TalkErie.com - The Joel Natalie Show - Erie Pennsylvania Daily Podcast

Erie Cancer Wellness Center is an institution that is helping local patients navigate life with cancer. On our Wednesday health focus, we met the Center’s new Executive Director, Heather McLaughlin, and Program Director Kim Connelly.

On Tuesday, Erie County Executive Brenton Davis discussed the upcoming announcement of a new industrial park in McKean Township, along with other issues making news at the County Court House.

There are so many options for summer fun in the city, and on Friday we discussed the Erie Summer Recreation Guide. With us was Mel Witherspoon, Page Collins, and Erika Rutkowski about the Biddy Basketball Camp and the Spoon's League which is celebrating its 34th year in Erie, joined by Deanna Renaud for the YMCA and their summer food and Learn To Swim programs.

Build Community Development Corporation was formed from the Hamot Health Foundation with the mission of promoting Health, Homes, and Hope. Daria Devlin, Director of Social Impact, and Boo Hagerty, Chief Development Officer of Hamot Health Foundation were our guests on Thursday.

David Rinderle, Executive Director of the Erie Cemetery Association joined the show to discuss new developments, upcoming events, and community engagement for these significant local assets.

With a recertification vote coming in July for the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance or LERTA program in the City of Erie, there are many conversations around City Hall about its impact and effectiveness in encouraging new building and investment. Chris Groner, Director of the Office of Development Finance was our guest.

Millcreek Township Parks and Recreation just released their five-year strategic action plan, and Ashley Marsteller, Director of Parks and Recreation, along with Matt Waldinger, Director of Planning and Development, joined Joel on Friday to go over the highlights of improvements and possible additions intended to improve the region's quality of life.

The three top leaders of Erie's Public Schools joined the Joel Natalie Show Wednesday for a rare comprehensive conversation on the state the region's largest school district and its over 11,000 students. Our guests were Superintendent Brian Polito, and Assistant Superintendents Neil Brockman and Teresa Szumigala. Topics ranged from building projects, to state test scores, and the utilization of WestEd consultant firm at Erie High and East Middle Schools.

Erie City Councilwoman Kathy Schaaf has been looking at the issue of the lack of public restrooms in our downtown core. Safety, cleanliness, and maintenance are all considerations to tackle Erie's "Poo Problem".

This Month, Erie Mayor Joe Schember spoke of workforce levels, the Summer Recreation Guide, and the impact of LERTA on new building projects in the city.

Every morning, Ambassadors from the Erie Downtown Partnership do clean-up and outreach to keep downtown Erie a safe, fun, and welcoming place for all. CEO Emily Fetcko discussed the work EDP is doing going into the summer months.

On Tuesday, the CEO of the Erie Downtown Development Corporation, Drew Whiting, gave us an update on the timing of another brand-new building coming online in the 5th Street corridor.

Erie City Councilman Chuck Nelson has been in the news lately, discussing the LERTA tax abatement program and his assessment that it isn't performing as promised. He is proposing a TIF, which is discussed in our Monday podcast.

It was an education focus Thursday, as we spoke with Dr. Christopher Gray, President of the Erie County Community College. We learned about their recent open house event, linstant enrollment, and discussed the new Spring programs.

March is National Nutrition Month, so we are discussing nutritional health. Are we really what we eat?! Our guest is Janet Chrostowski, a Registered Dietitian with Masters Degree in Public Health and is an Advanced Practitioner in Nutrition with 35 years at UPMC Hamot; and more than 40 in the field of Dietetics.

Groundbreaking Erie County-based startup companies completed the Ben Franklin Technology Partners Erie TechCelerator program and were presenting their pitches as they compete for $15,000. The companies we interviewed included: Zenedge, Bodha.ai, Erie Applications, Eventive AI, Brokenstraw Outdoors, Hikes & Hose, Hydrantcare.us.

A lively visit with Erie County Executive Brenton Davis, discussing economic development, the library controversy, and his views on the gaming revenue authority.

On Friday, Erie Mayor Joe Schember made his monthly walk to our 429 State Street studio to discuss the significant topics facing City Hall.

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and Erie loves to celebrate this holiday. On Thursday, we talked to John Melody, owner of the U Pick 6 establishments, about the importance of St. Patrick’s Day for local restaurants and taverns. We also heard about Melody’s work with his new charity Success by Sport.

On our Wednesday health focus, and the four-year anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdowns of schools and businesses, we caught up with Erin Mrenak, Erie County Director of Public Health, and Breanna Adams, Director of Environmental Health Services. We covered public health topics including respiratory illnesses like the flu, where are we with Covid, and that recent Hepatitis A scare.

On our Monday program, we welcomed in officials from Ascend Erie, the new rock-climbing gym that soars opposite our studio at Fifth and State. Ascend CEO and Co-owner Alex Bernstein and Erie location General Manager Christ Rosato were our guests, talking about their first few months of operations and what they are looking forward to this year.

On Friday, March 8th we were exactly one month from the Total Solar Eclipse, a celestial event that won’t happen again in Erie until 2144. With as many as 260,000 people coming to Erie to witness the Eclipse, we were getting prepared with Visit Erie. Christine Temple joined us to talk about VisitErie’s SHINE campaign, learning more about the preparations and safety tips.

Our Wednesday focus was on the Erie International Airport, with the executive director Derek Martin, and the President of the Erie County Regional Airport Authority, Dan Giannelli. Are things “looking up” in terms of air travel to and from Erie?

On our Monday program, we were happy to welcome Troy Bingham back to the microphone. Troy is the Owner of Erie Sports Center, and he is kicking off a new program with Erie neighborhood community centers called “Sports for All.”

On the final day of Black History Month, we learned more about Historical Institute of Culture & the African American Experience, a new museum and gathering place founded by Bishop Curtis Jones, Sr., who was our guest. We learned his personal story and the idea and promise of the Institute.

US Congressman Mike Kelly (R-PA) from the 16th District joined us Wednesday to speak about the budget, foreign aid, and other legislative priorities in Washington.

Our studio is right in the heart of the Erie Downtown Development Corporation, so on Tuesday we had our quarterly review with the CEO of the EDDC, Drew Whiting. We learned what’s new at the Flagship City Food Hall, apartment rentals, new construction, and so much more as the face of downtown goes through exciting changes.

If you’re planning to buy a car in the near future, you’ll want to listen to our Monday interview with Ben Jefferys, General Marketing Manager for Hallman Auto Group. We discussed the current market for car buyers, got the latest on electric vehicles, and more.

On our fun Friday episode, we were talking to musicians in the band, First to Eleven. The band started playing together here in Erie, then took off to national fame with their viral videos. Before they headed out on tour, we chatted with lead singer, Audra Miller, teacher and musician Ryan Krysiak, and newcomer Trevor Vogt.

On our Thursday show, we were “looking up,” as Dr. David Hurd, professor of astronomy at Penn West Edinboro, joined us to share his enthusiasm and expertise on the Total Eclipse on April 8th.

On our Wednesday episode, we were pleased to welcome Charles “Boo” Hagerty to the microphone. Boo is the Chief Development Officer of the Hamot Health Foundation. His work with the Foundation, as well as his current focused mission to help the homeless, is truly making a difference in Erie.

Making his first visit to The Joel Natalie Show in 2024 was Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-49th). We talked about the status of the CRIZ, the ECGRA controversy, and his legislative priorities.

The Joel Natalie Show was live at the Erie RV & Outdoor Adventure Expo Friday, and Mayor Joe Schember joined us for his February visit.

On our Thursday episode, we learned about the 3rd Annual Erie County Community Resilience Conference, sponsored by the Erie Coalition for a Trauma-Informed Community. Joining us was Nicole Platz, Chief Community Impact Officer for the Achievement Center of LECOM Health, and Dr. Melanie Hetzel-Riggin, a co-chair of the Coalition, and Professor of Psychology at Penn State Behrend.

On our Valentine's Day show, we learned about the newest craze in sports, fitness, and fun in Erie, with Presque Isle Pickleball. Joining us was PIP’s owner, Michael Agresti, to give us the lowdown on this super-social sport.

The Tuesday program brought an update on the needs for more foster parenting, and for supporting them. Our guests were Brittany Burlingham of the Erie County Office of Children and Youth, and Jess Peterson from the Keystone Family Alliance Team.

On the Monday broadcast, we covered the controversy surrounding Erie County leasing a portion of the Blasco Library to Gannon University and its Project NePTWNE. Representatives of Keep Our Library Public joined us: Krista Perry and Anna McCartney.

On our Fun Friday episode, Erie filmmaker John C. Lyons came on the show to discuss his latest project, Tethered, an immersive live experience. He also spoke about other film projects in the works, and his picks for the Academy Awards.

Our Thursday episode featured frequent guest Ben Speggen, the Vice President of the Jefferson Educational Society, to highlight the Erie think-tank's Winter Term. Ben also shared about his 2023 visit to Germany and some of their industry and business best practices.

February is American Heart Month, and from the American Heart Association was local director Gina Klofft, and graduate student and intern Camilla Camacho to talk screenings, best practices, and the 100 year anniversary of the AHA.

When Erie County Executive Brenton Davis returned to The Joel Natalie Show microphones, we discussed economic development, the Gaming Revenue Authority, and other administration priorities.

On our Friday show, we learned of the efforts of The Oliver Hazard Perry Shipyard, a nonprofit organization working to secure the decommissioned ex-USS HALYBURTON, a Perry class Guided Missile Frigate, and bring it to Erie as a maritime exhibit. Joel interviewed RADM (Ret.) Robert D. Reilly, Jr. and MCPD (Ret.) Justin S. Crowe.

We began the new month with a conversation with Mary Bula, the Executive Director of Erie Together, the area's anti-poverty initiative. The organization of volunteers from across the region are trying to solve systemic and generational poverty through data-driven approaches in education and career pathways.

On our Wednesday episode, our Erie Total Solar Eclipse coverage turned to what's happening on the ground, with Visit Erie's John Oliver and Emily Biddle. We talked about the massive numbers of expected visitors, and how Erieites should prepare.

The Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook joined us Tuesday to review the preliminary statistics regarding investigated deaths his office handled in 2023, including the highest number of homicides in 50 years.

On our Wednesday program, we had a conversation about the importance of leadership with Pastor Derek Sanford, Dean of the Grace Leadership Institute and Lead Pastor of Grace Church. We spoke of the mission and activities of the GLI, and the importance of using our influence to make the lives better of people around us.

On the Tuesday edition of The Joel Natalie Show, we invited in-studio Dr. Ralph Ford, Chancellor of Penn State Behrend. The higher ed institution in Harborcreek Township is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. Dr. Ford told the story of the origin of the Behrend campus, how the school is celebrating this milestone, and their work in the greater Erie region.

It's was an action-packed episode to start 2024 as Joel interviewed Erie Mayor Joe Schember. Discussion points included the budget, the Greengarden bikeway, and the Mayor's appointment of Mel Witherspoon to an open City Council seat.

On our Thursday episode of The Joel Natalie Show, we welcomed back State Representative Bob Merski (D-2nd) back to the microphone. We talked about state finances, game and fisheries, gaming oversight, along with his expert knowledge of Basic Education as a former Erie School District educator.

On our Wednesday program, we caught up with Tim Broderick, Executive Director of Erie's People For Life, Inc., the local pro-life organization. We discussed the well-attended Pro-Life Breakfast, the March for Life, and the current state of the abortion issue in Pennsylvania in this post-Roe era.