Coconut Joe's Grand Opening
By Cindy Hemper

This week we take a stroll down to Coconut Joe's for a Memorial Day weekend, at one of Erie’s liveliest bars, for fun in the sun on the largest outdoor patio in the city. Coconut Joe's located at 28 North Park Row is hosting the 2011 season grand opening which will begin this Friday May 27th at 4pm.

Coconut Joe's has a large bar encircled by cabana huts and a large mingling area. There's also a large stage for live music performances. In addition to a wide variety of cocktails, Coconut Joe's serves up great Philly cheese steaks along with smokehouse burgers and pizzas, with happy hour starting at 4pm every Friday.

Friday’s summer kickoff will include all your favorite drinks served up at the tiki bar with the Jackson Station band cranking out your favorite tunes.

Jackson Station is a band that jams on party music that is driven more by the piano, the organ and the saxophone rather than the guitars or drums.

If you stop out to the show Friday night, you will be treated to tunes by Bruce Springsteen such as Glory Days and We're Having a Party, not to mention a bounty of other songs by classic-rockers, such as Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Warren Zevon and Stevie Wonder.

One of the great things about the Jackson Station band is that they play lesser-known songs or reworked versions of songs by great artists’ as well as those popular tunes we all love to sing along with and dance to.

The Jackson Station band is something like a rock-concert revival, no real message in the music, just all about having a good time.

The band is made up of musical veterans that features Anthony Stefanelli, drums & vocals; Bill Meeker, lead guitar; Jack Stevenson, rhythm guitar & vocals; Jim Laughlin, keyboards; Mike Kedzior, saxophone and Mike Kuhn, bass & vocals.

Make a point of stopping down to Coconut Joe's tomorrow night for great fun, at a lively bar with awesome cocktails and food, not to mention one of the best shows in town that night.

Coconut Joe's 2011 Grand Opening
Friday, May 27, 4:00PM
Boardwalk Complex

'Maria the Korean Bride' (Finally) Has 50th Wedding

Maria Yoon's wedding invitation details are quite precise. The nuptials will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 22, at Times Square in New York City, near the Walgreens, on the sidewalk. As she has learned from her previous 49 ceremonies, it's best to leave little to chance.

Yoon, 39, is a first generation Korean-American. Calling herself "the voice of the unmarried Asian-American woman," she bridled against the pressure her parents put on her to get hitched at a young age. So she became Maria the Korean Bride, and set out to hold a wedding in all 50 states to amplify and explore the ostracism that she feels, as well as examine how getting married is seen in other cultures.

Along the way she discovered a lot of different attitudes, anxieties and anguish about what a wedding - and the institution of marriage - really means. But, mostly, she got really good at on-the-fly wedding planning. New York, her home state, is her last (fake) espousal. "It was important to me to finish the project before I officially became 40 on May 25," she says.

Each wedding is an art project, and thus requires a commitment from a guy only to show up and read the vows Yoon writes for each occasion ("I promise to love, honor and cherish you until the end of the ceremony..."). Nevertheless, it's no simple matter to find grooms. In one state (Nebraska) she married a 700-lb. Angus bull. In another (Wisconsin) she married an embroidered shirt.

Still, she has standards. Since it's art, she has to approve of the way the groom looks. She married a dog musher in Alaska and a cowboy in Wyoming (his girlfriend took a dim view). In New York, she held a lottery to find grooms, with vying suitors paying $5 each for a ticket. But even in a city where unusual art happenings are a daily occurrence, the first two grooms bailed and she had to go with No. 3. Another lesson she learned from 49 weddings: have a backup for everything.

Some have told her she's desecrating what's supposed to be a sacred ceremony. (Others might note that ship sailed long ago.) But she disagrees. "I take marriage so seriously, I needed to explore what it really means," she says. And while the weddings don't represent a lifetime commitment, they still require almost as much work as the ones that are supposed to be permanent.

Yoon wears a traditional hanbok, or Korean dress, for each occasion (although she chooses the type of hanbok usually worn at funerals), with an elaborate headdress and dots on her face. And she has to find celebrants, book a venue and get people to show up. Plus, unlike for many young brides, her parents aren't footing any of the bill.

Yoon takes the ceremonies very seriously; she never smiles, out of deference, she says, to her forebears. And some grooms have remarked that she's so intent on getting everything right, they're glad the marriage is over quickly.

Her parents, who probably rue the day they started to ask her why she wasn't married yet, are coming to the wedding in Times Square. It's their first. While her family has come around to (more or less) supporting her project, says Yoon, "my dad is thrilled that this is the last and final one."

Does Yoon ever want to get married for real? "Yes, I think so," she says. "However after years of interviewing couples and singles about marriage, maybe my expectations are a little more muted than most."

Click Image for Band Registration Form

Young People’s Chorus of Erie
Touring Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C.
By Suzanne Scarpino

Monday, June 13 – Sunday, June 19

The Young People’s Chorus of Erie is taking its show on the road!

Thirty-eight members of YPC Erie’s Concert Chorus and Young Men’s Chorus depart Monday, June 13, on a weeklong tour of Pennsylvania. Their first public performance takes place that evening at First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood in Pittsburgh; the next evening they will sing in the Esber Recital Hall at Penn State’s University Park campus.

On Wednesday, June 15, the choirs mix work and play—in the morning they will perform for legislators and visitors in the Main Rotunda of the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, and in the afternoon for visitors at Hersheypark, followed by free time for riding and sliding.

The following day, the choirs cross the Mason-Dixon Line to perform at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. They return to Pennsylvania on Saturday, June 18, for an evening performance at Philadelphia’s First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne. Their final public performance takes place on Sunday, June 19, at Marywood University in Scranton.

In addition to the public performances, the choirs also will attend a master class with Frank Albinder, conductor of the Washington, D.C., Men’s Camerata, and give a private performance for patients and families at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.

The Concert Chorus and Young Men’s Chorus perform under the direction of Dr. Jason Bishop, director of choral activities at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and founder and artistic director of YPC Erie. YPC Erie is a youth outreach organization of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Penn State Behrend and the first affiliate of the famed Young People’s Chorus of New York City.

The choristers making the tour range in age from 11 to 18, and represent 27 schools in Erie County. “This tour is a great opportunity to show the state what YPC Erie is all about,” Bishop said. “Our choristers will dazzle audiences from the state’s capitol to the nation’s capitol and beyond. They’ve worked hard, so I know they will make Erie proud.”

The choirs’ tour repertoire of traditional and contemporary pieces includes works by Claude Debussy, Jim Papoulis, Gabriela Lena Frank, Mitch Leigh, Gustav Holst, Rollo Dilworth and Paul Simon. For additional information about YPC Erie or their public tour performances, visit www.ypcerie.org.

Flagship Niagara Program Redefined

The Flagship Niagara will serve as a floating college and high school campus this summer, and engage in three distinct voyages on the Great Lakes. The Flagship Niagara League has developed consortia relationships with colleges and premier preparatory schools around the United States. The schools worked in conjunction with the Flagship Niagara League staff to create customized courses that were specifically crafted for shipboard education. The three programs include a college level history consortium, college level environmental science consortium, and a high school level preparatory school consortium.

These unique programs will provide college students with an unparalleled experiential learning opportunity. Participating college students come from Walsh University, Canton, OH; Edinboro University, Edinboro, Pennsylvania; Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania; Grove City College, Grove City, Pennsylvania; University of Connecticut, Avery Point, Connecticut; Heidelberg University, Tiffin, OH; Niagara University, Buffalo, NY; State University of New York College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY; Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania; and Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Participating high school students come from the University School, Cleveland, Ohio; Sidwell Friends School, Washington, D.C. and Shady Side Academy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Students in all three programs will receive course credit from their home institution that will count towards their graduation requirements. “The combination of learning ecology, while living, working, and studying on the Flagship Niagara, will allow students an amazing learning experience,” asserts the lead professor from the environmental science consortium, Dr. Bill Edwards of Niagara University. The programs are the first-of-its-kind, according to Senior Captain Walter Rybka. “We have created a shipboard educational model that does not exist anywhere else in the United States,” he said. Caleb Pifer of the Flagship Niagara League added, “This is just one more example of how the Flagship Niagara is in a league of her own when it comes to formalized shipboard education.”

More about the Flagship Niagara

“Pennsylvania’s Official Flagship and Sailing Ambassador” is one of the nation’s largest tall ships (198’). The ship is a reproduction of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship from the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. The ship was built in 1988 and is homeported at the Erie Maritime Museum, located in Erie, Pennsylvania.

History Channel Gives 10 Hours to 'The Bible'

As a kid in the 1960s, reality TV king Mark Burnett was thrilled by the special-effects miracle of a sundered Red Sea in "The Ten Commandments."

"How cool was that?" said the producer of "Survivor" and "The Apprentice," who watched Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 film when it aired on television.

Now it's Burnett's turn to wow a small-screen audience with epic Scripture stories: He and his wife, actress Roma Downey, are producing the 10-part docudrama "The Bible" for the History channel.

It's set to air in 2013, History channel President Nancy Dubuc said Tuesday.

The series will combine live action with computer-generated imagery to retell stories ranging from Noah and the Ark to Exodus to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Shooting is planned for the Middle East and elsewhere.

Burnett said he and Downey (who starred in a different look at faith, the fantasy series "Touched by an Angel") have been working on the project for two years. Both grew up with Scriptures, he in England and she in Northern Ireland, but aren't on a mission, Burnett said.

"People apply personal meanings to the Bible. Our job is to tell the stories in an emotionally connected way," he said, adding that much of great literature and its characters are rooted in the book.

The cable channel, which has done religious-focused projects since it debuted, was looking for a worthy follow to the 12-hour series "America: The Story of Us," Dubuc said.

For a new generation, "The Bible" provides a way to visit the work "in a visual and entertaining way" that may encourage viewers to seek more information, she said.

The project also has global appeal, of value to History and its 150-country reach, Dubuc said.

"The Bible" is among the channel's biggest ventures, she said, declining to detail the budget.

History, which had partnered with Burnett on "Expedition Africa," had a series of talks with him about his wish to explore the Bible and his approach, Dubuc said.

It became apparent that "his vision was to do the Bible much the way we did `The Story of Us,'" she said.

There is no conflict between the new series and the channel's brand, the executive said.

"Regardless of your beliefs — and we're not drawing on any feelings about the importance of faith — this is the most-studied book of all time," she said.

"The Bible" is using the New International Version, the translation preferred by evangelical Christian leaders, and the New Revised Standard Version, Dubuc said. A committee of theologians and scholars is being assembled to consult on the series.

Burnett called it humbling to portray the Scriptures on screen and gratifying to "breathe fresh visual life into incredible stories for a global audience."

The miniseries offers rare depth and the chance to create a "legacy" project, said Burnett, 50, whose credits also include the new singing contest "The Voice" and the upcoming Emmy Awards ceremony.

"I could be 80 or 90 and it could still be on television," he said of "The Bible."

Earlier this year, History stumbled with another major project, the controversial, multimillion-dollar miniseries "The Kennedys." The channel decided not to air it, saying it had concluded the "dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand." The miniseries aired in April on ReelzChannel.

History is owned by the A&E Television Networks, which itself is owned jointly by NBC Universal, the Walt Disney Co. and the Hearst Corp.

Failed Doomsday Has Real Deadly Consequences
By Benjamin Radford

Harold Camping, the 89-year-old leader whose study of the Bible convinced him and his followers that the world would end, has been described by his wife as "flabbergasted" that the apocalypse didn’t start over the weekend. There are some red faces out there. And if that's all it had been, then one could argue no great harm had been done.

But while Camping and his followers try to figure out what went wrong (or right) — with news Monday night that he now says Judgment Day will come on Oct. 21 — the failed prophecy did more than just damage Camping's credibility: It also appears to have caused death and serious injury to true believers.

A California woman named Lyn Benedetto was one of millions who heard Camping's message, and became concerned that her daughters would suffer terribly in the coming apocalypse. She allegedly forced her daughters, 11 and 14, to lie on a bed and then cut their throats with a box cutter. She then tried to kill herself, though police arrested Benedetto and all three survived.

Others were not so lucky. An elderly man in Taiwan reportedly killed himself on May 5 ahead of the Rapture by jumping out of a building. He had heard that doomsday was imminent, and had taken recent earthquakes and tsunamis as early warning signs.

There were other unconfirmed reports of doomsday-related suicides around the world as well.

This is of course not the first time that failed doomsday predictions have led to tragedy. The most famous pre-apocalypse suicides in recent times occurred in 1997 when the Heaven’s Gate Christian UFO group came to believe that the comet Hale-Bopp was a sign that Jesus was returning, and the world would end soon. Prompted in part by scripture, rumors, and late-night radio talk shows, the group's fanaticism led to nearly 40 deaths.

Camping's failure holds an important cautionary lesson, because doomsday predictions are not going away. Many people, especially those in the New Age community, believe that 2012 will bring global cataclysm. It's easy to dismiss and ridicule failed prophets as modern-day harmless Chicken Littles misleading the gullible, but apocalyptic visions can have deadly consequences —even when they are wrong.

Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirerscience magazine and author of "Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries." His Web site is www.RadfordBooks.com

United States Capitol Flies Flag To Honor Cabot Guns Launch

Cabot Guns, A New American gun company is honored with US Flag Flown over the US Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Cabot Guns dedicates flag to God, Country and Family. Sets a new industry standard for precision manufacturing.

Cabot Gun Company, LLC (“Cabot Guns”), a new American gun company and the only gun made in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, received certification from the Architect of the Capitol that a 5 foot by 8 foot flag was flown over the United States Capitol on April 26, 2011 to commemorate the launch of Cabot Guns. The flag was dedicated to God, Country and Family, stated John Renda, an attorney for the company.

One hundred percent made in America, Cabot Guns is a collaboration between Cabot Guns and Penn United Technologies, Inc. Together, they design, build and market four model 1911 style handguns which set a new standard in gun manufacturing technology. Cabot Guns President, Robert Bianchin, commented, “America is a nation which fosters innovation, entrepreneurship and quality, and Cabot Guns is the embodiment of these traits.”

Four model 1911 style pistols were debuted by Cabot Guns at the NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibit in Pittsburgh, PA, a week ago to much fanfare. Cabot Guns offers the world's first post-custom pistol. They have successfully engineered 1911 pistols which exceed National Match Standards out of the box with fully interchangeable parts - unheard of today. Unlike custom guns which require hand fitting, Cabot Guns are machined using proprietary technology developed by Penn United where the frame and slide clearance is precisely 0.001 inches, every time. “Our parts are clones,” remarked Bianchin. "This is our long-earned and long-invested proprietary technology. Not only are our guns a mechanical engineering triumph but have been designed with aesthetic beauty in mind. 'True Americana' – that’s what we are building. Our guns will be passed down for generations and revered for their quality. We are proud to be part of history now at the US Capitol. This marks yet another step in the evolution of our young yet bold venture to offer discerning gun lovers the best of what America has to offer."

Cabot Guns by Penn United Technologies, Inc. are located at 799 N. Pike Road, Cabot, PA. For additional information please visit http://www.cabotguns.com and http://www.pennunited.com.

A Brief History of the 1911 Pistol

■ The 1911 pistol is a single-action, semi-automatic hand gun.
■ Designed by John Moses Browning and was the standard-issued side arm for the U.S. Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985.
■ Continues to be carried by U.S. special forces, law enforcement and FBI.
■ The 1911 name is from the year first adopted by the military.
■ Widely used in World War 1, World War 2, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
■ In 1940 formal designation was Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45 M1911 A1 (ACP 45).
■ Popular with Civilian Shooters in competitive events such as the USPSA, IDPA, International Practical Shooting Confederation and Bulls eye Shooting.
■ Currently used by Marine Corps Special Operations Command, LAPD S.W.A.T., FBI Hostage Recue Team, Delta Force etc.
■ Also popular as a civilian carry concealed gun"
■ After 100 years, still the second most popular hand gun in the USA.

Actress Phyllis Avery Dead at 88

Phyllis Avery, who played the wife of Ray Milland in 75 episodes of the 1953-55 CBS comedy "Meet Mr. McNulty," died May 19 of heart failure at her home in Los Angeles. She was 88.

In "McNulty" (later called "The Ray Milland Show"), Milland played a professor at a college for girls, with Avery as his wife, Peggy.

During her 50-year career, the petite blonde also co-starred in the 1960-62 CBS soap opera "The Clear Horizon" and on such shows as "Peter Gunn," "Have Gun -- Will Travel," "The Rifleman," "The Millionaire," "Rawhide" and "Perry Mason."

In the mid-'60s, Avery went on to a career selling real estate in West Los Angeles but continued on TV with stints on "All in the Family," "Maude," "Charlie's Angels" and "Baretta." Later she appeared on the 1990s series "Coach" and in the 1993 film "Made in America."

Born in New York to screenwriter Stephen Morehouse Avery (1948's "Every Girl Should Be Married," starring Cary Grant) and Evelyn Martine, Avery made her Broadway debut in the 1937 production of "Orchids Preferred." After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she played one of the featured ingenues in the 1940 stage hit "Charley's Aunt" with Jose Ferrer.

In the morale-boosting World War II-era production of "Winged Victory," Avery appeared opposite actor Don Taylor (the husband of Elizabeth Taylor in the two "Father of the Bride" movies), to whom she was married a year later. They divorced in 1955.

Avery made her movie debut in "Queen for a Day" (1951) and also appeared in the films "Ruby Gentry" (1952) and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (1956).

Survivors include daughters Avery and Anne and granddaughter Martine.

The Renaissance Ballet presents, "Les Sylphides"

Saturday, June 18, 2011 @ 8:00PM

Chautauqua regional Youth Ballet presents the Renaissance Ballet in Les Sylphides and excerpts from famous ballets.

The Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet will present its performing ensemble The Renaissance Ballet in a program featuring the ballet Les Sylphides. The performance, under the artistic direction of Monika Alch, will be held Saturday, June 18th 8pm at the Struthers Library Theatre in Warren at 8pm. Guest Artist will be Jordan Leeper from the North Carolina Dance Theatre and a graduate of CRYB’s Pre-Professional Division. Mr. Leeper trained at CRYB for 7 years and was then accepted at the San Francisco Ballet School on full scholarship where he spent his senior year. In 2010 he was offered an apprenticeship with the North Carolina Dance Theatre. This past Fall he joined NCDT’s second company and in early 2011 was promoted to the main company. The ballet Les Sylphides, with original choreography by Michel Fokine, with music by Frédéric Chopin and orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov. Les Sylphides, a one-act romantic reverie, is a plotless work in which a poet dances with ghostly sylphs in a forest. Les Sylphides is a very accessible ballet for all types of audiences. For those new to the medium, it presents an opportunity to see a complete work and to see ballet in a pure form with the emphasis on the dance. The Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet is unique in that it has established itself and has continued to thrive as the area’s premier school of Classical Ballet training. Under the Artistic Direction of Monika Alch, the school has developed a pre-professional division and has offered the community quality classical dance performances which include an annual production of the full-length ballet The Nutcracker in addition to a Spring performance which features excerpts from the classical ballet repertoire. This past year, CRYB formed The Renaissance Ballet as a further development of its Pre-Professional program. Tickets are on sale for this performance and are $!4.00 for Adult and $12.00 for Seniors and Students and are available at the Theatre office or at the door. Children age 5 and under are free.

Inside E R I  Jams

Presenting, promoting and preserving the artistic culture of our city along with the works of independent filmmakers, writers, artists and musicians in the Erie area.

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E R I Jams Staff...

My wife and I enjoy your magazine each week. Each story is very interesting and your magazine is full of stuff we enjoy reading.

Listen Live

Around Campus

Edinboro University
219 Meadville St, Edinboro
(814) 732-2000
Campus Map

End of Semester


Edinboro Film Series

FALL 2011 PROGRAM

Wednesdays 8:30PM Pogue Student Center Multipurpose Room
Free with EUP I.D. / General Public $2 / Poster Raffle $2

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968)
Wednesday, September 7
An epic Western directed by Sergio Leone.
Starring Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson. Rated PG13
Hosted by Edinboro Film Series

BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997)  
Wednesday, September 21
A look at the California porn industry in the 1970s and 80s. Directed by
Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds. Rated R
Hosted by Edinboro Film Series

BLUE VELVET (1986)
Wednesday, October 5
A young man discovers a sinister underworld in his suburban home town. Directed by David Lynch. Starring Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper. Rated R
Hosted by Filmmaker Mark Steensland

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (2004) Wednesday, October 19
*Doucette Hall Room 119
A young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Rated PG
Hosted by Filmmaker Brad Pattullo

BEST OF EERIE HORROR FEST 2011  Wednesday, October 26
Collection of Horror/Thriller shorts and features from this year's film festival. Rated R.
Hosted by Festival President Greg Ropp

Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN (2001)  Wednesday, November 2
Two young men and a woman embark on a road trip of discovery. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Starring Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal. Rated R
Hosted by Edinboro Film Series

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (2010) Wednesday, November 16
An eccentric shop keeper and amateur filmmaker gains access into the underground world of graffiti art. Directed by Banksy. Rated R
Hosted by Edinboro Film Series

BUFFALO '66 (1998)
Wednesday, November 30
After being released from prison, a man kidnaps a teeange girl and takes her with him to visit his parents. Directed by Vincent Gallo. Starring Christina Ricci. Rated R.
Hosted by Filmmaker Len Kabasinski

GOOD BURGER (1997)
Wednesday, December 14
A high school student is forced to get a job at a fast food restaurant.
Starring Kenan Thompson, Sinbad. Rated PG
Hosted by Nickelodeon Historian Brook White

Mercyhurst College
501 East 38th St, Erie
(800) 825-1926

Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center

Visual Acoustics
Wed., June 1, at 2:15PM & 7:15PM Visual Acoustics celebrates the life and career of Julius Shulman, the world's greatest architectural photographer.

Brew & View: Visual Acoustics
Wed., June 1, at 6PM
Visual Acoustics celebrates the life and career of Julius Shulman, the world's greatest architectural photographer.

The Importance of Being Earnest
Saturday, June 4, at 1 & 7PM
Roundabout Theatre company, L.A. Theatre Works and BY Experience present Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" captured LIVE in high-definition.

Gannon University
109 University Square, Erie
(814) 871-7000 or (800) 426-6668

End of Semester

Penn State Behrend College
4701 College Drive, Erie
(814) 898-6000 or (866) 374-3378
Campus Map

Events that are open to both the Penn State Behrend community and the public


Injection Molding Conference Wednesday, June 15, 2011
5:30 AM - 9:30PM

Burke Center Cafe
Rhonda Steg
rjv3@psu.edu 
Phone: 814-898-6295


Gospel Hill Garden Club Picnic Tuesday, August 02, 2011
5:00PM - 9:00PM

Wilson Picnic Grove
Michelle Slagle
fms6@psu.edu 
Phone: 814-898-6166

County Events

Poetry Scene
The Erie Book Store
137 E 13, Erie PA
Every Friday 6:30-8PM

Open Mic. Everyone is invited to sit and listen, read your own or someone else's poetry. Relax and enjoy coffee, tea or a soft drink and a tasty pastry.

Other Locations for Open Poetry Nite

Poetry Scene Prime Time

Saturday, May 28 @ 8:00 p.m.

International Fellowship of Poets and Spoken Word Artists PA Local 1136

Open Mic. Everyone is invited Come tonight or you will have to wait until fall for this great venue to reopen.
1136 E Lake Rd Erie, PA
 

Poetry in the Park returns

Saturday, June 25, 2011 5:00pm - 8:30pm

Organized by Heidi Blakeslee
This is the third annual Poetry in the Park event

Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park
8th and Bayfront Parkway, Erie, PA 16507

Tom Forsthoefel Erie County Pennsylvania Poet Laureate
 

Enhanced Poetry CD Now Available

Enhanced Poetry is Chuck Joy, with Kurt Sahlmann. Chuck's all poetry, Kurt is mostly music. Music and poetry at the same time. It's fun and moving. We performed at the Jive Cafe in Erie PA last December and the CD recorded live at that event is readying for distribution. The CD, "Enhanced Poetry, Live at The Jive!" is available at the Erie Book Store.

You can also order the CD "Enhanced Poetry - Live At The Jive" online

If you have any questions please contact Chuck Joy at crjoy1@gmail.com

Live At The Jive the Enhanced Poetry CD featuring Kurt Sahlmann and Chuck Joy with special guests Monica Igras and Darryl M. Brown is available now on www.cdbaby.com. Search the title or artist.

Even if you have a copy it's fun to sample the tracks! The whole CD can be ordered, or downloaded (very modern!) and single songs are available for download at 99 cents.

Check track 13, Frank Sinatra Reads Poetry . . .

EQUIPMENT DAY AT THE ERIE ZOO

This day is full of big fun! On Saturday, June 4 from 10am-2pm, the Erie Zoo will be full of all your favorite heavy machinery for Equipment Day. From dump trucks to front-end loaders, the Zoo will be fully stocked with more trucks than you can imagine. Kids will be able to take a closer look and even sit on the heavy machinery they see all over town at construction sites. Kids in attendance will receive their very own construction hat. This special day is sponsored by the General Electric Federal Credit Union and Country 98.

TREC Looking For Volunteers

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED: To assist our 'Riders with Special Needs' on horseback as they enhance their Physical, Mental, Emotional and Social Skills through Safe Equine Assisted Therapy. No experience is required, just a love of horses and helping others. Volunteers help groom and tack the horses and 'sidewalk' with our Clients to ensure their safety while riding.

Classes run Monday-Saturday 9AM-12PM (approx.) and Monday-Thursday 4:30PM-7:30PM (approx.) TRAINING NOW! This is an inspiring and rewarding Volunteer experience...."Make A Difference, Volunteer"

For more details, please call Linda Sutto@ 474-5276, ext 11

Location - Corner of Platz and Sterrettania Rds.
Cost - No charge/No experience necessary
Link - www.trecerie.org 

MEMBERS' DAY/ SPRING ANIMAL ART SHOW

Every year over 10,000 families become members of the Erie Zoo. With the continued support from all of those families we can continue to make the Zoo a great place that we can all be proud of. The money raised helps feed the over 400 animals that live here and improve the exhibits they live in. To show our thanks, we invite all Zoo members to join us for the Members' Day Picnic Celebration on Saturday, June 11 from 10am-5pm. All Zoo Members will receive a free hot dog, free Coca-Cola, free train ride and free carousel ride. Don't miss this fun day at the Zoo!

And brand new this year, we are having a Spring Animal Art Show! Everything you love about the winter art show is back. Search for paintings created by your favorite animals here at the Zoo. Paintings range from $15-$60 depending on the size. Stop by and pick up a gift for that special friend or family member.

Storytime at Werner Books

Join us at Werner Books every Wednesday at 10:30AM for storytime and crafts with Ms. Anne. Stories are directed at children ages 3 to 6 - siblings are welcome! We ask that children please be accompanied by an adult.

Werner Books is located in the Liberty Plaza next to Peggy's Restaurant. Free Kids and up

(814) 864-1565

Wed, Feb 16, 2011 - Wed, Jan 4, 2012 10:30AM

Werner Books
3514 Liberty St.
Erie, PA 16508
(814) 864-1565

NPAA Art Lottery and Sale

June 29, 2011

To benefit the NPAA High School Scholarship Competition

5PM, Warner Theater

Tickets go on sale end of May.

Check website for more information.

NPAA Biennial Exhibit Erie and Meadville

July 28, - September 17, 2011

The Biennial Major Exhibit to be held at 1020 Holland St, Erie and the Heeschen Gallery, Meadville, PA

Opening reception in Erie, July 28th (7 - 9PM)  and in Meadville July 30th (7 - 9PM)

WQLN Kids Haiku Contest

Who: Anyone age 6-12
When: Deadline June 1st, 2011
How: Fill out the form below
Winners: Our favorite haikus will be selected as winners.
The winners will get to recite their haikus on TV!

What's a Haiku?
A haiku is a 3 line poem with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line and 5 syllables in the third line. They don't have to rhyme. In fact, haikus should not rhyme. The subject of a typical haiku is usually about nature. For our contest though, we want the subject to be about a WQLN Kids program.

Visit Their Website for More Information.

Volunteers Needed for Big Back Yard Project

We are looking for volunteers to help finish the Big Back Yard Project. We had a great time in the fall! If you are interested, please contact SafeNet at 814-455-1774 and indicate that you would like more information about volunteering for the Big Back Yard Project. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Great Blue Heron Music Festival 2011 Volunteers

The Heron still needs LOTS of volunteers for the festival. They have 318 people so far and need 382!

Please read about it on-line and sign up there, too. ASAP. Pre-fest slots are mostly full, so the greatest need is for people to help during the festival. 9 hours equals a $80 ticket. Can't beat that!

www.greatblueheron.com

Enter to win $5,000 from the Erie Playhouse Reverse Raffle!

Erie Playhouse Reverse Raffle. Tickets are $50, and the grand prize is $5,000! Please consider supporting the Erie Playhouse and potentially winning big!

If $50 is a bit much for you to pay (as it is for me!), you can organize groups and buy tickets together if you like. For example, 5 people could pay $10 each for a ticket and split the prize 5 ways.

Grand prize (last ticket drawn) $5,000
400th ticket drawn $500
300th ticket drawn $300
200th ticket drawn $200
100th ticket drawn $100

Many additional prizes will be awarded throughout the event. A maximum of 500 tickets will be sold, so at worst, your odds at the grand prize are 1 in 500.

The ticket price is $50 (Admits two people to event/winner need not be present to win). The Raffle will be held on August 7, 2011 at 2:00 PM at the Harborcreek Social Hall (7275 Buffalo Road) and beer, pop, snacks, games of chance, and other forms of entertainment will be provided.

IF YOU WANT TO BUY A TICKET, email me at zachflock@gmail.com

Erie Zoo 2011 Calendar of Events

Cast Call

The United We Stand Theater Troupe will be holding auditions for its fall production, the comedy soap opera spoof, "Melancholy Heights." Auditions will be held Mon. and Tues., 06/27 and 06/28 at 7p.m. at the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Bldg., 717 State Street. Large cast. Adults needed between 30 and 45. Two younger actors needed also, one male and one female. Show dates are Fri. and Sat., 09/16 - 10/01 at the Renaissance Centre, 2nd floor. For more info., call Craig Schneider at 397-4742 or Rob at 490-7933.