-taking, inspired dynamism that can propel their may be reproduced without permission. The opinions organizations boldly. of our columnists and contributors are their own Her clients – like Google, Facebook, and the U.S. Army, to name and do not always reflect that of the editorial board Erie / Faces / Erie 38 or organization. Direct inquiries to 814.314.9364 or a few – count on Brown’s groundbreaking acknowledgement of [email protected]. A look through photographer vulnerability as the genesis of rich creation and powerful trans- Ed Bernik’s lens formation; and denial of it as one of the most [Cont. on page 4] April 13, 2016 ErieReader.com | Erie Reader | 3 NEWS & VIEWS Just a Thought “The language your soul would speak if you could teach your soul to speak.” Jim Harrison wrote poems of the dopamine-addled information Mary Lou Kownacki and poet and art- about dogs, rivers, wine, and stream. They press the pause button ist Joe Gallagher, we are lucky enough women. In illuminating the on the tape loops in our minds. They to live among numerous poets who ordinary, he reminded readers – like other authentic artists – implore help us to look beyond headlines and of the amazement available at any given moment, wherever us to see the threads of truth stitching statistics and to reimagine what we they are. our lives together. To love that truth take ourselves and our city to be. and laugh at folly. And to remain open One great gift of poetry is its ability to to the entirety of life’s emotional spec- shift our perception. We look up from actually wept. “He’s not on trum. the page with different eyes, even at this earth with us anymore,” In “Limb Dancers,” Harrison writes: I said to my husband. It was Of course we’re born in the long shad- an absurd thing to say, but ow I think of our community, STATE LIBRARY OF MICHIGAN LIBRARY STATE – not being the wordsmith of our coffins or urns. So what can we and the fact that poetry that Harrison was – it was do except thrives here. One great gift By: Katie Chriest the closest I could come to articulating open ourselves wide to life herself of poetry is its ability to shift what I saw in my mind’s eye: images of rather than the numbers game of It is difficult conspicuous consumption, rampant time and money? our perception. We look up to get the news from poems indoorsy-ness, hyped-up busy-ness, ob- As I write this, I am seated at a table from the page with different yet men die miserably every day sessive gadgetry – and no more Harri- surrounded by books of Harrison’s po- eyes, even at the city we for lack son to help me make sense (and light) ems, from which I’ve read every day for think we know so well. of what is found there. of it all. His assemblage of reality al- years. It’s comforting to sit amongst – William Carlos Williams, “Asphodel, ways felt effortless, belying what was these words. I’m grateful that he trust- That Greeny Flower” undoubtedly a life of deep and heady ed himself enough to record them. It the city we think we know so well. pril is National Poetry Month – labor. That, and the stamina to watch took great courage, and years of perse- In Braided Creek: A Conversation in the 20th annual, in fact. So we’re modernity unfold without losing his verance when no accolades came from Poetry, Harrison and his good friend Aa little more aware of those who enormous appetite for life and laugh- the outside. No invitations. No fellow- Ted Kooser collected passages they’d help us make sense of the world in ter. ships. No recognition of the genius written to each other, including this words; who spend their days tracking In “Sunlight,” Harrison observes: within. one: bravely through, as writer May Sarton In the Salt Lake City airport eight out I think of our community, and the fact If you can awaken put it, “thickets of undigested experi- of ten that, thanks to the hard work of a num- inside the familiar ence.” were fiddling relentlessly with cell ber of similar believers, poetry thrives and discover it strange This year I’m mourning Jim Harrison, phones.