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Erie PA News and Events for Tuesday May 6, 2008

Narcotics agents from the Attorney General’s office charged an Erie County woman accused of diverting prescription pain medication, which was intended for the patients in her care, from the hospital where she worked. She allegedly took the drugs for her own personal use. Attorney General Tom Corbett said that Janet Palmer, 42, of Waterford, was allegedly taking Dilaudid from the Select Specialty Hospital in Erie, where she worked as a registered nurse. Corbett said that Palmer allegedly took larger amounts of Dilaudid than necessary from the pharmacy, keeping the extra medication for herself. Dilaudid is a pain medication containing Hydromorphone, which is a schedule II controlled substance. “It is a dangerous situation when medical professionals are involved in the illegal diverting of prescription pain medication,” Corbett said. “Our Bureau of Narcotics Investigation agents are very active in investigating the illegal diverting of drugs.” According to court documents, hospital records showed a substantial increase in medication used while Palmer was working. In addition, Palmer also showed significant amounts of wasted Dilaudid without a witness and showed signs of poor record keeping and patient documentation, but only for patients who were prescribed Dilaudid. Palmer is charged with one count of obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deceit or subterfuge, a felony which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Palmer was preliminarily arraigned today before Erie County Magisterial District Judge Paul Urbaniak and was released on her own recognizance. She will be prosecuted in Erie County by Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk’s office.

Live thoroughbred racing will return to the Erie, Pennsylvania, area this coming Friday, May 9, when Presque Isle Downs commences its 2008 meeting. Presque Isle’s 100-day season will extend through September 27, with a daily post time of 5:30 pm EDT. Admission and general parking throughout the meet will be FREE. Last year, Presque Isle’s inaugural meet was 25 days in length, and generated averages of 2,851 in daily attendance, $58,257 in daily on-track wagering and $585,680 in daily wagering from all sources. It was the first pari-mutuel held in the Erie area since Commodore Downs ceased operations two decades ago. “We’ve got the money, we’ve got the surface, and I anticipate a very good meet here,” said David Frizzell, racing secretary at Presque Isle. Frizzell anticipates an average purse distribution of around $180,000 per race card. Races will be conducted over Presque Isle’s one-mile oval, which has a synthetic Tapeta Footings surface, regarded as state-of-the-art for fairness and safety. The Presque Isle race program will be anchored by 25 stakes, a baker’s dozen of which will be open events, and the remaining 12 restricted to horses sired and/or bred in Pennsylvania. Highlighting the stakes program will be the second running of the $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters, which will be contested at six furlongs for fillies and mares, three years old and upwards, on Saturday, September 13. Eight races will be run at Presque Isle per card. This Friday’s opener will include the second running of the $100,000 Inaugural Stakes at six-furlongs for three-year-old fillies. The Inaugural Stakes will be carded as the seventh race. Last year, 25.5 percent of the races at Presque Isle were won by favorites. Thirty-five percent of the races were decided by winning margins of a half-length or less. The average return for a two-dollar win ticket was $15.96, and the average return for a two-dollar exacta was $126.65.

Make Your Mother Proud by donating blood this week at the Community Blood Bank. The annual Mother’s Day promotion runs all week in Erie County. All donors who donate blood this week can enter to win a gift basket featuring a $500 gift certificate to Minerva Med Spa (located at 2501 West 12th) and a gift basket with all sorts of spa product; Mother’s Day Brunch for four from Gino’s Chophouse located at 21st and Peach Streets. With summer coming, the Community Blood Bank is expecting a blood shortage near the end of the month. Blood levels need to be higher to ensure a safe beginning to the summer season. “What a great package donated by Minerva Med Spa and Gino’s Chophouse!,” Said Dan Desrochers, Director of Marketing at the Community Blood Bank. “We have some great reasons to ‘Make Your Mother Proud.’ at the blood bank.” The Community Blood Bank is the exclusive supplier of blood products to all the hospitals in Erie, McKean, Warren, and Elk Counties in Pennsylvania and is the preferred provider to all the hospitals in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany Counties in New York. Only blood donated with Community Blood Bank will help patients at these local hospitals. All donors are strongly encouraged to donate at the Community Blood Bank, 2646 Peach Street. The Community Blood Bank is open from 9-6 Monday through Friday and until 7:30 pm Tuesday night and Saturday 9 am - 12:30 pm. Photo ID required.

Lindsay Graygo was brutally murdered in her apartment in Ypsilanti Township in February. The Michigan Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association made a contribution to the Erie Community Foundation for the Lindsay Graygo Empowerment Scholarship. Above is the thank you note from her family, click it for a larger image. Graygo graduated from McDowell in 1997, earned a BA in advertising / public relations from Penn State University Park in 2001, and earned her MBA from Penn State Behrend in 2005. Anyone with information in the case is asked to call the Washtenaw Sheriff’s Confidential Tip Line at (734) 973-7711 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP.

On May 1, The Station Dinner Theatre and Celebrities Restaurant went smoke free.

Peter B Ajluni, DO, president of the American Osteopathic Association, will visit the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine today to visit with students, faculty and staff. He will meet with LECOM’s Student Government Association and Student Osteopathic Medical Association and talk with first- and second-year students throughout the afternoon. As the national leader for osteopathic medicine, Dr Ajluni will be able to discuss the latest AOA efforts on behalf of physicians and patients. The AOA advocates for improved patient safety, pandemic preparedness, Medicare preservation and Medicare payment reform. “DO’s: Fit for Life” is the theme of Dr Ajluni’s presidency, which conveys the importance of osteopathic physicians serving as role models for their patients when it comes to health and fitness. The theme helps promote the overall goal of making the AOA a healthier and fitter organization for its members and the US a better health care system for patients.

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reported that April 2008 attendance at Presque Isle State Park was 327,081.

The Junior Aviation Club of Erie will soon be holding its first informational meeting and you and your family are invited. The Junior Aviation Club of Erie is an organization committed solely for the purpose of education and training of students between the ages of 12-17 to become licensed avaiation pilots. Classes are taught by certified flight instructors of the North Coast Flight School, which is located at North Coast Flight School, 1605 Asbury Road in Erie next to the airport. Please pre-register.

Mike Corner of Erie, Pa was part of a team of Covenant World Relief, a world service organization of the Evangelical Covenant Church of America, that built and rebuilt homes in Phoenix, La that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Emily Welsh, daughter of Norfolk Southern Assistant Track Supervisor Timothy Welsh and Anne-Marie Welsh, and a graduate of Erie Mercyhurst Preparatory School who plans to attend the University of Notre Dame, has received a scholarship from Norfolk Southern Corporation as part of the company’s annual scholarship program.

The Erie SeaWolves fell in the opener of a four-game series at home against the Trenton Thunder on Monday night at Jerry Uht Park by a score of 9-5. The SeaWolves now sit at .500 at 15-15. The SeaWolves and Thunder continue their four-game series on Tuesday night at Jerry Uht Park…6:35 First Pitch. RHP Andrew Kown (2-2, 7.00 ERA) takes the mound for the ‘Wolves against RHP Dan McCutchen (3-2, 2.33 ERA). It’s Family Buck Night with tickets starting at $3. Once inside the gates, fans can enjoy great concession specials of Smith’s Hot Dogs, Pepsi soft drinks, cotton candy and popcorn for just $1 each.

The Penn State Behrend softball team earned a bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament by winning the 2008 AMCC Championship. They will play Ramapo at 4 pm on Thursday May 8 at Ithaca College.

St Martin Center is offering a free homebuying class that will take place Wednesdays from May 7 - May 28. The class will be from 6-8 pm at St Martin Center, located at 1701 Parade Street. During the four weeks, students will learn how to read loan documents, how to budget, what predatory lending is, how to determine what they can afford, and much more. For required registration, call (814) 452-6113 ext 221.

A public open house on Wednesday, May 7, will introduce the Erie community to the nursing education laboratories at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The open house is scheduled from 2 until 6 pm in the Benson Building, located on the west end of Penn State Behrend’s campus. Members of the nursing faculty will be on hand to explain the teaching features and equipment found in the college’s nursing technology laboratory and patient simulation center. Admission is free and open to the public.

Young Erie Professionals will hold their monthly Happy Hour at 5:30 pm on Thursday May 8 at the BrewErie At Union Station. Weather permitting, The Trackside Beer Garden and the bocce courts will be open. Tours of the Brewerie and train station will be available.

Kim Mik’s Flick Pics are back at Theatre 145 (The Roadhouse Theatre) with “The Beales of Grey Gardens”, the second installation of the Maysles Brothers documentary “Grey Gardens”, on Thursday May 8 at 7:30 pm. Membership pass: $5 (includes 1 free refreshment in the coffeehouse).

In celebration of The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2008 Preservation Month theme, “Place Matters,” the Erie Center for Design and Preservation is hosting a lecture, seminar and walking tour on May 9-10. All three events are FREE and open to the public. The internationally-known founder of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, Mr. Arthur Ziegler, will be the featured speaker at the Erie Center for Design and Preservation’s first public event. Ziegler’s lecture, “The Good Works of Historic Preservation,” will be delivered Friday, May 9 at 7 PM in the Orientation Theatre of the Erie Maritime Museum, adjacent to the Blasco Memorial Library on Erie’s Bayfront. Ziegler says “historic preservation should be looked upon as both a cultural and economic development tool, leading to community revitalization, local investment, jobs, and a better quality of life.” On Saturday morning, May 10, the Erie Center for Design and Preservation (ECDP) will sponsor a seminar on historic preservation. Topics include: an overview of the National Register of Historic Places, the economics of preservation, and the tax credits afforded to property owners who rehabilitate historic buildings. The seminar will be held Saturday, May 10 from 9 AM to Noon at the Erie Art Museum Annex, 20 East 5th Street. On Saturday afternoon, May 10 , Mr Jeff Kidder AIA of Kidder Wachter Architecture will offer a 90 minute architectural walking tour of lower State Street and Perry Square. Kidder will meet members of the tour on the front steps of the Erie Art Museum, 417 State Street at 1 PM. Kidder will discuss the history of the City of Erie, neighborhood changes and attributes of the remaining historic structures. Kidder believes that “historic preservation in Erie is an effective tool for managing growth, revitalizing neighborhoods, fostering local pride and maintaining community character while enhancing livability.” Kidder serves on the City of Erie Planning Commission, the Downtown Improvement District board, the Erie Center for Design and Preservation board, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Historic Preservation board.

The Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission is holding a seminar called Gaining Access to Europe on May 13 at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center, 7794 Peach Street in Erie. Cost is $50. You must register by May 6.

Discover RFID in the Food Industry with the 2008 RU ready for RFID? Conference on Wednesday May 14 at Penn State Behrend’s RFID Center of Excellence. This year’s conference features five sessions presented by companies experiencing the benefits of RFID, as well as organizations that are providing RFID solutions throughout the food industry. The information presented will not only help you understand ways in which RFID is being utilized in this industry, but also how to increase your productivity and improve processes related to food manufacturing, distribution, and retail. Also, be sure to check out the 2007 RU ready for RFID? Conference Highlights, containing downloads of the 2007 speakers’ presentations, and images from the event.

The musical “1776”, the first play in which members of the Erie Cathedral Prep Alumni have been invited back to perform, is scheduled for a four-day run in the Erie Cathedral Prep auditorium on the weekend of May 15-18. This production is the third and final performance for this year by the Prep Performing Arts Department, which is under the direction of Father Michael DeMartinis. The special guest director for the show is Almi Clerkin, the managing director of the Erie Playhouse. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at the Prep bookstore for $8 (adults) and $6 (children and seniors). Performances will be at 7:30 PM on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and Sunday’s performance will be at 2 PM.

The 16th annual Edinboro Highland Games and Scottish Festival takes place on May 16-18 in Edinboro, PA. Events will be held in downtown Edinboro, Saturday on the campus of Edinboro University, and Sunday at venues around Edinboro. This year’s musical guests include the Chelsea House Orchestra, Melinda Crawford (2003 National Scottish Fiddle Champion), Maidens IV, and Bare Bones. Pipers and other musicians should check out the new Freestyle Piping competition. Come to the Edinboro Highland Games and “Take a cup’o kindness home!”

There will be a fundraiser for Drew Kauffman 4-9 pm on Saturday May 17 at the Knights of St John, 660 West 26 St. Tickets are $10 per person. Drew is being treated for brain tumors. For more information, call (814) 453-3248. Tickets will be available at the door. Donations can be made to Friends of Andrew Kauffman at any PNC Bank location.

The Gannon University Small Business Development Center along with Paulsen Productions are sponsoring “From Service To Success”, a seminar for entrepreneurial veterans. It will be held May 20 at the Gannon Yehl Ballroom, 124 West 7th St in Erie. Cost is $15 and registration is required.

The Technology Council of Northwest PA brings you the 5th Annual Business Intelligence and Technology Summit (BITS) event that will be held on Wednesday, May 21 at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. This event presents an opportunity for IT managers, CEOs, and professionals to gather, discuss, and learn about the forces shaping our regions IT industry. This year’s BITS theme will focus on Emerging Technologies for Business. This one-day event will be host to a full day of seminars, workshops and product demonstrations. They will have 15 topic speakers, as well both a morning and luncheon keynote address. Register online.

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.

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.

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.

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 March 31. You can register here.

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.

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

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.

Posted by Dennis at May 6, 2008 7:07 AM

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