Firefox 3 is being released today. The browser boasts a myriad of improvements, better security and speed increases. Internet Explorer = stunned.

A handful of people turned out last night to voice their concerns over the Port Authority’s plan to keep unaccompanied minors from attending the 8 Great Tuesday concerts. The ban will further be explored on June 27. Read more…

Erie-area hotel owners were upset about the county’s 5% tax on hotel rooms. They felt it wasn’t fair since the money was going to fund the Bayfront Convention Center and the Sheraton Hotel. Yesterday, the PA Supreme Court refused to hear the hotel owner’s appeal. More here…

A trial date has been set for Teri Rhodes. Proceedings will begin August 11.

A car crash on Interstate 79 near Meadville yesterday slowed traffic to a crawl. One person was injured.

Dr. Michael Guzzardo passed away last Friday. Information and arrangements can be found here.

Sacred Heart Parish is raffling off a 2008 Roush BlackJack Mustang Convertible. This is a serious car. More information is available at their web site.

Congressional candidate Kathy Dahlkemper will be speaking at the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women convention in Altoona on June 20. She will face Republican incumbent Phil English in the general election in November.

This weekend, Richardz wrote about bicyclists sharing the road with cars. Yesterday, a 17 year old boy collided with a car on the lower east side. Be careful out there!

Bojosmom has a nice post where she remembers former Erie Youth Hockey members who gone on to proudly serve our country or start a successful career. She’s looking for some help finding other team members.

Local advertising agency powerhouse fishtank creative is looking for a graphic artist.

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 Erie Yacht Club’s Reyburn Sailing School youth and adult classes begins June 16. Their curriculum focuses on individual skill levels ranging from Beginner to Advanced Racing Sailors and carefully follows USSAILING guidelines. Their fleet consists of the Club Junior, the 420, and the Optimist Pram. All are tried and proven as exceptionally safe and easy-to-sail boats for novice and accomplished sailors.

The parishioners of the Church of the Nativity, with the blessing of Metropolitan Laurus, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, invite all Orthodox Christians and their families to attend Orthodox Christianity in the 21st Century, the 2008 Orthodox Conference. This family conference will be held from June 17-22 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is the second conference hosted by the Russian Orthodox Old Rite parish. Divine Services will be conducted at the Church of the Nativity and conference sessions will take place on the beautiful campus of Mercyhurst College, located three miles south of the church. This conference is intended for all members of Orthodox families and also for all single individuals who may not have a family to accompany them. There will be daily lectures, workshops, and divine services along with meals and social events during the week. There will also be a full youth program for all youth from 4 years of age and above and a baby sitting service for infants of parents who wish to attend the conference.

It is no secret that Marketing and IT professionals come from very different backgrounds and work in very different ways. However, in today’s fast paced world of digital marketing and increasingly important online customer experiences, it is imperative that these two groups come together. They need to collaborate in order to rise above the competition and reach the maximum potential of the organization’s online presence. The eMarketing Special Interest Group and the eMarketing Learning Center are offering Aligning Marketing and IT for Online Success on Wednesday, June 18 at Knowledge Park in Erie. Register Now.

The 2008 Sprint Sunset Music Series takes place on Wednesdays. Music on Wednesday June 18 by Abbey Road (Beatles tribute band) and String Theory (classic rock). The FREE concert takes place at Presque Isle State Park Beach 1 at 6 pm. Admission to the park and this event are free, as always.

On Wednesday, June 18, the Brewerie at Union Station will be pouring nickel drafts at their Trackside Beer Garden 7-9 pm in a celebration of 75 years since the Repeal of Prohibition. (The Cullen-Harrison Act legalizing the sale of 3.2 percent alcohol by volume beer took effect on April 7. The national Repeal of Prohibition for all forms of alcohol became finalized December 5.)

The Erie Downtown Block Party on Thursday, June 19 will be held on State Street between 10th and 11th Streets. Sponsors are Nicky’s Pub, Papa George’s, Docksiders, Old School Al’s, Mrs Sub and Russo’s Barber Shop. Music by Spooner (progressive, funk, rock) and Next of Kin (country).

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 first Buggin’ State of the season will be held on Friday June 20. Buggin State is a cruise-in that give car owners and car clubs in the Erie PA area a chance to showcase their classic, custom and tricked-out vehicles. Thousands of enthusiasts come downtown to see the cars on display along State Street. FREE, live music with the Four Jays at Perry Square.

“Remembering Janis” will run June 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28 at Theatre 145, located at 145 West 11th St in Erie. Ticket prices are $10 Regular seating, $12 Riser seating and VIP seating at $15. For advanced tickets please visit their web site or call (814) 879-0733.

Gannon University Writers’ Workshops 2008 are for students Grades 4-12. Develop your writing process and produce a book of your writing under the direction of Dr Sally LeVan and the teachers of the NWPA Writing Project. Each session will be limited to 25 students per session. Dates are June 23-27, July 7-11 and July 21-25. Workshops will be held 9 am to 12 pm in Room 3200 of the Palumbo Center, 8th and Peach Streets. Registration includes T-shirt, snacks and book. $125 per one-week session/$200 for two-weeks. For information contact Dr Sally LeVan, (814) 871-7506. Registration.

The Goodell Gardens and Homestead Summer Solstice Celebration takes place 2-5 pm on Sunday June 22. Featuring labyrinth walks (2-4 pm), Make-and-Take Container Gardening with Jean Chapman of Scotland Yard Nursery (3:30-5:00). Plants provided; please bring your own pot up to 18″. Refreshments by Nicks Place (2:30-4:30). $5 – Nonmember, $2 – Members. Please call (814) 734-6699 to register.

Erie area eighth and ninth-grade students are invited to Mercyhurst College to explore career pathways as part of a three-day Game of Life Future Fair offered June 23-25 by the Mercyhurst College Aspirations Program. The FREE sessions, from 5 to 7 pm each day, take place in the Audrey Hirt Academic Center on Mercyhurst’s Erie campus, and include a light dinner and prize giveaways. The project aims to help students make the most of their high school years by exploring future career paths, particularly opportunities in the Erie area, and identifying realistic options toward preparing for careers in those fields. Program organizers say that research suggests students who explore career preferences during middle school are more focused and more successful during their high school years. Pre-registration is not required; for more information, contact Jillian Perfetti at jperfe43@mercyhurst.edu.

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 Saint Vincent Auxiliary presents “A Night at the Races” on Wednesday, June 25 at Presque Isle Downs Clubhouse and Lounge. The event is from 4:30 pm – 9 pm. Each attendee will receive $10 in gaming tokens, a four-course meal in the Clubhouse, and a chance to gamble the night away while learning more about the Children’s Miracle Network. For questions and/or RSVP, please contact Stephanie Flanagan at (814) 452-5302.

Russ Combs, executive director of Gannon University’s Erie Technology Incubator (ETI) will address ETI’s plans to provide “new economy” job opportunities in Erie and the assistance available to local companies, during the upcoming Eggs ‘n’ Issues briefing starting at 8 am Thursday, June 26, at the Manufacturers’ Association Conference Center, 2171 West 38th Street at Pittsburgh Avenue. All media are invited to attend. Located at the former Boys & Girls Club site at 130 West Eighth Street, ETI is open to any company using advanced technology, but focuses on three technology sectors, including: information technology, such as software development; engineering technology; and scientific technology, such as alternative energy or medical devices. It is an entrepreneurial environment that fosters innovation and collaboration among its companies and the public and private sectors, while providing support services customized to the unique needs of each client. Combs, who has more than 20 years of experience in working with companies in this capacity, has been head of ETI since August 2007. He previously was the executive director of the Business Incubation Group of Shenandoah (Va) Region, a position he held from 2004 until his move to Erie. To register for this briefing, contact Tracy Shepard at (814) 833-3200 or (800) 815-2660. Cost is $30 for members, $60 for nonmembers.

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

The Erie County Historical Society will hold a weekly Ghosts and Legends Tour at 8 pm on Fridays, June 27-September 26. Discover the mysteries of downtown Erie through a 1.5 hour walking tour. Reservations required, call (814) 454-1813, ext 0. Cost: $8 Adult, $4 Child.

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).

The Erie Philharmonic’s Get Your Phil At Noon Summer Music Series FREE concerts will be held July 8 and August 12 at noon in front of the Warner Theatre on State Street. The free lunch-hour ensemble concerts, designed to provide “music while you munch,” will feature a Philharmonic string quartet fully amplified and seating for the outdoor event. WQLN radio will broadcast live from the event this year.

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 Erie Lions Club Save an Eye City vs County All-Star football game will be held July 25 at Erie Veterans Memorial Stadium, 26th and State Streets. The major purpose of the Save An Eye Game is to raise money to provide free eye care to low income children.

The Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm 2008 Native American Festival is July 26-27 at the farm in Edinboro. Hours are 11-6 daily. Admission is $3 per person, 3 and under are FREE.

The Gannon University ShakeXperience Theater Camp will be held Monday, July 28 through Saturday, August 2. This one-week resident high school (through graduation) theater camp is taught by members of Gannon’s theater program and qualified professionals. Classes are conducted in Shakespeare, text analysis, stage movement, rehearsal and performance. Workshops are offered in stage combat, period dance, and music. Includes a public matinee performance of CYMBELINE as part of the Shakespeare SummerNights outdoor threatre festival. Cost: $99 (includes room, board, and instruction fee). For more information, contact Fr Shawn Clerkin, (814) 871-7493.