The Erie PA casino will open today at 9 am. Presque Isle Downs and Casino will be opening, including 2,000 slot machines, following receipt of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s final approval to open the facility. Situated on a 272-acre site, approximately 58.4 acres of which are dedicated to the public as open space, Presque Isle currently consists of a 140,000 square foot Clubhouse with 2,000 slot machines, fine and casual dining, bars, and approximately 3,225 parking spaces. The Company expects to open Presque Isle’s state of the art thoroughbred horse racing facility in September of this year, which will feature racing as well as concerts and nightly entertainment. Presque Isle Downs slots parlor is located in Summit Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania at Exit 27 (Route 97) of Interstate 90. It will be open from 9 am to 4 am daily. The racino phone number is 1-866-ERIE-FUN.

Urbaniak Brothers said they will not become a tenant of the Koehler Brewery Square project. The Koehler project is a planned retail, office and commercial group of buildings on State Street between 21st and 24th Streets. Urbaniak Brothers must have got tired of waiting as they thought they would be moved in well before now, plus the neighborhood where they are now located is getting much better. Urbaniak’s is located at 310 E 24th and have the best stuffed pork chops and city chicken in the world.

The Erie District Attorney’s Office in collaboration with EngageIT have a new site called the Internet Neighborhood Crime Watch. Great idea.

Governor Rendell said Monday that his press secretary, Kate Philips, will take a 10-week leave of absence starting Wednesday, February 28. Philips is a native of Erie. She started her career as a reporter at WICU television.

Erie Plastics, a leading injection molder, has advanced its ultra-lean manufacturing agenda by completing installation of an IQMS Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system – a leading data integration solution in the marketplace for plastics processors. Under the direction of Linda Hajec, Vice President of Finance and Administration at Erie Plastics, the company implemented a wide range of IQMS modules for seamless data integration across multiple operations such as customer service management; production and maintenance monitoring (press to press); project management and tracking; scheduling and resource forecasting; real-time inventory; and electronic data interchange (EDI), among others. Producing over 10 billion parts annually and a market leader in combining 128-cavity molds with valve-gate, hot-runner systems, Erie Plastics operates more than 70 high-speed packaging presses with a 60- to 550-ton press size range and in-line cellular manufacturing.

Eriez Magnetics has developed PolyMag additives, designed to impart “metal detectability” in plastic and rubber articles. Therefore, parts or pieces that can potentially contaminate food products can be detected, located and isolated using standard metal detectors. By including the additive during compounding or molded part manufacturing, enough magnetic susceptibility is imparted to enable detection in conductive products, using standard metal detectors without making substantial changes to the physical properties of the resin or molded part. The additives are available in a dry, free-flowing pellet with a nonpolymer carrier that is compatible with a wide range of resins or in powder form for compounding. The additives are available in black and light gray.

Eric M Paczewski, DPT, MTC, has been promoted to clinical manager of the PRO Rehabilitation Services Plains, PA facility. Paczewski has a Masters from Gannon University in Erie, PA and doctorate a from the University of St Augustine.

The Gannon women’s basketball team received 38 points from its two seniors Christina Jackson (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain Southview) and Casey England (Van Buren, Ohio/Van Buren) and rolled into the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) semifinals with a 75-61 quarterfinal victory over Saginaw Valley State Tuesday night at the Hammermill Center. The Lady Knights return to action Friday, March 2 against Michigan Tech in the GLIAC semifinals at the Hammermill Center. Game time is scheduled for 6 pm. The second semifinal contest features Ferris State and Hillsdale at 8 pm.

The Mercyhurst men’s basketball team held the GLIAC’s top three-point shooting team to just 3-of-13 as the Lakers won their first ever GLIAC postseason game, 59-54 over Wayne State at the MAC

Shippensburg took a one-point lead with 3:49 remaining in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinal contest, but Edinboro, using the deft shooting of Curtis Ingram and the inside presence of Daren Tielsch battled back to end the Red Raiders season, 67-60.

IUP scored 59 points on 68.6 percent shooting in the second half as the Crimson Hawks blew open a close game and routed the Edinboro women’s basketball team by a score of 81-58 in a PSAC quarterfinal game Tuesday night at Memorial Field House.

The Mercyhurst men’s lacrosse team is ranked 3rd in the first poll by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA).

The Edmonton Oilers traded winger Ryan Smyth to the New York Islanders for right wing Robert Nilsson, center Ryan O’Marra and a 2007 first-round draft pick. O’Marra is a former member of the Erie Otters.

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired right wing Nikita Alexeev from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Karl Stewart and a 6th round pick in 2008. Alexeev is a former member of the Erie Otters.

The 25th annual Erie Sport and Travel Expo will be held at Family First Sports Park in Erie, Pa March 2-4. The show features fishing and hunting lodges, guides, outfitters, fishing charters and sporting goods vendors and boat and recreational vehicle dealers. General Admission $6 with children under 10 free.

The Roadhouse Theater production of “Glengarry Glen Ross” is scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm March 2-31. Admission: Regular seating $12, Riser seating $15, VIP table seating $20. Reservations can be made by phone at (814) 456-5656.

Allegheny College’s Gator Activities Programming organization and Allegheny Student Government will host comedian and actor Wayne Brady for a live one-man show on Saturday, March 3 at 8 pm in Shafer Auditorium. Brady is widely recognized for his work on screen and stage. He is perhaps best known for his improvisational comedy on the television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Brady won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety, Musical or Comedy Series for his work on that show. Brady also starred in his own ABC variety show, “The Wayne Brady Show,” in 2001 and a daytime talk show of the same name that aired in 2002. He has also guest-starred on “The Drew Carey Show” and in 2004 was chosen to play the role of lawyer Billy Flynn in the Broadway musical “Chicago.” Tickets are available now. Allegheny students are $10 and $20 for the general public All seating is general admission. For more information go to http://www.allegheny.edu/waynebrady or call 814-332-2754.

The North East Community Players have open auditions March 5 and 6 at 7:30 pm for the suspense/ thriller “Night Watch,” directed by Alan Koch. The cast calls for 5 men and 4 women and the performances are scheduled for April 6 – 7, 12 – 15, and 19 – 21. Auditions will be held at the NECP Theatre (25 Vine Street, 2nd Floor) in North East, PA.

Music lovers are invited to follow Road to the Isles, and take in the sights and sounds of traditional Celtic folk music and dance along the way. “Road to the Isles” is a Pittsburgh-based quintet of pipe, guitar, fiddle, and two dancers that will perform at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Wednesday, March 7 at 12 pm. Their presentation of Scottish and Irish music and dance is part of college’s Rhythms of Life cultural series and begins at noon in the Reed Union Building’s Bruno’s Cafe. It is free and open to the public.

The concert band and jazz ensemble at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will play favorites “From Stage and Screen” at their annual joint spring concert. The performance will be held at 8 pm on Thursday, March 8, in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Erie Art Museum’s annual end-of-winter bash is heading for Motown, or at least Motown is heading for Just My Imagination, Saturday, March 10 at the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel, 2800 West 8th Street. Just My Imagination will replace the Museum’s very popular mARTi Gras Bash, but organizers say it will truly be one night to boogie down. “Live Motown music from Cleveland’s Tony Quarles and the Discovery Band, great food, elaborate decorations and costume prizes are all planned for this event,” said event Chairwoman Rebecca Styn. Tickets are $45 and all proceeds benefit the Erie Art Museum. For tickets call (814) 459-5477.

Food and fun both will be in abundance when Gannon University hosts its annual International Night on Saturday, March 10. The event will feature an “International Food Bazaar” with culinary delights from more than 20 countries, including Hong Kong, Sweden, Bahamas, France, Poland, Spain, Greece, Panama, Peru, India, Turkey, Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. The dinner will start at 6 pm. The entertainment portion of the event will begin at 7:30 pm and will feature numerous cultural performances including Filipino folk dancing, Indian dancing, Greek dancing, Polish dancing, Celtic soft shoe and tap dancing, and traditional Turkish dancing. Music also will be offered, including South Korean violin and Bosnian flute. International Night will be held in Gannon’s Hammermill Center, Peach Street and South Park Row. Tickets can be purchased at the information desk of the Waldron Campus Center, 124 West Seventh Street. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for senior citizens, military, and children 10 and over; and $5 for children under 10.

McLane Church in Edinboro, PA will present its annual “PowerZone Weekend” Children’s Ministry worship services on Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11, 2007 at the church, 12511 Edinboro Road, Edinboro. “PowerZone Weekend” is a weekend of worship services at McLane Church when the pre-school and elementary school aged students ‘take over’ the regular adult worship service and infuse it with high-energy music, motion and a message. Nearly 100 children along with their adult leaders will lead the worship service, presenting upbeat songs, funny skits, and an inspirational lesson designed to encourage everyone in attendance. The children of McLane Church prepare for weeks prior to this very popular worship service, learning songs and accompanying motions. Last year’s “PowerZone Weekend” prompted the greatest weekend worship attendance of the 2005-2006 ministry year. As always, a complementary meal will accompany each of the three worship services: Saturday at 6 PM, and Sunday at 9 and 11 AM. For more information on the PowerZone children’s ministry and directions to McLane Church, call (814) 734-1907 or go to www.mclanechurch.org.

The Northwest PA Maple Association 2007 Northwest PA Maple Taste and Tour Weekend will be held March 17-18, 10 am to 4 pm daily. Ten sugar houses in Crawford, Erie, Mercer, Warren and Venango counties open their doors during the height of maple sugaring time.

Meadowmount Trio, a frequent contributor to National Public Radio hailed as “an ensemble of seamless rapport” by The Strad magazine, will perform at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Wednesday, March 21. Meadowmount Trio appears as part of Music at Noon: The Logan Series. Its performance, which is free and open to the public, will be held at noon in the Reed Union Building’s McGarvey Commons.

Think you have what it takes to sing the National Anthem at a Double-A baseball game? Well here is your chance. The Erie SeaWolves announced their National Anthem tryouts to be held Sunday, March 25 at the Millcreek Mall. Tryouts will be held on the main stage located at the center of the mall. Registration begins at 1:30 pm and tryouts begin at 2 pm. Those interested in auditioning will perform the National Anthem for a panel of judges. Auditions must be performed a capella. For more information about the National Anthem tryouts, please contact Carol Trumbo at (814) 456-1300 or via email at ctrumbo(at)seawolves.com. SeaWolves Opening Day for the 2007 season is April 5 against the Altoona Curve. First pitch is set for 6:35 pm.

The Erie Micro Brew Festival presented by WQLN will be held April 21 at Union Station at 14th and French Streets. There will be 2 sampling sessions 1-4 pm and 5-8 pm. All proceeds support public broadcasting and all PLCB laws apply. Attendees must be 21. Tickets will be available soon at many Erie area locations. Scheduled to attend are: The BrewErie at
Union Station, The Erie Brewing Company, Southern Tier Brewing, Pennsylvania Brewery, Voodoo Brewery, The Flying Bison, Ellicottville Brewing Company, North Country Brewing Company, Hereford and Hops, Sprague Farm and Brew Works, The Buffalo Brew Pub, Magic Hat Brewing and the East End Brewing Company.