Port Dover is out for the destination for ferry service across Lake Erie from Erie to Ontario, Canada. Norfolk County Mayor Dennis Travale said Port Dover Recreational Harbour Marina is now out. I’m not sure if anyone in Erie knows this. The Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority commissioned a 65 foot boat which will be able to carry 46 passengers at a cost of $700,000 from Willard Marine. A few crossings to Port Dover were supposed to happen in late 2007 with twice daily service in 2008. The Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority eventually plans to purchase a 190 foot fast ferry, which will carry up to 46 cars and up to 248 passengers. A separate cargo/ freight ferry is also in the planning stages which would travel between Erie and Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada.

Erie Cathedral Prep announced they are buying 8 acres at West 12th and Cherry Streets for a multi-sport athletic complex. The facility will include a football stadium with a running track, a gym, a pool, a wrestling room and a weight room. The also said they have entered into a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement with the City of Erie.

Better Baked Foods appears to be doing some work at the former Van de Kamp’s Erie plant at 2200 East 38th St in Erie. Better Baked Foods bought the property in December for $1.8 million.

“Phantom Limb” by The Shins is Number 1 this week on WERG’s Top 30.

Erie area resident Tom Jennings is running a 100 mile trail race as a fundraiser for Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA. He is running a 100 mile trail race (called a trail ultra-marathon) on June 16 – 17 at Mohican State Park in Ohio. You know it is a looooooooong race when it lasts two days. Click here for more info.

The Erie United Methodist Alliance (EUMA) continues to serve those suffering from homelessness in our community. Though you may be more familiar with agencies like The Refuge for Families,
href=”http://www.euma-erie.org/hopehouse.html”>Hope House for Families, Liberty House for Veterans, The Rainbow Connection Thrift Store or Project Hope for the Homeless. EUMA is ALL of these wonderful places and things rolled into one. As many of you may have read, The Department of Housing and Urban Development has made significant cuts funding for organizations who work with the homeless even though the number of people suffering from homelessness continues to rise. Please support their mission. For more info visit www.euma-erie.org or send an email to info@euma-erie.org.

The Western Pennsylvania Kennel Association recently held their annual dog show. The winner of the Working Group was a Siberian husky, Kontoki’s Everyday Italian, a 2 year old female, who is owned by Jeanne E Stiner, of Erie PA.

C W Post, the No 1 ranked team in NCAA Division II, rallied from a 6-2 deficit with eight consecutive goals and posted a 13-8 women’s lacrosse victory over Gannon Wednesday afternoon in brutal weather conditions at Gannon University Field.

The Erie Freeze players met and asked LB Roosevelt Benjamin to go to the management and ask for changes since the team is a train wreck. What happened? Benjamin was immediately traded to Canton.

The Erie SeaWolves home opener today against Altoona has been postponed due to snow.

The Community Blood Bank’s Blood Mobile will be having a blood drive at Belle Valley Presbyterian Church, 1694 Norcross Road (near the Belle Valley Fire Department) on Good Friday, April 6 from 9 am to 3 pm, in the fellowship hall as part of the Holy Week remembrances. The public is encouraged to donate blood to help those in our community needing blood and blood products. Refreshments will be provided. Call 825-4433 for more information.

The Young Artists Debut Orchestra (YADO), in collaboration with the Harry T Burleigh Society, is holding vocal auditions for the premiere performance in Erie of Burleigh’s original orchestrations of African-American Spirituals on Saturday April 7 from12 pm – 5 pm. An accompanist is required, but can be provided by The Burleigh Society upon request. For information and to schedule an audition, please contact the YADO office at (814) 824-2179. Interested applicants must sing these Spirituals in the stylistically authentic manner which the composer intended. Applicants are encouraged to listen to vocal examples at: www.BurleighSociety.org.

The Catholic Studies Speaker Series at Mercyhurst College will present noted author Mary Gordon on Wednesday, April 11, for a presentation titled, “Catholicism Through a Literary Lens.” She will speak at 8:15 pm in the Walker Recital Hall. The program is free and open to the public.

The Gannon University Villa Maria School of Nursing will host its annual community/health fair on Thursday, April 12 at the John E Horan Community Center, 730 Tacoma Road. The fair, titled “Prevention Adventure,” will run from 4-7 pm. It is free and open to the public; attendees need not live in the Horan Garden Apartments. For more information call (814) 871-5512.

The Professional Bull Riders tour will be in Erie Friday Apr 13 and Saturday Apr 14.

Author and actor Peter Coyote will kick off the 2007 Literary Festival at Mercyhurst College with an appearance on Thursday, April 12, at 7:30 pm in the college’s Taylor Little Theatre. The festival, with a theme of “The Arts and the Counter-Culture: Then and Now,” continues April 19 with a visit by novelist Francine Prose and culminates April 25 with an event celebrating student creativity.

The Builders Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania 47th annual Home Show takes place April 12-15 at Family First Sports Park, 8155 Oliver Road.

Alto saxophone sensation Dave Pietro will be joined by four Brazilian musicians to present a special evening of Latin jazz at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Thursday, April 19. Music at Night tickets can be purchased at the door on April 19, in advance at the Reed Union Building main desk, or online. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $8.50 for adults over 60, $5 for Penn State Behrend students, and $4 for kids under 16. In addition to the Music at Night performance, Dave Pietro’s Banda Brazil will perform at noon on Wednesday, April 18, also in McGarvey Commons. This one-hour concert, part of the Music at Noon series, is free and open to the public.

Literary nonfiction writer Marilyn Abildskov will close the 2006-07 Creative Writer’s Speaker Series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, with a reading on Thursday, April 19. Abildskov will read from her works beginning at 6 pm in the Smith Chapel worship space. A 4:30 pm reception for her in the Smith Chapel living room will precede the reading; both are free and open to the public.

The Penn State Behrend Lion Entertainment Board 5th annual Battle of the Bands is going to be hitting Erie Hall on April 20. This year legendary ska band Less Than Jake along with fellow Fueld By Ramen artist The A.K.A.’s will join the ranks of bands who have taken the stage for this massive event. The battle from 1:30 – 6:30 will be FREE ADMISSION. Admission to LTJ and AKA’s will be $5 for General Admission and FREE with PSU ID.

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.

John Kanzius and Dr Steven Curley will be holding an informational symposium on the Kanzius cancer treatment on April 28 at 7pm at the Mercyhurst College Mary D`Angelo Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10. For more information call Mercyhurst at (814) 824-3000.

The Tragically Hip play the Warner Theatre in Erie, Pa on May 18. Reserved seat tickets are $31.50.