Labor Day summons memories of Jerry Lewis’ Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon

Happy Labor Day. It’s the holiday dedicated to America’s workers, but I have to admit that when I was a kid I hated Labor Day. It meant that school would start the next day, and after a long, glorious summer, it was a terrible thought that kids would be cooped up in stuffy classrooms for the next nine months.

Of course, most of today’s students return to school well before Labor Day, so they probably view it as a break from the grind.

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● For years, WJET-TV would televise Jerry Lewis’ Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon, which ran from 1966 to 2014. Perhaps the best moment in all those years came in 1976 when Frank Sinatra appeared with Lewis, telling him that he’d brought along a special guest.

Then Dean Martin — his old partner, who hadn’t spoken to Lewis in decades — appeared from behind the curtain. It was quite a moment. You can find it on the internet.

● Lonnie Ali, widow of the late Muhammad Ali, visited Erie recently to attend a graduation party for Alessandra “Alie” DiNicola, daughter of Ron DiNicola, who for years represented the former boxing champ.

In 2016, Lonnie Ali tapped the then 12-year-old Alie, who shared a birthday and a name with Muhammad Ali, to be a voice for all children at her husband’s memorial service. The event was televised around the world, and Alie selected and recited a favorite Ali poem on how he wanted to be remembered.

Msgr. Henry Kriegel, pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church, who delivered a powerful prayer at the Ali memorial service, stopped by the graduation party and shared a moment with Lonnie Ali and Alie DiNicola. It was the first time they’d been together since the 2016 service.

2016: Erie remembers Ali, a champion fighter who had strong ties to city

● Speaking of St. Patrick’s parish, it will host the annual Erie Irish Festival Sept. 16-18. I misread the dates of the festival online and printed the wrong ones in last week’s column. My great-grandmother Margaret O’Neill, who grew up in the Old Sod, haunted me for that gaffe.

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● More than 1,200 competitors are set to compete in the annual Barber Beast on the Bay on Saturday. It’s the challenging obstacle course held every year, sponsored by the Barber National Institute. This will be the ninth Beast, which means that more than 100,000 people have participated in it since the event began in 2013.

● Maureen Barber Carey, niece of the late Gertrude Barber, will join with Monsignor Tom McSweeney at the Jefferson Education Society on Sept. 28 to present an update for the case for sainthood for Gertrude. McSweeney, who has been coordinating the campaign with Erie Catholic Diocese officials, has already met with officials at the Vatican, who approved the efforts so far.

More: ‘Historic moment’ as sainthood sought for Erie’s Barber

● His family and former Cathedral Prep football teammates are celebrating the news that Bo Bauer has been named one of the captains of Notre Dame’s 2022 football team. Bauer, a top linebacker for the Fighting Irish, is also a standout on special teams.

For subscribers: 'A nice maniac': Intense Bo Bauer inspires, impresses fellow Notre Dame linebackers

● The Erie SeaWolves, in the midst of a long homestand that will last through Sept. 11, have had a fine season even if they don’t win the pennant. We recently attended a couple of games at UPMC Park on perfect summer evenings and had a great time. There’s so much happening there and the park looks great. Fans hate to see the season coming to a close.

Playoff race: Daily updates from the final days of the Erie SeaWolves' season

● Erie’s Mark and Sharon Kresse are proud of their daughter, the Rev. Kelsey Kresse, who recently received an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America leadership scholarship. Kresse returned to preach at the First English Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, where she completed her internship. It’s a great honor.

● It was a bad week for Erie leaders when John Persinger, CEO of Erie Downtown Development Corp., announced that he will move to Australia with his wife and family at the end of the year. Keith Taylor, longtime president of Gannon University, also announced that he plans to leave his post at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

Both Persinger and Taylor have helped reshape Erie’s downtown and they will be missed.

More: The EDDC helped transform downtown Erie. Now its leader is leaving

More: Gannon University President Keith Taylor to step down; what are plans to fill his job?

● His many friends honored former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge on his recent birthday. There was a local celebration for Ridge and one in Virginia. The 77-year-old Ridge is making steady progress in his recovery from serious illness.

● When Rep. Mike Kelly, of Butler, R-16th Dist., recently blasted President Joe Biden’s decision to forgive $10,000 in college student loans, he noted that “Asking plumbers and carpenters to pay off loans of Wall Street advisors and lawyers isn’t just unfair, it’s also bad policy.”

Democrats responded quickly, pointing out that Kelly's business had $987,237 in Paycheck Protection Program loans forgiven.

● Local collegians have been assisting all over town since they returned to campus. Mercyhurst University students, on their annual Day of Service, participated in cleanup work at the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network. And Gannon University students helped out at the recent Zabawa Polish Festival, serving food and handling other assignments. All the kids wore big smiles, too, which made it special.

Kevin Cuneo can be reached at kevin.cuneo1844@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Kevin Cuneo: Labor Day summons memories of Jerry Lewis’ MDA telethon