Verizon is selling their building at 150 West 10th Street. The 200 or so workers in the building will be moved to their other Erie area locations. Verizon specifically cited high property taxes for their decision. In 2005 they paid nearly $300,000 in property taxes on the building: $92,768.37 to the city, $44,712.25 to Erie County and $156,862.60 to the Erie School District for a total of $294,343.24.

Vance McBryde has passed away. McBryde did the weather on WICU for years and later did senior citizen reports for WSEE. He served on the board of the Erie Airport Authority for decades.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board can’t come to an agreement on how to license slot machine suppliers which will delay the slot machine licenses for racetracks. At least 90 days must elapse between when the board issues licenses to slot machine makers and suppliers and when they issue the temporary racetrack slots licenses. The board hasn’t decided whether to divide the state into regions where different suppliers would have to operate. And if it will be regions, the number of regions. Decisions by the board must have all four legislative appointees in agreement, with at least one gubernatorial appointee also agreeing. Four members were named by General Assembly leaders and three by the Governor. Work has begun on the racetrack in Erie which will be called Presque Isle DOwns.

Sometimes you have to wonder if the members of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board are drunk when they make decisions. In May the Supreme Court ruled that if in-state wineries could ship their products directly to consumers, then it had to allow out-of-state producers to do too. The PLCB has now decided to prevent all wineries from shipping to Pennsylvania consumers.

October 11 is the deadline for registering to vote in the November election.

The Belle Valley Volunteer Fire Department Haunted House, The Valley of the Ghouls, opens Saturday October 8 from 7:30 pm to 11 pm and runs each weekend thru the end of the month. Price $4. Not intended for kids under 8 years old.

The 2nd Annual Eerie Erie Horror Film Festival is taking place once again at the Roadhouse Theater in Erie, Pa, through this weekend. Horror and sci-fi films from all over the world, celebrities and thousands of fans. Special guests this year include: Gunnar Hansen (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”), Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Films), Ben Meade (“Bazaar Bizzare”), Debbie Rochon, Pam Sutch, Jasmin St Claire, John Hancock and more.

The Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm Fall Festival will be held October 8-9 2005, each day from 11am-6pm. Fall Festival offers fun for the whole family. Admission and parking are free but donations are encouraged benefiting the Edinboro Lions Club. They’ll have face painting, wagon ride and the mini petting zoo featuring Sierra, the friendly Bison. We will have pumpkins, squash, hay bales and corn stalks for sale for Halloween and fall decorating. Mickey’s famous pumpkin and apple pies will be for sale. Made from local pumpkins and apples, these pies don’t stick around long. Come view all the beauty that northwestern Pennsylvania offers with a peaceful country backdrop and the majestic Bison roaming in the fields. The Buffalo Grill will be serving up delicious Buffalo fare cafeteria style. Wear your 2005 Event T-Shirt and get a FREE wagon ride.

The Fourth Annual Walk to Make a Great Park Better will be held Sunday October 9, 2005 at Presque Isle State Park at 1 pm. In addition to benefiting Presque Isle State Park, money raised by the walk will fund three memorial scholarships named in honor of David Hanlon, Frank Pettinato Sr and Fran Kloecker Jr. To be eligible for the scholarships, the high school student must complete the scholarship application the day of the walk, participate in the walk and generate a minimum of $25 in pledges. For more info, call (814) 838-5138.

Three Mercyhurst women’s hockey players were named to the US College Hockey Online preseason All-USCHO teams. D Ashley Pendleton was named to the First Team while F Samantha Shirley and G Laura Hosier were named to the Third Team.

A stop in Erie PA has been added to the 2006 ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Series Schedule. The one day tournament in Erie is scheduled for August 13, 2006.