The Erie Bayfront Convention Center opens today. Rooms for conventions, weddings, banquets, meetings, exhibits and classes range from space for 52 to 1920 people with theater style seating for up to 4114. It will be open for public tours 12-6 pm August 17 – 19.

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine has purchased the Erie bayfront headquarters of RentWay Corporation. LECOM will pay $4.26 million for the three story, 73,000 square foot office building and nearly 16 acres of waterfront property. The real estate tax bill on this property in 2006 was $153,888.83 (County – $23,635.76, City – $48,751.73, School District – $81,501.34). It is now tax exempt.
The property also includes a 2000 square foot caretaker’s house, 234 paved parking spaces and access to Presque Isle Bay. The location has easy access to the Erie Bayfront Parkway and Interstate 79. The College will use the building to house offices and classrooms for expanding post-graduate programs, education research and clinical services. “This building is move-in ready,” said LECOM President John M Ferretti, DO. “The building is furnished and equipped with technology that’s appropriate for this day and age in medical education.” LECOM Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Michael Visnosky, Esq, said, “this is a continuation of LECOM’s commitment and investment in the city of Erie that began in 1992 with the opening of the college of osteopathic medicine, later the school of pharmacy and more recently the Plaza 18 medical teaching center in Little Italy.” The LECOM Graduate Studies Program will move to the bay front campus where the college will conduct classes for the Master of Science in Medical Education. The facility also will provide class space for future graduate degrees. LECOM closed on the property this morning and will occupy the building this fall. The Lake Erie Consortium for Osteopathic Medical Training (LECOMT), which oversees LECOM intern and residency programs, will relocate from the West Grandview Boulevard campus to the bayfront. LECOMT started with one teaching hospital in 1998 and now works with 30 hospitals in seven states training more than 600 new physicians each year. The corporate offices of Medical Associates of Erie (MAE), LECOM’s physician practice plan, will occupy part of the building. MAE manages physician offices throughout Erie County providing medical specialties that include: Family Practice, Orthopedics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Geriatrics and General Surgery. In addition to LECOM and its affiliates, Vantage Health Care will be the first tenant in the building. According to Vantage CEO Jerry Alonge, “Vantage is pleased to be working with LECOM in the role of managing the building and as the first tenant in what will be an ideal location for office space. Our intent is to locate our telecom technology center here and to have access to space to support our growth. This expands our presence in Erie and we look forward to growing with Erie in the future”. The property has a long Erie history from it was a family estate to the early 1970s when Zurn Corporation moved the company’s corporate headquarters to the site. RentWay expanded the building and occupied the site until Rent-A-Center purchased the company and closed the building last fall and now LECOM will be the new owner.

Kevin Caffrey is riding a bike from Erie PA to Key West Florida, an 1,800 mile ride. He is now in Florida. The fundraiser for the Jimmy Valvano V Foundation for Cancer Research was set up by his fraternity, Delta Chi, at Gannon University in Erie. You can follow his travels at Journey for the Cure. If you would like to help sponsor Kevin Caffrey on his ride, you can make a donation to The V Foundation for Cancer Research by visiting The V Foundation’s website, calling 1-800-4-JimmyV or mailing your check to: The V Foundation for Cancer Research, 106 Towerview Court, Cary, NC 27513. Be sure to mention Kevin Caffrey’s name.

Steve Canfield is a full-time faculty member of the mechanical engineering department at Tennessee Tech. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Gannon University in Erie, PA and his doctorate also in mechanical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1997. Canfield’s professional expertise is in robotics, dynamic modeling, compliant mechanisms, smart actuators and mechatronics. His company, Robotic Technologies of Tennessee, has plans to manufacture ship building robots.

Yesterday, Erie Blogs topped 2,000,000 hits for the year.

The Erie SeaWolves fell in the series opener at New Britain stadium on Tuesday night against the Rock Cats by a score of 6-2. The loss snapped Erie’s seven-game winning streak and put them back into a first place tie with Akron atop the Southern Division.

Dan DeCaprio has been named head baseball coach at Moraine Valley Community College. DeCaprio was head coach for Mercyhurst College in 1998.

The 19th Street Polish Falcons are hosting an All You Can East Spaghetti Dinner today, Wednesday August 1 from 5 to 7:30 pm. Cost is $5 per person and includes salad, rolls and soup. Open to the public, you need not be a member.

The Presque Isle State Park Youth Environmental Learning Series (YELS) this week is for ages 6-8. Discover the cool habitats, like beach, ponds and wetlands, play games and make friends. Earn a cool patch, too. $5 fee, registration required. Class meets August 1,2 and 3 from 9 am to 11 am. Meet at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center.

The Footlights Summer Theatre will present “Singin in the Rain”, Free to the public at East High School Wednesday, August 1 through Friday August 3 at 7:30 pm. The program is collectively sponsored by The Erie School District, City of Erie Parks Department, All An Act Productions, and administrated by, the YMCA of Erie.

“Chronicles of Light” by Anna Tomczak will be on display and for sale from Aug 2-Sept 11 at Glass Growers Gallery, 10 E Fifth St.

Enjoy the music of the Erie Heights Brass Ensemble on Thursday, August 2 at 7 pm at the Patricia McCain Amphitheater at the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park. This FREE concert is part of the Arts at the Arboretum series.

The Erie Downtown Thursday Night Block Party on August 2 takes place in front of Sherlock’s, 508 State St. Enjoy free music by New Wave Nation and Nerds Inc.

The Motorcycle, Car, Boat and Truck show called the Lake Erie Classic will be held August 3-5 at Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field.

Dan Rice Days will be held August 3-4 will be held in Girard, PA. A new addition to the celebration will be an antique road show to be held at the Culberston House. Entertainment for this year include Tennesse Back Porch, Presque Isle Chapter Sweet Adelines, along with DJ Bill Page and an Erie Zoo representative will have animals for viewing. McQuillen’s 8th annual “Cruise In” will be Friday, August 3 from 5:30 to 9:30PM There will be live entertainment, refreshments and door prizes.

The 15th Annual Erie Art Museum’s Blues and Jazz Festival, the largest jazz and blues event in the Erie region, is a 2 day Festival held August 4 and 5 at Frontier Park in Erie, Pa. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. A variety of festival fare will be available from local vendors and restaurants. Admission to all Festival events is free.
Saturday August 4 – 12 pm One World Tribe with the UpRise African Drum and Dance Ensemble, 2 pm Familiar Spirit Band, 4 pm Geoff Achison, 6 pm Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, 8 pm Junior Brown
Sunday August 5 – 12 pm Gem City Jazz Band, 2 pm Cats A Bear, 4 pm Babik, 6 pm Stew Cutler Trio, 8 pm Rashied Ali Quintet
Ongoing: WQLN Kids Tent, Festival Fare, LEAF Arboretum Tours/Green Tag

The Battles Museum will be the backdrop for Battle for the Yellow House, a Civil War encampment and battle re-enactment August 4-5. Scheduled in conjunction with Dan Rice Days, the re-enactment is expected to bring in approximately 200 re-enactors. Battle for the Yellow House will include open camp hours, drilling and firing demonstrations, two battles, candlelight tours, a Sunday morning church service and a book signing. Battle Re-Enactments will be held Sat at 3 pm and Sun at 2 pm. The Candlelight Tour is Sat at 7 pm, reservations required. For additional information, please call (814) 454-1813 Ext 24.

The Lake Erie Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association will host its 2007 steak fry on Saturday, August 4, at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The annual event, which will be held at the Wilson Picnic Grove on the campus of Penn State Behrend, begins with a social hour at 5 pm, followed by the dinner’s signature “grill your own” steak fry at 6 pm. The fund-raiser is open to all Penn State alumni. Proceeds benefit the Lake Erie Chapter’s Robert W Sparks scholarship fund, which has awarded more than $55,000 to local students in the past 16 years. Tickets for the annual steak fry fund-raiser are $19 per person. For more information or to RSVP, contact Phil Mobilia, president of the Lake Erie Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, at 814-725-1999 (home) or 716-483-7219 (office), or via e-mail at Phil.Mobilia@psualum.com. Please respond by July 30. Visit www.behrend.psu.edu/alumni for more information about the Lake Erie Chapter or to become a member.

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania 25th Anniversary Celebration will be held Saturday, August 4 at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. Tickets are $35. RSVP by July 27.

Capture the magic of summer with PotterPalooza, a fun filled summer camp for young wizards in training. Five days of classes and activities include Astronomy, Potions, Transfiguration, Magical Crafts and More. August 6-10 at the Erie County Historical Society Watson-Curtze Mansion, ages 5-13. Call (814) 454-1813 Ext 24 for additional information.

Representatives of the waterfowl organizations, individual sportsmen and the public are invited to attend a briefing on Friday, Aug 10, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Northwest Pennsylvania Duck Hunters Association, on the status of Atlantic Flyway waterfowl populations and proposed preliminary federal frameworks for the 2007-08 hunting seasons. The briefing will begin at 1 pm, in Room 112 of the Tom Ridge Education Center at Presque Isle State Park in Erie.

The Erie Chamber Orchestra, in residency at Gannon University and under the direction of Bruce Morton Wright, will perform its 24th annual summer concerts entitled “Music in the Air” on the campus of Villa Maria Academy, 2403 West 8th Street Erie, PA. On Friday, August 10 they will perform a Classical Music Night and on Saturday, August 11 they will perform a Pop Music Night. Both concerts will be performed at 8 pm. The concerts are FREE of charge, with seating and are on a first come, first served basis. There will have a number of chairs at the site, but you are encouraged to bring your own chairs or blankets. In the case of rain, these concerts will be performed in the auditorium of Villa Maria Academy.

Titled “Local Government and the Erie Economy,” the 2007 Economic Research Institute of Erie (ERIE) conference will address topics relevant to Erie and its surrounding communities, including the debate about consolidating the area’s local governments and the smoking ban. The institute’s sixth annual conference will be held on August 14, in McGarvey Commons, located in the Reed Union Building at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The cost to attend this year’s conference is $149 and includes printed materials, breakfast and lunch. A reduced rate of $75 is available for nonprofit, government and economic development officials. For more information or to register for the conference, call (814) 898-7149.