Lake Erie Life

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LifeStyle

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PLUS:

Through the lens with Mark Fainstein Trout season opens in April National Parks celebrate 100 years WQLN: ‘OurTown’visits Edinboro

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STORE HOURS

contents EDUCATION

April ’16

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 6

bon appétit

18

IN GOOD TASTE

STUDENTS LEARN MORE THAN WHAT’S BEHIND THE KITCHEN DOOR.

Photo courtesy of Mercyhurst North East

home & garden 12 FISH TALES

Clever homeowner carves a sweet memory out of a tree.

bon appétit

15 BREWERY GOES DEEP

Bottomless Brewing finds a home in the Finger Lakes wine country.

arts & entertainment 20 ARTS COMBO

The Erie Philharmonic and the Erie Playhouse team up to present “My Fair Lady.”

22 FLASHBACK

Photographer Mark Fainstein shares his view through the lens of time.

24 CAREER TAKES SHAPE

Clay artist mixes media to create business opportunity.

sports & adventure

In Every Issue 10 THINGS TO DO

Go to a game, eat some books, enjoy art all night and relish some sea glass.

34

28 ALL ABOUT TROUT

Here’s where to go as the season opens in northwestern Pennsylvania.

escapes

30 PARK YOUR VACATION HERE

Traveler shares favorite parks to honor National Park Service’s 100th anniversary.

36 37

ON SCENE

We caught you at the Knock Out Homelessness event and a tea party.

INSIDE PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Take a trip to Edinboro. Meet the people, and enjoy the history.

WQLN PROGRAMMING

Join WQLN on road trips, Erie MicrowBrew Festival, Gears to Beers and Earth Day.

ONTHE COVER

27 EDUCATION VISION

Mercyhurst University President Michael Victor shares his ideas for the future of the campuses and their students. Cover photo by Matt Kleck

April2016

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from the editor APRIL 2016 EDUCATED BY THE BEST Decades ago, Marnie Mead asked me to write some business and financial stories. Years later, she asked me to become the editor of this fine magazine, and I just knew it would be successful. It continues to grow because of Marnie’s leadership. Marnie will be leaving her everyday duties as Lake Erie LifeStyle general manager just days after this issue goes to print, but she will certainly not be disappearing from its pages. Before she leaves the desk across from mine, I need to thank her for her mentorship, her friendship and just a few of the many lessons she taught me.Three big lessons: 1. Write and edit with emotion. Be present. Make readers feel like they are there with you. It’s all about the reader — not the writer. 2.Think big. Big ideas. Big photos. Big advertisers. Big awards. We did all of that, and we keep it fresh every month. We never let up, and we never will. 3. Live the Lake Erie LifeStyle. And tell readers about other people who live it, too. And we did. We watched the

sunrise at the highest point in Erie County because Tom New suggested it. We sailed on the Niagara with the Boy Scouts. We fished. We kayaked. I can’t think of too many things we didn’t do. Some lessons were personal. Marnie conquered some tough times on a personal level, and she shared them. And her sharing helped others. Professionally, we didn’t always agree on everything. Some discussions were lively and loud.They could be heated, but they were almost always peppered with laughter in the end. Thank you, Marnie, for making me a better writer and a smarter editor. Enjoy living the Lake Erie lifestyle, and keep sharing it with all of us.

Pam Parker Managing Editor, Lake Erie LifeStyle pam.parker@timesnews.com Pam Parker, left, and Marnie Mead posing in 2009. Nicole Mead Oberle, bottom left, kept them laughing.

LAKE

ERIE

LifeStyle

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Marnie Mead marnie.mead@timesnews.com EDITOR Pam Parker pam.parker@timesnews.com PAGE DESIGNER Kristin Bowers PHOTOGRAPHERS Andy Colwell, Sarah Crosby, Rob Frank, Jack Hanrahan, Matt Kleck, Christopher Millette, Greg Wohlford ADVERTISING Lynn Dietz, retail sales supervisor Lynn.Dietz@timesnews.com 814-870-1664 CONTACT US pam.parker@timesnews.com 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534 www.lakeerielifestyle.com All content, including the design, art, photos and editorial content Š2016, Erie Times-News. No portion of this magazine may be copied or reprinted without the express written permission of the publisher.

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April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 7

contributors APRIL 2016

“The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.� — Malcolm Forbes KAREN BEARDSLEY previews the unique event “My Fair Lady� that combines talents from the Erie Playhouse with the Erie Philharmonic. Karen is the media relations manager for UPMC. page 20 MICHAEL BENSUR shares a touching story of how he converted an old tree trunk into a piece of art. Michael is a cabinetmaker for Lake City Manufactured Housing, a writer for Pennsylvania Game News and an avid outdoorsman. page 12

MARISSA ORBANEK shares the story of a talented student who creates pottery that is gaining national recognition. Marissa is the public relations manager for the General McLane School District and the girls varsity lacrosse coach at McDowell High School. page 24 STEVE ORBANEK travels to the Finger Lakes to find beer, not wine. Craft brewers are growing along with wineries in the region. Steve is the marketing communication specialist at Penn State Behrend. page 15

JOHN CHACONA goes behind the scenes with the folks who worked on the “Our Town� documentary about Edinboro that will premiere on WQLN. John is a copywriter in Gannon University’s marketing department. page 38

BRIAN R. SHERIDAN goes behind the camera for an inspirational interview with photographer Mark Fainstein. Brian is an assistant professor at Mercyhurst University. page 22

HILARY DANINHIRSCH tells us about great events in Pittsburgh. She writes for national lifestyle and trade magazines on a multitude of topics. She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and daughters. page 10

GREG SPINKS shares a preview of trout season in northwestern Pennsylvania. Greg is a freelance writer who writes weekly articles and a blog for the GoCrawford edition of the Erie Times-News and several Internet sites. page 28

MATT KLECK captures Michael Victor at work on the Mercyhurst University campus. Matt is a freelance photographer, and he has shot Lake Erie LifeStyle covers for more than three years. pages 1, 27 MARNIE MEAD finds a winter event in Cleveland and interviews heads of hospitality at Mercyhurst University. Marnie is the director of product development at the Erie Times-News, and she shares her adventures in food, sports and more in Her Times, Make It Erie and Lake Erie LifeStyle. pages 10, 18

STACEY WITTIG shares her favorite national parks in honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Stacey is a web content and travel writer with decades of experience. She is known as Vagabonding Lulu. page 30

coming in May

Feast your eyes on houses and gardens in our spring home and garden issue. Subscribe: Call 870-1600 or e-mail circulation@timesnews.com

April2016

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April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 9

4

things to do this April

PITTSBURGH

Compiled by Hilary Daninhirsch, Pam Parker and Marnie Mead

CLEVELAND

For one glorious weekend in April, a warehouse in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh is transformed into an art exhibition unlike any other. Art All Night is a place for amateur and Photo courtesy of Dan Marasco experienced artists to display their original creations in a variety of mixed media. Of the artwork that is submitted for display, it is an anything goes, no limits or boundaries kind of weekend, which jibes with the festival’s motto — “No Fee, No Jury, No Censorship.” You might see paintings, a chair made out of old baseball mitts, a framed doll head, or anything else you may (or may not) ever have imagined. In addition to tangible art hanging from the walls or on the warehouse floor, live performance art is on the agenda. Activities for children are also available throughout the weekend, though parents should exercise caution when walking through the exhibits due to the absence of censorship. Now in its 19th season, Art All Night, which is volunteer run, is quietly gaining more recognition with each passing year. And as hinted by the title, the event literally goes on all night. A bonus: Admission is free, as is any entry fee for the artists. Please check www.artallnight.org/wp for this year’s festival location and dates.

Play ball! The Cleveland Indians will host the Red Sox on Monday, April 4. If you can’t get tickets for opening day — or if it is snowing — then you have two more opportunities to see the Tribe take on the Red Sox again Wednesday and Thursday, Photo by Associated Press April 6 and 7. Then the Indians hit the road and play in Chicago on Friday, April 8. If baseball doesn’t hit a home run with you, then consider a trip to the Great Lakes Science Center, where “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” is on exhibit until Sunday, April 24. Kids, or you, can crawl through a life-size replica of a snake, examine meteorites or learn about the McGurk effect. The Great Lakes Science Center has winter hours through April: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. General admission is $15; $12, for ages 2 to 12. Additional fees apply for the Omnimax theater. Visit www. greatscience.com.

ERIE

BUFFALO

The fourth annual Great Lakes Beach Glass & Coastal Arts Festival returns to Erie Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bayfront Convention Center.The event includes more than 90 exhibitors. Event organizers Jennifer and Terri Reed, of Relish File photo by GREG WOHLFORD/ Inc., received a grant of $71,748 in tourism matching funds to promote the festival in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Niagara Falls and southern Ontario.Their goal is 5,000 to 10,000 patrons, who will enjoy live music, glass identification tables, beach glass art, contests, antique bottle collections and a look at rare Erie bottle colors. Oneday admission is $5. For more information, visit www.relishinc.com, or call Jennifer or Terri Reed at 814-836-1827.

April2016

Incredible edible books? Yes. You can enter an edible book or just join in the fun of eating them at the Eighth Annual Edible Book Festival on Saturday, April 2, at the Western New York Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St., Photo courtesy of Western Buffalo, from 3 to 6 p.m. New York Book Arts Center To enter: Make a fully edible item that relates to a book in one of three divisions: professional, amateur and youth (under age 16).The deadline for registration is Friday, April 1, at 5 p.m.Those submitting receive two free tickets. All entries must be delivered between noon and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, at the Book Arts Center with receipt of payment attached. Registration is $5 for members and $8 for nonmembers. Awards are given for most booklike, best tasting, and most creative use of materials. Judging is from 4 to 4:30 p.m..Then, as the event site says, “We eat our words!”General admission is $5 at the door or $3 for WNYBAC members. Children under 5 admitted free. Visit http:// wnybookarts.org/events or call 716-348-1430 for information. www.lakeerielifestyle.com

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home & garden

Do it just once Story and photos by Michael J. Bensur

I RECENTLY CUT DOWN a Douglas fir tree encroaching on my small barn and on my neighbor’s garage.The local red squirrels weren’t happy about having their travel route interrupted, but it had to be done. I left a 5-foot-tall trunk standing, covered with a bucket.The rest of the tree will be used for my neighbor’s backyard firewood. Few things can surpass the scent and sounds of a backyard ritual while friends and family gather to cook hot dogs and s’mores. I was sitting by my barn, pondering what I could do with the tree trunk, when my neighbor’s young grandson, Story, came strolling by. A friendly lad, he said to me, “Hey, Mr. Mike, whatcha doin’?” “I’m working,” I responded. With a puzzled look, he said, “Looks to me like you’re just sittin’ there drinking a beer.” April2016

“Don’t be fooled by appearances,” I said. “I’m really working.” “What’s under the bucket?” he asked. “A fish,” I said. He lifted the bucket and looked back at me cockeyed. “That’s just a stump!” “It’s a fir,” I said. “I’m not stupid,” he said. “Everybody knows stumps are made of wood. I bet my grampa would like that for his firewood.” “Humph!” I retorted. “Ya got any sand?” he asked. “No!” He left me sitting there, ruminating. When I was a young lad, I strolled into the same barn. My dad was puttering with some gizmo. “Hey, Dad,” I said, lifting a big old net off the wall. “What kind of net is this?” Not even looking, he said, “Smelt.” I pushed my nose into the laces and took a

whiff. I didn’t smell anything. “Hey, Dad, what kind of net is this?” I asked again. He retorted, “Smelt.” Again, I thought I could tell by smelling it. Nothing. He must have thought I was a bright kid. I left him thinking that. Later that evening, my mom and dad were having a chuckle in the kitchen. I asked, “What’s so funny?” My mom said, “Ed, it’s time to take that boy fishing.” Our first excursion was to Elk Creek. From a gravel bar, my dad cast a line into the water and leaned the pole on a forked stick. After an eternity of about five minutes or so, I got bored. “Can I go over there?” I asked, pointing downstream. “I guess so,” he replied. I found a really nifty spot — a big chunk of sod a foot or so below the rest of the bank. As I stepped onto the undercut bank, it gave way, www.lakeerielifestyle.com

home & garden falling into the creek and trying to take me with it. Doing a twistjump-grab maneuver that any circus entertainer would envy, I grabbed a few strands of creek grass. My lower torso felt the pull of the current, my feet swirling downstream. “Dad, help!� Frantically looking upstream, I saw my dad as he sadly shook his head side to side. He made another cast and yelled, “I’ll be there in a minute.� My teeth were chattering as he yanked me up by my shoulders and carried my soggy butt to the car. Our next outing was on a much smaller stream,Two Mile Creek in Ludlow. It was an enchanting April morning. Surrounded by hemlocks, we sat on a soft seat of fallen leaves. The air had a scent of pine, and water babbled over stone. I caught what my dad called a “speckled trout,� my first. As a young boy, I found it to be a wondrous experience — a memory I still treasure.

That memory is why I told young Story that a fish was under the bucket I had placed over the stump. I’m not a skilled wood carver. It was a slow, mechanical process for me. But that’s how all new skills develop. I made a few cuts on the stump with a chain saw to rough out a shape of a fish. With a marker, I drew some key lines to mark the eyes, gills and mouth. I sat down in my chair with a cold one while a red squirrel glared down from a nearby tree, scolding me with an obstinate chatter that told me he wasn’t happy about what I’d done to his tree. Story came strolling by, looked at the stump then at me with the beer in my hand. He said, “Still workin’, huh?� “Yep.� “Riiight. Ya got any frogs or mice?� “Sorry, Story, I gave away my last one yesterday.� “Aww man. I need one to feed my friend’s iguana.� “I could shoot a pesky red squirrel

for you,� I offered. “Naw, I need ’em alive,� he said. “I put bait on the ground so I could catch him, but he wouldn’t come down outta the tree.� “Story, there’s only one sure way to catch a squirrel,� I said with a grin. “What do I have to do?� he asked sincerely. I smiled, “Climb a tree and act like a nut.� He pondered only a moment, then said, “Awww! Ya got any sand?� “No.�“I thought I saw you with a bag of sand.� Crazy kid. Over the course of the next few weeks, a little at a time, the fish took shape with the use of a variety of saws, chisels, sanders and a Dremel tool. I used a hatchet to split hickory blocks into something that looked like fins about 30 times until I got them to look the way I wanted them to appear. With pieces mortised and glued into their proper places, my fish was really beginning to look like something.

above: Michael Bensur’s fish carving starts to take shape . facing page, from left: Michael Bensur cut down a Douglas fir and gradually transformed its stump into a piece of art. He started with a rough cut and a sketch, then completed the carved fish by painting it in colorful hues.

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April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 13

home & garden With a comfortable chair, a cold brew, and the noticeable absence of squirrels and Story, I sat back to enjoy my progress. I recalled a distant memory of a wilderness trout stream. A stealthy stalk on West Branch Caldwell Creek led me to a small, deep bend where water reflected foliage onto the lucid surface, the air had a rich musty scent and a squirrel chattered. A sudden small swirl in the slow current was exactly what I was looking for. A long, slow flick of my rod tip sent a Quill Gordon over the pool.The fly fluttered gently, settling onto the surface. My offering slipped under the surface. A flick of the rod tip, and a moment later I held in my wet hand the most beautifully colored wild brook trout I had ever seen. It was exhilarating. I let it slip back into the dark rivulet to regain its life and freedom. I decided right then that the fish would be the model for coloring my carving. Story stalked up on me, pulling me out of my daydream. “Still working, huh?� I nodded. “I like what you did with the stump.� “Thanks,� I said, and then I shared my memory with him. “ Where’d ya catch ’im?� he asked. I pinched

my upper lip between my thumb and forefinger and smiled. “Right here.� Rolling his eyes, he said, “ Aww, ya got any sand?� Using an airbrush and oil stains, the fish took on a pleasant appearance. A few touches with an artist brush and Q-tips, and I completed it. My wife, Mary, always my biggest fan and inspiration, wanted to see the progress on the fish. I lifted the bucket. “Ohhh, that’s awesome!� she exclaimed, with her hands flapping by her face. “You could sell those!� “I’m only doing it once!� I quipped. “There’s

going to be only one like it anywhere.� She looked at me with skepticism. “That’s what you said about the strawberry you carved last year.� She was right. A hobby, talent or a skill begins with doing something artistic just once. Give it a try. You may find yourself doing it again. When you complete a project, you have to just sit back and appreciate what you’ve done. You worked for it. You’ve earned it. Enjoy it. Once again, Story came by. “Hey, Mr. Mike, I really like what you did with that stump. It’s awesome!� “From one artist to another, Story, thanks,� I said. “Ya got any sand?� he asked. “Yeah, I think there’s some in that blue plastic tray over there. Don’t mind those clumps, they’ll break up in your fingers.� “Cool!� he said. He went into the barn and came back out with that same big old net. “Hey, what kind of net is this?� I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe it’s time to take that boy fishing. LEL above: The colors on Michael Bensur’s carving were inspired by a brook trout he caught, then released.

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bon appétit

Craft beer highlights Finger Lakes Trail By Steve Orbanek Photos by Bottomless Brewing WITH MORE THAN 90 CRAFT BREWERIES

and brew pubs located in the Finger Lakes region, one might speculate that the region was made to make great craft beer. According to Theresa Hollister, founding partner and president of the Finger Lakes Beer Trail, that’s because it was. “The access to fresh, clean water is so important, considering that water comprises more than 90 percent of beer and plays an important role in the flavor of the beer itself,” says Hollister. “In the Finger Lakes region, www.lakeerielifestyle.com

many brewers are fortunate to have access to fresh lake water and swear by its contribution to the flavor of their brews. Even those brewers who source their water from local reservoirs and aquifers have to do very little treatment, if any, to remove impurities.” Erieites who decide to visit the region for a craft beer-inspired vacation can add another brewery to their list of stops along their tour. Bottomless Brewing, in Fayette, N.Y., officially opens this month on the Finger Lakes Beer Trail, along northeastern Seneca Lake.

Bottomless Brewing is the brainchild of Carrie Fischer and her husband,Tom Thompson. A radiologist at Geneva General Hospital in Geneva, N. Y.,Thompson says the idea for the brewery came out of a conversation in April 2014. At the time, Fischer, who has a background in the United States Naval Construction Forces, had recently started a new career as a nurse. above: Bottomless Brewing, a new brewery in the Finger Lakes region, has a dramatic appearance at night.

April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 15

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#$ $ $+ # “I said, ‘Honey, what do you think about starting a brew pub?’� recalls Thompson, who began home brewing for fun in the 1970s. Fischer’s background with the Navy ensured that the two would be able to oversee and manage the construction of the brewery.Thompson says he originally planned to just purchase some land in the area and build a pole barn on site, but that quickly changed when the couple found an old dairy barn. “To be honest, my vision was smaller than that. I thought I would build a steel barn, and I didn’t really have a concept for what it would look like inside,�Thompson says. “But then we saw this barn, and we looked at each other and said, ‘Oh my God, this could be something totally different.’� “The beautiful thing about the barn is it has a lot of character, and it has a lot of history. It’s really been two projects in one,� says Fischer. “One, creating a brewery, and two, restoring a historic barn.� Typically, a brewery will start small and expand over time. But the barn gave the two

other thoughts. “We were immediately struck with the idea of this barn is massive. So do we develop the whole thing, or do we develop it part by part? Are we going to do part of this, or are we going to bite the bullet and do the whole thing? We just felt it would compromise the beauty of the barn if we didn’t do the whole thing,�Thompson says. “We’re taking the idea of a farm brewery to an extreme.� For a year,Thompson and Fischer have overseen and coordinated the complete renovations of the dairy barn They are already thinking ahead and plan to distribute and eventually bottle the brewery’s beer. What’s in a name? Thompson and Fischer were deliberate when it came to the name and logo for the brewery. “We decided to choose Bottomless Brewing at top: The interior of Bottomless Brewing in Fayette, N.Y., shows off the arched barn design. inset: Bottomless Brewing’s logo has an arch similar to the arch of the barn in which the beer is brewed.

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bon appétit

Wine and Beer Events for April Barrelside chats with winemaker Phil Hazlitt Sundays, April 10 and 24, Woodbury Winery & Vineyards Woodbury Winery & Vineyards in Fredonia, N.Y., will host information sessions for those interested in making wine on the second and fourth Sundays in April. Winemaker Phil Hazlitt will offer information on the craft of winemaking, and no prior knowledge or experience is needed to participate.Tickets cost $25 per person and can be purchased at www.woodburyvineyards.com/ Events.html. Taste of the Trail Saturdays and Sundays, April 16-17 and 23-24, Niagara Wine Trail Experience wine and food pairings on the Niagara Wine www.lakeerielifestyle.com

Trail. A single weekend ticket costs $25 per person in advance and $30 per person at wineries during the event. Both weekends cost $40 in advance or $45 on the day of the event.Tickets can be purchased at www.niagarawinetrail.org and include a tasting of three wines and one sample of cuisine at 11 wineries each weekend as well as a commemorative wineglass from your first winery. Lake Erie Wine Country’s Wine & Cheese Weekend Friday through Sunday, April 22-24, Lake Erie Wine Country Cheese and wine are a natural pairing, and this is your chance to enjoy both. From noon to 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, guests are invited to travel Lake Erie Wine Country and enjoy cheeseinspired food samples, which are each paired with a complementary wine.Tickets cost $35 per person and are good for all three days. Each ticket includes food and wine sample pairing at each winery, wine tasting, a gift, a booklet containing all of the recipes of the foods you’ll be tasting, a Lake Erie Wine Country wineglass and a $5 voucher to use at any winery or designated restaurant.Tickets are available until Wednesday, April 20, at www.lakeeriewinecountry. org. Winemaker’s Dinner Friday, April 29, Johnson Estate Winery Johnson Estate Winery in Lakewood, N.Y., invites guests to enjoy a four-course meal and evening pre-release party for its new May wine, made by winemaker Jeff Murphy.The wine is a limited vintage of white Vidal wine flavored with sweet woodruff. The four-course, spring-inspired dinner begins at 7 p.m.Tickets are $60 per person at http:// johnsonwinery.com. LEL

because (Seneca Lake is) the deepest of the Finger Lakes, and it’s also the deepest lake fully enclosed in New York state,” Fischer says. The arches on the logo represent the dairy barn, while the concentric circles reflect the “bottomless” depth of Seneca Lake.The beer glass in the center represents the brewery’s commitment to making great beer. Thompson’s decades of home brewing allowed him to develop a number of recipes. “We have a spectacular chocolate coffee stout that we’re really excited about,” Fischer says. A full beer menu is already available at www. bottomlessbrewing.com. Pub food is also available at the brewery. Future plans include an outdoor beer garden to hold festivals throughout the summer. “Anytime you can get away from the stresses of life to a beautiful, serene location and have a nice pint of beer with it, it’s just a great way to spend a day,” Fischer says.

April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 17

bon appétit

A taste of Mercyhurst By Marnie Mead

Beth Ann Sheldon, director of the campus’ hospitality management program. The program attracts students from ages 20 to 45 and graduates a dozen or more per year. From North East, the graduates head off to hospitality jobs throughout Erie and surrounding areas. “Most of the restaurants in Erie have at least Lunch, North East During a recent visit, Mercyhurst North East one graduate working there,” she says. “Most culinary student John Wagner prepared a three- of the clubs have our students.” A career fair in March attracts Chautauqua Institution, Peek’n course lunch consisting of wedge of lettuce Peak Resort and Wegmans. “There are so many salad with blue cheese and a balsamic glaze, openings in culinary,” she adds. grilled sirloin steak with bearnaise sauce and Serving the public will give students exposure finished with a New York cheesecake topped to all that comes with a restaurant — including with a bourbon cherry sauce. menu planning, staffing, budgeting and “I just did all of my favorite kinds of foods working with the public.The North East lunch done right,” Wagner says after the meal was program is Wednesdays and Fridays in March served. and April (with one Monday, April 4). Sheldon Getting the meal from concept to table is part of the graduation requirements of the two- approves all of the menus (don’t expect surf and turf for $9). year culinary program at North East, explains ONE OF THE BEST-KEPT dining secrets in Erie are the tables at Mercyhurst University’s main and North East campuses.There, students in the two- and four-year hospitality programs prepare and serve three-course lunches and dinners to the public for less than $20.

April2016

“This is every day,” Sheldon says. “This isn’t just Professor Sheldon coming once a week.” The pressure of serving the public appeared not to faze Wagner during his day as a chef. “I used a lot of creativity,” he says. “I wrote all the recipes. We did mock meals.”That meant everything from testing steak seasonings to overseeing the final plating, complete with a sprig of rosemary peeking out from the Dijonand-rosemary-crusted potatoes. Mercyhurst North East offers two-year degrees. Dinner, main campus Dinner has been served to the public for more than two decades at the main campus of Mercyhurst University, explains Allyson above: Mercyhurst North East culinary student John Wagner checks each plated dish before it heads out to the dining room. Photo courtesy of Mercyhurst North East

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bon appĂŠtit Schrimper-Minor, instructor of Hospitality Management at Statler School of Hospitality, where students earn a bachelor’s degree. The main campus does not offer a culinary program. Students, however, can get a four-year hospitality degree and then attend North East for a culinary degree. “(The meals) are actually a crucial part of advanced food class,â€? she explains. “It’s like a real functioning restaurant.They think the kids put it on for show. But there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than most people think.â€? By the time the students are putting on meals for the public, they have had classroom experience in everything from basic cooking to finance.The students take two turns at dinner — once focusing on the dining room and kitchen, and the second time concentrating on the financial end. They learn to cost out wholesale versus retail, how to price menu items, run payroll, cash deposits and account reconciliation.They learn that not only are they feeding customers, but they also have to feed their staff as well. “Most of them come and tell me it’s a lot of work,â€? she says. Many go on to jobs with large corporations,

such as Omni Hotels.That, combined with their academic experience, will prepare them if they want to go into business on their own. “They really have to understand they are running the whole show.� The work, however is very rewarding. “They invite family, friends, professors to see what they have learned during their four years with us,� Schrimper-Minor says. “I have a student I have had since a freshman who said he wanted to do breakfast. And now he is a senior, and he is doing breakfast for dinner,� she adds.That meal is April 6 and will include breakfast grilled cheese, sausage breakfast casserole and breakfast crepes for dessert. Her most memorable meal? “We encourage students to think outside the box,� she says, adding that a student wanted to do a French-inspired meal that also focused on sustainability. It included French onion soup served in an onion and chocolate mousse served in a chocolate shell (made from painting part of a blown-up balloon in chocolate and popping the balloon once the chocolate had hardened). “That was really a cool concept for me, for us, to see it all come to fruition,� she says. LEL

in the know:

DINING AT MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY

Dinners at Mercyhurst University main campus Lower level, Center for Academic Engagement Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays through May Seatings between 5 and 5:30 p.m. Reservations (required); call 814-824-2565 after 9 a.m. Your call will be returned within 48 hours. Reservations may be made up to two weeks in advance. Reservations for parties of eight or more cannot be accepted. Menus: http://www.mercyhurst.edu/ academics/academic-departments/hospitalitymanagement Dinners are $12, not including tax, except on April 11 when it is $20 (lobster tail). Lunches with Mercyhurst North East Either Mercyhurst North East or Lake View Country Club April 1, 4, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29 Seating begins at 11:30 a.m.; lunch is served at noon. Reservations (required), 814-725-6333. Menus: http://northeast.mercyhurst.edu/ about-mercyhurst-north-east/public Lunches are $9 per person, including tax.

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April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 19

arts & entertainment

My Fair

Lady By Karen Beardsley

THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY of the beloved musical “My Fair Lady” seems like the perfect occasion to reunite the Erie Philharmonic and the Erie Playhouse, two treasured arts organizations that haven’t married their talents for a full production in more than a decade. You could even call the meeting loverly. “It’s always such a joy to perform with the Erie Phil,” says Playhouse Executive Director Almitra Clerkin, who codirects the show with Andrew Rainbow. “We’re very excited about this collaborative effort especially because this is one of the best-crafted musicals you’ll find.” The Warner Theatre will overflow with more than 40 professional musicians and 20 cast members who will be on the stage the entire evening. “There will be a lot of talent on that stage, and a lot of fun,” says Erie Philharmonic Executive Director Steve Weiser. “Working together with April2016

our new neighbors at the Playhouse is a winwin for both of us and for our audiences.” On the street where they both now “live,” the Erie Phil settled into offices in February in the Meiser Building at 23 W. 10th St., just two doors from the Erie Playhouse.The Phil occupies the third floor. Erie Arts and Culture moved into the floor below them. “My Fair Lady,” based on George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” is the story of Eliza Doolittle, a rough Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins on a bet that she might pass as a lady in polite society. According to Clerkin, every actor in the show has held a lead role in a previous Erie Playhouse production.The extraordinary cast features her husband, Shawn Clerkin, as Higgins; Kate Neubert Lechner as Eliza; Barry McAndrew as Higgins’ decent friend Pickering; Sue Lechner

as Mrs. Higgins; Gretchen Kerr as Mrs. Pierce; Rich Tryzbiak as Eliza’s rakish father, Alfred; and Erie native Julian Decker, who will take a week off from the Broadway cast of “Les Miserables” to return as the lovestruck Freddy Einsford-Hill. For Kate Neubert Lechner, Eliza is a role she has been rehearsing since she was an 8-year-old enchanted by the film starring Audrey Hepburn. “This is my first time officially performing in ‘My Fair Lady,’ but when I was younger, I staged many unofficial performances in my bedroom,” she says. “All performers have a short list of dream roles they would love to play, and Eliza has been on my list for as long as I can remember. Being able to play this role on stage at the Warner, with such a fantastic above: Daniel Meyer will conduct the Erie Philharmonic and Erie Playhouse production of“My Fair Lady.”

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arts & entertainment and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.� “Everyone is looking forward to this classic show — both those who have never been exposed to it and those who have seen it many times and love it,� says Weiser. “We expect that both of our organizations will benefit from audiences new to each of us.� The pre-party will take place in As the Erie Playhouse prepares the lobby of the historic Warner Theatre, where the mood will be set to launch its 100th anniversary season in 2016-17 and the Erie by a black-and-white color scheme Phil embarks on its 103rd season, it that will resemble the show’s wellwill be the audience members who known horse race scene.The site benefits from this special event. of the post-party is the convenient These two vibrant organizations Boston Store Place, formerly known will continue to support each other as Under the Clock, now under for years to come and help sustain new management by Bill Miller of the arts community Erie has come Sabella’s Catering. to know — with a little bit of luck. “My Fair Lady’s� musical LEL numbers include many of Broadway’s most popular melodies, such as “I Could Have Danced All inset left: Kate Neubert Lechner plays Eliza Night,�“The Rain in Spain,�“Get Doolittle in“My Fair Lady.� Contributed photo Me to the Church on Time,�“I’ve inset right: Shawn Clerkin plays professor Grown Accustomed to Her Face,� Henry Higgins. Contributed photo

in the know: MY FAIR LADY Saturday, May 21 7:30 p.m. Warner Theatre Gala package: $125/person. Preconcert cocktail hour with open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres in the Warner Theatre lobby, best seats in the house for “My Fair Lady,� and after-party, including wine, cordials and desserts, at the Boston Store Place with musicians and artists. Concert and party package: $95/person. Best seats in the house and after-party, including wine, cordials and desserts, at the Boston Store Place with musicians and artists. Concert only: $25, $40, $55, $70 Tickets are available at www. eriephil.org/myfairlady, www. erieplayhouse.org, or by calling 814-455-1375.

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April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 21

cast of talented friends, with the Erie Philharmonic under the baton of Daniel Meyer, who I admire greatly and have thoroughly enjoyed working with in the past, makes this more than a dream come true.� She’s not the only one who has dreamed of mounting this wonderful musical together. “It has long been a dream of mine to partner on a big scale with the artists of the Erie Playhouse,� says Meyer. “I am particularly excited about conducting this brilliant score. The music is unquestionably rich and memorable, the orchestrations are very clever, and I know our audiences will really enjoy this longoverdue collaboration.� The Playhouse and the Phil have worked together on everything, including developing a budget and planning pre- and post-parties. “It’s an important fundraising event for both of us, and the profits will be shared evenly,� Clerkin says.

arts & entertainment

Art becomes therapy By Brian R. Sheridan, photos by Greg Wohlford

ONE TRAGIC LOSS and a life-altering diagnosis could force anyone to question the fairness of life. In Mark Fainstein’s case, it nearly made him walk away from his career as a photographer after 40-plus years behind the camera. Art had always been a part of his life. It began with his mother, who dabbled in fine arts, design and antiques. It shaped his and his sister’s appreciation for the artistic process. Fainstein’s passion for art grew in high school and deepened in college, where he discovered photography. “I took a photography course as a filler my third year (of college), and I just fell in love with it,” he says. “I was majoring in industrial design, April2016

and it was much easier to produce a piece of art in a 60th of a second rather than 70 hours on a canvas.” Fainstein couldn’t change his major at that point. Instead, he transferred to a two-year trade school, where he studied photography full time. Upon graduation, he entered the job market as a commercial photographer, deciding to work for clients instead of following his own artistic muse. “I think there are some fine artists who would consider commercial art, or commercial photography, a ‘sellout.’ But it is OK for me, because I’ve always received much satisfaction out of doing assignments (for clients) involving primarily product photography,” Fainstein says.

However, the fact that he wants people to see something “a little differently” through his work sounds like the approach of an artist. It doesn’t matter if he is photographing a General Electric locomotive or the expressive faces of local residents. Fainstein says it is the studio work that he loves about commercial photography. He creates, he explains, “from nothing.” He enjoys the control over his environment. But things that were out of his control nearly tore his life apart. Three years ago, Fainstein received a diagnosis above: Photographer Mark Fainstein is on the railroad tracks outside his Erie studio.

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arts & entertainment

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“I managed to maintain fairly well, I think, and now I realize I’ll be around for a while,”he says. Fainstein’s enthusiasm for his work has also returned. He even has been thinking about the more artistic side of taking pictures. “Actually, I’m thankful to Brad (Lethaby) for getting me involved in the more artistic end of photography, and I’ve got a fair amount of photography for myself that I would consider more artistic,” he says. Those pieces have been part of a few local art shows, though Fainstein says he does his artistic work more for “self-satisfaction” than anything else. He sees the worlds of fine art work and commercial work as being separate, though he does have strong feelings about both. “When someone goes,‘Wow, how did you do that?’it just makes my day. For me, that’s what it’s all about, being able to excite someone else or get them to look at something a little differently,”he says. LEL

above: Mark Fainstein edits photos during an Erie Community Foundation studio shoot.

of prostate cancer. He chooses not to dwell on it, or even talk much about it. For him, the treatments and surgeries were not the worst thing he would experience.That would be the unexpected death of his wife, Debbie, in 2014, a year after his cancer diagnosis. “That was worse for me than being diagnosed with cancer,”he admits.“Losing her — that was pretty rough.” They had been together for 38 years. She had joined Fainstein’s business in 1975 after graduating from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.They married in 1980. He says she didn’t do much photography but applied her talents and skills to lighting.They became, in Fainstein’s words,“a hell of a team.” “I guess, as with everybody, when you lose somebody close, it rocks your world,”he says.“For me, it took all the edges off. I lost interest for a while in art, between the cancer and the death and everything that was happening.” Members of Erie’s art community offered support during those hard times.Thankfully, Fainstein’s prognosis is good. He is coming to the end of his cancer treatments, and his doctors are satisfied with the results.

April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 23

arts & entertainment

Pottering around Edinboro By Marissa Orbanek

ALTHOUGH SHE HAD DABBLED with her passion for clay as an elementary student, Didem Mert’s first ceramic lesson came as a freshman in high school. She had to create a ball, pair of scissors and Scotch tape dispenser — all out of paper. “It was terrible, actually. It absolutely sucked. But it made sense,” Mert said. “I learned so much from that assignment on how to create a form using a material that wasn’t as soft as clay, and it provided me with a basic understanding of how to manipulate a material.” Mert, whose family immigrated to the United States from Turkey about 40 years ago, was the first member of her family to be born an American citizen. She said her passion for ceramics started as a kid. “I always thought I would be a gemologist, a chef or an artist. I feel like I kind of combined everything into one,” she said. April2016

Fast-forward 10 years, and the Cincinnati native is making a name for herself as a contemporary ceramic artist. Currently a second-year student in Edinboro University of Pennsylvania’s master of fine arts program, Mert received her bachelor of fine arts degree from Northern Kentucky University in 2014 and already has an impressive résumé. She has been included in Ceramics Monthly’s 2014 Undergraduate Showcase, has exhibited her work nationally and has received grants and scholarships for residency programs. She was named one of 15 potters to watch nationally in 2016 by C-File, a news and review journal that serves a global community of cutting-edge educators, ceramics creatives, critics, curators, collectors, dealers and young techies. “Didem Mert is an outstanding student. I’ve taught ceramics for 35 years, and Didem is one of the best students I’ve had the pleasure of

working with,” said Lee Rexrode, a professor of ceramics at Edinboro. “She has an enviable résumé, is an outstanding person, and Didem Mert will find success in whatever she pursues.” Her latest feat involves collaboration with friend, foodie and photographer Lydia Bungart-Morrison. Mert creates uniquely shaped vessels, and Bungart-Morrison adds food and photographs them in a culinary project called “M&M Clay and Food Porn Project.”The duo assures that there will be no lack of good food or good clay. “We started it as a fun thing that involved using both of our skills in a fun, professional way,” Mert said. “My mom would make these huge, elaborate Turkish meals when above: Didem Mert, a student in the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania’s master of fine arts program, works in her studio. Photo courtesy of Didem Mert

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arts & entertainment

I was growing up. As I started experimenting with both food and pottery, I started wondering how I could make the food experience better.These functional pots and bowls were the result.” The project started in December 2014 with their flagship recipe, Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup. Other recipes include Gluten-Free Ginger Snap Cookies and a Burrito Bowl.This project has been featured in different publications, including the cover of PotteryMaking Illustrated. Although Mert is excited for the future of this collaboration, it currently serves as a side project. Mert serves as a graduate assistant in ceramics and as president of Edinboro’s active Clay Club. In addition, she produces studio work for national, prestigious galleries. Her work is also sold locally at Gallery 104, an Edinboro gallery that opened in November and offers painting, jewelry, drawings, photography, wood working, pottery, sculpture and more. She has also taught workshops and has worked at Queen City Clay in Cincinnati for more than six years. “Didem’s work ethic is secondto-none. She somehow manages to balance a myriad responsibilities,” Rexrode said. Mert said that one of her favorite aspects of ceramics is the connection she makes with individuals on the other side of her art, which has been a recent realization for her. “I’m a maker, I make stuff all the time, and there is definitely that www.lakeerielifestyle.com

aspect that is super important to me. But there’s also another whole side that I was missing,” Mert said. As she was sending more work to galleries, she realized that somebody could be using them and telling her about their experience. “When you use something from Target or IKEA, you don’t think about the artist who made it. But when you start thinking about the object and who made it, that connection between two people, that’s something that’s really cool,” Mert said Mert recently experienced this when she witnessed her friend’s son receive a blue-gray cup she had created for him. “He was so excited and so hyped about it. It was really the first time I ever had that experience, and it was really cool to see,” Mert said. Her goal after Edinboro is to continue working as a studio potter but to also give back to the art community through teaching. Her dream is to return to her alma mater, Northern Kentucky University, and teach there. “I gained knowledge from my teachers and mentors, and it’s important to give that back,” Mert said. “To be able to pass down what I’ve learned to students who want to learn and do all that they can, that’s a nice feeling. My mentors are always in my life and are the backbone for me — it would be nice to do that for somebody else.” LEL above: Didem Mert’s creations include stacked bowls, at left, and a piece called Berry Bowlin. Photos courtesy of Didem Mert

April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 25

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EDUCATION SPONSORED CONTENT

Victor pioneers new vision for Mercyhurst BY LAKE ERIE LIFESTYLE STAFF

core curriculum that was more You don’t have to blaze a trail student-friendly. Done. into the Old West or shuttle “This sustained toward Mars to be a pioneer. momentum is designed to You do have to have a vision make Mercyhurst an even that sees opportunity where greater university — more others may see only obstacles. intellectually pioneering, more From its founding by the culturally robust and a model Sisters of Mercy in 1926, of higher education that Mercyhurst University has prepares our students with the never deviated from its critical skills and networks they reputation as a pioneer. will need to succeed in today’s Whether you talk about global economy,”Victor said. Mercyhurst’s intelligence Victor oversaw last fall’s studies program, which takes unveiling of niche majors in its name from the nation’s bioinformatics and data science first Secretary of Homeland and a physician assistant Security,Tom Ridge, and is graduate program, which globally recognized as the Mercyhurst University President Michael Victor and Mercyhurst ambassadors Cole opened with a full cohort. He largest endeavor of its kind in Prots and Gabriella Macera take a break in the president’s office. Photo by Matt Kleck promised to continue down that academia; the forensic sciences road of innovation, to invest department, where students in majors with strong student outcomes while work in tandem with world-class faculty to lend keeping his eye on the horizon. For his first act as president, he wanted to being true to Mercyhurst’s liberal arts tradition. their expertise to real crime-scene investigations; restore the university’s long-silenced carillon Meanwhile, he is looking to add distinctive or political science, through which students to its glory days, ringing out the Westminster new programs at the university’s North East conduct statewide public opinion polls that are consistently reported by local, state and national Chimes hourly from atop O’Neil Tower. Done. campus. As the first university in the region He wanted to create a new tradition for to establish branch campuses 25 years ago, media, breaking new ground is nothing new at students, a day dedicated to school spirit and Mercyhurst maintains a residential college at Mercyhurst. camaraderie amid inflatables, music, a dunk North East known for in-demand certificate When the university began the search for tank, climbing wall and food stations. Hurst and associate-degree programs geared toward its 12th president two years ago, it sought the Day. Done. the needs of the region, particularly in the kind of visionary who would continue to see He sought to have Mercyhurst recognized health and medical fields. promise where others saw only problems; the not only as Erie’s first College of Distinction Victor is also building some unique alliances kind of individual who would demonstrate but the region’s first Catholic College of that he anticipates will lead to exciting new wisdom, courage, perseverance, hard work and Distinction. Done. learning opportunities for students. But, for generosity.Today, that individual is Michael He pursued early fundraising gains. More now, mum’s the word. Stay tuned. LEL T. Victor, lawyer, entrepreneur, fundraiser, former college president and business CEO all than a million dollars in major gifts in his first BROUGHT TO YOU BY six months. Done. wrapped into one. He sought to streamline the university’s Victor assumed the Mercyhurst presidency Mercyhurst University on Aug. 1, 2015, and quickly showed that he is administrative and academic operations, revamp 501 E. 38th St., Erie the academic calendar and create a liberal arts a man who holds tradition close while always www.mercyhurst.edu

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April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 27

sports & adventure

Stocking up for trout season By Greg Spinks

APRIL WILL BE A BUSY MONTH on creeks and lakes in northwestern Pennsylvania, as hundreds of volunteers help stock trout and thousands of anglers gear up for the opening day of trout season on Saturday, April 16. But before casting any lines, crowds will flock to Linesville for a Day at the Hatchery on Saturday, April 2. “It’s a very popular day here at the Linesville Fish Hatchery,” said Chad Foster, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. “We normally get between 2,000 and 3,000 people every year. It’s a fun day, and there is plenty to see and do for people of all ages.” The Linesville Hatchery was built in 1939 on 96 acres overlooking the scenic Pymatuning Reservoir. A Day at the Hatchery began in 1965. Throughout the year at the hatchery, the staff and volunteers release thousands of fish in northwestern Pennsylvania, including into Lake Erie. “We release 40,000 to 50,000 brown trout and steelhead trout into Lake Erie every year,” Foster said. “Additionally, we breed and stock a wide range of native species, which are released throughout northwestern Pennsylvania.” Among the other species of fish that are raised and released are muskellunge, crappie, perch, bluegill, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and channel catfish. The Linesville Fish Hatchery is open all year, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Corry State Fish Hatchery also will have a busy spring stocking trout in local lakes and creeks. “Once again, we’ll be stocking 329,000 different trout species throughout a nine-county area of northwestern Pennsylvania,” said Dan Donato, the manager of the Corry Fish Hatchery. Most years, the stocking begins in the southernmost counties because of the lingering winter weather in the northern counties. The hatchery, Donato said, relies heavily on volunteers to help release the fish in lakes and creeks.Those interested in volunteering should call 814-664-2122 or visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission website, http://fishandboat.com/stocked.htm. “It’s a big job stocking all the trout, and we really appreciate the volunteer help,” Donato said. “It would be almost impossible for us to get the job done without our dedicated volunteers.” The Corry Hatchery, 13365 U.S. Route 6, just outside Corry, is Photo by the Associated Press

April2016

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sports & adventure in the know: A Day at the Hatchery, 13300 Hartstown Road, Linesville Saturday, April 2; 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. http://fishandboat.com/ LinesvilleOpenHouse.htm

The Union City Hatchery, 9450 Route 6, was originally constructed in 1905.The hatchery is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and visitors are welcome to visit the facility. Two days are set aside to help families catch the fun of fishing. On Fish for Free Days — May 29 and July 4 — no fishing license is required, and residents and nonresidents of Pennsylvania can legally fish. All other fishing regulations apply. LEL above: The 10,000-gallon viewing tank is popular with visitors to the Linesville Fish Hatchery. Photo by Greg Spinks

open for public tours seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.The hatchery, which was built in 1876, is the oldest operating state fish hatchery in Pennsylvania. As the spring weather warms, the nearby Union City Fish Hatchery will be spawning northern pike, muskellunge, tiger muskie, walleye, hybrid striped bass and channel catfish.The female fish of several species are caught in local waterways and are eventually returned to where they were taken. The raised fish are then returned to area waterways throughout northwestern Pennsylvania.

One of the focal points will be the walleye spawning process. In addition, there will be several educational programs for all ages and special activities for children, which will focus on casting and angling techniques and making fish prints on paper or a T-shirt. Another popular spot for visitors is the large 10,000-gallon viewing aquarium. The tank is home to all species of native fish at Pymatuning. There will be demonstrations on how to fillet and cook fish, as well as how to determine the age of a fish. There will also be talks on fishing and boating safety, the proper equipment needed for fly-tying, and the proper method to rig up a pole and reel. The Pymatuning Lab of Ecology will also have exhibits and demonstrations on native amphibians and reptiles found in the region.

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April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 29

escapes

6 national parks close to my heart

WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, I have an excuse to brag about places that are close to my heart: adventurous places, historic places and places that move the soul with their beauty.

Photos and story by Stacey “Vagabonding Lulu� Wittig

April2016

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escapes

fee-free days: www.nationalparks. org/connect/ blog/2016-freeadmission-daysnational-parks

Grand Canyon National Park, Flagstaff, Ariz. “You gotta walk down into the canyon — if only 100 yards below the rim — to really experience the Download guides Grand Canyon,� I encourage friends produced by the and family who visit.The iconic park National Park Foundation at that attracts people from all over the www.nationalparks. world is just about in my backyard. org/explore-parks/ So many visitors stand on the rim, national-parklook down and then get back in their owners-guides? cars and leave. (Think Chevy Chase utm_source=blg & utm_medium=lst & as Clark Griswold in “National utm_campaign=ffdys Lampoon’s Vacation.�) The immense depth and width of the colorful gorge makes it difficult for the human brain to take it all in. Its enormity makes some feel off-balanced or apprehensive. From the edge, it’s almost like looking at the backdrop to an IMAX movie — you want to reach out and touch it to see if it’s real. But don’t lean out too far. To develop a more intimate relationship with the Grand Canyon, I urge the timid to walk into the chasm on the Bright Angel Trail — if only for a short distance. Viewing tall, vertical walls from inside the canyon gives you a whole different, almost comforting, perspective. Just remember that strolling down is twice as easy as humping it back up the steep, hot trails. Bring a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water. Most visitors underestimate the powerful double whammy of Arizona sun and dry desert air. During the summer, ranger-led hikes leave the South Kaibab Trailhead Thursdays through Sundays at 7 a.m. www.nps.gov/grca at left: The immense depth and width of Grand Canyon National Park is almost difficult for the human brain to take in. Photo by Stacey Witting

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Arches National Park, Moab, Utah I still remember the first time I entered through the gates of Arches National Park in southern Utah. As a recent transplant from Great Lakes country, I was not prepared for the curious red landscape undulating with natural stone arches, soaring pinnacles and huge balanced rocks. I felt transported to another realm — but was it heaven or the moon? The park is perfect for auto touring while watching the massive red rock formations roll past your windshield. Hiking is also spectacular for the adventurous who want to explore backcountry arches up close and personal. On that first visit, we walked up to Double Arch and ate lunch under two massive red arches and clear bluebird skies. We nicknamed the place “The Big Ear� because the acoustics in the conjoined, free-standing arches allowed us to eavesdrop on HOWTO FIND conversations in the parking lot PARKSTOVISIT a quarter-mile away.Thirty years later, we still call it The Big Ear, and #FindYourPark, Arches — my favorite national park #EncuentraTuParque — continues to take my breath away. 16 days in 2016 are www.nps.gov/arch

April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 31

escapes Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Portage, Minn. Hear the sounds of bagpipes and native drum, smell the burning wood of a campfire and taste the tang of wild blueberries as you explore a reconstructed fur depot on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Grand Portage National Monument is situated on the exact place where the North West Co. partnered with the Grand Portage Ojibwe people during the fur trading era.This canoe country holds a special place in my heart because it was here that I acquired my adventurous spirit and love of the outdoors. My parents honeymooned in a tent in the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area and later brought us kids here for canoe camping. www.nps.gov/grpo

mind ever since.The song’s words woo me to explore the mule barges on the man-made waterway that opened in 1825.The 364-mile-long Erie Canal connected the Hudson River at Albany with Lake Erie at Buffalo and was the first all-water link between the Atlantic seaboard and the Great Lakes. www.nps.gov/erie

Flight 93 National Memorial, Shanksville I would like to visit this national park to honor the 40 passengers and crew aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who prevented the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 11, 2001. Only 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, the national memorial includes a visitor center and the Flight Path Walkway, which opened Sept. 10. Visitors can hear an audio tour via cell phone or download mobile web tours from the To celebrate the National Park park website. Service Centennial, I’ve added the www.nps.gov/flni following places to my National Park bucket list: Channel Islands National Park, Erie Canalway National Heritage Ventura, Calif. This could be one of the most Corridor, upstate New York extreme national parks yet. Because When I was in grade school, we sang American folk songs — which Channel Islands National Park is was, I think, just a sneaky way for our off the coast of California, it takes teachers to feed us American history. an adventurous spirit to get there. One of my favorites was “Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal.�The at left: Double Arch, at Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, is breathtaking. haunting melody has stuck in my

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escapes You must procure transportation by park concessionaire boats and planes or private boat. Once on the islands, no transportation is available except by kayak or your own two feet. I dream of making it a kayak and camping trip.That way, I’d have time to sea cave kayak in the ocean and then hike to archaeological sites on land. Looks like it’s time to start researching the various park-authorized kayak outfitters if I’m going to check this one off the list in 2016. www.nps.gov/chis

VOLUNTEER A fun way to really get to know the park of your choice is to live there as a volunteer. Volunteering helps care for these special places, and you can make a difference by being a VIP through the Volunteers-In-Parks program. Use your skills and talents for interpretive programs, trail and facility restoration, or simply by staffing info booths or gifts shops. Many parks offer housing for their volunteers such as RV/trailer pads, campsites, trailers, cabins or bunks. Learn more about living and working in our national parks at the following websites: Volunteers-In-Parks, National Park Service To celebrate the centennial, registered volunteers who contribute 201.6 hours of service between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 can earn a Centennial Volunteer Challenge Coin: www.nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm. Search Volunteers-In-Parks opportunities by park or by state: www.nps.gov/gettinginvolved/volunteer/ opportunities.htm. Volunteer opportunities at the National Park Service and other natural and cultural resource areas can be found at: www.volunteer.gov. Find Your Park: www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial/ findyourpark.htm.

Help usher in the next 100 years of the National Park Service by making your own National Park bucket list. With more than 400 national parks across the system, the adventure starts when you try to narrow your choices. Find your park now at www.nps.gov/subjects/ centennial/findyourpark.htm. LEL

in the know:

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April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 33

on scene

TEA TIME FOR KIDS

It was tea time at the Experience Children’s Museum on Feb. 21, when more than 200 guests enjoyed the annual Fancy Tea Party. Everyone enjoyed tea sandwiches, petite brownies, heart cookies and fruit. Little girls visited the Princess Nail Salon, created magic wands and visited with princesses from the Erie Playhouse. Photos courtesy of Ainslie Brosig above left: Princesses joined in the fun at the Experience Childrens Museum’s Fancy Tea Party. above right: Girls enjoyed getting their nails painted at the Princess Nail Salon during the sold-out tea party at the museum.

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on scene KNOCK OUT HOMELESSNESS

food, beverage and hospitality for Eldorado Resorts and Presque Isle Downs, went up against Lou Bizzarro for the main event. The event is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the Erie City Mission.

above: Gregg Carano, left, bozes Lou Bizzarro in the 9th Erie City Mission Knock Out Homelessness event at the Bayfront Convention Center. Jeff Favre, center, was the referee. Photo by Mike Conway

The Ninth Erie City Mission Knock Out Homelessness event at the Bayfront Convention Center was started by Lou Bizzarro as a generous fundraiser for the Erie City Mission. Erie News Now’s Mike Ruzzi emceed the event, and Ron DiNicola handled play-byplay commentary. The first bout featured “John Boy� Bizzarro and State Police Sgt. Christopher Bush and was refereed by Pam Parker of the Erie Times-News. The second bout featured Louis Colaizzo, senior vice president of sales at Erie Insurance, boxing Lou Bizzarro Jr. Cory Vaillancourt, author of “Lou Tullio: A Real Erie Guy,� was the referee. In the final bout of the evening, Gregg Carano, vice president of

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wqln PUBLIC BROADCASTING

‘Our Town’in Edinboro By John Chacona

MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN about so-called citizen journalism, the 21st-century notion that anyone with a camera-equipped cell phone and access to social media can become a journalist. That’s essentially the idea behind WQLN’s “Our Town” series, but there’s a far more ancient notion at work, too. It’s the one that explains how we come to know ourselves by the stories we tell. In the “Our Town” series, people drawn from a particular community tell stories about that community. Edinboro is the latest community to be profiled by “Our Town” in an installment that will premiere on Thursday, April 7, at 8 p.m. on WQLN TV and stream on WQLN.org. DaWayne Cleckley, WQLN’s marketing and multimedia manager, is in charge of production for “Our Town.” He describes how the idea for the series emerged from a discussion at WPSU, the PBS affiliate in State College. “They were also doing a series called ‘Our Town,’” Cleckley says. “We found that the idea was less about making a TV program and more about how public media should be telling stories about the community, so we brought this model to Erie.” The first program, a 90-minute profile of Meadville, set the format for the series. Individual vignettes showcase local residents who tell a story that is illustrated by video or stills, some of which are provided by the storytellers themselves. “It’s a video scrapbook, too, by the people who live there,” Cleckley says.The stories don’t have to be historical, though they often are. “Sometimes they’re just feel-good stories. It’s not as if we come into a community as if we’re shooting a documentary. ‘Our Town’ builds from the community.” The building process starts long before a frame of video is shot.The “Our Town” production team meets with community leaders to build support for the project.Then comes an open meeting to which community members are invited. “We brainstorm ideas there and get people excited and talking about aspects of their community,” Cleckley says. April2016

Here is where the “citizen journalism” part comes in. WQLN provides high-quality video cameras and a packet of instructions to interested citizens, who are encouraged to shoot and log footage illustrating their stories.” Sometimes these amateur video producers have footage of their own. “For the program we did about North East, there was a person who had drone footage, which was great,” Cleckley says. The ‘Our Town” crew then sets up in the community to shoot the interview subjects telling their stories. It’s two grueling, eight-hour shooting days, the object of which is to make people feel as comfortable telling their stories to a high-definition video camera as they would be at a family dinner. While the interviews are being shot, the photos are scanned and the contributed footage is downloaded. Editing the finished program takes about three weeks. “We don’t want infomercials,” Cleckley says. “We have only one person on camera at a time and not two. We want the stories to be personal.” That personal investment ensures a high

degree of involvement with the other signature event of the series. “When we complete the project, we do a pre-screening for the participants and invite them to come to the studio for a live night for the premiere,” Cleckley says. “They’re sitting in the studio and working a phone bank. You’ll see high school students wearing their school colors. I think it’s the best thing about the whole ‘Our Town’ series.” That may be so, but another attractive aspect of “Our Town” is the way it can bind people to their communities and the communities to their public broadcasting affiliate.There are as many potential ‘Our Town” episodes are there are communities in WQLN’s service area, which covers three states and southern Ontario. So whose town will be the next “Our Town”? “We make the announcement on the premiere night of the next show,” Cleckley says. “So if you want to know who’s next, we’ll announce that community on the night of the Edinboro premiere.” LEL above: Gerry Woods, of Edinboro, discusses agriculture during filming of “Our Town.” Photo courtesy of WQLN

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WQLN Public Media 8425 Peach Street, Erie, PA 16509, www.wqln.org 814-864-3001, 800-727-8854, FAX 814-864-4077

WQLN Station Guide April 2016, Issue 262

Place and Person By Halle Kostansek

It’s 1961 in the borough of Poplar, and all of London faces social change. Along with it, the nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House welcome improvements in healthcare as they face challenging new cases on the fifth season of Call the Midwife, Sundays at 8pm, beginning April 3. Step back a decade and south 100 kilometers to the village of Grantchester, where whiskeydrinking jazzophile Reverend Sidney Chambers and Inspector Geordie Keating deal with the other end of the life cycle. Last season saw their friendship grow over backgammon and beer. The new season tests it with new cases involving class conflict, the sexual revolution, the communist threat, and the persistent effects of combat on veterans. Season two of Grantchester premieres at 9pm on Sunday, March 27. Meanwhile, the U.S. was dealing with its own social issues. Ken Burns’s long awaited documentary Jackie Robinson premieres in two parts, at 9pm on consecutive nights April 11 & 12, examining the life and times of Robinson, who in 1947 crossed baseball’s color line. Jackie Robinson tells about life on and off the field for the first African American to play in baseball’s modern major leagues. Do great places give rise to great people? The three-part series 10 that Changed America premieres Tuesday, April 5 at 8pm, exploring www.lakeerielifestyle.com

the architecture, design, and urban planning that allow our homes, towns, and parks to reflect our history, values, and hopes. On April 5 10 Homes that Changed America visits homes that transformed residential living, from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater to the pueblos of Taos, New Mexico. 10 Parks that Changed America premieres April 12 with a look at serene spaces from Savannah’s elegant squares to New York’s High Line. And on April 19 10 Towns that Changed America visits towns across the country that had a lasting impact on how our cities and suburbs are designed. Speaking of our towns, the WQLN Original Production Our Town: Stories from Edinboro will premiere on WQLN TV and WQLN.org on Thursday, April 7 at 8pm, with stories of the people, places, and happenings that make Edinboro one of our favorite places. Residents tell their stories, from maple syrup-making and the Highland Games to why Edinboro is just so lovable! Ken Burns’s epic National Parks will return in six parts, at 9pm nightly Monday, April 25 through Saturday, April 30, when you can relive the story of America’s best idea. Some of our own region’s best ideas will feature in WQLN Original Productions. Erie Now: Economic Development will look at Erie’s

culture of entrepreneurism, Thursday, April 14 at 8pm. On Perspective: REACH Innovation – Business & Economy, April 21 at 8pm, Jeff Parnell, Liz Wilson, and Perry Wood will turn the discussion toward their organizations’ work to improve the innovation & technology climate of the region, then at 8:30 Perspective: Defeat Obesity will introduce WQLN’s initiative to increase the “health literacy” of the region, with Melissa Lyons of the Erie County Department of Health sharing statistics on obesity and other health concerns. And on Thursday, April 28 at 8pm REACH Innovation will feature TED Talkstyle stories from local technology innovators and founders of local startups. At times, programs may change without notice. Scan the QR Code with your smartphone for more detailed information, up-to-date listings, and program schedules for Create (54.2) and World (54.3). Or visit us online at WQLN.org. Arches National Park, Utah. Photo courtesy of Craig Mellish. left to right: In Portland, Oregon’s Pearl District, the new and old exist side by side in a community built around public transportation. Photo courtesy of James Clark. James Norton as Sidney Chambers in MASTERPIECE: Grantchester. Photo courtesy of (C) Matt Frost/Kudos & ITV for MASTERPIECE. Jackie Robinson. Photo courtesy Hulton Archive Getty Images In Savannah, Georgia, James Oglethorpe designed a city of neighborhoods centered on a public square that would serve as a gathering place for its citizens. Photo courtesy of Bailey Davidson.

April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 39

In partnership with Erie Yesterday and the PA Route 6 Alliance, WQLN TV will present The Route 6 hiStory Tours Video Project, featuring historic sites in Albion, Edinboro, Waterford, and Corry that are part of the Route 6 hiStory Tours walking tours that will premiere soon.

Whet your appetite for local history on WQLN TV, Thursday, May 5 at 8pm and Sunday, May 8 at 2pm!

WQLN and the Jefferson Educational Society will present a free screening and panel discussion of the film Liberty Under Law: The Robert H. Jackson Story, which examines Jackson’s life and career. As Chief U.S. Prosecutor in the Nuremberg Trial, Jackson brought Nazi leaders

to justice and helped create the framework for modern international criminal prosecutions.

New York City in June – June 16-19 Experience Pittsburgh – July 15 Huey Lewis & the News, Chautauqua – July 22 1000 Islands – July 23 The Temptations and the Four Tops – July 25 Erie Islands – July 29 Straight No Chaser – August 5 Fallingwater – August 14

it’s time to

Sponsored by

Tuesday, April 5 at 7pm Jefferson Educational Society Refreshments provided For more information: (814) 459-8000

Chicago – August 19-21 Experience Cleveland – September 2 Erie Canal – September 4 Finger Lakes Wine Trip – September 30

Sponsored by

Radio

Give! By Shannon Ferrare

Signs of spring are abundant in our region: grass gets greener, the sun sets later, birds return, and POTHOLES! And one of the significant signs of spring you can count on is the annual radio pledge drive on WQLN. Lovers of Morning Edition, Fresh Air, and Classics with Brian Hannah are familiar with the sound of Tom New’s voice waking them up at 6am with an anecdote and hearing local community members and WQLN staff explain the importance of the funds raised during this time. But I’m here to tell you there’s a chance that we can shorten these program interruptions significantly this year! In the weeks leading up to the April 13 kick-off to the radio pledge drive, we’re going to ask you to give early now, even. And those early funds raised will April2016

determine the length of the pledge drive! If we reach our $70,000 goal before April 13, we will never even flip the switch on the studio microphones we will continue regular programming, uninterrupted. And if we aren’t quite there yet by April 13, we’ll turn the mics off when we do reach $70K. Sounds simple, really. You, the listener, are in full control. To make your pledge today, call (814) 866-5454 or go online to wqln.org/support. www.lakeerielifestyle.com

Education presents

EARTH DAY ROCKS! Families can celebrate Earth Day early while learning about math and the environment with games, crafts, and the PBS Kids series Cyberchase, on April 9 at the Blasco Memorial Library. WQLN Education, Blasco Library, and the Millcreek Township Recycling Department invite you to a special Cyberchase event that we’re calling Earth Day Rocks! Activities will include the Trash Dash Game hosted by our friends from the Millcreek Township Recycling Department, Earth Day crafts, a Meet & Greet with our buddy Digit from Cyberchase, story time, and more. Please join us for a free afternoon of fun and learning!

with support from Millcreek Township Recycling Department

Earth Day Rocks!

Saturday, April 9 from 1pm to 4pm m at Blasco Memorial Library Cost: FREE More information: erielibrary.org/events, g/events, 814-217-6001, or kcarducci@wqln.org qln.org

You can have a blast with math every weekday at 6am with Cyberchase on WQLN Kids!

Plans are already underway for the fourth annual JUMP! Back to School Expo as WQLN Education prepares to inspire, energize, and engage the academic potential of all students, from kindergarteners to seniors in high school, who are returning to school for the 2016-2017 school year. JUMP! is the only back to school expo in the Erie area connecting families to numerous resources that can contribute to their child’s academic success. There will be fun interactive STEAM exhibits provided by Penn State Erie the Behrend College, Erie Public Schools Science Materials Center, and Bricks4Kidz, just to name a few! Children will benefit from these activities, and exposing them to STEAM subjects in this way is just the thing to motivate and inspire them to www.lakeerielifestyle.com

become the next generation of technological and scientific innovators. There are a few exciting changes to JUMP! this year. First, we are moving to a new location. JUMP! will be held on the campus of Penn State Erie the Behrend College in the Junker Center. Second, admission is free to everyone! This is an event that you do not want to miss. JUMP! Back to School Expo is Sunday, August 14, 2016, from 11am to 3pm. If you’d like sponsor or vendor information, contact Kathy at (814) 217-6001 or at kcarducci@wqln.org. Sponsored by

Thanks to local businesses participating in the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit program, this school year WQLN Education is able to change the lives of children by providing four Families Turn on to Literacy workshops to the Erie Public Schools and one to Erie Rise Leadership Academy. Families Turn on to Literacy is an innovative program emphasizing the involvement of the entire family in a child’s learning by combining PBS Kids programming, quality children’s literature, and hands-on activities, encouraging active learning in the home. Businesses can apply for EITC tax credits starting July 1, 2016, through the Department of Community & Economic Development’s electronic single application. For more information, go to www.newpa.com or contact Kathy at (814) 217-6001. April2016 Lake Erie LifeStyle 41

Events

Suds &Buds! By Shannon Ferrare

special rare sample offered from each of the craft brewers. Give yourself the VIP treatment and get in the door 45 minutes early while you enjoy your tastings from a special edition pint glass commemorating the special anniversary event! Sponsored by

10th Annual Erie Micro Brew Festival Saturday, April 9 at the Brewerie at Union Station VIP Session: 12:15 – 4:00pm Session One: 1:00 – 4:00pm Session Two: 5:00 – 8:00pm Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door and $50 for VIP entry. Tickets can be purchased online at ErieBeerFest.com.

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Nothing says spring to us here at WQLN like the thought of cold suds, and we aren’t talking about the suds you wash your car with, but instead a much tastier variety. If you’re looking for a little spring in your step, but you haven’t yet secured your place at the tastiest gig in town, have no fear! There are still some tickets left for the 10th annual Erie Micro Brew Festival! Some things have stayed the same, like the finest craft beer samples anywhere, while some things have improved in honor of 10 years of beers, like a

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By Shannon Ferrare Ever wonder how much your riding improves over the course of a summer? Since spring is finally here and warmer temps are inching their way closer to our town, it’s time to put those skills to the test. The best bike ride of the year is just over a month away, and with our brand new ride you will see just how far you’ve come after summer is over. Gears to Beers: Run for the Roses kicks off Saturday, May 7 and travels through the

picturesque rural parts of Erie County, while our brand new ride, Gears to Beers: The Erie Ale Trail is on Saturday, September 17, with a route that connects two arboretums the Lake Erie Arboretum and the Penn State Arboretum. Get ready for two glorious rides through the most beautiful landscapes our region has to offer!

Support Free Public TV and Radio

WQLN Radio 91.3 FM

calling (814) 864-3001 ext. 0 April2016

Member Services Monday – Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm 8425 Peach St., Erie, PA 16509-4788 1-800-727-8854 ext. 299 receptionist@wqln.org

Annual Gears to Beers Bicycle Tours Run for the Roses Saturday, May 7 NEW Erie Ale Trail Saturday, September 17

Registration forms can be found online at www.wqln.org/G2B

Visit Us Online Or att www.wqln.org. www.wqln ww ln.org www.lakeerielifestyle.com

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