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This Week

Mercyhurst West invites high school students to attend the Great High School Cookout at Mercyhurst West, 824 Main Street East, Girard, on Wednesday, October 8, from 6 – 8 p.m. There will be free hamburgers and hot dogs and a chance to win prizes, including an iPod Shuffle. Tours of the West facility and a Q&A session about programs and financial aid will also be offered. Reservations are required. Call (814) 774-0704 for more information.

Mercyhurst College will welcome Joan Rosenhauer, associate director of the United States Catholic Bishops Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, to campus on Thursday, Oct. 9, when she will speak on “Faithful Citizenship.” Her talk, slated for 8:15 p.m. in Taylor Little Theatre, is free and open to the public.

A cast reunion of the classic horror film “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” will highlight the fifth Eerie Horror Film Festival, October 9-12, at the historic Warner Theater in Erie, Pennsylvania. Cast members Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface), Ed Neal (The Hitchhiker), Marilyn Burns (Sally), John Dugan (Grandpa), Allen Danziger (Jerry), Teri McMinn (Pam) and Bill Vail (Kirk), will be reuniting for only the second time since the movie was released nearly 35 years ago.

Scary Creature Feature will thrill families and children age 5 and older at Brown’s Farm barn, 5774 Sterrettania Road on October 10 and 11. Cost is $5 per person for Asbury Woods members; $7 for nonmembers. Come out to hear and see the creatures of the night! The evening includes a guided tour, campfire at the observation deck, a fall craft and donuts and cider. A hayride will take you to the woods where you will visit many animals and learn more about the symbols of Halloween. Registration and pre-payment are required. Call Asbury Woods Nature Center at 835-5356 to sign up and for times. Program takes place regardless of weather; no refunds.

Conneaut Lake Fall Pumpkin Fest will be held at Conneaut Lake Park October 10-12. Hours are Friday 4-9 pm, Saturday 10 am-8 pm, and Sunday 10 am-5 pm. Activities include a parade Saturday, giant pumpkin drop, pumpkin carving contest, motorcycle show and cruise-in, costume contest, and various entertainment for the whole family.

The Halls of Fear, a haunted house attraction located in Wesleyville, is gearing up for another year of Halloween fun. The event is a fundraising project for the Wesleyville Hose Company, and is one of the areas best haunted house events. The Halls will begin Thursday, October 9th which is designated as a kids night. Beginning Friday, October 10th, the Halls will be for adults. Parking is located at the corner of Shannon & Station roads in Wesleyville. Unlike previous years, the Halls will be open for Halloween night. Here’s the full schedule: October 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 30 and 31. Open 7 – 10 p.m. weekdays, 7 – 11 pm on weekends, and open 9 – 12 Midnight on Halloween night.

Belle Valley Fire Department will present their annual haunted house Valley of the Ghouls. The haunted house is open on October 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31 from 7:30-11 pm and admission is $5.

The 7th Annual Great Lakes Open Tae Kwon Do Championships will be held Saturday, October 11th, beginning at 10 a.m. The event will be held at the Junker Athletic Center at Penn State Behrend.

The Peek N’ Peak Resort and Spa will hold its 21st annual Fall Fest on October 11, 12, 18, & 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Free admission with kid’s activities of pumpin decorating, face painting, petting zoo, pony rides, bounce house, rock wall, and more. For adults there will crafters, a farmers market, snow sports equipment sale, ski and boarding demonstrations and more.

Fall Festival at the Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm will be held October 13-14 from 11:00am to 6:00pm. Admission is FREE and parking is by donation to the Edinboro Lions Club. Come celebrate the beauty of fall in northwest Pennsylvania! All of your favorite autumn decor will be available, including pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, and hay bales. Pick up a delicious homemade fresh pumpkin or apple pie made with local pumpkins and apples–there will be fresh-pressed apple cider and local apples for sale also. Wagon rides around the farm will be $4.00 per person or $15.00 per family.

Scarecrow Festival takes place this month at Thunder Valley Stables, 5151 Stancliff Road, McKean. The festival will be open Saturdays in October (11,18, and 25) plus Columbus Day, October 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Horse drawn hayrides, a pumpkin cannon, scarecrow drop, and children’s play area will be featured, along with farm animals, hiking and much more. Admission is $6 adults, $5 children, with those under 2 admitted free. Call 476-1632 for more information.

The Erie County Historical Society will hold Horse-Drawn Mystery Tours on Fridays, October 10, 17, & 24 at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tours depart from the Watson-Curtze Mansion at 356 West Sixth Street and will travel through downtown Erie, “pausing at sites of spiritual unrest and bizarre happenstance”. Donuts, cider and pumpkins are included with the tour. Seating is limited. Please call 814-454-1813 Ext. 0 to make a reservation.

The Roadhouse Theatre’s 20th Anniversary Production, ‘Buried Child’, will be performed October 10, 11, 17, and 18 with a special performance on October 19 for anyone who has ever performed in or worked on a Roadhouse Theatre production. Reservations will be required for this show and a reception will follow the performance. Tickets are $8 with special limited VIP seating available at $12. As usual BYOB with proper ID. Phone (814) 459-8215 for reservations and tickets.

Dr. David Kozak, professor of public policy and director of the Institute for Policy and Leadership Studies at Gannon University, will hold a forum exploring where the candidates stand on some of today’s most important issues at a presentation at Mercyhurst North East. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Tuesday, October 14, at 7:30 p.m., in the Alex Theater on the MNE campus. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.

Northwest Pennsylvania Middle School Association celebrates the Month of the Young Adolescent with a Fall Conference “Taking the Sting Out of Cyber Bullying” on Thursday, October 16, 2008. The even is open to the public but geared toward parents with middle school children and will be held at the Walnut Creek Middle School, 5901 Sterrettania Road Registration beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Internet and a myriad of other digital media have given bullies more immediate and direct ways to harass and intimidate other children. The presentation will focus on awareness, solutions, and resources in identifying and dealing with Cyber Bullying among teenage adolescents.

The March of Dimes 5th Annual Rubber Duck Regatta will be held at Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park and Resort in Erie at 7 pm on Thursday, October 16. Floater ducks (different from the souvenir ducks) will be numbered to correspond with the raffle ticket numbers and released down the Big Kahuna at 7 pm.

Learn how to add authentic Polish foods to your upcoming holiday menus at a workshop led by Larry Kozlowski, Polish culture expert and director of student life at Mercyhurst North East. The workshop will be held Thursday, October 16, at 7:30 p.m., in the Miller building, room 116 on the MNE campus. The workshop is free and open to the public. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.

The NPAECT Connect Communicate and Collaborate conference with feature several technology-related & Web 2.0 topics in a hands-on, relaxed environment. Special guests include Discovery Education. The event will be held October 18th, 2008 at the Wattsburg Middle School. Visit the official website for more information.

Local photographer John Huegel will be conducting a family portrait photography marathon on Sunday October 19th at Presque Isle State Park.
100% of the session fees will be donated to the Baker Family to help address medical bills. In the summer of 2008, Scot Baker was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. Though recovering slowly, he is still in need of extensive rehabilitation, and the family’s medical bills continue to increase.

U.S. Senator Arlen Specter will hold a town hall meeting at Allegheny College on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 10:45 a.m. in the Tippie Alumni Center. Constituents will be invited to discuss issues important to the region, the state and the nation. Senator Specter will address the audience briefly and devote the remainder of the hour to responding to constituents’ questions and concerns.

The Mary Ann McCormick Bow Wow Country Ball will be held at Rainbow Gardens on Friday, October 24th, 2008, from 6:30 to 11 p.m. The cost is $35 with a chuck wagon of chili and hot “doggies” will be provided (BYOB). Two time Rock Erie Award winner for best country band Next of Kin will entertain along with a bronco bull, casino tables, silent auction and more. Please contact Joe Grisanti at the Humane Society for more information at (814) 835-8345.

Sarah A. Reed Retirement Center is holding it’s 14th Annual Sarah’s Fall Fling on Saturday October 25 starting at 10 a.m. at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center. The event benefits The Retirement Center and is open to the public but reservations are required and can be made by calling (814) 878-2600. Seats are available for $20 per person. The event will include a luncheon, a Chinese auction, and various prizes including a Splash Lagoon package and a year of car washes by Leo’s Car Wash.

Local author and historian Stephanie Wincik will discuss some of Erie County’s most eerie legends and lore, explore theories surrounding ghosts and spirits, and will read excerpts from her latest book, “Reaching Through the Veil: Ghost Hunting in Erie County” at a presentation on Tuesday, October 28, at 7:30 p.m., at in the Alex Theater on the Mercyhurst North East campus. The presentation is free and open to the public. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.

Giant Eagle will be offering pneumonia and flu shots at various grocery store locations in the area over the next few weeks (PDF).

There will be a benefit honoring Virginia (Peebles) Russell on November 1st, 2008 at the Perry Hi-Way Hose Company from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Virginia has been battling breast cancer for 4 years and is currently undergoing her 3rd round of chemotherapy. Medical bills are continuously piling up so your support and attendance is appreciated. There will be a Chinese auction, handmade quilt raffle, 50-50 drawing, bake sale, games for adults & children, refreshments, and various other entertainment. Tickets are $5.00 and can be purchased at the door or in advance by calling Pam Prinzi at (814) 459-6597.

The Northwest PA Choral Festival will be held in November in celebration of the founding of the Young People’s Chorus of Erie (YPC). The YPC is the only countywide, comprehensive youth chorus program in northwestern Pennsylvania. The choral festival will be held on the Penn State Behrend campus on Saturday, November 1. Public and private school teachers in Erie County and throughout the region of northwest Pennsylvania are invited to participate in this inaugural event. For more information including how to register, visit the official website.