CelebrateErie continues tonight and runs until Sunday. You can catch a number of rock bands, activities, and family orientated entertainment in downtown Erie during the celebration. A few highlights include Taste of Erie featuring a number of local restaurants and a grand finale fireworks Sunday night at 9:30. The old name for this event was “We Love Erie Days,” and ErieBlogs.com gets a significant number of searches for the old name.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that more than 135 Pennsylvania residents are being investigated for purchasing fake high school and university degrees from online diploma mills. Investigators will determine if any of the individuals being investigated have used the fraudulent degrees to obtain work. In 2005 an Erie-based diploma mill known as the “University of Berkley” was busted for selling bogus diplomas. Sally Struthers = stunned.

The Erie Art Museum has agreed to purchase the Erie County Historical Society building for $800,000. The society will remain there for the time being but will eventually find a new home. The purchase will allow the Erie Art Museum to being their $9 million expansion project. The Historical Society building sat between two properties owned by the museum.

Edinboro University is bringing country singer Gary Allan to the Edinboro campus on Saturday, October 11. Lee Brice will open the show. Tickets are $10 for EUP students, $30 for the general public. Tickets for students go on sale August 23 and August 25 for the general public.

Erie County Council has approved a $22 million bond that will complete the funding for the Erie International Airport runway extension project. The county, however, may not be able to use gaming money to repay the bond, per the decision last week regarding casino revenues. The project should be completed by 2013.

Sometimes the jokes write themselves, as in this story from the Erie Times-News. Here’s an excerpt:

Shatwan A. Glover, also known as Sticky Budz, was arrested just after 5 p.m. Wednesday after Erie police spotted him in a car near West 18th and Sassafras streets.

Not so fast Steven Porter. Porter announced recently he had enough signatures to get on the ballot this fall in the 3rd Congressional District contest with Kathy Dahlkemper and Phil English. Now, several Mercer County residents have challenged the petitions. The case will now be heard by a judge in Pittsburgh on August 21 at 9:30. The Sharon Herald is reporting the people contesting the signatures may have connections to the Dahlkemper campaign. From the story:

One of the petition challengers, DeMartinis, is in charge of Mrs. Dahlkemper’s Mercer County campaign, said the county’s Democratic Chairman Robert Lark. Mrs. Dahlkemper’s campaign manager, Tina Mengine, has said they were aware DeMartinis and the others wanted to challenge Porter’s signatures.

Forensic scientists who have examined the human bones found recently in Greenville are saying they were from a woman who was about 5 feet 5 inches tall, but may be part of “anatomical specimen,” used for medical training or use in doctor’s office.

Having solved all the issues facing our state legislature, 17th District Republican state Rep. Michele Brooks has decided to take up the issue that people, come January 1, will no longer be able to feed bread to the fish at Pymatuning spillway. Visitors will now have to feed the carp special fish food which, shockingly, can only be purchased at the concession stand at the spillway. Brooks will host a public meeting on September 8 at the North Shenango Community Center at 6:30 p.m. with Senator Bob Robbins and Rep. John Evans to explore the issue. The situation has become tense with Pymatuning fish considering a hunger-strike in protest.

Ronald Cail, a resident of Medicine Hat, Canada, is wanted in Erie for child pornography charges. However he is being granted bail by a Canadian appeals court while he appeals an extradition order granted by a lower court. The Alberta Court of Appeals found that Cail’s appeal has merit and that he is not a flight risk (not to the U.S. at least). Cail allegedly transmitted nude video and pictures of himself to an undercover officer believing a child was actually viewing the material.

The Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park (LEAF) last remaining family friendly movie of the season will be held tonight and next Friday and not tonight. LEAF’s mission is to expand the Arboretum at Frontier Park, as well as provided related recreational and educational programs for the community.

Every Friday at 8 p.m., now until September 26 (exception: September 5th) the Erie County Historical Society will hold a Ghosts and Legends Tour. Discover the mysteries of downtown Erie through a 1 1/2 hour walking tour. Since size of group tour is limited, reservations required; call (814) 454-1813, ext 0. Cost: $8 Adult, $4 Child.

Eriez Manufacturing has a new toy out called the ProSort. The ProSort is an improvement in scrap metal separation and lowers energy costs compared to the current industry standard metal sorters. The contraption basically separates recyclable metals that are mixed in with other waste material via a series of magnets and is billed as “eco-friendly equipment.”

Lake Erie Biofuels along with five other national biodiesel producers and marketers were certified as “BQ-9000″ compliant. This certification is a quality assurance program that recognizes when a biodiesel company meets certain national fuel quality standards.

The SeaWolves dropped their second straight ball game to the New Britain Rock Cats on Thursday night by a final score of 11-4. Guillermo Moscoso took the loss for the Howlers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Buffalo Bills 24-21. The game was played in Toronto, Canada. New QB Byron Leftwich was 5-11 for 41 yards.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Only two more 8 Great Tuesdays concert series performances are left for the summer. Next Tuesday, August 19th, will feature Erie’s own Dave Stevens Big Band from 6:30 – 9:30 at the Liberty Park, Pepsi Amphitheater. The event is free and shuttles to the park will be provided.

Asbury Woods along with photographer Jim Kubaney will introduce students to digital photography and learning how to photograph nature (bring your own digital camera). Class will be held August 19. For more information call (814) 835-5356.

The Erie Block Party, held most Thursday evenings during the summer, will not be held next Thursday, August 14 due to CelebrateErie. The next upcoming block party will be August 21 at Matthew’s Trattoria & Martini Lounge with performers Duke Sherman Band & Sam Hyman.

The 20-piece Gem City Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Scott Tomlison, will be offering two outdoor performances. The first will be held on Friday evening, August 22, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Shops at the Colony (formerly the Colony Plaza) on West 8th Street. The second performance will be the City of Erie’s final “Sounds of Summer” Concert on Monday, August 25th from 7 to 8 p.m. at Schmidt Towers – 153 E. 6th Street. Both concerts are open to the public and free of charge. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to enjoy the shows.

The Erie Art Museum opens Art from the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute in the Erie Art Museum’s Annex Gallery, 423 State Street, now through October 4. A public opening reception is scheduled for Gallery Night on Friday, Aug. 22, 2008 from 6-10 p.m.

The North East National Rib Festival, sponsored by Fuller Hose Company, will be held August 24-26. For more information contact Fuller Hose at (814) 725-3308.

The nineteenth annual Silberman Recital Series at Allegheny College will feature performances by one of the country’s newest chamber music groups as well as musicians who have earned critical acclaim over decades of work on the concert stage and in the recording studio. The series will open with Manhattan Piano Trio on Monday, Sept. 8.

Erie to host young professionals from across the state at Pennsylvania Young Professionals 2008 ImPAct Conference ERIE, PA — Young professionals, business executives and civic leaders from across the state are invited to take part the Pennsylvania Young Professionals 2008 ImPAct Conference, being held Sept. 12-14 at Erie’s Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier. This marks the first year the ImPAct Conference (Innovative Minds Creating Pennsylvania’s Tomorrow) will be held in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Eerie Horror Film Festival is partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to sponsor the “Monster Wish” charity walk & fun run at Presque Isle on September 13th. The walk/run sign in will be at beach one at 10:00 a.m., and the Mayor will be present to impart a few words of inspiration to the participants before the walk starts. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the Foundation. Please contact Melissa Bostaph at (814) 899-0407 for more information.

Erie non-profit group Therapy Dogs United, Inc., in conjunction with the American Kennel Club, will host the area’s only Responsible Dog Ownership Day at Frontier Park (north side) Saturday, September 20th, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, rain or shine. Event highlights include a Blessing of the Dogs, Parade of Breeds, agility demonstrations, special appearance by search and rescue dogs, K9 police units, and therapy dogs. Other activities include Canine CPR, Pet First Aid, dog rescue groups, animal safety demonstrations, live acoustic music, contests, prizes, chinese auciton, animal-related vendors.

The State Library of Pennsylvania will celebrate its second annual Genealogy Day on Saturday,
Sept. 20. This free event will have exhibits and information sessions on various subject areas. For additional information, please contact Marc Bender at (717) 705-6272.

The Wine Country Harvest Festival, hosted by the North East Chamber of Commerce, will be held September 28-30. Expect a variety of music, food, arts & crafts, champagne breakfast, Cruise In, Children’s Area, winery tours, wagon rides, wine and food seminars, wine by the glass, and souvenirs. There will be 5 wineries in the wine tent this year, serving more than 40 varieties of wine, along with free shuttle service to the wineries and to other attractions in town.