Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong spent another day at a mental competency hearing. It could be months for a judge to decide if she’s competent to stand trial. Of course she’s nut but she’s well enough to know what’s going on. Normal people don’t kill their boyfriend and stick them in a freezer nor are involved in some bizarre plot to rob a bank by placing a bomb around someones neck with the Brian Wells Erie Collar Bomber case.

The Louisville Courier-Journal reported that the Louisville Eccentric Observer, known as LEO, has been acquired by SouthComm Communications. The Times Publishing Company of Erie, PA had owned the weekly newspaper.

Aluminum wiring in your home could prevent you from obtaining home owners insurance. If your home was built or updated 1965-1974, it could contain Aluminum wiring. Aluminum is considered old technology. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, homes with Aluminum wiring are 55 times more likely to have one or more electrical connections reach “Fire Hazard Conditions” than a home wired with copper.

The new Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer Park in Erie, PA received some national ink with a mention in USA Today in New, and improved, theme parks abound.

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget produced by the Gannon University SBDC, is a two-hour workshop you don’t want to miss! You want to market your small business but you don’t want to spend a lot of money. You may be just starting out and have precious little capital, or you may have a successful business but want to spend as little as possible for the greatest results (or, you may just be cheap.) Learn how to grow your sales without breaking the bank. The speaker is Adam Golomb, the Director of Marketing for Eat’n Park Hospitality Group. The event is 8-10 am on May 28 at The Marketplace Grill, 319 State Street Erie, PA 16507. For more information call 871-7232 or visit www.sbdcgannon.org. Fee: $35. Register here.

The Erie Farmers Market will be held 9 am to 3 pm each Wednesday beginning June 4 in Perry Square in downtown Erie.

The 2008 City of Erie Recreation Tennis Tournaments will be held once again at Frontier Park. Junior: June 24-27, Adult: August 13-17. Applications are available at: PennBriar Health and Tennis Club, Westwood Racquet Club, Lake Shore Country Club, Kahkwa Club and Erie Sport Store’s downtown location. For more information contact Richard Beck at 835-5452.

The 2008 Brianlee Crosby Memorial Learn to Swim Program, sponsored by the City of Erie Summer Recreation Program and operated by the American Red Cross, Greater Erie County Chapter, will be held June 16 to August 8. Qualifications: All boys and girls enrolled in the first through sixth grades may participate in the program. PROOF of grade level must be presented at the time of registration. The program is FREE to City of Erie School District students. A parent or legal guardian must accompany each child to complete the registration form at the appropriate pool on the first day of each two week instructional period. Parents or guardians are also responsible for their child’s attendance and transportation needs. Appropriate swimming attire and cleanliness will be required at all pools in operation. Pre-registration: Pre-registration will begin at 10 am on the morning of the first day of each session (June 16, June 30, July 14, July 28) at the Strong Vincent High School pool and the Central Tech High School pool. Children should come prepared to take their water skills tests in order to determine the appropriate level of instruction for them. Certification: All boys and girls enrolled will receive progress reports and an appropriate Red Cross certificate for satisfactory completion of their course. Observation days will be held on the last day of each session for all parents who wish to see the progress that their children have made in the course. Session Dates (Monday – Friday): Session I June 16 – June 27, Session II June 30 – July 11 (Closed July 4th), Session III July 14 – July 25, Session IV July 28 – Aug 8. Sessions begin at: 10 am, 11 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, Open Swim (For students enrolled in lessons; NOT open to public) from 2:30-3:30 pm. Open Swim: Open swim will be available at the Roger Young Pool Monday through Saturday from 12-5 pm. (June 16 – August 8) (Closed July 4th). For more information on training courses offered by your American Red Cross, call the Greater Erie County Chapter at 833-0942 ext 243.

The Lampe Marina Campground is open for the season. There are 42 Waterfront Campsites on Lake Erie alongside Lampe Marina. Rates: $25 Sunday through Thursday, $30 on the weekends and Holidays.

For the week of May 12-18, Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie reported wagers of $44,806,907 with payouts of $40,797,937.

The Board of Directors of The Rhode Island Foundation elected Frederick K Butler, Textron’s vice president business ethics and corporate secretary, to a five-year term on the Foundation’s governing body. Butler, a native of Erie, PA, has been at Textron (NYSE:TXT) since 1980, starting as a staff attorney and quickly moving to more senior legal positions within the corporation including group general council Financial Services, vice president, and secretary. He assumed his current position in 1997. Mr Butler holds his bachelors degree from Harvard University and his JD from Harvard Law School.

The Erie SeaWolves fell on Thursday afternoon by a score of 11-4 to the Bowie Baysox at Jerry Uht Park. The loss for Erie was their third in the last four games. The SeaWolves open up a four-game series at Canal Park on Friday night as they take on the Akron Aeros…7:05 First Pitch. LHP Jon Connolly (0-3, 7.07 ERA) takes the mound for Erie against Cleveland Indians RHP Jake Westbrook who will start for the Aeros on Major League rehab. Erie RHP Luis Marte was placed on the DL with a sprained right elbow. The next home game is Tuesday, May 27.

Rebecca Hart of Erie was named to the 2008 United States Paralympic Equestrian Team. Earlier this week, Hart and her 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding Norteassa won the 2008 National Para Equestrian Championships.

Gannon University head football coach Jim Kiernan has announced the addition of 10 more student-athletes to the 2008 recruiting class, bringing the overall total to 29. Nine student-athletes committed to Gannon during the first official signing day on February 6 and 10 more were announced on April 14. The recent list of newcomers includes all high school players. The list consist of: Jeremy Calzone (Elma, NY/Iroquois), Stephen Gibson (Manchester, NH/West), Zach Hay (Bethel Park, Pa/Bethel Park), Daniel Karcher (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park), Steven Kohlhagen (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster Central), Mike Parsons (Erie, Pa/Cathedral Prep), Josh Prischak (Erie, Pa/Cathedral Prep), Mac Reed (Lanham, Md/DeMatha Catholic), Paul Schirmer (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima), and Tyler Sutphen (Spencerport, NY/Brockport).

Kirsten Stewart of Spartanburg (SC) Landrum has signed a letter of intent with Mercyhurst College to play volleyball.

Aspiring dancers are invited to join the Mercyhurst North East Summer Dance Intensive, July 7-19, on the Mercyhurst North East campus and in downtown North East, PA. This is the second year for the intensive, which is designed for dancers of all levels, ages 12 through adult. Intermediate and advanced dancers will be challenged by the core curriculum that focuses on a wide range of dance genres and beginning dancers can develop their skills through introductory classes. Students can choose to attend for the full two weeks, or by the class. Dance genres that will be covered include flamenco, ballet, pointe, modern, pas de deux, improvisational dance, jazz, and hip-hop. Courses will also be offered in drama and voice. Performing artists from the area and around the world are teaching at the intensive, including world-renowned flamenco artist Luis Montero. Housing will be available for students in the MNE campus dormitories. The deadline to register is May 23. For more information on the MNE Summer Dance Intensive contact Gina Illingworth at (814) 725-6345.

All An Act Theatre Productions presents Ron Clark’s “A Bench in the Sun” through May 25. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. All An Act Theatre Productions is located in Columbus Square, 652 West 17 Street, Erie PA 16502. Tickets are $8 for Adults and $5 for Students and Seniors. $1 of each admission benefits Community Shelter Services, providing shelter, help and hope to Erie’s homeless.

Enjoy the public premiere of Mysteries of the Great Lakes on Friday, May 23 at 6 and 8 pm at the Big Green Screen Theater at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. Regular showings run daily, beginning Saturday, May 24, at the top of every odd hour from 11 am to 7 pm.

KillerWolf Films is holding meetings/open auditions for their new feature film “Warriors of the Apocalypse” on Friday May 23 and Friday May 30. They will be held at the Erie Playhouse Rehearsal space at 12th and Brandes Streets in Erie from 6-9 pm both days. Shooting commences Saturday July 19 and wraps Sunday July 27, with filming being in the Northwestern PA area and possibly a few dates on the NJ/PA/NY border. KillerWolf Films latest release, “Fist of the Vampire“, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com and is to be released worldwide July 8 from Maxim Media International/Brain Damage Films. KillerWolf Films is co-owned by Erieite Len Kabasinski and Meadville,PA native Lisa McQuiston.

Beaches at Presque Isle State Park open for the season on Saturday, May 25. The regular hours for lifeguards are 10 am to 7:30 pm. Swimming is not permitted on unguarded beach areas. To answer the four questions I am always asked: Camping is not permitted on the park. There are a number of boat launch areas. Dogs are allowed however, they must be on a leash. There are no restaurants but there are concession stands at Beaches 6, 8, 10 and 11.

The 11th annual Memorial Day Shootout soccer tournament will be held at Family First Sports Park in Erie PA, May 24-26. Over 250 teams U9-U19 are registered for the tourney. This is one of the top college recruiting tournaments in the country with dozens of colleges sending representatives. All area hotel rooms are booked and waits at area restaurants are expected.

Special events for are planned for Memorial Day weekend at the Erie Maritime Museum, Homeport of the US Brig Niagara. Climb aboard the reconstructed warship, the US Brig Niagara, which carried Oliver Hazard Perry to victory in the Battle of Lake Erie on Sept 10, 1813. The bayfront museum features hands-on exhibits, a one-of-a-kind “live fire” exhibit, a dockside amphitheater and spectacular views of Presque Isle Bay. The museum will celebrate its 10th anniversary on May 24 with hands-on activities, living history demonstrations, and live music from 10 am – 4 pm. Holiday weekend hours: Monday and Saturday: 9 am – 5 p.m.; Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm.

The Manufacturers’ Association of Northwest Pennsylvania Eggs ‘n’ Issues topic on Wednesday, May 28 will be Keeping Pennsylvania Producing: A campaign to keep business from leaving Pennsylvania and the United States. The speaker will be David Bell, Coalition Member, The American Council for a Strong Economy. Price is $30 for members and $60 for non-members.

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget produced by the Gannon University SBDC, is a two-hour workshop you don’t want to miss! You want to market your small business but you don’t want to spend a lot of money. You may be just starting out and have precious little capital, or you may have a successful business but want to spend as little as possible for the greatest results (or, you may just be cheap.) Learn how to grow your sales without breaking the bank. The speaker is Adam Golomb, the Director of Marketing for Eat’n Park Hospitality Group. The event is 8-10 am on May 28 at The Marketplace Grill, 319 State Street Erie, PA 16507. For more information call 871-7232 or visit www.sbdcgannon.org. Fee: $35. Register here.

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget, produced by the Gannon University SBDC, is a two-hour workshop you don’t want to miss! You want to market your small business but you don’t want to spend a lot of money. You may be just starting out and have precious little capital, or you may have a successful business but want to spend as little as possible for the greatest results (or, you may just be cheap.) Learn how to grow your sales without breaking the bank. The speaker is Adam Golomb, the Director of Marketing for Eat’n Park Hospitality Group. The event is 8-10 am on May 28 at The Marketplace Grill, 319 State Street Erie, PA 16507. For more information call 871-7232 or visit www.sbdcgannon.org. Fee: $35. Register here.

The Erie Capacity-Building Collaborative will be holding a FREE workshop on Fiscal Management 8:30-4 on Wednesday May 28. The workshop will be held at the GECAC Main Conference Room, 18 West 9th Street in Erie. It’s open to all community-based and faith-based grassroots organizations. Please RSVP at least one week in advance by contacting Lindsey Kimmy, 459-4581 Ext 448.

The 18th annual Erie Wild Rib Cook-off and Music Festival will be held May 28-31 at Perry Square in downtown Erie. Admission is FREE. This popular annual family event includes eight Professional National Award Winning Rib Cooking Teams offering the very best in BBQ cuisine. Added attractions include a selection of delicious festival foods, ongoing stage music, the “Kid ZONE” – a children’s fun area featuring scheduled Ride-A-Ribba-Rama packages, artist and crafts booths, educational and informational displays, specialty vendors and more. This festival has grown to attract over 50,000 visitors to Perry Square Park and the adjacent streets in Erie’s downtown district.

Dafmark Dance Theater and Erie Homes for Children and Adults (EHCA) presents “Partners in Dance VII: Modern Jazz Ain’t No Cakewalk.” The performance will begin at 1:30 pm on Thursday May 29 at Saint Benedict’s Community Center located at 320 East 10th Street and will feature dancers from the Dafmark Dance Theater and EHCA. The event is FREE and open to the public. For more information, call (814) 454-1534 x103.

JR’s Last Laugh Comedy Night Event to benefit Because You Care will be held at 6:30 pm on Thursday, May 29. Comedian: Juston McKinney. Food and drinks are available before and during the show. Ticket price: $15.50 Juston McKinney is one of the hottest comedians in the country. Coming to us from New York City, he has headlined many of the clubs in NY such as Caroline’s, Comic Strip Live, Dangerfield’s, and Stand-up NY. He’s been featured at the Toyota Comedy Festival and on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and had his own show on Comedy Central. He is a US Comedy Arts Festival Award Winner, and delivers a funny, original, high energy performance, which has made him a huge hit all over the country. Call (814) 899-0061 to buy single tickets or blocks of tickets. Circle May 29 on your calendar today and plan to enjoy a great night of entertainment. Get your party together and share the night with friends and family! A big thank you to JR’s Last Laugh Comedy Club for sponsoring the 6th annual Comedy Night event. The money raised will help Because You Care pay for the spay and neuter of the many kittens taken in during April and May.

Family First Sports Park is holding a Middle School Dance for Grades 6-8 from 7-10 pm on Friday May 30. Cover Charge for the Dance at the Dome is only $7. Family First Sports Park is located just south of I-90 at 8155 Oliver Road. Family First offers a safe, drug and alcohol free environment. For more information, call (814) 866-5425 ext 286.

The charity bellydance event, “Shimmy for a Cure“, will be held May 31 at the Erie Playhouse in downtown Erie, PA. This event will benefit the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation.

The Saint Vincent Sports Medicine 2008 Edinboro Triathlon will be held May 31. You can register here.

Preview dresses owned and worn by nationally-recognized celebrities like Martina McBride, Beyonce, Amy Grant, Ann Curry, Raven Symone, Patti LaBelle and many others from 12:30-3 pm June 1 at Lake Shore Country Club. The Celebrity Dress Preview event will benefit My Father’s House of Erie, a nonprofit transitional program for homeless/abused women and their children. The organization operates the retail store Bella Designs, 4801 Peach Street, in which women in the program have the opportunity to learn vocational skills and work experience. “These dresses are telling of the personalities who owned them ,” said Connie Miller, My Father’s House Of Erie, special projects administrator, “and this event will be a casual Sunday afternoon here in Erie by the lake to see them before they travel to Los Angeles for our live on-line fashion show auction in the Fall,” she added. The event will also feature guest speaker, Pete McDaniel, Senior Writer, Golf Digest Magazine and “Training a Tiger” co-author with the late Earl Woods, will entertain the audience with his storytelling and will auction four original Tiger Woods autographed photos from the legendary golfer’s PGA 20007 victory. Sponsored by Fishtank creative, an Erie-based marketing advertising and communications agency, powered by the Velocity Network, the host committee is comprised of Melanie Johnson, Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, Cynthia Phillips, Motivational Speaker, Alan and Angie Rossum, NFL San Francisco 49ers (formerly of the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers), Shaun and Shonda Smith, NFL Cleveland Browns, and Dr. and Mrs. Matthew Thomas, St Vincent Health Center. Tickets are $35 per person or $50 per couple and available at the following locations: Bella Designs, 4801 Peach Street; All GE Federal Credit Union branches; and National City Bank, 801 State Street. For more information, please call (814) 879-0880.

The 2008 Sounds of Summer FREE Concert Series begins on June 2 at 7 pm at St Joseph Apartments, 517 Maryland Ave in Erie. The Gem City Jazz Ensemble performs. Bring a chair or a blanket and enjoy.

The Technology Council of Northwest Pennsylvania will hold a Breakfast Briefing, “Understanding Financial Ratios Your Banker Looks At”, Wednesday, June 4, 7:30 am to 9 am, at the Holiday Inn Express, 8101 Peach Street in Erie. Free to members, $40 non-members. RSVP by May 30. Advanced registration is required.

The Erie Farmers Market will be held 9 am to 3 pm each Wednesday beginning June 4 in Perry Square in downtown Erie. Vendor permits at $100 for each day are available by calling the city at (814) 870-1200.

Erie Chamber Orchestra presents “A Tribute to Victor Herbert” on Friday June 6 at St Patrick’s Church, 130 East 4th St in Erie. A tin-pan alley composer, Herbert played the cello and wrote many light operas. Some of these works include “The Wizard of the Nile,” “The Fortune Teller,” and “Babes in Toyland.” The concert is FREE and open to the public. Show time is 7:30 pm.

On Saturday, June 7, 2008 there will be a Nautical Flea Market from 10 am to 1 pm at the BCMS (Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies) 40 Holland Street, Erie, PA. The event is FREE and is held in conjunction with Erie Safe Boating Day. All boaters (power/sail) are welcome. Tables for selling nautical wares are available FREE of charge but table reservations MUST be made by calling Linda Dunbar before May 28th at (814) 456-9060. A bulletin board will also be available to post items too large to display.

Head Coach John T Reilly of Gannon University will conduct three sessions of basketball camp this summer. Sessions will be held June 9-13, June 23-27 and August 4-8. His coaching staff, area high school coaches and several of his players will serve as camp instructors. The sessions are designed as teaching camps that emphasize the fundamentals of the game of basketball. The camps are for students in Grades 3-10.

Penn State Behrend will host its second international conference on injection molding, “Injection Molding: Innovation and Emerging Technologies,” from June 10-12. The three-day conference will feature 24 technical presentations, offered concurrently in the mornings, and hands-on tutorials in the afternoons. Two keynote speakers will address attendees on Wednesday and Thursday – Rob Neilley, editor-in-chief of Injection Molding Magazine, and William Carteaux, president and CEO of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc, respectively. On Tuesday, all are invited to tour the local Rehrig Pacific Company plant, located at 1738 W 20th Street in Erie. Advance registration for the conference if required.

The first Erie Downtown Partnership Block Party of 2008 will be held Thursday June 12 on the 1300 block of State Street in front of Calamari’s Squid Row. The event is FREE. Food and beverages will be available for sale. One World Tribe will provide the music.

The 84th annual Lake City Fire Company Carnival will be held June 12-14 in Lake City, PA.

Gallery Night, which is organized by the Erie Art Museum, features FREE public touring of 12 local galleries and gallery activities, on Friday June 13, 2008 from 7 to 10 pm. Galleries that will be participating are Accents By The Bay, Allen Stoneware Gallery, Artworks Gallery and Clayspace Studio, Bayfront Gallery, Geary’s Studio 7, Glass Growers Gallery, Kada Gallery, Kuhn’s Framing and Gift Gallery, Ralph Miller Jewelers and Gallery, Relish Inc. Studio and Gallery, Urraro Gallery and the galleries at the Erie Art Museum. EMTA’s Bayliner will be providing FREE shuttle transportation from 7 to 10:30 pm. Trolley maps and schedules are available at each gallery or by calling the Erie Art Museum at (814) 459-5477. Participating galleries will be offering visitors a chance to win a $50 gift certificate as an incentive to attract patrons into touring their galleries.

The 2008 Brianlee Crosby Memorial Learn to Swim Program, sponsored by the City of Erie Summer Recreation Program and operated by the American Red Cross, Greater Erie County Chapter, will be held June 16 to August 8. Qualifications: All boys and girls enrolled in the first through sixth grades may participate in the program. PROOF of grade level must be presented at the time of registration. The program is FREE to City of Erie School District students. A parent or legal guardian must accompany each child to complete the registration form at the appropriate pool on the first day of each two week instructional period. Parents or guardians are also responsible for their child’s attendance and transportation needs. Appropriate swimming attire and cleanliness will be required at all pools in operation. Pre-registration: Pre-registration will begin at 10 am on the morning of the first day of each session (June 16, June 30, July 14, July 28) at the Strong Vincent High School pool and the Central Tech High School pool. Children should come prepared to take their water skills tests in order to determine the appropriate level of instruction for them. Certification: All boys and girls enrolled will receive progress reports and an appropriate Red Cross certificate for satisfactory completion of their course. Observation days will be held on the last day of each session for all parents who wish to see the progress that their children have made in the course. Session Dates (Monday – Friday): Session I June 16 – June 27, Session II June 30 – July 11 (Closed July 4th), Session III July 14 – July 25, Session IV July 28 – Aug 8. Sessions begin at: 10 am, 11 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, Open Swim (For students enrolled in lessons; NOT open to public) from 2:30-3:30 pm. Open Swim: Open swim will be available at the Roger Young Pool Monday through Saturday from 12-5 pm. (June 16 – August 8) (Closed July 4th). For more information on training courses offered by your American Red Cross, call the Greater Erie County Chapter at 833-0942 ext 243.

The eMarketing Learning Center at eBizITPA will hold a roundtable titled Aligning Marketing and IT for Success from 4 pm to 5:30 pm on June 18.

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) will hold a Summer On Campus Day, 1 pm – 4:30 pm on Friday, June 20 to provide opportunities for prospective students to tour the campus facilities and learn about the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Pharmacy Program and the Health Sciences Post Baccalaureate Program. Please confirm your attendance for the event with Maggie Crosswhite or Camille Jennings.

The Erie Summer Festival of the Arts will be held June 27-29 at Liberty Park.

Erie’s gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community will come together the weekend of June 28-29 to celebrate Pride 2008 with a picnic, march/rally, and social opportunities. Festivities get underway Saturday, June 28, with the Pride Erie Picnic at Rotary Pavilion, Beach 7 at Presque Isle State Park. The Pride Picnic runs from 1-6 pm with food being served from 2-4 pm. The Pride March will step off from The Zone Dance Club at 1 pm. Sunday, June 29, with the Pride Rally beginning in Perry Square at 2 pm. Information about the Erie area Pride March/Rally is available at www.ErieGayPride.org, by email at eriegaypride@gmail.com, or by calling 866-229-1974 (toll free).

There will be a Rust Belt Bloggers Summit on July 11-12 in Erie. People from Youngstown, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and other area cities will be attendance to discuss economic development issues in the region.

The Manufacturers’ Association and Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority annual Roar on the Shore motorcycle rally will be held July 17-20, 2008. While downtown Erie serves as the hub of the rally, related events take place throughout the city and region. Most notably, two outdoor concerts featuring major artists will be held Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19, at Liberty Park along Presque Isle Bay.

The 2008 City of Erie Junior Golf Program is open to boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 17. Entry fee is $7 per person. The number of entrants will determine the number of divisions. Registration will take place at J C Martin Golf Course from June 1 through July 19. Please call J C Martin Golf Course at 864-1821 with any questions. Tournament 1 is at J C Martin Golf Course, West 38th St and Shunpike Rd (next to Erie Zoo), on Wednesday, July 23 at 8 am. Tournament 2 will be held at Downing Golf Course, 1351 Troupe Rd, 899-5827, on Wednesday, July 30 at 8:30 am. Tournament 2 will be immediately followed by a picnic and an awards presentation.

The 2008 City of Erie Recreation Tennis Tournaments will be held once again at
Frontier Park. Junior: June 24-27, Adult: August 13-17. Applications are available at: PennBriar Health and Tennis Club, Westwood Racquet Club, Lake Shore Country Club, Kahkwa Club and Erie Sport Store’s downtown location. For more information contact Richard Beck at 835-5452.