Santa is stopping at Peninsula Pups Doggie Daycare to take pictures with your dog! Peninsula Pups Doggie Daycare is located at 801 West 12th Street, on the corner of 12th and Liberty. Santa will be there on Sunday, December 11 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The jolly old elf is looking forward to meeting all the good dogs of Erie during his visit.

If you’re looking for a dog to join your family, there will also be dogs looking for forever homes from The A.N.N.A. Shelter, Because You Care and The Humane Society! If you already have a dog and want them to get more involved in the community, Therapy Dogs United and HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response will also be at the event. Meet some of their trained dogs and get information on how your dog can help those in need and spread some cheer all year round! Call 814-454-PUPS (7877) for more information.

On Saturday, November 5, students at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host 24 For A Cure. This is a 24-hour fundraiser that benefits THON, Penn State’s IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon–the University’s 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon to fight pediatric cancer. THON is held annually in February at Penn State University Park. The event at Penn State Erie aims to increase awareness of the largest student-run philanthropy in the nation and to raise money toward the college’s THON 2012 contribution.

24 For A Cure will be held in Erie Hall and begins at 2 p.m. Saturday. Like THON, 24 For A Cure will feature entertainment and is open to the public. There is no admission fee, but donations will be accepted.

Saturday’s activities include a community event from 4-6 p.m. Get one more wear out of those Halloween costumes, and bring children out to see the dancers. Leadership Unlimited will keep the energy high with icebreakers from 6:30—7 p.m. Students will be clad in Penn State attire for the 9 p.m. tailgate, and themed events will continue throughout the night.

On Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., dancers and organizers will show stories of THON families–a time to celebrate and remember–before the 24-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping event ends.

THON 2012 will be held February 17-19. In 2011, THON raised more than $9.5 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Since 1977, THON has raised more than $78 million.

The Erie Art Museum is preparing to celebrate one exciting year in the Museum’s history. The Museum opened its doors to the $11 million expansion and renovation project in October of 2010, and an anniversary gala is scheduled for Friday, October 7, 2011, from 8 p.m. until midnight.

“It’s really been an amazing year,” said Carolyn Eller, the Museum’s Director of Marketing and Development. “The new gallery space has made it possible to exhibit pieces from our permanent collection, many of which have never been on display, and showcase several incredible traveling exhibits. We’ve increased our programming, too, and now have a beautiful Multipurpose room where we’ve hosted numerous weddings,
special events, and corporate functions since we opened the new wing, as well as hosting concerts, Open Stage Nights, and films. It’s so exciting to have the capacity to reach and serve the community in so many new ways because we were previously constricted with a space issue.”

The Gala theme of “One Year. One World. One Night” will showcase art from America and around the world. There will be authentic food stations featuring cuisines from around the globe, specialty martinis, complimentary beer and live entertainment by Lake Erie Belly Dance and One World Tribe, who has toured across the country and has performed several times at the Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival. In addition,
guests can enjoy an outdoor hookah lounge and traditional henna body art in the newly renovated Old Customs House.

The event committee is comprised of Director of Marketing and Development at EAM, Carolyn Eller, VP of Special Events and Event Chair, Abby Lechner, Barb Haggerty, Julia Sullivan-Horan, Cynthia Lillis, Caleb M. Pifer, Nancy Potter, Neala Ferralli, Rebecca Styn, Patty Rich, and Tammy Roche.

Advanced tickets are $65/person or $120/two. Tickets will be $75/ticket at the door. Members of Young Erie Professionals will receive discounted tickets at $45. All proceeds benefit the programming of the Erie Art Museum. To purchase tickets, call 814-459-5477 or purchase online at erieartmuseum.org.

On Tuesday, October 4, Gannon University will host a Graduate and Professional School Fair. The Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Yehl Room of the University’s Waldron Campus Center, 124 West 7th Street, and the event is free and open to the public.

Representatives from some 50 schools will have information on more than 100 academic programs, including business, education, engineering, health sciences, law, liberal arts and the social sciences. In addition to Gannon, participating institutions include Baldwin Wallace College, Canisius College, Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, Duquesne University, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Kent State University, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Mercyhurst College, Niagara University, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Rochester Institute of Technology, Ross University, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, University of Pittsburgh and Youngstown State University. A representative from Kaplan Test Prep will also have information on the MCAT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE, PCAT, DAT and OAT.

For more information, contact Gannon’s office of Career Development and Employment Services at 814-871-7680.

There will be a blood drive, food drive, and children’s winter clothing drive to benefit the Community Blood Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania, and the Trinity Center of Erie.

The event will be held on Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church, 2615 West 32nd Street. At this event, they will be accepting blood donations, donations of nonperishable food, and children’s winter clothing (coats, hats, gloves, etc).

Please come and support this Eagle Scout Project being put on by Shawn McFarland!

Blood Donation General Requirements:
-Must weigh at least 110 pounds
-Must be in general good health
-Must be at least 17 years of age, or 16 years of age with a signed Community Blood Bank parental permission form
-No tattoos or piercings within the last year from a tattoo parlor
**MUST HAVE PHOTO I.D.

The Erie Sports Commission (ESC) has announced that the inaugural Great Lakes Steelhead Expo will take place on Saturday, November 5th, 2011. The event will be held at Rainbow Gardens from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and will feature a variety of attractions and seminars throughout the day.

The Expo will focus on the steelhead fishing experience on the Great Lakes. Top vendors and companies will be on hand to demonstrate the latest and greatest fishing products, guides from regional fisheries will be available, fly tying and casting demonstrations are scheduled, and representatives from various Great Lakes fish and wildlife services will also be in attendance.

The Expo is being managed by local members of the Pennsylvania Steelhead Association, under the direction of Steve Brugger, the Association’s Vice-President. In commenting on the event, Brugger stated: “We are a group dedicated to the preservation of our local Steelhead fishery, which has a great economic and social significance for Erie and the region. When you consider the number of fishing shops, boat dealers, hotels, and more that are supported by the fishery and area fishermen, the financial impact annually is in the millions of dollars. I’d like to thank the Erie Sports Commission and all our local businesses that are helping to make this initial event a big success.”

Ron Sertz, Executive Director of the ESC, noted that “Erie is one of the top Steelhead fishing areas in the nation and, perhaps, the entire world. Local steelhead fishing is experienced annually by thousands of anglers and attracts a large number of visitors to the region, providing a notable contribution to the Erie County economy. We are happy to play a small part in this inaugural event and hope to help to make it grow into one of the premiere fishing expos in the country.”

Over 1,000 fishermen and their families are expected to travel to Erie to participate in this inaugural Steelhead Expo, generating an estimated economic impact of over $250,000 for the Erie region. For more information on participation and sponsorship opportunities, interested parties may contact Steve Brugger at steve@steelheadexpo.com.

The Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA) plans to host a special briefing on right-to-work legislation starting at 11 a.m. Thursday, October 6, at the Association’s Conference Center, 2171 West 38th Street. All media are invited to attend.

The event will feature a panel of prominent speakers on the issue of right-to-work. The panel is scheduled to include Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler); David Taylor, executive director of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association; Kevin Shivers, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business; Jennifer Stefano, director of Labor and Energy Policy for Americans for Prosperity; and Simon Campbell, president of StopTeacherStrikes. Panel participants will discuss the status and future of right-to-work legislation at both the state and federal levels. Afterward, they will participate in a question-and-answer session.

“Right-to-work has been–and remains–a top priority for our membership throughout northwest and central Pennsylvania,” said Lori Joint, the Association’s director of Government Affairs. “We hope that this briefing will not only bring this issue to the forefront, but make it clear that such legislation is the key to making the Commonwealth a more competitive and business friendly state.”

To register, contact Ann Miaczynski at (814) 833-3200 or (800) 815-2660, or visit www.mbausa.org. Cost is $45 for members, $65 for nonmembers, and includes lunch.

UPMC announced today that Erie Physicians Network (EPN), Erie’s largest independent multi-specialty physician group, will join the UPMC Physician Services Division and its team of more than 2,700 physicians, effective November 1, 2011. The organization will operate under the name Erie Physicians Network-UPMC. EPN is made up of board-certified physicians and providers from various medical specialties that include primary care, rheumatology, podiatry, gastroenterology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. These physicians currently provide care to more than 35,000 patients from Erie County.

By joining UPMC, EPN can offer its patients greater access to innovative treatments, specialists and advanced technologies while maintaining its position as a leading community-based health-care provider. UPMC is the only medical center in western Pennsylvania and only one of 17 medical centers nationwide named to the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll of America’s Best Hospitals.

According to EPN President Philip Cacchione, DO, this partnership strengthens EPN and further enhances UPMC’s commitment to serve the patients of western Pennsylvania. “Partnering with a financially strong, integrated health delivery system, ensures EPN access to sophisticated
resources and technologies and stronger physician recruitment, enabling us to grow and offer more advanced care and services to our patients,” Dr. Cacchione said. “EPN also will benefit from the efficient systems and business practices employed within UPMC, factors that play a significant role in today’s evolving health-care industry.”

Erie Physicians Network also operates three urgent-care centers in collaboration with UPMC Hamot. EPN Hamot Urgent-Care centers offer adult and pediatric facilities which provide medical care for all non-life or limb threatening injuries and illnesses. EPN’s new partnership with UPMC will enable these urgent-care services to grow and offer expanded hours. In addition, all EPN practices will remain open.

The Erie BayHawks, presented by LECOM, will host two tryouts to give players the opportunity to earn an invitation to the team’s training camp this season. Tryouts will be held in both Erie and New York City, home of the BayHawks NBA affiliate New York Knicks.

The New York tryout is set for Monday, September 26, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Baruch College in Manhattan. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The Erie tryout is Sunday, October 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Family First Sports Park on Oliver Road. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The cost for each tryout is $150 and pre-registration is encouraged as space is limited. Interested players can download registration forms at ErieBayHawks.com or call 814-790-5600 for more information.

Last season, Akron graduate Nate Linhart earned a spot on the team’s roster after attending Erie’s open tryout in Cleveland. Linhart started 41 games for the BayHawks and averaged 10.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game.

The Erie BayHawks have also named Holly Anderson their new Dance Team coach for the 2011-12 season. Anderson, along with other team representatives, will be selecting new members for this season’s squad during an open audition on Sunday, September 25 at 3 p.m. at Best Fitness, 2147 West 12th Street in Erie.

The team is seeking talented dancers with a passion for performing in front of large audiences and interacting with fans and children. Females age 18 and older are eligible to try out and should submit a completed registration form and headshot photo prior to the day of tryouts. There is no cost to audition and registration forms are available at the BayHawks office or online at ErieBayHawks.com. For more details about the audition, interested girls can call the team offices at 814-790-5600.

Holly Anderson takes over as coach of the dance team after being a member of the squad the past two seasons. She succeeds Stacy Garrastazu who led the team the past three seasons. Anderson is an Erie native and has nearly 20 years of dance experience as a performer, student and instructor. She attended Oklahoma City University to study Dance Management and has performed at numerous high profile events including the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the Oklahoma Centennial Spectacular.

The BayHawks’ first home game this season is set for Thursday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m. at the Tullio Arena when the BayHawks face the Maine Red Claws. Season tickets and group tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 814-790-5600.

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, invites adults who are considering starting college or returning to their studies to attend an adult student undergraduate admissions open house on Wednesday, September 28. The open house will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a one-hour exhibit fair in Roche Hall, located in the college’s School of Science complex. A seminar on admissions and financial aid will be held at 6:30 p.m. followed by an admissions application workshop at 7:30 p.m.

Representatives from student support offices, including admissions, adult student services, the Academic and Career Planning Center and Veterans Affairs, will be available. Enrollment in any of Penn State Behrend’s 34 baccalaureate majors or six associate degree programs is open to new or returning adult students. Faculty members from each of the college’s four academic schools–Sam and Irene Black School of Business, School of Engineering, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and School of Science–and its nursing program also will be on hand to answer questions and discuss learning and career opportunities.

New admissions applications and Penn State reenrollment applications will be accepted at the open house. Those who attend the event will have application fees waived, a savings of up to $50.
There is no charge to attend the adult student open house and no obligation to apply. To register, call 814-898-6700, e-mail bdadultcntr@psu.edu or visit behrend.psu.edu/adult.

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is a comprehensive residential college offering 34 bachelor’s, six associate, four pre-professional and two graduate degree programs. More than 4,700 students benefit from being part of a major research and land-grant institution on a student-centered campus, enriched by more than 110 clubs and organizations, 21 NCAA varsity teams and 19 intramural sports. Penn State Behrend is named in recognition of a donation by Mary Behrend, widow of Ernst Behrend, who founded the Hammermill Paper Co. in Erie in 1898. The Behrend family lived on the 400-acre Glenhill Farm, which is the core of the Penn State Behrend campus today. For more information, visit behrend.psu.edu.

Gannon University’s Schuster Theatre is excited to welcome the Cambridge University American Stage Tour (CAST) for one performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The performance will be held at Schuster Theatre, 620 Sassafras Street, at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14. CAST, a traveling student theater company, will bring Macbeth to stages in seven states in its 11th U.S. tour since 2000.

One of the enduring works in Western literature, Macbeth explores the nature of human existence: love and duty, power and loss and good and evil. In CAST’s production of Shakespeare’s tragic masterpiece, nothing is quite as it seems. Inspired by modern dystopian fiction, the audience will descend into a landscape of broken dreams and bloody ambitions, inhabited by murderers and madmen. Macbeth is the story of a man who releases fear into his world and infects the lives of those around him.

Tickets for the general public are $10. For more information, contact the Schuster Theatre box office at 814-871-7494. For more information on the Cambridge University American Stage Tour, visit http://castonline.org.

The Inaugural Hertel & Brown Memorial Golf Tournament, benefiting the Erin Carlisle Scholarship Fund, will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Whispering Woods Golf Club in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Mentor, Ohio native and Lake Catholic High School graduate Erin Carlisle was tragically killed on Memorial Day 2011 when the boat she was on exploded, killing her instantly. Carlisle, 25, who lived in Erie, was one of five people aboard a 32-foot Wellcraft at the Erie Yacht Club. The boat was experiencing mechanical problems after refueling that lead to the explosion. Carlisle was the only individual who died from the explosion, although the four other individuals on board, including Erin’s husband Ryan Carlisle, were treated for severe burns at area hospitals. An attendant at the Erie Yacht Club’s fueling station was also injured and treated.

Erin Carlisle, whose maiden name is Gaydos, graduated in 2004 from Lake Catholic High School of Mentor, Ohio, where she played basketball and soccer and made the honor roll several times. She attended Gannon University in Erie, and graduated in May of 2009 with her Masters in Occupational Therapy. Following graduation, Erin worked for 2 years at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Erie in the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit. Carlisle treated her patients with compassion and a smile on her face that was unforgettable. She often went above and beyond what her job required in order to provide excellent quality of care to all she treated. On May 15th, 2010, Erin married Ryan Carlisle, a Physical Therapist at Hertel and Brown Physical Therapy of Erie, whom she met while attending Gannon. She enjoyed running, spending time with her loving family and working on the couple’s newly purchased home in Fairview.

Following Erin’s tragic death scholarships were created in Erin’s honor at both Gannon University and Lake Catholic High School. The scholarship at Gannon University will benefit a graduate level occupational therapy student who excels in academics and displays financial need. The scholarship at Lake Catholic High School will benefit a girls’ basketball player who performs well in class and also demonstrates a financial need. The Golf Outing will benefit both the Gannon University and the Lake Catholic scholarships.

The cost to participate in the tournament is $125 per person, or $500 per team. There are sponsorship opportunities available to individuals or companies, ranging from $100 to $1,500. Prizes for giveaways or baskets will also be gratefully accepted.

To reserve a team or for sponsorship details, contact Doug Robinson at (814) 873-1513, Ryan Munson at (814) 504-2046, or Shari Robinson at (814) 873-5195.