Erie PA Today News, Events and Info for today, Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Late last week, Kathy Dahlkemper, Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, tried to buy some votes by handing out gas cards at the Country Fair at West 8th and the Bayfront Parkway. There is a chance she could be charged with a felony for bribery. "Bribery at Elections", Article XVIII Section 1839 (25 PS, 3539), carries a possible $15,000 fine and up to seven years in prison. (Pennsylvania Campaign Reporting Law.) The Dahlkemper campaign responded saying it was all innocent and that it was done at a press conference. So if you rob a bank and get caught, all you have to do is yell 'Press Conference'? Story on GoErie.com with WSEE video.


Corry based Erie Plastics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday morning at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The debtor's petition lists $10-$50 million in assets and liabilities. Top unsecured creditors include Bank One Capital Partners II, Dow Chemical and others. Park-Ohio (NASDAQ: PKOH) is buying the company and renaming it Wellington Products.

Phil English of Erie voted against the Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. It went down by a vote of 228-205. Congress better get a bill passed on Thursday or we're going to see massive problems. Credit has dried up.

Wachovia Securities Financial Network is being purchased by Citigroup. Wachovia has on office in Erie at 100 State St.

Perry Square fountain in Erie will turn pink today at 4 pm as the Pennsylvania Commission for Women kicks-off Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Leslie Stiles, the commission's executive director, Kathy Purcell, executive director, Susan G Koman Cancer Center, and Erie Mayor Joseph E Sinnott, as well as breast cancer survivors from the Erie area, will speak at the event.

The Harlem Globetrotters will perform at the Tullio Arena in Erie, PA on Tuesday February 3. Presale tickets go on sale today and will be available through October 7. The presale discount password is GLOBIE.

In a Monday night high school football, Erie Cathedral Prep beat Erie East 44-18.

James Malone joined the lacrosse staff at Mercyhurst-North East. Malone comes to the Saints after graduating from the College of the Holy Cross in 2008 with a BA in Political Science. He started four years on the Division I lacrosse team. Coach Malone will be responsible for running the Saints defense and man-down units and will assist in the recruiting of new players and academic mentoring of current players. Presently, he is pursuing his MA in Education at Mercyhurst College in the hopes of becoming a high school teacher and lacrosse coach.

Carl Carlotti, senior vice president for National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, will address the future of natural gas during the Manufacturer and Business Association's September Eggs 'n' Issues briefing today starting at 8 am Tuesday, September 30 at the Association's Conference Center, 2171 West 38th Street at Pittsburgh Avenue. To register for this briefing, contact Tracy Shepard at (814) 833-3200 or (800) 815-2660. Cost is $30 for members, $60 for nonmembers.


Courtney E Martin, author of Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body, a searingly honest look at the spectrum of physical obsessions undertaken in the name of unattainable perfection, will speak at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, today, Tuesday, September 30. Her discussion, “Perfect Girls: How a Generation Was Told They Could Be Anything and Heard They Had to be Everything” begins at 7:30 pm in the worship space of the college’s Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel. Admission is FREE and open to the public, and a reception for Martin will follow the presentation.

An education fair to teach local high school students and their parents how to best prepare for higher education will be held today, Tuesday September 30 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm at the Gannon University Waldron Campus Center, 109 University Square in Erie. US Rep Phil English (R-Pa) teamed up with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and WQLN Educational Services to host the fair to ensure local families have access to the resources and information they need to plan for life after high school. Representatives from local colleges and universities, US military academies and career and technical schools will be on hand to answer questions regarding the admissions process, coursework criteria and tuition costs. In addition, Dan Johnston, Regional Director of PHEAA and Bridget Nolan, Field Director for Congressman English office will offer presentations on how to secure financial aid through state and federal loan programs. Admission is FREE, open to all and no registration is required.

The Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm Fall Festival will be held 11 am to 6 pm on October 4-5, 13-14. Admission is FREE and parking is by donation to the Edinboro Lions Club. Celebrate Northwestern PA's beautiful Fall Foliage! Pick out your favorite Fall decorations. They plan to have pumpkins, corn stalks, hay bales, and gourds for sale. Pick up a homemade fresh pumpkin or apple pie made with local pumpkins and apples. We're hoping to have fresh-pressed apple cider and local apples for sale as well. Weather permitting, there will be wagon rides around the farm at a cost of $4 per person or $15 per family.

The Directors Circle Theatre kicks off its 14th season with "Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean!" written by former Erie resident Ed Graczyk. The production, directed by Michael Weiss, will play Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM through October 4. Check the reservation line for possible matinee performances. Directors Circle is located at 1001 State Street on the 2nd floor of the Renaissance Centre. Reservations can be made by calling the box office at (814) 451-1153.

The corn maze Corn Stalking USA in Edinboro is now open. Age 5 and under, FREE; Age 6-12, $6; and Age 13 and up, $8.

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College is hosting its annual Career Fair in the Junker Center on Wednesday October 1, noon to 4 pm. An all-time record of 127 companies are scheduled to attend and more than 600 students are expected. National corporations as well as local companies are participating, including ExxonMobil,Corning, Respironics, Aerotek Engineering and Husky Injection Molding along with GE Transportation, Erie Insurance, Saint Vincent Health System, Logistics Plus, and Perseus House. Full-time, part-time, internship and co-op opportunities will be available.

The Creative Writer's Speaker Series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host poet Mark Halliday on Thursday, October 2. A reception for Halliday will be held at 4:30 pm in the first-floor living room of the college's Larry and Kathryn Smith Chapel. The reading takes place at 6 pm in the chapel worship space. Both events are FREE and open to the public.

Gannon's Schuster Theatre proudly presents "I Love You Because" a modern day musical retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (with the genders reversed). Authors Joshua Salzman and Ryan Cunningham throw an uptight actuary, greeting card poet, bohemian photographer, slacker brother, and the entire city of New York together to fight their way through relationships, friendships and mishaps. "I Love You Because" will be performed at 8 pm on October 2-4 and 9-11, with a matinee on the October 12 at 2 pm. For tickets call the theater box office at (814) 871-7494.

Low Brow Entertainment presents comedian Bobby Collins for one night only at the Erie Playhouse at 8 pm on Friday, October 3. Tickets.

Goodell Gardens and Homestead is hosting the Edinboro University Alumni Quilt and Fiber Arts Show on October 4, 11 am-5 pm. Enjoy the beautiful quilt and fiber creations of EUP Alumni showcased in the new Event Barn. Artists Reception to be held on Friday, October 3 from 6:-7:30 pm.This event is part of Edinboro University's Homecoming Weekend. Admission to the show and Gardens is FREE.

The Erie Art Museum's Contemporary Music Series presents the String Trio of New York on October 4, 2008 at 8 pm. The performance will be held in the Erie Art Museum Annex, 423 State Street, admission is free; a $10 donation is suggested. This tour is made possible by a grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and is sponsored locally by Connoisseur Media. The String Trio of New York will present a workshop for parents and their preschoolers as part of Family Fun Fridays on Friday, October 3 at 10 am. Call the Erie Art Museum at (814) 459-5477 for reservations. Family Fun Fridays is free for Erie Art Museum members and $5 for non-members.

The Inaugural Lindsay Graygo Memorial 5k Run/Walk will be held at Presque Isle State Park, Beach 1 on October 4. ALL proceeds from this non-competitive event will go directly toward the Lindsay Graygo Empowerment Scholarship Fund. Registration form. For more info, please call (814) 461-7638 or send an e-mail to lindsaygraygorun@logisticsplus.net.

The Roadhouse Theatre’s 20th Anniversary Production, 'Buried Child', will be performed October 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 with a special performance on October 19 for anyone who has ever performed in or worked on a Roadhouse Theatre production. Reservations will be required for this show and a reception will follow the performance. Tickets are $8 with special limited VIP seating available at $12. As usual BYOB with proper ID. Phone (814) 459-8215 for reservations and tickets.

Gannon University’s doctor of physical therapy students are asking the community to shoot for a cure on Saturday, October 4. The students will host the second annual “Shooting for a Cure” 3-on-3 basketball tournament, with all proceeds raised from the event benefitting the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation. Registration will begin at 8 am on Oct 4 at the University’s Carneval Athletic Pavilion, 130 West 4th Street. Tournament play will begin at 8:30 am in four brackets: ages 18-over; grades 9-12; grades 7-8; and grades 4-6. Prizes will be awarded to the first-place teams in each bracket. The cost is $30 per team, and entries should be submitted by Oct 1. For more information, contact Jessica Hamilton at (724) 822-5979.


The 13th annual Because You Care Walk will be held at Presque Isle State Park, Beach 11 on Sunday, October 5. The Annual Walk for Small Animals, as Because You Care's largest fundraiser, provides funds needed for the rescue and rehabilitation of abandoned and abused animals throughout BYC's operating year. The funds from this Walk help to provide the necessary veterinary care (including spaying and neutering) and food and supplies to animals all year around. In addition to working for the cause, the Walk has also become one of BYC's most fun and educational events. Walkers and dogs of all ages come out to partake in a carnival of pre- and post- walk events, stroll by educational stations, walk the beautiful Beach 11 area with dogs, and enjoy an after-walk lunch with door prizes and raffles. It's a great way to relax, meet new people (and dogs), and raise money for a great cause.


Dirty Looks performs at the Warner Theatre on Sunday, October 5. Tickets are $41.50 or $21.50. Harpo is the opening act.


The Halls of Fear is Erie's premiere Haunted House attraction presented annually to benefit the Wesleyville Hose Company. It features a brand new 4800 sq ft building at the intersection of Station and Shannon Roads, with new rooms, and new characters along with some of your traditional favorites. With live radio coverage, Auxiliary refreshment stand, The Tombstone Tent selling Halls of Fear books, tshirts, mugs and more, and Igor's Pumpkin Patch with $2 Pumpkins, the Halls of Fear promises to be better than ever in 2008! A Halloween tradition since 2001, the Halls of Fear was recently rated 67th of over 20,000 haunted house nationwide! It was also rated by Haunted House Online as having 46 out of 50 skulls for thrills and chills! Cost is $6 per adult and $3 for children under 12. Not normally recommended for children under the age of 8, or for those susceptible to strobes, heart conditions, or similar physical restrictions. You can also PreOrder your tickets and save money and time by picking up your tickets at the Will Call window. This event runs October 9-12, 17-19, 24-26, 30 and NOW OPEN HALLOWEEN NIGHT after Trick-or-Treating. They offer a special discount on tickets on Halloween Night for those that attend in costume, good only that night! Free trick-or-treating on location for everyone! Hours of operation are from 7 pm to 10 pm on weekdays, and 7 pm to 11 pm on weekends. On Halloween Night, the special hours will be from 9 pm to midnight, after Trick or Treating! Parking is located near the intersection of Station and Shannon Roads. For all the information you need to plan your visit, plus photos, multimedia, great links and more, visit www.wesleyvillehose.com/thehallsoffear/ or contact them at hallsoffear@wesleyvillehose.com.

Belle Valley Fire Department presents it's annual Halloween haunted house "Valley of the Ghouls" October 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31. Time 7:30-11 pm. Cost is $5.

Erie's Day of Gaming 2008 will be held 9 am - 9 pm om October 11 at the Travel Lodge off Exit 29, I-90 in Erie, PA. Admission is $4 for all day. There will be a 750 point Steamroller 4 tournament as well as demos and pick up games of Warmachine and Hordes.

Calpulli Mexican Dance Company will give a free performance at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Tuesday, October 14. The group appears as part of the college’s Rhythms of Life cultural series. Its presentation of Mexican dance, music and theater begins at noon in the Wintergarden of the Reed Union Building.

Jack Speer, an award-winning newscaster with National Public Radio, will discuss "Election 2008: Is the Economy Still the Essential Issue for the Candidates and the Voters?" at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania on Thursday, October 16, in the Frank G Pogue Student Center multipurpose room at 7:30 pm. Speer is a 1981 graduate of Edinboro University. Speer's lecture is FREE and open to the public.

ZooBoo is a spooky, but not too spooky, fun-filled event at the Erie Zoo featuring a variety of Halloween displays, costumed characters, a spooky train ride, our endangered species carousel, crafts, facepainting, games, and trick-or-treating for children 11 and under. Erie ZooBoo 2008 will run from Friday, October 17 through Tuesday, October 30. The gates are open to the public from 6 pm to 9 pm each night.

Cattle call auditions for CATS, THE GRADUATE and THE SPITFIRE GRILL, will be held at 6 pm on October 19 and 20 at the Erie Playhouse rehearsal hall at 1158 East 12th Street in Erie.