Click here to read the op ed by courageous Joseph Barber Pinto, at left. He is a student at McDowell who hopes the award-winning speech and debate team survives the Millcreek School District’s budget crash.

When I was a kid, an Easter tradition was the annual television viewing of “The Wizard of Oz” with a basket of candy in tow. The cowardly lion jumping through the window made me laugh belly laughs for decades, and those flying monkeys still creep me out.

Colleen Steenberge (sister of Kathy Dahlkemper) and I wrote and directed the play during our junior year at Villa Maria Academy. I know this movie by heart.

The 1939 film was based on the 1901 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum., according to Wikipedia. It starred Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Frank Morgan, with Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Clara Blandick and the Singer Midgets as the Munchkins.

When I had my kids, the Easter Sunday TV tradition expanded right through the year because they loved the movie as much as I did. My older two watched the videotape of ”The Wizard of Oz” so often that it finally broke.

I never thought I could tire of hearing Judy Garland sing “Over the Rainbow,” but I came close.

When the movie “Twister,” came out, my kids were excited to see the flying cows — a flying house in “The Wizard of Oz“ had merely whet their appetites for more tornado footage, and that year — 1996 — was a particularly bad year for storms so we spent a lot of time in the basement.

I’m not sure I want to see the new movie “Oz,”  a supposed prequel that gives us some wizard history background. Some memories are better left alone. The backstory behind the film is fascinating. Buddy Ebsen was the original Tinman, and that makeup nearly killed him. Read it all here.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three and step-grandmom to one. 

That’s my little girl, at left,  crossing the finish line — a few years ago during a cross country meet — well it was nine years ago. We know cross country in this house. And yesterday was a great day for local young ladies and young men at the District 10 cross country meet at beautiful Buhl Park — it’s beautiful even when soaked in rain. Believe me — it is.

Here are some of the awesome results. Check out the video here and all the photos on Goerie.com.

Villa Maria freshman Bernadette Prichard wins the District 10 Class AA Cross Country Championship at Buhl Park in Sharon on Oct. 27. TOM REISENWEBER/

Bernadette Prichard, Villa Maria Academy freshman, had the best time of the girls with 19 minutes, 36 seconds. She led the Victors to the AA team title in the Class AA/Class AAA. Prichard is also an outstanding tennis player.

Erie Times-News file photo: McDowell High School senior Melissa Perseo finished in second place at the McDowell Invitational cross country race at Brown's Farm in Millcreek Township on Sept. 1. GREG WOHLFORD/

McDowell’s Melissa Perseo won the AAA title in 20:18 followed by Courtney Sargent with a time of 21:10. Sargent attends Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy and competes for Strong Vincent.

Cambridge Springs’ Olivia Mamula and Kristen White of West Middlesex won the Class A event with at 20:40. Mamula won the event after photo finish review.

Erie Times-News file photo: Cambridge Springs High School sophomore Reilly Walsh, left, and junior teammate Olivia Mamula finished in fifth and sixth place at the McDowell Invitational cross country race at Brown's Farm in Millcreek Township on Sept. 1. GREG WOHLFORD/

All of these young women and their families will head to Hershey next week for the state meet. Good luck, ladies. Hershey is also beautiful for runners — no matter what the weather!

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa.

Congrats to the female athletes of our region — and a lot of 9th graders here!

Erie Times-News All-District 10 Team Region 5 Erie area:

First team:

- 100: Shamieia Roberts, Villa Maria, 10

- 200: Shamieia Roberts, Villa Maria, 10

- 400: Grace Trucilla, Villa Maria,  9

- 800: Sarah Kupniewski, Mercyhurst Prep, 11

- 1,600: Taylor Pietz, Mercyhurst Prep, 9

- 3,200: Katie Manno, McDowell, 12

- 400 relay:Fort LeBeouf — Cecilia Miller (11), Kenzie Blackmon (12), Jess Rose (11), Kaitlyn Blackmon (12)

- 1,600 relay: Villa Maria  – Shamieia Roberts (12), Raven Clark (10), Eileen Burger (10), Grace Trucilla (9)

- 3,200 relay: Mercyhurst Prep — Sarah Kupniewski (11), Catherine Stark (12), Carly Vicary (12), Taylor Pietz (9)

- 100 hurdles: Anna Chodubski, McDowell, 11

- 300 hurdles: Sydney, Sokol, McDowell, 9

- High jump: Nicole Patterson, Fort LeBoeuf, 10

- Pole vault: Julie Marn, McDowell, 10

- Long jump: Anna Chodubski, McDowell, 11

- Triple jump: Anna Chodubski, McDowell, 11

- Shot put: Shamieia Roberts, Villa Maria, 10

- Discus: Lyndsey Bean, Fort LeBoeuf, 12

- Javelin: Lyndsey Bean, Fort LeBoeuf, 12

Second team

- 100: Kelly Smrekar, McDowell, 12

- 200: Grace Trucilla, Villa Maria,  9

- 400: Kenzie Blackmon, Fort LeBoeuf, 12

- 800: Grace Trucilla, Villa Maria,  9

- 1,600: Amanda Krawiec, McDowell, 10

- 3,200: Catherine Stark, Mercyhurst Prep, 12

- 400 relay: McDowell – Kelly Smrekar, (12), Stefanie Ferrier (12) Kristen Swain (10), Anna Chodubski (11),

- 1,600 relay: Fort LeBoeuf  – Abby Gilmore (12), Jess Rose (11), Sarah Young (12), Kenzie Blackmon (12)

- 3,200 relay: McDowell — Kelsey Swantek (9), Kaitlin Daubert (10), Sydney Sokol (9), Kelsey Mandus (9)

- 100 hurdles: Brittany Cook, Fort LeBoeuf, 12

- 300 hurdles: Brittany Cook, Fort LeBoeuf, 12

- High jump: Larissa Cass, Fort LeBoeuf, 9; Kelly Smrekar, McDowell, 12; Danielle Hayes, McDowell, 11

- Pole vault: Olivia Danylko, Fort LeBoeuf, 12

- Long jump: Kelly Smrekar, McDowell, 12

- Triple jump: Maggie Murray, McDowell, 10

- Shot put: Victoria Lavery, Fort LeBoeuf, 11

- Discus: Victoria Lavery, Fort LeBoeuf, 11

- Javelin: Larissa Cass, Fort LeBoeuf, 9

Region champion: McDowell

Region athlete of the year: Anna Choduski, McDowell, 11

Here’s a link to ALL the listings for girls track and field athletes of the year.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa.

At home fashion parties now have some sole. You’ve attended the at-home parties for Mary Kay, Silpada and Stella and Dot. Now, roll out the welcome mat for Shush Shoes where guests can sample shoes, and the hostess gets free shoes. What’s not to love? Thanks to Christine Yamrick of Chateau Christine who told me about the company.

New associate Mariah MaLoon, a former marketing director at Villa Maria Academy in Erie, Pa., knows the founder and CEO, Melissa O’Reilly, personally — they were high school classmates. Shush Shoes recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, so this is a new gig.

If you live in our corner of the world in northwestern Pennsylvania, you can contact Mariah at Mariah@shush.co or https://www.facebook.com/MariahAtShush. Also, attend the 5th Annual W.I.L.D. Conference, presented by Gannon University‘s Small Business Development Center, on May 11 to see Shush Shoes and many more vendors.

Shush offers something for everyone: flats, wedgies and heels priced from about $23 to $60. Check out Shush Shoes for a representative near you. Here is my fave — $50:

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa.

Victor Fernandes wrote a great story on lacrosse’s surge in popularity in the nation and in our corner of Pennsylvania. If your kids have never played, go watch a practice — you’ll all be hooked. My son played when lacrosse was just a novice club sport at McDowell High School. The kids from McDowell High School even made their own sticks in woodworking class. Now that’s a team effort.

Henry Fish, the retired president of AMSCO from 1974 to 1988, was one of the people who brought lacrosse to Erie.

Today, McDowell High School, Cathedral Prep and Fairview have boys teams along with the independent Erie Spears. Girls teams exist at McDowell High School, Fairview and Villa Maria Academy. Lake Erie LifeStyle writer Marissa Rosenbaum is the girls coach at McDowell.

What’s to love? The sport combines skills learned in soccer, field hockey and hockey into one sport that really gets kids moving.  It’s outside on a football field and 10 kids are on each team, including a goalie — so a lot of kids play. It is one of the oldest team sports in America.

One of the best things you’ll hear kids say about this sport — it’s fun. That’s good enough for me.

Kudos to Kayla McBride of Notre Dame. Again! Erie’s Kayla McBride, a Villa Maria Academy standout,  had 16 points in defeating Maryland with a score of 80-49 last night in the Raleigh Regional final. She sank two 3-pointers in perfect style.

Notre Dame meets University of Connecticut on Sunday night in Denver. This will be the fourth time the two teams have played this season with ND taking three out of the four contests. Read the full goerie.com story from Associated Press.

Notre Dame lost last year in the finals of the Final Four, but McBride did not play in that game.  The other NCAA Women’s semifinal includes Baylor (with 6-foot, 8-inch Brittney Griner) against Stanford. She dunks.

Womens basketball will pull in big TV ratings this weekend.