Plenty of summer remains in Erie County as September approaches

In Erie, many consider the day the kids go back to school to be the official end of summer. If that’s the case, then the summer of 2022 went out with a bang.

A huge crowd turned out for the final Eight Great Tuesdays concert on the bayfront, featuring a Springsteen tribute band, Bruce in the USA. It was a glorious night and about the only glitch came when lead singer Matt Ryan said he was “covered with bugs” that hovered around the stage.

More: Things to do in the Erie area before summer ends

The weekend concluded with the Tall Ships Erie festival on Presque Isle Bay and Zabawa, the ever-popular Polish Festival on the grounds of Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Best of all, even though the kids will be hunkered down in the classrooms, September is usually a beautiful summer month in Erie. Two more great festivals are coming up, starting with the German Heritage Festival at St. Nick’s Grove Sept. 3-4 and followed by the Irish Festival at St. Patrick Catholic Church Sept. 11-12.

Members of the Alpen Schuhplatter und Trachtenverein dancers, of Pittsburgh, perform during the 2019 German Heritage Festival at St. Nick's Grove in Millcreek Township. The 2022 festival is scheduled for Sept. 3-4.
Members of the Alpen Schuhplatter und Trachtenverein dancers, of Pittsburgh, perform during the 2019 German Heritage Festival at St. Nick's Grove in Millcreek Township. The 2022 festival is scheduled for Sept. 3-4.

Back to school: Here are start dates for Erie County districts, and school-year calendars

● Big-name singers will perform in concert with the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra in the coming weeks. Broadway and film star Bernadette Peters returns to the Mercyhurst University stage, along with the Philharmonic, on Sept. 17. Peters’ previous performances in Erie were smash hits.

More: Sheena Easton, violinist Midori, 'Toy Story' among Erie Philharmonic's 2022-23 season lineup

Sheena Easton stars with the Philharmonic, under Maestro Daniel Meyer’s baton, in the Oct. 1 presentation of a show called “Rock n’ Radio.”

Meyer and the Phil staff deserve credit for arranging clever performances, with the orchestra in a starring role. But tickets are going fast for the "Rock n’ Radio” concert.

● The Rev. Timothy Kesicki, brother of Erie’s the Rev. Michael Kesicki, was featured prominently in a recent New York Times articleabout the Jesuits’ drive to raise $100 million to atone for the use of slave labor more than 150 years ago.

Timothy Kesicki, pictured in the Times article, headed the American Jesuits when the drive was first announced. Unfortunately, the $100 million goal has remained elusive. But hope remains that the funds will be raised.

Pope Francis is a Jesuit and he embraced Kesicki during his most recent visit to the U.S. Rev. Michael Kesicki is a force in the Erie Catholic Diocese and at Gannon University.

The forced use of enslaved people to help construct many of America’s most famous buildings was rampant until the 1860s. The White House and much of Georgetown University were built by enslaved people.

● Barb Filutze, who died Aug. 20 at the age of 76, was one of Erie’s greatest athletes. She didn’t start running competitively until age 38, but she made up for lost time, becoming one of the nation’s top senior runners. She broke 52 U.S. running records while winning races from coast to coast.

More: Erie and USA Track and field Hall of Fame runner Barb Filutze dies at 76

Best of all, Barb was a loving and giving person who turned a lot of people on to running. She coached dozens of competitive runners who, like herself, began running seriously in middle age. Barb was a delightful person who will be greatly missed by her family and legions of friends.

Obituary:Barb Filutze

● Presque Isle Downs & Casino continues to have problems this season, and the eighth race on Aug. 23 had to be canceled when a dispute arose involving jockeys and other personnel.

The way things have turned out at the Erie racetrack is such a disappointment to fans who had high hopes when Presque Isle Downs was purchased by Churchill Downs.

● Chris Curcio, who helped so many people during his career at the Barber National Institute, died Aug. 23 after a long illness. Curcio worked in a number of important positions at the Institute and the BNI founder, the late Gertrude Barber, always said she could count on Chris to help make the lives easier for everyone served there.

● The start of classes at Cathedral Preparatory School has been delayed until Sept. 13 as work nears completion on the handsome new addition at the school. This will be the first year students from the former Villa Maria Academy will join Prep’s student body.

● I see where Prep’s former swimming pool — the one I swear had bits of ice floating in it during first period in 1969 — has been replaced. That frigid water and the sound of the late Tony Zambroski’s whistle remain clearly etched in memory.

Back to School:Renovations at Cathedral Prep still in progress, expected to be done by September

● Congratulations to Dario Cipriani, Ed Podufal, Dave Smith and Ellery Tarbell on their selection to the Erie District Golf Association Hall of Fame. They are all most deserving.

The final member of the Class of 2022 is Lester White, an excellent player in the 1930s through the 1950s who also worked as the head pro for years at the J.C. Martin Golf Course. Lester, who died in 1972, seemed strict and humorless, but he generously helped any young player who wanted to improve his golf game.

Related: Connor Bennink sets EDGA Stroke Play record for second straight title

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

Kevin Cuneo, columnist.
Kevin Cuneo, columnist.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Kevin Cuneo: Plenty of summer remains in Erie County as fall approaches