All it took was a spark by Pam Parker

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Pipe bombs target Obama, others By Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Colleen Long The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A sudden wave of pipe bombs targeting Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, other prominent

Democrats and CNN was thwarted without physical harm, but an anxiety-filled day on Wednesday deepened political tensions and fears two weeks before national midterm elections. None of the bombs detonated as law enforcement

took them away for examination and disposal. The first crude bomb to be discovered had been delivered Monday to the suburban New York compound of George Soros, a liberal billionaire and major contributor to Democratic

causes. The FBI said an additional package was intended for former Attorney General Eric Holder but that one ended up at a Florida office of Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose return address was on it. The targets of the bombs

All it took was a spark

were some of the figures most frequently criticized by President Donald Trump, who still assails Clinton at rallies while supporters chant “lock her up” — two years after he defeated her See BOMBS , A5

In shift, business owners donate to EDDC Money comes from U Pick 6 owners to help cover expenses By Jim Martin jim.martin@timesnews.com

The Erie Downtown Development Corp. has a new sponsor. The organization, which is working to purchase real estate and attract new residents to downtown Erie, will announce at 11 a.m. Thursday that business partners John Melody and Russ Stachewicz, owners of four U Pick 6 taverns, are donating $25,000 toward the operating budget of the EDDC. Erie High School junior Emma Johnson, 17, in one of the school’s welding labs in Erie last week, said she enjoys all facets of welding and is working to become an underwater welder. [GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

Erie High junior works toward becoming an underwater welder, wins scholarship By Pam Parker pam.parker@timesnews.com

In her first year at Erie High School, when it was still Central High School, Emma Johnson thought she wanted to be a physical therapist, but a friend told her about welding classes and Emma quickly set her career sights on underwater welding. What persuaded a teenager who had only been on a few pontoon boat rides to turn

flying sparks and metal into a career? “A family friend was in the Navy, and he told me all about working on ships and oil rigs. It sounds exciting to be part of something like that,” Emma said. Now in her junior year, Emma is working to combine all the skills she needs for a career in welding. She’s been a standout in her welding classes and she recently completed two weeks as a volunteer aboard the U.S. Brig Niagara, thanks to the Rebecca Cornish Memorial Scholarship, which is offered through Athena Erie and

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the Flagship Niagara League. She didn’t do any welding on the ship, which is mostly wood anyway, but she did get her sea legs. Emma will be recognized for her accomplishments and she will share her experience aboard the Niagara during the Athena Leadership Luncheon Thursday at the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, 2800 W. Eighth St. Nearly 300 women are expected to attend the luncheon that matches mentors and mentees in a discussion of leadership principles.

• For more information on the Rebecca Cornish Scholarship, visit www. athenaerie.org/rebeccacornish-scholarship.html. The Rebecca Cornish scholarship fund that Emma Johnson was awarded honors an advocate for Athena Powerlink and a supporter of the U.S. Brig Niagara. • For more information on the programs at Erie High School, visit www.eriesd. org/ehs. Online extras: See photos of Emma Johnson: www. GoErie.com/Photos

See JOHNSON, A4

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See EDDC, A4

CITY & REGION | B1

DEPARTING THE DOCK After 67 years, longtime bayfront business owner says goodbye

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Thursday, October 25, 2018

Erie Times-News | GoErie.com

Backers of child sex abuse lawsuit window rally in Capitol By Mark Scolforo The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Survivors of child sexual abuse and others sought Wednesday to ramp up pressure on Pennsylvania’s Republican senators to vote on a bill that would give victims a twoyear window to file lawsuits that would otherwise be outdated. More than 100 people rallied at the state Capitol, nearly a week after the Senate’s GOP majority decided to leave Harrisburg without voting on the legislation. Several speakers focused

their frustration on the Senate’s top-ranking Republican, President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County. “The problem is that only one person has the power to pick up that phone and call them back,” said state victim advocate Jennifer Storm, referring to Scarnati. “It’s one vote, it’s one day.” Scarnati issued a statement that said Democrats have been “touting this as a campaign commercial just as predicted.” He said he hoped additional talks can produce a compromise. “Unfortunately at this

point I have still not received any compromise proposal. If the attorney general or whomever is negotiating this bill in the House produces a counterproposal that 26 senators can support, I will call the Senate back for a vote,” Scarnati said. Speaking at the rally, abuse victim Shaun Dougherty of Johnstown said political considerations are behind the bill’s opposition. “I believe politics did play a role, however, not by us,” he said. “We’re fighting for our lives.” Existing state law gives victims until age 30 to sue over

child sexual abuse, but Scarnati and others have argued that changing that retroactively will violate the state constitution. It would also expose the Roman Catholic Church, other institutions and insurers to lawsuits likely to cost them a fortune. A grand jury report issued in August alleged hundreds of Roman Catholic priests had abused more than 1,000 children over seven decades and described how church officials covered it up. The report provided harrowing detail of the abuse, which in some cases involved priests using crosses and other elements

of the faith to violate children. Since the report’s release, the attorney general’s office has received more than 1,300 calls to a hotline set up to field complaints about child sexual abuse, and the federal prosecutor in Philadelphia has issued subpoenas to the state’s eight dioceses. Scarnati, who has supported the creation of a church-backed victims’ fund as an alternative, said the legislation that passed the House overwhelmingly left out two of the grand jury’s recommendations and would not treat all types of victims uniformly.

LOCAL BRIEFS

Join live haunted history tour of BrewErie Thursday Ready to get spooked? Join the Erie TimesNews for a live look at the haunted history tours offered in the tunnels beneath the Brewerie At Union Station, 123 W. 14th St., Thursday at noon on the GoErie.com Facebook page. Since the tours are sold out, we’ll share a peek of what you’d see and experience in person with Chris Sirianni, owner/operator of The Brewerie at Union Station, plus find out how to make sure you get a spot for 2019. Erie Times-News reporter Sarah Grabski will help navigate the tour. Join the discussion and tour live at noon. Part of West Sixth Street to be closed Thursday West Sixth Street from Kahkwa Boulevard to Vermont Avenue in Erie is scheduled to be closed on Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. due to street repairs, city of Erie streets officials announced. Teen taken into custody in shots-ﬁred incident Erie police took a 17-year-old boy into custody on Wednesday afternoon following a foot chase after police were called to East 13th and Parade streets to investigate reports of shots fired. Police recovered four shell casings at the scene and said one parked vehicle was hit by gunfire. Officers were dispatched to East 13th and Parade streets at 4:05 p.m. There were no reports of injuries. Police said two males fled the shooting scene when they arrived. Officers chased the 17-year-old for several minutes, taking him into custody in an area east of Ash Street along East 15th Street and south of the railroad tracks there. The other male also fled and evaded apprehension. Officers did not recover a weapon. Detectives were

EDDC From Page A1

The announcement and check presentation will be held at U Pick 6 Tap House, 333 State St. Melody and Stachewicz also own U Pick 4 Beer Store, U Pick 6 Public House and U Pick 6 Harbor House. “They reached out to us,” said John Persinger, executive director of the EDDC, which is focused on an area of downtown Erie from Perry Square north to Third Street and Sassafras Street east to

questioning the juvenile on Wednesday evening. Teens educated on dangers of reckless driving Erie High School students on Wednesday learned about the dangers and possible consequences of impaired and distracted driving during a National Teen Driver Safety Week program. The program, which took place at Erie High School, was organized by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Northwest Regional Highway Safety Network, the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety program and local law enforcement officers. Students spent a portion of the day touring three stations. Bobby Fitzmayer, a PAMSP representative, spoke with students about motorcycle safety and the availability of free training courses in Pennsylvania. Fitzmayer also gave a bike demonstration to emphasize skills needed to safely operate a motorcycle. Students also used an impaired and distracted driving simulator, and participants signed a crashed car as part of a pledge to drive safely. Erie man charged in Venango County rape The Sugarcreek Borough Police Department in Venango County has issued an arrest warrant for an Erie man accused of raping a 15-year-old on May 27 in Franklin. Police have filed charges against Dyquan Bailey, 19, who remained at large on Wednesday. Bailey is facing charges of rape, statutory sexual assault, sexual assault, three counts of aggravated indecent assault, and three counts of indecent assault. Bailey is accused of raping the girl in the back seat of his vehicle in the 300 block of Front Street in Franklin between 4:30 and 5 a.m. on May 27, according to exploreVenango.com. Staff reports

Holland Street. “They told us they have never seen this much activity in downtown Erie ever and they have been very appreciative of our efforts to revitalize downtownandtheywanttobe part those efforts,” Persinger said. The EDDC has raised more than $27 million for its Erie Equity Fund, most of that coming from banks, nonprofit organizations, Erie Insurance, hospitalsandonemanufacturing company. That money, whichisconsideredan investment, will be used to purchase real estate. Recently, the organization spent$2.95milliontobuyeight

Erie High School’s Emma Johnson, 17, right, feeds a piece of scrap metal to be cut toward classmates Matthew Hoovler, left, and Cody Eicher, both 17, last week. [GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

JOHNSON From Page A1

At 17, Emma is one of only three females out of 60 students involved in training for welding careers at Erie High School. Donna Bastian, one of Emma’s welding instructors, said Emma has advanced welding skills for her age. “Underwater welding is crazy hard to achieve, but she really is good enough, and she’s working toward all the things she needs to do to get there,” Bastian said. The ability to work and live on the water are among the skills Emma will need, which is where the Niagara comes in. Anne Johnson, Emma’s mom, said Niagara staffers told her thatherdaughterwasanatural sailor— she was one of only a few volunteers who never got seasick. In addition, she said, “they said Emma was a positive force and helped others when she was on board. They told us how proud we should be of her,” Anne Johnson said. Emmaadmiredthepatience of supervisors and the teamworkontheship.“Ifyoudidn’t know what to do, there’s always someone who could explain it to you, and it’s a team,” she said. “I loved it. It was like a second home.” She added that the leaders on the shipofferedgreatadviceabout futurecareersaswell.“Everyone would tell us, ‘Never give

Emma Johnson, an Erie High junior, worked as a volunteer on board the Niagara last summer, thanks to the Rebecca Cornish scholarship, provided by Athena Erie. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

up. Just keep going and conquer your fears.’” Since Emma left the Niagara,she’sspenteveryweekend volunteering there and hopes to be approved for an apprenticeship for the summer of 2019. “I’d get to help all the new volunteers,” she said. “It’s also a Tall Ships summer, so it will be busy.” Next,Emma will be investigatingscubalessons.Hermom said it’s all part of the plan to becomeanunderwaterwelder. In the process of working toward her career, Emma has found some great mentors, ErieHighSchoolprincipalPam Mackowski said. “Students in welding classes remain with the same teachers for four years.Theteachersaresodedicated,andthekidsbuildgreat relationships with them,” Mackowski said.

What does Emma advise others? “Go for it. Give it a shot.You’llfindascholarship, andit’sagoodlearningexperience,” Emma said. Linda Stevenson, director and founder of Athena Erie, said Emma is a perfect example of what Athena and the Niagara scholarship program are designed to do. “We want to promote leadership among all women, and we often use the phrase ‘from sandbox to boardroom.’ Emma is a prime example of a young woman taking steps toward leadership and advancing her own career,” Stevenson said. Pam Parker can be reached at 870-1821 or by email at pam.parker@timesnews. com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter. com/HerTimesErie.

properties — a total of 118,000 square feet — that front North Park Row and State Street. The money from the U Pick 6 owners takes the form of a contribution that will be used to help cover the expenses of the EDDC, which has been working in recent weeks to program activities to help draw people to downtown Erie. Persinger said he’s excited about the contribution. “It’s a team effort to turn around Erie,” he said. Jim Martin can be reached at 870-1668 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at www. twitter.com/ETNMartin.

Business partners Russ Stachewicz, left, and John Melody are shown in this 2014 ﬁle photo as they accept a Commitment to Erie Award presented by the Erie Times-News. [ERIE TIMES-NEWS]