The blood supply dropped to the lowest levels of the year, endangering patients of all types at area hospitals. The Fourth of July holiday proved to be the worst holiday weekend in years for the blood supply with very heavy blood use at regional hospitals. Everyone is urged to take the 30 minutes out to donate blood BEFORE the weekend to ensure the lives of those who will need blood. All donors are strongly encouraged to donate at the Erie Community Blood Bank, 2646 Peach Street. Community Blood Bank is open from 9-6 Monday through Friday and until 7:30 pm Tuesday night and Saturday 9 am -12:30 pm. Photo ID required.
John C Lyons of Erie based Lyons Den Productions sent me word on his next movie. He’ll be casting soon and I’ll let you know when that time comes. Here’s the idea behind the film: Films arent often made about the residents of an assisted living community or the elderly in general. Sadly, these people are sometimes treated like second class citizens, a burden to their families, and oftentimes forgotten entirely. His film will center on these wonderful and colorful characters, full of life and energy, and held back only by things they cannot control. The story will cover a mix of genres: drama, comedy, and even horror. The focus will be on a group of friends and specifically Neil, following him from his first day in the home. Neil discovers comfort and friendship in the residents and staff, deals with the reality of no longer being a priority in his familys life, and the death of some of his closest friends. When dementia takes its hold on Neil the viewer is right there with him: is everything he is seeing and hearing really happening? Sopunds interesting.
Railpower Technologies Corp (TSX: P) announced that it does not expect to meet its unit production target of 90 to 100 locomotives for 2006 and its gross margin target of 30 percent by the end of the fourth quarter. The Company has reviewed its production capabilities and has revised its unit production target to between 50 and 65 units for 2006. “We made significant progress in ramping up production for the second quarter 2006, and have met our production target of 10 to 15 units for the period with 13 units completed. However we will not produce enough units in the third and fourth quarters to meet our previous target of 90 to 100 units for 2006.” Railpower is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Its US office is in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Mercyhurst College raised $4,889,784 in the year ending June 30, an increase of nearly $1.3 million over the prior fiscal year when the college brought in $3,716,104. Last year’s amount broke all previous records. The number of donors increased from 3,089 in 2004-05 to 3,448 in 2005-06.
The Erie brach of Airgas was named 2006 Regional Branch of the Year for the Great Lakes region. Airgas (NYSE:ARG) is the largest US distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding, safety and related products.
Erie PA native Jim Francis, 56, West Hartford, CT finance director since 1997, has been named town manager.
Akron beat the Erie SeaWolves 2-0. The SeaWolves take on the Altoona Curve tonight at 7:05 pm. Be sure to get here early to hear the local band “The Earthquakers” where will be playing music for fans of all ages to enjoy. All the fun starts at 5 pm. Plus they’ll have a FREE Kids Fest prior to the game. Detroit Tigers Dmitri Young is playing a 4 game rehab assignment with the SeaWolves beginning today. He’ll be seeing action at first base, third base and the outfield between July 7-10.
At Lake Erie Speedway tonight is the 3rd annual Faster Pastor race plus Legends, Bandoleros, Jensen’s Target Collision Figure 8′s, Krazy Kompacts, TQ Midgets and FIREWORKS. Gates open at 5:30 and racing begins at 7:30.
Today, July 7, 2006 the exhibit “Carol Cornelison: A Return to Nature” will open at the Erie Art Museum in the Annex Gallery. The exhibit will be on display through October 8, 2006. Carol Cornelison’s sculptural assemblages of human, animal and vegetable parts cast in bronze express spiritual states of being. The overarching theme of her sculpture is the transformation women experience by way of reproduction and self-realization. Her powerful and earthy figures reveal that transformation is often a struggle, but it is also a natural, normal, and on-going process. A public reception for the exhibit will be held on Friday, July 14 at 8 pm. The Erie Art Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am to 5 pm and Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for students and seniors and $2 for children under 12. Annex Gallery and Frame Shop Gallery exhibits are always free. The Museum’s Main Floor and Ground Floor Galleries are free to all on Wednesdays. For more information on this or any other exhibit contact the Erie Art Museum at (814) 459-5477.
Castle Products will host a special appearance of Andy Santerre and Sean Caisse today, Friday, July 7, 2006 from 4:00-7:00 pm at the Castle Hi-Tech Center, 1957 Wager Rd, Erie, PA, just off I-90 Exit 29. The event falls on the eve of Saturday, July 8th’s Local Dodge Dealers NASCAR Busch East 150 presented by Hamot and Highmark at Lake Erie Speedway (LES). Free burgers, hot dogs, corn-on-the-cob and salt potatoes will be served. Santerre and Caisse will be on hand for interviews and autographs throughout the evening. The Castle FIREBALL Show Car and the Casella Waste Systems / Castle Products 44 NASCAR Busch East Monte Carlo will be on display. Castle got its beginning in 1970, and today operates a 100,000 square foot manufacturing plant / headquarters in Rochester, NY. The Castle Hi-Tech Center in Erie, PA was built in 1988. Castle boasts full lines of industrial cleaners, janitorial products, automotive service kits and shop chemicals. Castle may be best known for its Streak Proof Glass Cleaner, FIREBALL, and Dragon Power Fuel Treatment, and POWER Octane Booster.
The 18th annual Erie Panegyri Greek Festival will be held July 7-9 at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, 4376 West Lake Road. For any info call (814) 838-8808. Great job by Michael Mahler finding the website and link.
Droopy Basset Hound Rescue of Western PA will hold their 7th annual Slobberfest on July 8th. Same location as last year in Union City, PA; aprox 20 miles south of Erie, PA. Registration starts at 10 am, with games starting 11 am. All proceeds to go to help Bassets in need.
The 8th annual Pedal to Presque Isle will be held Saturday, July 8. Registration feee is $20 per rider. There are two routes offered; one of 30 miles and another of 75 miles. The 75 mile loop will ride to Presque Isle State Park and return. Both loops begin and end at Conneaut Township Park, 480 Lake Road, Conneaut, Ohio. Registration is welcomed the day of the event. Pre-registration is appreciated.
The 61st annual North East Fireman’s Cherry Festival takes place July 11-15 in North East PA.
The summer Smith Carillon Concert Series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, begins Thursday, July 13, with a performance by Dutch carillonneur Anne Kroeze. Kroeze, the appointed carillonneur for Emmeloord, Leeuwarden and Epe, The Netherlands, will play the college’s Floyd and Juanita Smith Carillon beginning at 7 pm. The concert is free and open to the public. Seating will be on the lawn of the John M. Lilley Library, so concertgoers are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. Refreshments will be served. The following Thursday, July 20, the featured musician will be Clemson University carillonneur Linda Dzuris. Charles Dairay, carillonneur for Orchies, France, will conclude the series on Thursday, July 27.
The next 3 Erie Downtown Friday night classic and antique car cruise-in’s called Buggin’ State Street will be held from 6-10 pm on July 14, August 11 and September 15.
The 2006 Erie Airshow will be on Saturday and Sunday, July 15-16, 2006. The Air Show will be held at Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field. The schedule of performances and static display aircraft present will be the same each day, so you can attend either day and see the same great show. Gates will open each day at 10 am with the flying portion of the airshow will begin at noon each day.
The 3rd annual Key West Fest will be held July 21-22 at Liberty Park. The great Jimmy Buffet tribute band Key West Express and Peter Mayer Group will perform.
Allegheny College will hold a soccer camp, July 23-27 in Meadville Pa for kids ages 10-18. Overnight $330, commuter $250. Team and sibling discounts are available. Call 814-332-4782 or 814-332-5208 or download an application.
The summer sky will be the topic of the next Summer Open House Night in Astronomy at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Roger Knacke, professor of physics and astronomy and director of the college’s School of Science, will present “Summer Stars and the Milky Way” at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26, in 101 Otto Behrend Science Building. This Summer Open House Night in Astronomy is free and open to the public. It is a non-technical presentation for ages 6 and older. For more information, call the School of Science at 814-898-6105.
Here’s some info on a great new Erie area event. The Guelcher Film Series at the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park, aka Movies in the Park – The Biggest Stars Under The Stars. Movies will begin at 9 pm. Here is a tentative list of films.
July 28, 2006 The Black Stallion (1979)
August 4, 2006 Stormy Weather (1943)
August 11, 2006 Waking Ned Devine (1998)
August 18, 2006 CelebrateErie Week, That Thing You Do (1996)
August 25, 2006 Triplets of Belleville (2003)
September 1, 2006 Half Way to Saint Patrick’s Day,
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
