The numbers for the opening day of Presque Isle Downs and Casino were staggering. I think company officials were even a bit stunned at how well they did. Here are the unofficial, unaudited figures from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The amount wagered was $8,881,234. The amount paid out as winnings was $8,068,267 for a gross revenue of $809,395. Of that that state gets $445,167 and the company gets to keep $364,228. The amount wagered per machine was $405.

Those that can do. Those that can’t teach. Those that can’t teach get elected to Erie City Council and Erie County Council. City and county officials met to discuss, among other things, the LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance) program. LERTA gives a ten year property tax exemption. Figures were thrown around at the meeting about “lost revenue.” What these brain dead officials don’t realize is that most of the new construction around the city would NEVER have happened without LERTA. Foregoing no revenue for 10 years but gaining it for the next 100 years does make sense to anyone with common sense and a basic understanding of math.

One day late but… On March 1, 1781, New York released their claim for the “Triangle” which is now most of Erie County, Pennsylvania. Later both Massachusetts and Connecticut also released their claims. In the release by Connecticut, that state reserved 120 miles lying west of Pennsylvania’s western boundary, within the present day Ohio, which became known as “The Western Reserve.”

The Thrifty Car Rental franchise serving Erie International Airport has been acquired by corporate parent Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc (NYSE: DTG). The franchisee sold that franchise as well as others serving Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Allentown.

Zack Torquato of the Erie Otters plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery charges resulting from an Oct. 4, 2006, incident involving ”improper contact” with a 15 year old girl. He was one of five player charged. All five entered the same plea. All were members of the Saginaw Spirit team at the time. The players face up to 93 days in jail and $500 fines.

The Mercyhurst women’s lacrosse team found offense hard to come by Wednesday and 10th ranked Queens (NC) made the Lakers pay with a 9-4 defeat.

The Gannon softball team used extra innings and a blowout to captured two more victories Thursday afternoon at the Tucson Invitational, extending its win streak to seven games. The Lady Knights earned an 8-6 come-from-behind victory over Azusa Pacific (Calif) in eight innings before rolling past Concordia (Minn) 19-0 in the nightcap.

The Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League return to action this weekend with three games in three days beginning with a pair of contests at the Tullio Arena. The Otters open the stretch Friday night at 7:30 pm as they take on the Windsor Spitfires presented by JET-TV and FOX-66 and featuring the High School Hockey Shootout between Prep and McDowell in the first intermission and a $5,000 Dot-to-Dot Shootout in the second intermission. Saturday night the Erie GE Federal Credit Union presents the Otters and the Oshawa Generals at 7:30 pm at the Tullio Arena with the first 1,000 children (12 and under) receiving a free blue cowbell. Tickets for both games are available at the Civic Center Box Office and all Erie-area TicketMaster locations. The Otters wrap up the weekend when they travel to Toronto on Sunday to square off against the St Michael’s Majors.

The Gannon University Lady Knights host the GLIAC Final Four tonight and Saturday at the Hammermill Center. Gannon hosts Michigan Tech in Friday’s first semifinal at 6 pm with Ferris State and Hillsdale facing off in the second semifinal at 8 pm. Saturday’s championship game is scheduled for 7 pm. There is no consolation game.

The Allegheny College Playshop Theatre continues its season with Gilbert and Sullivan’s comedic opera “The Pirates of Penzance de Veracruz” under the direction of Professor of Communication Arts and Theatre Beth Watkins. Music department faculty Vicki and Ward Jamison are the vocal and musical directors for the production. The performance dates are today and Saturday at 8 pm, with matinees on March 3 and 4 at 2:30 pm in Arter Hall on the Allegheny College campus. Tickets are $7.50 for adults; $5 for non-Allegheny students, senior citizens and Allegheny employees; and free for Allegheny students with identification. For more information or to order tickets, contact the Playshop Theatre Box Office at (814) 332-3414.

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.

National Christian School Invitational basketball tournament will be held March 8-10 at Family First Sports Park in Erie PA.

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.

The Classic Rock Dance, a fund raiser for the family of Erie soldier Katie Beckwith, with the Bryan Burton Band will be held on March 24 at the Millcreek American Legion, 4109 West 12th Street in Erie (next to the Airport) starting at 8 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door for a donation of $5 per person. Katie was injured when a roadside bomb detonated beside her Humvee in Iraq. She is presently being hospitalized at Fort Knox. The benefit is to raise money for travel expenses for her family to visit her.

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.