Erie Insurance Arena welcome - Erie Times-News

That is very good news that Erie Insurance will pay $3 million for the naming rights to Tullio Arena. It means the new luxury suites will be restored to the building. The suites will certainly generate considerable revenue for the refurbished arena. The news is positive on two fronts: It greatly helps the arena, which is now undergoing $45 million in renovations. And it shows even greater commitment to Erie by a Fortune 500 company. Erie Insurance Chief Executive Terrence Cavanaugh has already announced the construction of a 1,000-space parking garage near the arena. It will be used for employee parking during the day and will be open to others during the evening -- perhaps customers for the new Erie Insurance Arena. Even though the late Erie Mayor Lou Tullio's name will come off the building, a plaza will still be named for him. Tullio, it should be remembered, lobbied hard with anchor businesses such as the then-Hamot Medical Center and Erie Insurance to remain in the downtown. He convinced them to stay, which they did, and they ultimately made a huge difference in urban Erie. Can you imagine what the area would be like without the impact of UPMC Hamot and Erie Insurance? We also thought of Ted Junker, who retired as the No. 2 man at PNC Bank. Junker worked closely with Jerry Uht, who made a large donation for the naming rights to Erie's new downtown ballpark, which opened in 1995. Nobody thought back then that anyone would pay so much for naming rights. Plenty of work remains on the new Erie Insurance Arena, but you can already see a beautiful complex taking shape. Coupled with Jerry Uht Park, which is a very nice ballpark, and the Warner Theatre, the civic center complex will be a huge asset for Erie.

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Some of the reviews for Cleveland's new Horseshoe Casino, which was open this week to the media, were less than enthusiastic. Cleveland reporters said it still looked like Higbees Department Store, with a lot of slot machines. It will open on Monday on four floors in the former Higbees store. One thing that might work in favor of Presque Isle Downs & Casino is that parking is free at Erie's casino, while parking near the Horseshoe Casino is $10, except for premier card holders. ... Roger Clemens' reputation is taking a beating in his perjury trial, even though there is doubt he can be convicted. Jurors have expressed some confusion over the charges against Clemens. Still, his brilliant baseball career seems tarnished in the eyes of many fans. ... Boston Red Sox fans are mourning the death of Carl Beane, the longtime public address announcer at Fenway Park, who was stricken Wednesday with a fatal heart attack while he was driving. Beane was 59. His booming baritone, as he announced the names of the players, added to the enjoyment at Fenway, one of baseball's most storied ballparks. ... Former state Senate Democratic leader Bob Mellow pleaded guilty this week in yet another case of a state legislator who faces prison after a conviction. Mellow, who retired in 2010, was a frequent visitor to Erie who at one time was considered to be a strong candidate for governor. Judging from what we have read, too many legislators were using campaign money for their own personal use. ... It will be a while before it is known if President Barack Obama's decision to endorse gay marriage will help or hinder his campaign. In many states where voters are ardently opposed to gay marriage, Obama probably did not have much of a chance to win anyway. ... It seems the popularity of the late Elizabeth Edwards is killing John Edwards at his trial.