July Lake Erie LifeStyle 2017

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LifeStyle JULY 2017

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Quintessential

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Win a stay at a bayfront hotel with our tours of Erie

PLUS: DRESS YOUR PATIO Find out what’s trending in outdoor furniture

DRINK OUTDOORS Where to go for a fresh-air brew and wine experience

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Contents

JULY ’17

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 9

A sky of stars is shown as the moon rises behind the closed Waterford covered bridge.

[FILE PHOTO]

Quintessential Erie 14 WHAT'S AT EYE LEVEL?

12

Tour the region by foot/car, take a selfie, win a prize.

26 WHAT'S DOWN UNDER? Underwater finds include shipwrecks and more.

It’s Quintessential Erie month with more than 20 pages of interesting finds at eye level, above ground and underwater.

32 WHAT'S UP? Photographers gaze skyward, capture images.

Home & garden

In every issue

36 PARTY ON THE PATIO Furnish your outdoor living space in style.

10 MEMORIES Float back in time to the first July issue.

40 WEEPING, SWEEPING TREES Vegetation spills over in graceful boughs.

55 ON SCENE Heart Ball raises funds circus style.

Bon appétit

56 IT'S A DATE Mark your summer calendar for great events.

46 SIP OUTSIDE Enjoy wine and beer on patios, veranda or hots spots near you.

58 LAST LOOK Get a close-up look at the Lake Erie LifeStyle photo of the month.

LAKE

ERIE

10 ANNIVE

RSARY

year

On the cover In a quintessentially Erie scene, the U.S. Brig Niagara fires one of its guns while cruising along in Presque Isle Bay. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES NEWS]

4 | LAKE ERIE LIFESTYLE

LifeSt

yle JULY

49 FOR TASTE OF BLUE Break out the blue for dessert this month.

2017

Sports & adventure Quin t Erieessential Win a stay bayfro at nt ho a our to urs of tel with Erie

50 FIND BALANCE, HEALTH Adults to age 85 find fun, fitness in Pilates class.

PLUS

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YO UR Find PATIO out wh in out door at’s tre furnitu nding re DR INK OU

Where TD OO RS brews to go for a and wine fresh-a experie ir nce

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From the editor July 2017

We love Erie every month Decades ago I worked for an ad agency, and we were in charge of promoting tourism with the "We love Erie" campaign along with the good folks from the Erie Chamber of Commerce. Somehow I don't remember everything about the campaign, but as a media buyer, I knew all the radio and television station call letters and ad reps from here to West Virginia.

I knew the billboard and newspaper folks as well.

In those days, I thought I knew everything about Erie. After all, I grew up here, but every year since then, I've learned something new about our region. A lot of that is because I've seen Erie through many other people's eyes.

Here are just a few of my favorites: A ride on the Niagara with the Boy Scouts gave me an appreciation for history and being a crew member on that ship. Our tour director was David Boughton, and I interviewed him again for this issue's story on what's under the water around us. If you've never been on a day sail aboard the Niagara, it's worth every penny and every minute.

A tour of the Presque Isle Lighthouse in 2016 opened a new world, and what a view.

After you climb the spiral staircase to the top and look out over the railing, you will forever remember that vista. And the sound of the waves. It's open to the public for tours, and you can rent it for events. The history is incredible, and I had the honor of hearing it firsthand from Loretta Wunch Brandon,

6 | LAKE ERIE LIFESTYLE

LAKE

ERIE

LifeStyle JULY 2017

NICHE PUBLICATIONS EDITOR Brenda Martin brenda.martin@timesnews.com EDITOR Pam Parker pam.parker@timesnews.com

F From left, l ft Brenda B d Martin, M ti Pam P Parker P k and d Victoria Vi t i Roehm give you plenty of options for your July in Erie. [ACACIA STUDIOS/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

who grew up there.

A snowshoe trek through Asbury Woods with friends gave me a greater appreciation for the beauty of that area. I had seen the pond and wildlife on tours with my kids, but seeing the actual woods and Walnut Creek is a special place to hang out. It's beautiful every season.

Brenda Martin, Victoria Roehm and all of our writers share plenty more places to discover in this month's Quintessential Erie issue. You'll be surprised to find some areas you never knew existed. Enjoy.

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER/WEB DESIGN Magazine design by Center for News & Design Web design by Ben Smith, Dave Super PHOTOGRAPHERS Jack Hanrahan, Christopher Millette, Greg Wohlford ADVERTISING Lynn Dietz, multi-media sales supervisor lynn.dietz@timesnews.com 814-870-1664 CONTACT US 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534 GoErie.com/lifestyle/lake-erielifestyle ALL CONTENT, INCLUDING THE DESIGN, ART, PHOTOS AND EDITORIAL CONTENT © 2017, ERIE TIMES-NEWS. NO PORTION OF THIS

Pam Parker editor

MAGAZINE MAY BE COPIED OR REPRINTED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER.

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Contributors July ’17

“If you’re lucky enough to live by the lake, you’re lucky enough.”

Marie Feltz takes you outdoors to the patio to display what’s in style and how to arrange your furnishings this summer.

Feltz is an award-winning designer with more than 30 years of experience. She owns Decorating Den Interiors of Meadville and also serves the Erie area. page 36

Marissa Orbanek checks in with some inspiring folks who found exercise improves health and balance. She is the public relations manager at the General McLane School District and the girls lacrosse coach at McDowell High School. page 50

Jennie Geisler offers cool recipes for a hot summer. She is the resident foodie at the Erie Times-News, and for 15 years she has written about her adventures as a home cook every Wednesday in Loaves & Dishes. page 49

Steve Orbanek offers some scenic suggestions for places to enjoy a beer or wine outdoors. He is a marketing communication specialist in the office of strategic communications at Penn State Behrend. page 46

JoLayne Green interviews the experts at White Deer Run Treatment Network. Green is a freelance writer living in Meadville with her family. page 45

Pam Parker interviews experts on what’s under Lake Erie and the bay, and she shares memories from the first July issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle. Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, House to Home and Her Times at the Erie Times-News. page 10, 26

Brenda Martin shares what you’ll find on walking tours throughout Erie County.

You’ll want to track down some of the interesting finds and take a selfie to win a prize this month. Martin is the niche publications editor at the Erie Times-News. page 14 Greg Wohlford takes a look up in the air at things we might never see unless we consciously look up. Wohlford is a photojournalist at the Erie Times-News. page 32

Coming in August: Erie Gives again

8 | LAKE ERIE LIFESTYLE

Sue Scholz educates readers on weeping trees. These conversation starters add beauty to any landscape. Find out if one will work at your home. A master gardener, Scholz is the Buds & Blooms columnist for the House to Home sections published every Saturday in the Erie Times-News. page 40 Tori Roehm gives readers a look at some of the great things to do in the region throughout the month of July. She is a writer at the Erie Times-News in the features department. page 56

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Memories brought to you by Painted Finch Gallery

July 2008 was all about water It’s back to the future for Lake Erie LifeStyle.

The first July issue was all about water, and this month, we serve up an all-about-life-in-Erie issue.

In July 2008, writers discussed house boats, kayaking, sailing and the lift bridge in Ashtabula.

Houseboat life was a great getaway for Mike and Carol Hirsh of Erie.

The couple and their dog frequented Horseshoe Pond along with Tom At ag e 24 Bloom who had a houseboat for 27 years at the time. the hig , Alex Nag le sa h sea iled Kayaking was gaining in popularity in those early years of Lake Erie s in 2 008.

LifeStyle, and readers met boaters who were hitting creeks and thee lakes throughout the region.

One of the most notable stories was an interview with Alex Nagle, who sailed 7,500 miles on a six-month adventure that took him along the coasts of Australia, Bali, Turkey and Spain, to name a few of the countries he toured. He was 24 at the time.

He joined Aaron Lasher, a member of Reach the World, an organization that connects adventurers with inner city students.

Finally, the bridge in Ashtabula is one impressive piece of history, and it has plenty of fans during the summer. Tourists with camge ift Brid eras will record the raising and lowering of the bridge in its quaint scule L a B e and th s ok at n creek location close to shops, restaurants and much more. If you’ve took a lo aking o y a k d n Articles hio, a bula, O never seen it, head on over. It’s fun to watch. And it’s listed on the in Ashta . ays National Register of Historic Places. LEL waterw

10 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

The 2008 July cover featured stories on floating homes at Presque Isle State Park.

[FILE PHOTOS]

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July Lake Erie LifeStyle

Quintessential

ERIE

12 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

S

OMETIMES YOU NEED TO STOP, pause and look around to capture what you've been missing on that drive to work or school when you've been too preoccupied to notice your surroundings. There’s a lot to see in northwestern Pennsylvania. In the next 20 pages, we'll give you three views: one from the ground, one from the air, and one from under the water's surface. Take one of our walking/driving tours to meet again some of the places that make Erie home (and enter a contest to win prizes). Peek under the surface of Lake Erie to see what hidden treasures lie there. And then look up to see what's lurking high above ground that's easy to miss.

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Quintessential Erie

ON THE

Ground Five walking and driving tours in Erie County Story by Brenda Martin

14 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

Quintessential Erie

Contest WIN A NIG HT ON T H E B AY F RONT G o E r i e . co

m/tours

Get to know Erie County again and win a $250 Courtyard by Marriott Erie Bayfront gift card.

T

here truly is no place like home, but sometimes we take home — the place where we live in northwestern Pennsylvania — for granted.

To re-aquaint you with home, we offer a summer activity you can do as a family that might help you see Erie with new eyes, but also give you the chance to win prizes.

We offer you here five different walking/ driving tours of different areas of Erie County: North East, West County, Waterford, Erie downtown and the lakeshore.

We've given you five must-sees that you can check out and where you can stop to take a selfie. (We've added other places of interest, just in case you want to spend a half a day or more.) When you've done all five places on a tour, send the selfies to us and we'll enter you in a drawing. There will be one drawing and one winner for each of the five tours. For those who do all 25 spots on the five tours, there will be a grand prize drawing.

Prizes will be: The winner of each tour will receive a $50 gift card to a business within the area of the specific tour. There will be five prizes; one for each tour. The grand prize awarded to someone who has completed all five tours will be a $250 gift card to be used at the Courtyard by Marriott Erie Bayfront.

To enter your selfies, go to: GoErie.com/ tours.

Deadline to post your selfies: Aug. 1.

Welcome to July in Erie County. We hope these tours help you enjoy it.

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Quintessential Erie

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North East is in the middle of Concord grape country, which extends from Erie County into New York. [PHOTO BY BRENDA MARTIN]

16 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

NE

Quintessential Erie

North East N

orth East, in eastern Erie County, is at the center of Pennsylvania’s wine country. It’s home to nearly a dozen wineries, thousands of acres of vineyards and the largest manufacturing plant for juice-maker Welch’s.

The area boasts a beautiful downtown, the robust wine trade and miles of Lake Erie shoreline, including a public beach.

Main attractions Take a selfie at each of these five locations and submit them for a chance to win a prize.

Any winery. Go to one or go to several. Each winery offers something different, but all of them give you the chance to taste and buy the wines made from Lake Erie grapes. Some also have gift shops, cafes, wine-making supplies and other grape products. Go to nechamber.org/pages/wineries for a list.

1

Gibson Park is the North East Borough centerpiece in the middle of town at the intersection of Lake and Main streets. Sit on a bench under a canopy of trees.

2

Walk the beautiful campus of Mercyhurst North East, a branch of Mercyhurst University in Erie.

The campus, which can be accessed off Route 89 (Lake Street), was home to the College of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, also known as St. Mary's Seminary, for 110 years before the seminary closed its doors in the mid-1980's. The 84-acre complex ultimately became home to Mercyhurst's two-year programs.

3

Grape Country Marketplace, 15 W. Main St., is a veritable Welch's museum, which is good because the local Welch's plant isn't open for tours. The North East Welch's plant has more than 350 employees who produce 280 different juices, jams and jellies. The plant produces as much as 17 million gallons of juice from an average annual harvest season of 125,000 tons of grapes delivered from 724 grower-owners in the region, according to Welch’s. The Grape Country Marketplace has Welch artifacts and historic displays, but also gives you the chance to pick from walls filled with Welch's products. Other local food products are also available, and area artists display their works.

4

Freeport Beach is along Lake Erie north of the borough if you follow Route 89. The beach is staffed by lifeguards in the summer and has a concession stand and restrooms. There are pavilions and a playground.

5

Gibson Park in North East is a community gathering place.

[BRENDA MARTIN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

While you’re there, don’t miss: Little Shop of Donuts, 36 W. Main St. You pick the basic doughnut, then add the toppings of your choice, from the routine to the truly indulgent.

Tour of homes. If architecture and real estate are your passions, drive by the beautiful older homes along Park, Gibson and North Pearl streets.

Something Fishy, 22 E. Main St. This is your go-to shop to buy freshwater fish and general pet supplies.

Mobilia Farm Market, 12073 East Main Road, next to the Arrowhead Wine Cellars. Stop in at both to get fruits, wine-making supplies and an assortment of wine country gifts.

The Bean, 12 S. Lake St. This coffee house and cafe roasts its own coffee and offers breakfast and lunch.

Phelps’ Bros. Guitars, 31 S. Lake St. You can buy a new guitar or have yours repaired.

The Straw Hat Sundae Shop, 207 S. Lake St. One of its specials is Penn State Berkey Ice Cream, with about a dozen flavors on a rotating menu.

Interstate Antique Mall, 5446 Station Road (Route 89).

Looking for antique furniture, toys, jewelry and art?

It’s all in one place.

Further afield Follow Route 20 into New York to learn about the Lake Erie Concord Grape Region at the Lake Erie Grape Discovery Center, 8305 West Main Road, Westfield, New York. This region is the oldest and largest Concord grape region in the world. You can explore exhibits on the region’s grape and wine industry, get a taste of grape and shop for all manner of grapey gifts.

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Quintessential Erie

West County T

ake a drive west on Route 5, and you’ll find plenty of public access to Lake Erie along the way, as well as farm stands and acres of grapes, orchards and strawberry fields. Circle around through Lake City to go back east on Route 20 through Girard and Fairview.

There’s plenty to see, experience and taste in this area.

Main attractions Take a selfie at each of these five locations and submit them for a chance to win a prize.

Avonia Beach is north on Avonia Road off Route 5. Trout Run empties into Lake Erie here, which makes it a good spot for fishing, watching for steelhead trout and catching a Lake Erie sunset. Sit in the gazebo and listen to the waves.

1

Lake Erie Community Park, 10192 West Lake Road, Lake City. This 125-acre park on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie has picnic pavilions, a substantial playground, and plenty of room to rest along the bluff and take in the lake view. While you’re there, don’t be surprised if you catch a glimpse of a bald eagle overhead.

2

The Erie Bluffs State Park is farther west on Route 5. Enter the park at the Elk Creek Park Access Area, and you’ll be led into an area where Elk Creek enters Lake Erie. You can find natural lakeshore bluffs and old forest. The 587-acre park has 10 hiking trails, a mile of shoreline (no swimming), 90-foot bluffs overlooking Lake Erie, Elk Creek, an uncommon black oak woodland/savannah, Great Lakes region sand barren ecosystems, and forested wetlands. The only ways to access the park are the Elk Creek access area and the main entrance parking lot farther west on Route 5.

Most of the park can be accessed only by hiking. You can get a list of the hiking trails at www.dcnr.state. pa.us/stateparks/findapark/eriebluffs/#hiking. You can also download printable maps of the park, which show the hiking trails, at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/ public/documents/document/dcnr_20032316.pdf.

3

Girard Borough Park can be accessed from Lake Street. The park road winds through wooded areas until it brings you to Elk Creek. There are baseball fields and picnic areas, as well as an Elk Creek trail.

4

Battles Museum of Rural Life, 436 Walnut St., Girard. Look through the 1858 farmhouse and walk around the agricultural property. A second Battles house is another historic site.

5

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FAIRVIEW GIRARD LAKE CITY

Contest WIN A NIG HT ON T H E B AY F RONT G o E r i e . co

m/tours

Quintessential Erie

WC While you’re there, don’t miss: Pleasant Ridge Park is an 80-acre park in Fairview Township off Route 20 across from Pleasant Ridge Manor. There’s a small playground, baseball and soccer fields, and hiking trails.

Castle Mini Golf, at 7354 West Lake Road in Fairview Township, is an 18-hole miniature golf course.

The Main Street Cakery, 7403 West Ridge Road, Fairview, will give you a meal, but save room for the yummy desserts.

FishUSA offers anglers the chance to buy fishing tackle online, but the Fairview-based company has a Pro Shop at 6960 West Ridge Road where you can check out the inventory in person and get advice from the experts.

Chico’s Travelers Inn Inc., 7294 West Ridge Road, Fairview, is a family restaurant where perch is a specialty.

Creamland, 6221 West Ridge Road, Fairview, dishes out the ice cream specials daily.

Heartland Inn & Cafe, 9101 West Ridge Road, Girard, is a bed and breakfast that takes you back into the Victorian era. The cafe is open to the public at times, and is also used by local organizations for events. The gift shop not only carries unique local gifts, but also offers local wine.

For the spiritual, S.S. Cyril & Methodius Byzantine Catholic Church, along Route 20 as you enter Girard, has beautiful outdoor Stations of the Cross along a winding path that includes bridges.

Jitters Bulk Foods & Bakery, 717 Rice Ave., Girard. This is the perfect place to get cooking and baking staples.

Jitters also has deli meats and cheeses, freshly brewed coffee and baked goods.

The Lake Erie Community Park off Route 5 near Lake City offers an amazing vista of Lake Erie from the bluff.

Bottom left: The Battles Museum of Rural Life in Girard is operated by the Erie County Historical Society. Bottom right: Elk Creek winds through the Girard Borough Park. The park includes an Elk Creek trail.

[PHOTOS BY BRENDA MARTIN/ ERIE TIMES-NEWS AND FILE PHOTO]

All Aboard Dinor is built along the railroad tracks in Lake City at 2203 Rice Ave. That’s why, along with the many food choices, you’ll also see a model train circling overhead to delight young and old.

Godfrey Run or Mason Farms roadside markets. Travel along Route 5 between Avonia and Lake City for these two farm markets that bring you fruits and veggies fresh from the neighboring fields. Godfrey Run’s market has a cider mill on site for fresh apple cider, as well as wines from Arrowhead Wine Cellars.

Out of the Grey coffee shop at 6990 West Lake Road is only open three evenings a week, but will give you a selection of soups, sandwiches, salads and more. Plus coffee.

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Quintessential Erie

Contest WIN A NIG HT ON T H E B AY F RONT G o E r i e . co

ABOVE: Veterans’ graves line a hillside behind the Pennsylvania Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Home in east Erie.

[BRENDA MARTIN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

LEFT: The Eternal Vigilance sculpture stands guard at the State Street steps to the Erie Art Museum. [FILE PHOTO]

20 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

m/tours

Quintessential Erie

Erie Downtown here’s so much to see and do in the expanded downtown area of Erie. Spend some time walking to see sites old and new living happily alongside each other. Be awed by art. Take in a ball game.

T

among the best in a minor league ballpark. And your kids won’t want to miss the between-innings Kids Stampede through the outfield to the first-base side at every game.

Main attractions

5

Take a selfie at each of these five locations and submit them for a chance to win a prize.

The fountain at Perry Square. Perry Square is one of three city parks that divert the flow of Sixth Street. This one is in the heart of the downtown, and includes a stage in the portion of the park west of State Street and a restored fountain east of State Street. Wander the many statues and memorials, including a statue of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero of the War of 1812.

1

The Dickson Tavern, at the corner of East Second and French streets, is Erie’s oldest surviving structure. It was built in 1815, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The building, now the offices of Kidder Wachter Architecture & Design, is not open to the public, but stands as a piece of Erie’s history. It was opened as a tavern by John Dickson, a Baltimore native who settled in Erie after he was a prisoner of war in the War of 1812.

2

Erie Art Museum, 411 State St. Sit on the front steps next to Eternal Vigilance, the bronze sculpture crafted by John Silk Deckard that keeps watch over State Street. The steps are a perfect place to sit for a spell and watch the traffic and pedestrians on busy State Street. Then step inside the museum to see both its permanent pieces of artwork, as well as the many exhibits. The museum is closed on Mondays. Give yourself some time to wander among the exhibits before exploring the museum’s gift shop.

3

Take yourself out to a ballgame at UPMC Park, formerly Jerry Uht Park, home to the Erie SeaWolves at East 10th and French streets. There’s nothing quite like watching the SeaWolves from a seat along the first base line on a balmy summer night, and getting the extra show of the sun setting over the city’s skyscape. Check out a Monday night Buck Night ($1 hot dogs). Post-game fireworks are scheduled on July 1, July 2, July 3, July 15, July 25, Aug. 5, Aug. 12, Aug. 24 and Aug. 26. Seats in the first-base upper deck along the Bud Light Beer Garden have been rated

4

Walk along West Sixth Street, Erie’s Millionaire’s Row, to get an idea of the wealth that existed in Erie in the last part of the 1800s and early 1900s. The crown jewel of Millionaire’s Row is the Watson-Curtze Mansion at 356 W. Sixth St., a 24-room home built in the 1890s and now owned by the Erie County Historical Society and operated as a museum. (The museum is closed on Mondays.)

While you’re there, don’t miss: Veterans Cemetery behind the Pennsylvania Solders’ & Sailors’ Home at 560 E. Third St. Visit the cemetery behind the buildings to pay your respects to those who gave up portions of their lives to the service of freedom and democracy.

Erie Firefighters Historical Museum, 428 Chestnut St. Check the hours before you go.

Jr’s Last Laugh Comedy Club & Restaurant, 1402 State St., has been bringing laughs to Erie for nearly two decades. But note: it’s adults only.

Experience Children’s Museum, 420 French St., is a favorite among the young and not-so-young. It is closed on Mondays.

Ye Ole Sweet Shoppe, 402 State St. Indulge your sweet tooth with some of Erie’s favorite cookies and more.

Molly Brannigan’s. Get a taste of Ireland at 502 State St., including live Irish music. Every Wednesday night: Pub Quiz Trivia.

The Peanut Shoppe at East 10th and State streets in the Renaissance Centre has been selling candy (and peanuts) to generations of children. While you’re at the Renaissance Centre, Erie’s only true skyscraper that dates to the Roaring 20s and is on the National Register of Historic Places, go into the lobby and check out the old-fashioned elevators that still take people to the offices on the upper floors.

The Warner Theatre, 811 State St., which opened as a downtown movie theater in 1931 and was a movie house for decades, is now the center of Erie’s performing arts community and home to the Erie Philharmonic.

It’s also on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Quintessential Erie

Contest WIN A NIG HT ON T H E B AY F RONT G o E r i e . co

m/tours

Erie County Waterfront Dancers move to the music at Presque Isle State Park during a Sunset Music Series beach concert. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

E

rie County offers plenty of public access to Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie, and the immediate waterfront has shifted from an industrial center to a cultural, entertainment and visitors’ center in recent decades.

Main attractions Take a selfie at each of these five locations and submit them for a chance to win a prize.

Presque Isle State Park is a more than 3,000-acre state park that is accessed from Peninsula Drive and juts into Lake Erie as a sandy spit. With its 13 miles of roads, 21 miles of trails, 13 beaches and a marina, it’s an all-seasons park, but the summer season brings hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Must sees: Perry Monument, the Presque Isle Lighthouse (now open for tours), the lighthouse on the North Pier, and, of course, the beaches, including the kites at Sunset Point (Beaches 9 and 10). Get a downloadable and printable map of the park that includes hiking trails at www.dcnr.state. pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_003286.pdf. Walk, run, skate or bike the multi-purpose trail that rings the park. The Tom Ridge Environmental Center

1

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on Peninsula Drive is the gateway to the park, and includes exhibits, a viewing tower, educational efforts and a gift shop. On your way down the hill toward the park entrance, allow your car to veer right into the parking lot at Sara’s Restaurant for some classic diner food and, of course, the ice cream cones.

Take the elevator to the top of the Bicentennial Tower, at the foot of State Street on Dobbins Landing. It was built in 1996 for the city’s bicentennial. Everyone in Erie should take in the view from the top of the tower once a year, just for the cool breezes and spectacular views. It’s open every day through Labor Day from 9:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. (Hint: The ride to the top is free on the first Sunday of the month.)

2

Eat on the water. There are plenty of choices on Erie’s bayfront. Or go to an area deli and take your sandwich or salad to the public dock or a picnic table or Presque Isle or another quiet spot along the water.

Here are some favs for dining along the water: Smuggler’s Wharf, 3 State St.; Rum Runners Cove, 2 State St.; Rum Runners, 133 E. Dobbins Landing; Jr’s on the Bay and its Sloppy Duck Saloon, 726 W. Bayfront

3

Parkway; Bayfront Grille in the Sheraton Hotel, 55 W. Bay Road; Shoreline Bar and Grille in the Courtyard Erie Bayfront at 2 Sassafras Pier.

Check out the Erie Land Lighthouse along the Erie waterfront at the foot of Lighthouse Street on Erie’s east side. The grounds include the lighthouse, originally built in 1818, and a playground. The playground is a public park. Call the lighthouse for tour information 814-452-3937.

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You’re along the water. Get on (or in) the water in some fashion. Maybe it’s time to accept that invitation from your friend with the boat. Maybe you should take the family on a tour aboard the paddlewheel Victorian Princess or the pirate ship Scallywags, both on lower State Street, or the Lady Kate, which leaves out of Presque Isle. You can hop aboard the U.S. Brig Niagara, Erie’s own tall ship, as a member of the crew on a working sail. There are plenty of beaches where you can cool off in the deep July heat. Pick your water craft: canoe, paddle boat, kayak, jet ski, pontoon boat.

Presque Isle offers rentals of many water craft, as well as pontoon boat tours.

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Quintessential Erie

ECW

While you’re there, don’t miss: Bayfront Gallery, 17 E. Dobbins Landing, showcases the work of Erie’s artists, present and past.

Harbor View Miniature Golf is in the heart of the bayfront at 36 State St. The 18-hole course includes a scenic waterfall.

The U.S. Brig Niagara’s home port is at the Erie Maritime Museum, 150 E. Front St. The museum has many displays that show Erie’s rich maritime history and central place in the War of 1812.

The Blasco Library, 160 E. Front St., adjoins the Maritime Museum and is the main library in the Erie County Public Library system. For a list of events, go to www.erielibrary. org/events/#/?i=1.

The fishing. You can fish from the waterfront, but you can also take a charter aboard the Edward John into Lake Erie for the perch. Go to www. edwardjohnperchfishing.com.

There are several quiet eastside parks in Erie with a view of the Lake. Chautauqua Park is a small park on an elevated shoreline along Lake Erie at the eastern end of Lakeside Drive. It has a covered picnic area and grill, as well as several benches to enjoy the lake view. Cranch Park is a small, unmarked park located on Lakeside Drive near Cranch Avenue. Euclid Park is a small park in the same neighborhood at the foot of Euclid Avenue.

The Lakeside Cemetery at 1718 East Lake Road is a peaceful place to walk and reflect. The cemetery has several historic monuments and a spot along the bluff overlooking Lake Erie where tombstones shaped like benches have been placed for people to appreciate the view.

Take a walk. There are several bayfront walking/biking options. The bayfront bikeway/multi-use path/Bayfront Connector Trail is about 9 miles and runs from the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park to the Penn State Behrend campus.

The Bayfront Promenade — a one-mile multi-use path along the bluffs that overlook the bayfront and Lake Erie — starts near State Street and the Bayfront Parkway and ends about a block past Bayview Park.

Top: The U.S. Brig Niagara leads the 2016 Tall Ships Erie Parade of Sail into Presque Isle Bay. You can be a member of the crew for a training sail. Bottom: Visitors fill Presque Isle State Park Beach 6. [FILE PHOTOS/ ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

Feast on music. Summer always offers a number of options to take in tunes on the waterfront. The UPMC Sunset Music Series on Beach 1 at Presque Isle has three concerts in July. 8 Great Tuesdays starts in mid-July at the new Highmark Amphitheater at Liberty Park, just off West Bayfront Parkway. Get your guide to outdoor music, both on and off the water, at www.goerie.com/entertainmentlife/20170525/ your-guide-to-summer-2017-concert-series-around-erie.

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Quintessential Erie

Waterford W

aterford, south of Erie with a population of about 1,500, is a historic site for its importance in the French and Indian War. Waterford was the site of three forts: one French, one British, one American. “This area became important because of its proximity to French Creek providing transportation of men, munitions, goods and more as this part of the country started to take root,” according to the Fort LeBoeuf Historical Society. “Dubbed French Creek by a young George Washington, who came in 1753 to tell the French this was British territory and they must leave. He was representing the Virginia Militia and Governor Dinwiddie. The French refusal was the spark that kindled the French and Indian War.”

WF The Waterford covered bridge, one of only two covered bridges still standing in Erie County, is now closed, but once took Niemeyer Road over LeBoeuf Creek. The nearly 86-foot bridge was built in 1875. Get to the bridge from Route 19 by turning east on East First Street. Go 0.3 miles, then turn south on East Street. Go about one mile to the bridge.

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The gazebo in the park in the center of town along Route 19 is a central gathering place. Rest in its shade and enjoy small-town life.

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While you’re there, don’t miss:

Main attractions

Duran’s Farm Fresh Products, 10532 Route 97, north of Waterford. Duran’s sells bulk food items from Amish companies. And if you go, try the chocolate milk.

Take a selfie at each of these five locations and submit them for a chance to win a prize.

Russell’s of Waterford has a beautiful furniture showroom at 28 N. Park Row (right on the park).

The Amos Judson House, across from the Eagle Hotel along Route 19, is believed to be on the property of the original French Fort. It was built in the early 1800s and is furnished in the style of the period.

It has limited hours, but a model of the original Fort LeBoeuf, as described in George Washington’s journal, is a highlight.

Business district. Walk the small business district in the block south of the park in search of unusual shops.

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The Fort LeBoeuf Museum, just south of the Judson House and considered on the same historical campus, includes exhibits on the Indians who lived in the area, the French and British fur trade, and information about an archaeological excavation of the site and what was uncovered. The museum has limited hours on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and is open by appointment for group tours.

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The Eagle Hotel, built in 1826 along what is now Route 19, was one of the first commercial buildings in what is now Waterford’s small business district. A restaurant, Sugar ‘n Spice, continues to operate in the building. Over nearly two centuries, the hotel and restaurant housed travelers on horses, in stagecoaches, in automobiles. Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, is said to have stayed in the hotel in 1848.

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The Eagle Hotel in Waterford was one of the first buildings in the town’s business district.

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Play on the playground. Go to the baseball field and playground at East Fifth and Chestnut streets behind the Waterford Elementary School.

Grab lunch or dinner or a drink. Along with the Eagle Hotel, the Waterford Hotel along Route 19 at the park is a favorite restaurant and watering hole. Right behind it is Jake’s On The Park on South Park Row. Go to Jake’s for a meal, but make sure you try the pie.

See George. There’s a statue of a young George Washington in George Washington Memorial Park along Route 19 next to the Eagle Hotel that commemorates Washington’s mission to the region. LEL

Quintessential Erie

st e t n o C

N HT O A NIG ONT N I W AY F R THE B urs GoEr

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The statue of George Washington in Waterford is unique because it shows a young Washington. [FILE PHOTOS/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

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Quintessential Erie

UNDER WATER What lurks beneath the surface of Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay? The experts clue us in.

Story by Pam Parker

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Quintessential Erie

W This is a 2013 contributed image of an unidentified shipwreck discovered off the beaches of Presque Isle State Park, photographed by Pennsylvania Sea Grant Maritime Education Specialist David Boughton during a Pennsylvania Archaeology and Shipwreck Survey Team (PASST) expedition to the wreck.

HAT’S UNDER LAKE ERIE OR THE BAY? It’s a fascinating question, and one many of us seem curious about.

Thousands of visitors stopped by for a three-month shipwreck display at Tom Ridge Environmental Center in 2016.

“There’s a fascination with what’s under the water here in Erie,” said David Boughton, a maritime education specialist with Pennsylvania Sea Grant, an outreach collaboration of Pennsylvania State University.

He estimates that there are 2,000 documented ships buried in the waters of Lake Erie. Close to home, he says there are 132 known ships on maps that patrons can buy at a variety of Erie locations, but there are as many as 250 unknown vessels.

The shipwreck display was so popular that it will return later this year from November through April and is planned to include two venues, the Tom Ridge Center and possibly the Maritime Museum.

But there’s more than shipwrecks under the waters around us. Unique fish and rock formations are some of the things divers flock to see, but what if you aren’t a diver? You can still be a landlubber and see some nautical niceties. Read on.

What can you see from land?

A side-scan sonar image depicts the outline of the shipwreck of the S.K. Martin, a coal freighter that foundered in a storm on Lake Erie about two miles offshore from Harborcreek Township in 1912.

Boughton said people walking on the beach and on the shore can often see some shipwrecks. “A few are right on Presque Isle, some at the bayhead,” he said. Rigs can be spotted by Sara’s Campground in the shallows.

Boughton said visitors to the park can see the ships from the trail on a low-water day. He said he’s seen a bald eagle perched on one of the ships, a 1914 fishing tug.

There are also some interesting pieces of ships that have washed up on land as well. Boughton said sections of old boats often pop up after storms. A 30-foot section was spotted at Lake Erie Community Park that a lot of people might think is part of an old pier, but it’s part of a ship. “People probably walk over it every day,” he said.

Other pieces that wash up on shore have been moved to the Maritime Museum.

Bougton also cautioned that divers and visitors on land might not see the same thing twice. Shipwrecks, like all things underwater, are at the mercy of the currents and ice. Parts of ships can turn up on Presque Isle or be visible one day and later disappear. “In one case, we found something and by the end of the season the piece had been recovered in 7 feet of sand,” he said.

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Quintessential Erie Boughton and others are working hard to inventory ships in the bay and lake. The interest in submerged ships over the years led to the 2013 formation of a group that is working to inventory all of the wreck sites of what are called “submerged cultural resources,” and all ships come under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

What else can you see underwater?

A career of diving

Dave Jelley, 66, is a retired self-employed charter boat captain — something he did for 22 years. He’s been diving since 1978. “I love the water, period,” he said. Jelley prefers exploring shallow water and the rock formations and underwater fish. He added that deeper dives take people about 60 feet to the S.K. Martin, which is right off Shorewood in Harborcreek.

“You see all kinds of bass and other fish — they love those shipwrecks,” he said. “I saw a 5-foot catfish swim out of a boiler door — it scared the crap out of me.”

He’s also been diving in the Niagara River.

“The current is about 17 miles an hour, and it carries you toward the falls, so you get to see a lot of things as long as you stay close to the shore,” he said.

Diving could be a trash-and-treasure type of hobby. “You’ll see a lot of junk on the bottom.

I’ve seen a safe, cars, outboard motors, a bowling ball — you’ll see anything,” he said.

He said some people think it’s an expensive hobby, but he compares it to golf. “It’s no worse than a good set of golf clubs,” he said.

His son, Aaron, 37, is a diver because of his dad’s activities. With 10 years of experience, he said that divers have favorite spots. In North East, part of an old ship’s propellers are visible by the New York border in Lake Erie. He says he dives four times a year off a charter boat.

Both father and son are volunteers in the North East Fire Department SCUBA team.

Charting new dives

Sarah Kovacs, an EMT for EmergyCare and a volunteer member of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office SCUBA team, says diving was something she “always wanted to do as a kid.” Now 34, she said she signed up for a course at Pennbriar Athletic Club when it was offered three years ago. After she completed 75 dives, she signed up as volunteer for search and rescue missions. “You have to have at least 75 dives to qualify,” she explained.

While she’s been on some high-profile dives looking for missing persons, she got into diving for fun. She said she found a lot of interesting 28 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

This wooden structure, pulled off a Lake Erie beach about an eighth of a mile east of cottages at the mouth of Elk Creek in Girard Township, could be part of a rudder from a large ship. It’s made of several pieces of wood and includes metal strapping or hinges and spikes or nails. The entire structure is about 9 feet long, five feet wide and 10 inches thick. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

Brian Gula and David Boughton examine a piece of a ship on Presque Isle. [CONTRIBUTED]

things right off Dobbins Landing. “Dishes, silverware, sunglasses, a bicycle — it’s all there,” she said.

She hasn’t been diving on the lake side in Erie, but she took a diving vacation to Aruba, where she was diving in 100 feet of water — salt water. “It’s incredible. The visibility can be up to 70 feet, and it’s like broad daylight. But in fresh water, it starts to get dark at 40 feet,” she said.

Kovacs said she participates in big club dives every Sunday in which four to 16 members of the J & S Dive Shop group go out to explore.

She mentioned that Sam Leo, 84, owner of the

shop, still gets together with the groups.

What’s next?

Boughton said a six-month event explaining underwater finds is planned from November to April 2018 at the Tom Ridge Center and possibly at the Maritime Museum.

In the meantime, Boughton reminds folks you can’t take anything off a ship if you find one, based on a 1988 law that protects the ships. “Most importantly, they are all maritime grave sites,” he said.

The fascination of what could be underwater is gaining community interest and it’s getting

Pieces of driftwood and shipwreck parts ďŹ ll a display case as Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Pennsylvania Sea Grant employees erect a shipwreck’s futtock into position at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center for an old display. The Tom Ridge Center will host a new display about underwater ďŹ nds later this year. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

documentation will accompany shipwreck documentation. Boughton also credited Divers World and many diving organizations for all their efforts. Boughton speaks to groups frequently about shipwrecks in Lake Erie, including submarines. “Most people think submarines date back to World Wars, but we have a submarine in Lake Erie on the Canadian side that dates back to 1853,� he said.

Boughton promises to offer more information in November when residents can learn more about what’s been lost, and found, under the water. LEL

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some help from national and state organizations. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration accepted Erie County’s application for the proposed Lake Erie Quadrangle National Marine Sanctuary, which means more resources could be devoted to the Lake Erie region. That would support the 2013 initiative of the Pennsylvania Archaeology and Shipwreck Survey Team that works with the Regional Science Consortium and the Pennsylvania Sea Grant to support the Pennsylvania Marine Spatial Survey of Lake Erie. The SONS of Lake Erie have also funded some of the dives and are hoping fish

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Quintessential Erie

LOOK

up!

Look above ground in Erie. There's so much interesting to see.

Photos by Greg Wohlford

We're surrounded by visuals, but often we never take our eyes off our smartphones, the traffic in front of us, or the family and friends across the table at dinner. So take a moment to look in a different direction for a new point of view. Here are a few things we noticed when we looked up in the air in Erie recently.

A rooftop ornament frames a half-moon along West Sixth Street.

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A small window looks out over West 21st Street.

A rainbow appears over West 14th Street near Griswold Park.

ABOVE LEFT: Spires on St. John’s Lutheran Church in Erie are anked in the distance by cell towers and a water tower. ABOVE RIGHT: Lights surrounding Ainsworth Field are turned on during a high school baseball game.

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1535 W. 8th Street, Erie, PA 16505 814.835.7770

Home & garden

fre

Start with outdoor space

By Marie Feltz Photos Contributed

Perhaps you’ve given your outdoor furniture to your adult child who has moved into his or her first home. Or perhaps you just want to start over with an all new look to your deck, porch or patio. In any case, starting with a completely vacant space is a great time to think anew about how to furnish it.

Celebrity decorator, author and TV personality Libby Langdon offers some perspective on how to start: “When it comes to designing outdoor space, the three most important words are ‘layout, layout, layout,’” she says. “Do you have room for a dining table? If so, where should it go?

Will a sofa or loveseat work better? Is there room for a chat group? How can you maximize the space to entertaining big groups? Those are some common questions.”

“It can be difficult for people to get an objective look at a space they’ve lived in for a while. They can’t envision how it could look any different from the way they’ve previously had it. So here are some tips.”

Libby’s top outdoor layout tips Start with purpose: How do you want to use the space? If you want a casual, laid-back feel, think about an asymmetrical arrangement with less balance. For a formal look, think symmetrically.

Traffic patterns: Make sure you leave enough space for a good flow of movement in a way that eases congestion.

Find a focal point: This is usually the area you want to look toward, or the spot with

36 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

the best view. This will serve as the primary gathering point and the heart of your patio arrangement. The remaining decor and areas will build off of this space.

Perfect placement: Place the longest piece of furniture along the longest wall facing the focal point. This anchors and establishes the area. Then add in individual chairs to create more seating and flexibility.

Make it homey: Bring indoor conveniences and comfort to your backyard. Use end tables, side tables and ottomans so everyone has a spot to place a drink or put their feet up.

Kitchen confidential: If you can, set up your cooking area close to the kitchen door to make food prep easy. Also, separate your dining area from the cooking area for safety sake.

Accessorize and organize: Use throw pillows, area rugs, greenery and lighting to add interest. Don’t forget a cushion storage box to free up extra space and protect your cushions and other items you want to temporarily put away.

Divide and conquer: Break up a large outdoor patio into smaller sections to create multifunctional areas for entertaining, dining and cooking rather than having one large patio with too much open space. By adding occasional chairs, an outdoor fireplace or patio heater, you can create a dynamic outdoor living space.

Libby Langdon, left, shares decorating ideas with Marie Feltz.

Home & garden

If you have an especially large space, consider breaking it up into kitchen, dining and chat group areas.

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Home & garden

Even a smaller space can have dining and conversation/relaxation areas distinct from each other.

Clever use of old items and some paint can make for a signature-look outdoor space.

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Outdoor design trends Laurie Rudd, a freelance writer for Casual Living and Exterior Design magazines and an outdoor industry veteran, offers some observations on current trends she’s been seeing. Rudd is an Edinboro University graduate who now lives in North Carolina.

“Contemporary styling continues to be popular in luxury outdoor seating and lounging,” Rudd says. “With engineered angles and elegant curves, high-gloss metallic finishes and fabric neutrals, luxe contemporary continues to appeal.”

“With the trend toward downsizing, outdoor furnishing designs for smaller spaces are more prevalent, along with intricate styles designed for intimate places,” she adds.

“Outdoor living is a continuation of a homeowner’s overall design personality,”

Rudd explains. “Creating one-of-a-kind looks that are a true reflection of personal style is trending with the solution being furnishings that can be customized through designs style, fabric and finish. Use of a designer or retailer offering custom furnishings allows for greater personalization.”

At the most recent home furnishings market in Las Vegas and High Point, there was more variety in outdoor furnishings. Fabrics are more durable and more colorful. Glass table tops in Indoors or out, place your love seat or sofa so that high-end styling are re-emerging, adding luxe it has a great view of the surroundings. appeal to contemporary outdoor surfaces.

Even in our locale, the outdoor season can be expanded thanks to the wide variety of fire pits and outdoor heaters.

So, if you’re starting fresh, stretch your horizon and think creatively as much as functionally.

LEL

Add bright colors to accent your outdoor area.

Small spaces can be arranged to duplicate an indoor living space with dining and group seating areas.

Green accents tie this space together while the patterns and textures add interest.

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Home & garden

Graceful, colorful weeping

beauty Weeping trees add shade and beauty to any property.

Here’s your guide to varieties.

By Sue Scholz Photos Contributed

Read ‘em and weep,” the poker players say. People who plant a weeping tree in their yard certainly won’t cry. Rather, weeping trees with their long drooping branches add a note of peace and tranquillity to the garden. There are many different types and sizes of weeping trees, including both deciduous and evergreen trees.

Weeping trees make excellent focal points for the garden because of their unusual cascading branches. There are smaller flowering types like weeping cherries, pussy willows and redbuds. Then there are the larger weeping trees like weeping junipers, white pines and beeches. Any kind of weeping tree will add interest to a yard. The key is to give it enough room to be seen and to grow. Do not plant it close to other trees.

How do you choose which weeping tree to buy? Anthony Natale, general manager of Turf Management Services, said that the two most preferable weeping trees that are hardy for our climate are weeping cherries and Japanese maples. “The least sturdy one is weeping cotoneaster — they don’t do well here and get diseases. Weeping red bud ‘Lavender Twist’ is a nice specimen tree as well as ‘Snow Fountain’ cherry. Nootka cypress gets bigger about 15 foot range and is hardy here,” Natale said. Lavender Twist redbud was originally found in Westfield, New York, 17 years ago. It is six feet tall and wide and is covered with pink flowers in the spring.

Helen Nelson, co-owner of Nelson-Lynwood Nursery Garden Center, makes a point of asking what her customers want in a weeping tree. “I ask them, how tall and how wide do you want the tree? Sun or shade? Flowering or decorative? Deciduous or evergreen? There are so many to choose from,” said Nelson.

“People like something unusual for a focal point in their yard. Watch the zone. We had a couple of really cold winters and some trees that were zone five got hit really badly. I recommend zone four or even zone three. Don’t put a Japanese maple out in the middle of the yard. It needs some protection so put it nearer to the house,” Nelson stated.

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Home & garden

Weeping false cypress is a stately tree. This tree was seen on Oakley Drive in Millcreek.

WHERE TO GO Turf Management Services 3645 West Lake Road, Erie 833-8898; www.turfmgtsvc.com Nelson-Lynwood Nursery Garden Center 6202 West Ridge Road, Erie 833-1557; www.nelsonlynwoodnursery.com Johnston Evergreen Nursery 10000 Wales Road, Erie 739-2820; www.johnstonplants.com

Weeping pussy willow has fuzzy catkins in spring. The tree was on display at Plantasia in Hamburg, N.Y.

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Home & garden

Weeping white pine has very soft needles. This tree is on Amherst Drive in Millcreek.

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Evergreen trees are good choices for areas where you want green foliage year round. “Weeping blue spruce is one of the smaller weeping evergreens. It is hardy to zone three and is five feet tall and wide.

Norway weeping spruce is more wide than tall — it is three feet tall and 10 feet wide. Angel Falls white pine has nice soft needles and is five feet tall and wide,” Nelson said. “For a large statement tree, choose weeping juniper.”

“The weeping redbud is very popular this year,” said Nelson. “Weeping cherries come in both pink and white flowers. As for keeping the weeping shape — you don’t want any branches going straight up — be sure to prune those.”

“Lace Leaf Japanese maple has soft very lacy leaves.

It is open underneath and is a possible playhouse for the kids,” Nelson said. There is a large Lace Leaf Japanese maple at her nursery. She spread the branches to show that the inside was open. The tree looked like a plush globe of reddish purple. The leaves were very touchable and soft. It looked like a red shaggy sheepdog.

Henry Rafferty, of Johnston Evergreen Nursery, talked about his favorite weeping trees.

“Weeping pea is small, short and cold hardy and has yellow flowers. Weeping crabapples are very cold hardy. Weeping beech in green or red is a beautiful tree,” Rafferty said. “Ruby Falls redbud has red leaves

LEFT: Weeping beech is a show stopper with its reddish purple leaves. This tree stands next to the PNC Bank on 710 Main Street E. in Girard. RIGHT: Weeping redbud gets covered with small pinkish purple blossoms in spring. This tree is growing at the Erie Zoo.

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Home & garden

TOP: Weeping cherry is a very popular weeping tree. This one was displayed at the Erie Home and Garden Expo.

BOTTOM: Lace Leaf weeping Japanese maple has attractive lacy leaves.

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and is very striking.”

“There are great evergreens: weeping white pine, weeping Norway or blue spruce.

Weeping larch, weeping hemlock, weeping false cypress. All are great specimen trees,” Rafferty said.

Remember the mature size on the label when buying trees. What is now a small tree in a small pot will get very large. “Pink weeping cherry trees can get quite large, up to 25-30 feet tall,” said Rafferty. “You can get tremendous enjoyment out of weeping trees.”

“The beauty of weeping trees is that they are easy to keep small by selective pruning. It’s a wonderful way of using plants in different forms, especially if the standard form is too big for your yard, Rafferty said.

“You utilize directional pruning to control the height or width. You need to keep it in its shape like a natural bonsai.

Maria Blakeslee, of Millcreek Township, has two weeping beeches in her yard.

“I really like them because they have an interesting form and add interest to the garden,” she said. “They are very different looking and I love the dark purple leaves.

The branches cascade down like a fountain and it’s a stunning look against the blue sky. Weeping trees add a wow factor to the garden.”

With their dramatic cascading form, weeping trees make excellent specimen trees for any yard. Visit a local garden center or nursery to add a special tree to your garden. LEL

SP ONSOR E D CONTE NT

TAKING STEPS TOWARD RECOVERY The first step in the path to recovery from addiction is arguably the biggest one — recognizing that one needs help. Recovery is a series of steps in a journey and learning about the next step to take is crucial to being successful.

The first step in the path to recovery is to make the call for help. White Deer Run Treatment Network has a call center that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is staffed with trained professionals who can help.

There are also other resources available to anyone seeking help. The Pennsylvania Drug and Alcohol Programs website, a Pennsylvania State mobile phone app called “Get Help Now,” or a good, old-fashioned phone book also lists numbers for county or state drug and alcohol departments.

“Often times, people don't know who to call, where to go, or what to do,” says counselor Amanda Milliren, who is a Regional Service Coordinator for White Deer Run, which has a full continuum of care in multiple locations throughout the state, including in Erie.

After the call, the next step is a face-to-face meeting with a clinical professional to assess the need and identify the

appropriate level of care to start the path of recovery. Each person has unique needs and this face-to-face meeting, also known as an assessment, is a critical first step to start building the appropriate treatment plan for care.

“Once an individual is ready and willing for treatment, the plan should be to move quickly to connect the person to the appropriate level of care,” Milliren says. “Inpatient detoxification and rehabilitation is usually the first step for someone to start the journey in recovery.”

White Deer Run offers a full continuum of care in drug and alcohol treatment that includes once-a-week outpatient counseling, inpatient detox and residential rehabilitation, overnight partial inpatient services and halfway houses. “We work with each person to identify and explain what the options are and what we think is best for them,” Milliren says.

“If our facility isn't the best place for them we will help find the best place that offers the services needed.”

People can also receive assistance regarding options for payment. One of the number one reasons why people do not seek help is because they have no insurance, says Milliren. White Deer Run works with all types of payment plans that include commercial

insurance policies, Medicaid policies, and funding from many of the counties within Pennsylvania.

The first level of care might be a medically monitored detox for substances such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids and heroin.

If a person needs a more intense detox or has a secondary issue such as kidney or heart conditions, a medically managed detox can be arranged through a hospital.

A typical detox takes three to seven days before any rehabilitation can begin.

“We recommend 28 days if a person can manage that. If they're willing,” Milliren says of inpatient rehabilitation. The rehab process includes group therapy as well as meeting with individual counselors.

Another possibility is outpatient rehabilitation, which can last three to six months.

“The outpatient programs are kind of like the middle ground. We can start there and go from there,” Milliren says.

Aftercare can consist of halfway houses, 12-step programs, and volunteer alumni programs. All are options to help maintain recovery.

Milliren says addiction is an ongoing, chronic disease, which means success rates in recovery vary greatly depending on what a person is willing to do to remain sober. Backsliding after rehabilitation is unfortunately common. Still, Milliren emphasizes that it is never too late or hopeless.

“In my eyes, it doesn't matter if it takes a person one time or 100 times in treatment as long as they are still trying,” she says.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY White Deer Run Treatment Network 1921 W. 8th St., Erie Call 866-769-6822 [THINKSTOCK.COM]

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Bon appĂŠtit

Where can you enjoy beer and wine outside?

By Steve Orbanek | Photos Contributed

Patrons enjoy the outdoor venue at Southern Tier Brewing Co.

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Bon appétit

W

e wait all year for this, and yes, finally, summer is here.

Perhaps not everything is better when enjoyed during this season, but there is nothing more refreshing than a cold craft beer or a glass of wine on a hot summer day.

There is no shortage of great spots in the area that offer outdoor seating and are perfect for enjoying beer and wine. Cloud 9 Wine Bar and Lavery Brewing Co. both come to mind.

But what if you want to venture out and explore a bit? We took a four-corners approach to round up some of the best outdoor craft beer and wine venues that surround the Erie area. Here are some favorites to be sure to check out over the next couple months.

Southern Tier Brewing Co. 2072 Stoneman Circle Lakewood, New York

When it comes to enjoying craft beer outdoors, Southern Tier Brewing Co.’s The Empty Pint and its spacious outdoor patio is about as good as it gets. While it may be just under an hour away, it’s immediately worth it when you pull up and see the energy that’s always present on a Friday evening or Saturday afternoon.

“Families, friends and brewers alike will be enjoying live music, competing in cornhole and playing Stones on our adjacent course,” said Phin DeMink, co-founder of Southern Tier.

Throughout the summer, it’s not unreasonable to expect literally hundreds of folks to be at the brewery at any one time. It’s not just the craft beer and warm weather that’s the draw anymore, either.

“We feel that it’s the perfect place to enjoy a fresh Southern Tier beer after a day on the links or the lake and for spirits lovers, but it’s also just a short walk from Southern Tier Distilling Co.’s outdoor patio where guests can enjoy hand crafted cocktails featuring our full line of whiskeys, vodkas & gins,” DeMink said.

Craft beer, craft cocktails, live music and a beautifully spacious outdoor area. What more could one ask for?

Cornerstone Brewing Co. 70 W. Main St. Madison, Ohio

Venture over into Ohio, just past Geneva, and you’ll find Cornerstone Brewing Co. You’ll find more than just good beer here.

“We have two patio options. We have a front courtyard as well as a back deck. So the combination of great food, great beers and great seating makes The Cornerstone Brewing Co. a great place to visit this summer,” said Jay Cox, the head brewer at Cornerstone Brewing. “Visit us multiple times actually.”

With its location in the middle of Northeastern Ohio’s wine country, Cornerstone Brewing Co. stands out as it specializes in beer. It also has an impressively large menu, so it’s the perfect

Beer and wine events for July Music in the Vineyards Concert Series Penn Shore Winery & Vineyards Saturdays in July, 5 to 9 p.m.

Beginning Saturday, July 1, through Saturday, July 29, Penn Shore Winery & Vineyards will once again host its summer Music in the Vineyards concert series. The concerts are free and open to the public, and food trucks will be on site each night. The schedule is as follows: July 1: East Ave (original rock) with June Peters Food Truck on-site July 8: Kevin Howard (jazz) with Sticks & Bricks Wood Fired Pizza on-site July 15: Key West Express (beach music) with Cluck Truk Food Truck on-site July 22: Vendettas (60s/70s rock) with Dickey’s BBQ on-site July 29: Abbey Road (Beatles) with Smoky Martin’s BBQ on-site July Sunday Sesh Five & 20 Spirits & Brewing Sunday, July 9, 1 to 4 p.m.; Sunday, July 30, 1 to 4 p.m.

Five & 20 Spirits & Brewing will host special Sunday afternoon concerts twice during the month of July. Admission is free, but guests should plan to bring a chair. Local acoustic Americana band Gem City Revival will perform July 9, and alternative acoustic duo The Mighty Sea will perform July 30.

Food will be offered on site by Bird.

Summerfest Southern Tier Brewing Co. Saturday, July 15, 12 to 6 p.m.

Celebrate summer with this beer and music festival at Southern Tier Brewing Co. The event is free and open to the public and will feature the music of the Mosaics. Special housemade food will be offered and a keg bowling tournament will be held.

Clam Jam Hamburg Brewing Co. Saturday, July 22, 12 to 8 p.m.

Hamburg Brewing Co. invites guests to visit its picturesque brewing facility for an outdoor oyster and clam cookout.

Admission is free and open to the public, and there will be live music performances as well.

Christmas in July Liberty Vineyards & Winery Saturday, July 22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, July 23, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To help combat the summer heat, Liberty Vineyards & Winery will host special wine and Christmas cookie pairings. The winery will also be decorated for the occasion. Admission is free. For additional information, visit www.libertywinery.com.

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Bon appĂŠtit

Lago Winery 4218 E. Lake Road Jamestown, Pennsylvania

Lago Winery sits on a 140-acre farm that is adjacent to Pymatuning Lake. The building has been completely refurbished and is quite impressive. The facility is only open from May to October, and was absolutely designed to offer outdoor views.

Tables and chairs sit all around a field, and it’s not inconceivable to see hundreds of people here during the weekend. The winery is also located right next to Mortals Key Brewing Co., so patrons are also always welcome to head over there and enjoy some craft beer if they prefer it to wine.

This is the type of place where it’s great to grab some friends, take a drive and just escape for a few hours. That’s what a visit to Lago Winery is like. The time just flies by as you sit there enjoying the wine and the weather.

TimberCreek Brewing in Grove City offers plenty of outdoor seating for patrons.

spot for a nice lunch on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

TimberCreek Tap & Table 15 Holiday Blvd.

Mercer, Pennsylvania

So if you’re into craft beer at all, chances are that you have been to TimberCreek Tap & Table in Meadville, and it’s an awesome spot.

But have you happened to visit their Grove City location?

Opening in 2015, everything at the location

has been handcrafted, and the outdoor patio is a gorgeous sight. “It’s the handcrafted authenticity that sets TimberCreek apart as a great summer spot,� said TimberCreek general manager Devin Kelly. “The unique TimberFrame atmosphere, the glass floor, the family farm raised beef, and of course, the passionately crafted brews. We’re just trying to share all the things we love.�

There’s also a nice fire pit in the center of the patio, making it the perfect place to warm up on a cool night.

Ellicottville Brewing on Chautauqua 57 Lakeside Drive Bemus Point, New York

Ellicottville opened its latest location in April 2016, and it has since become a go-to spot for outdoor dining and craft beer enjoyment.

Chautauqua Lake can easily be seen by guests as they sit in the patio seating outside the restaurant. The day lake views are pretty in their own right, but sunset views can be breathtaking.

Also, the location specializes in making several small-batch brews on-site that are exclusive to this spot. LEL

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Bon appétit

SKY BLUE Cheesecake so light it might take flight

By Jennie Geisler

I first made this waaaaaay back in the early days of my Loaves & Dishes column. It’s been so long I’d almost forgotten about it, so long I need to make it again, for the first time. (So long I can’t remember who Janette is, but that’s neither here nor there.)

In fact, rather than typing this, I wish I were in my kitchen making it again right now. It’s a beautiful addition to any summer party. You can tell people it’s light, or you could wait and see if anyone notices. I’m picturing a table full of women with a pitcher of fresh-squeezed (spiked?) lemonade on a patio swapping stories and giggling like they’re all getting away with something.

So, before summer slips away, make a date with your peeps, clear the table, give everyone a few lemons to squeeze while you pull this beautiful lady from the fridge and Make. Their. Day. LEL

JANETTE’S FAVORITE CHEESECAKE RECIPE Nonstick cooking spray ¼ cup crushed wheat cereal, such as Wheaties 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese 8 ounces tub-style light cream cheese 8 ounces nonfat cream cheese, at room temperature 1¼ cups Splenda Granular sugar alternative 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 whole egg 3 egg whites 1¼ cups light sour cream Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.

Dust the sides with cereal. Wrap the bottom of the pan tightly in wide, heavy-duty aluminum foil, to keep water out when it bakes in the water bath.

Put the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender and process until very smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl and add cream cheeses and beat on medium speed until creamy. Add Splenda, flour, cornstarch, and vanilla and beat on low speed until smooth.

Add the whole egg and then the egg whites, one at a time, beating briefly after each addition just to incorporate. Use a spoon to stir in the sour cream. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Place the springform pan wrapped in aluminum foil into a large, deep baking pan and pour enough boiling water into the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the springform.

Bake until sides of the cake appear firm and center jiggles slightly, about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool with the oven door open for 30 minutes. Remove pan from water bath and finish cooling. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 48 hours before topping and serving.

— www.foodnetwork.com BLUEBERRY TOPPING 3 dry pints blueberries, rinsed, divided use ¼ cup sugar 1 tablespoon fresh, strained lemon juice 2 tablespoons cornstarch Process 1 pint of the blueberries in a food processor with sugar and lemon juice.

Strain through a mesh sieve into a medium saucepan.

Add second pint of blueberries and stir over low heat until steaming.

Whisk cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water, and stir into blueberry sauce, allowing to thicken for a few minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Chill several hours and fold in third pint of blueberries before topping cheesecake.

— adapted from “Joy of Cooking’’ Nutrition information per 1/8 pie and blueberry topping: 272 calories; 7.6 g fat (4.6 g saturated); 47 mg cholesterol; 371 mg sodium; 39 g carbohydrate; 4.3 g fiber; 23 g sugar; 13 g protein

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Sports & adventure

Men and women of all ages participate in Pilates class in Edinboro.

Balance is found in Pilates

By Marissa Orbanek | Photos Contributed

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I

nside the County YMCA, Pilates instructor Michelee Curtze gives out instructions in an energetic, soothing voice. “Extend your back into the mat, bring the naval into the spine, breathe and squeeze,” she says.

Sprawled out on their mats in rows on the floor, Curtze instructs a melting pot of people, including an 85-year-old, inspiring and energetic lymphatic leukemia survivor; a mother of a soon-to-be kindergartner; a retired truck driver who’s found a new pastime in bicycling; a youth wrestling coach; a 77-year-old round, line and square dancer, and an avid runner and skier.

Although their stories are all unique, the members of the class have found a commonality with Pilates.

Sports & adventure

Pronounced puh-lah-teez, this conditioning program focuses on strength, flexibility and lean muscle tone with an emphasis on the core. Although Pilates is not a new exercise and has been around since the late 1920s, it’s becoming more mainstream among both men and women of all ages and backgrounds.

The fundamentals of Pilates offer a platform for strengthening bones and helping to prevent future injuries. At the YMCA program, Curtze emphasizes that the classes work very carefully with those who have osteoporosis and osteopenia.

When Curtze first started as a yoga instructor in 2000, her class sizes ranged from 10 to 12 members. Now, she averages anywhere from 16 to 18.

“People are getting more mindful when they get older of the fact that they need to take care of themselves,” Curtze says.

“People need to exercise. With Pilates and yoga, you get the extra added benefit of stress reduction.”

Springboro’s Tom Stewart ventured out a few years ago to find an exercise regime that focused on balance.

“The big issue was that I wanted to work on my balance because I know that as you get older, that’s one of the first things to go,” Stewart says. “I wanted to stay in shape the best that I could and try to prevent that from happening.”

Stewart says he’s quite happy with the results and has gained more than improved balance. When he first started attending the class just a few years ago, Stewart was a newly retired truck driver who struggled completing a sit up and battled with what he assumed was arthritis in his elbow.

“I could never do a sit up, but now, I can. I know that sounds silly, but that was a big deal to me,” says Stewart, who lost 20 pounds through the class. “[And], after six months of Pilates, my elbow hasn’t hurt me since.”

He also has found a new favorite hobby in bicycling, something he says he wouldn’t have done if it weren’t for the class.

“Everyone in class wants to see you succeed. They are really friendly and helpful, and they are always rooting you on to do a better job,” he says. “Because of this class and the people I have met, I got into other stuff. I met some people who were big into bike tours and next thing you know I bought a bike.”

In 2016, Stewart participated in a five-day, 250+ mile tour in Nebraska. This past June, he headed back that way to join his daughter in another tour through the Sandhills of Nebraska.

Curtze recruited Jim Anderson to attend the class about five years ago. The marathon runner, skier and golfer says that the class has helped him with balance and soreness in his knees.

“I was a little bit apprehensive because I didn’t think I could do it. But I’m getting older and the things that go are balance and flexibility,” says Anderson, who adds that his favorite part of Pilates is the core strengthening. “Now, I’m almost touching my toes, I’ve probably increased my stretching by six inches. The class never becomes real easy. It becomes routine, but there is always a challenge.”

Jim Anderson says that the class has helped him with balance and soreness in his knees along with core strengthening.

Nancy Babb, 77, enjoyed yoga but says Pilates improved her core strength and her stamina for dancing.

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Sports & adventure

Polly Kupzneck, 85, inspires her Pilates class. She recovered from a fall and lymphocytic leukemia and attends class four times a week. It also improved her balance.

Youth wrestling coach and heating and air conditioning contractor Eric Dedrick attended the class after a friend, who is also a chiropractor, recommended finding an outlet to regain muscle tone. “I started feeling the years build on me stress-wise. I wasn’t handling it like I used to it,� Dedrick says. “My work is physically demanding so lifting wasn’t something I needed to do more, but he recommended that working my core area would be the biggest benefit for me so he suggested doing yoga or Pilates.�

According to Dedrick, he was skeptical at first because of the feminine outlook of Pilates. “I had only heard of women taking the class, and truthfully, the first time I went there I felt out of place. Being younger and one of the few males, there was some awkwardness,� Dedrick says. “But I was hooked from the first time I attended because you have all these different walks of life, and the people were kicking my butt. The way [Michelee] sets up the class, she makes everyone feel welcomed and she is a great person for that.�

Dedrick says he also started eating better and drinking more water. Within two years, he had lost almost 40 pounds, improved

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his flexibility, gained a lot of his former endurance and was sleeping through the night. “It took me a while to realize that I didn’t have that youthful athleticism anymore. But, honestly, I have a better waistline today than I did in high school. Wrestling, exercising, stretching, and core workouts are a big part of that.�

For many of the members, one of the biggest inspirations from the class stems from 85-year-old Polly Kupzneck, of Cranesville.

Despite recovering from a fall and battling lymphocytic leukemia for a couple of years, Kupzneck attends the Y four times a week, which includes attending the Pilates class. “Sometimes it’s a struggle. But I see the benefits, and I am hearing and reading where it doesn’t matter what age we are or what problems we have physically, we need to keep exercising. Going to the Y keeps me going.�

Before attending the class, Kupzneck says all she knew about Pilates was what she saw on TV. “I would see it on TV and think ‘I can’t do that.’ Well, I can. I found I could thanks to the goodness of Michelee,� Kupzneck says. “Basically, I would go into where the machines are and that just didn’t work for me — it was a complete bore. I started taking classes and they were not only beneficial, but fun.�

One of the biggest benefits for her was improvement in her balance. “My balance was always good. But when we age, it’s the first thing that starts going. It’s helped to me maintain some of my balance even then,� she says.

Albion’s Nancy Babb has been doing Pilates through the Y for 17 years. The 77-year-old says she retired and was at the first class when she was the only student. “I had previously done yoga, but never Pilates so I really didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t know what it was,� says Babb. “It was hard at first because my core strength wasn’t up to par but it’s good now. I like everything about it, it’s core strengthening and helps build my stamina.�

It’s also helped Babb with her main passion, dancing. Babb participates in a variety of dance at least two nights a week in Ohio.

In 2015, Babb underwent a cornea transplant and has since had six

Sports & adventure surgeries, but that still hasn’t stopped her from attending.

“You need to get out of your chair and get on with it, that’s life,” Babb says.

When Edinboro’s Holly Ickes moved back into the area in 2009, her best friend dragged her to one of the classes. After attending, Ickes says she got addicted.

“I loved it so much. It’s a good way to work out, get energized and get your workout — and it’s fun,” says the mother of two boys younger than 6.

Ickes took a break from attending the classes at the YMCA when she moved to Erie, but started attending again when she moved back in 2012.

“I feel calm and able to tackle the day with the two young boys, am more on par with my energy level when I get home, and I feel much stronger when I am consistently going,” Ickes says. “It’s fun with the different ages in the class and then Polly is the sweetest thing — if she can get up in the morning, I have zero excuses. Between Polly and [Nancy], it’s inspiring to see examples of women who have no excuses and are coming.”

For many, another added benefit of attending the classes is the social part. When Kupzneck’s late husband was ill, for example, she says she would have gone crazy if she stopped going to the YMCA. “People would always ask about him and be supportive, so it kept me going. You get to know and meet so many people, and we support one another,” says Kupzneck.

Stewart agrees. Before taking the class, he says he was very quiet and kept to himself.

Now, every Tuesday and Thursday he drives 19 miles one way to attend the Pilates class.

“Every day I went into that class, someone would talk to me so I really got in a habit of speaking to people and got more social,” Stewart says. “Now, I wouldn’t miss that

for the world. I go there religiously because I enjoy the people and feel that much better. I am in a heck of a lot better shape. I know I’m never going to be a 20-year-old again, but I can get around and do stuff I wasn’t able to do before because of it.” LEL

IF YOU GO County YMCA and Goodell Gardens Present Yogilates 11 a.m. every Sunday through September 4 County YMCA Pilates with Michelee Curtze Tuesdays, Thursdays at 7:15 a.m.

12285 YMCA Drive, Edinboro Classes also available at Glenwood and Eastside. See www.ymcaerie.org for specific schedules at all locations.

Iron Oxygen Various classes 2147 W. 12th St., Erie www.ironoxygenfitness.com LECOM Medical Fitness and Wellness Center Various classes 5401 Peach St., Erie www.lecomwellness.com

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On scene

Heart Ball kicks off June

Nine-year-old Aidan Johnson, born with a congenital heart defect, was featured at the annual Heart Ball at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie on June 2. [GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

The American Heart Association hosted the 2017 Erie Heart Ball “Cirque Du Coeur� on Friday, June 2nd at the Bayfront Convention Center.

Patrons heard the story of 9-year-old Aidan Johnson, who was born with a congenital heart defect. Two women who are cousins and both lost their mothers to heart disease also shared their stories. Carly Fischer, 22, and Rhiannon Greco, 29, had genetic testing done and discovered they were also at risk. They opted for preventive treatment to prevent future heart issues. The event featured stilt walkers, live and silent auctions and dinner followed by live music by The Groove. David P. Gibbons, president of UPMC Hamot was the event chair. LEL Â

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Calendar

Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix

North East Firemen’s Cherry Festival

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Calendar

It’s a

date!

Discover local events and some fun things to do that are worth taking a road trip for this month.

Compiled by Victoria Roehm FACING PAGE TOP: The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, set for July 7-16, includes 10 days of automotive enthusiasm and racing that features the best of vintage cars and best of Pittsburgh. Events include a gala for charity, parade, car shows, racing through Schenley Park and more.

For a complete calendar of events, visit www.pvgp.org/calendar.

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/MATTHEW LITTLE]

FACING PAGE BOTTOM: The 72nd annual Cherry Festival featuring rides, food, cherry pies, parade, vendors and more takes place July 18-22, at Heard Park in North East. For more information, visit www.necherry festival.com. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

FAMILY Children’s art classes: Thursday, July 20, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; L.E.A.F. Education Center, 1501 W. Sixth St.; Julia Horan of the Young Artists’ Conservatory will conduct art classes with separate sessions for ages 4-6 (10:30-11:30 a.m.) and 7-12 (12:30-2 p.m.). Cost: $8; $5 for L.E.A.F. Plus-Household members; preregistration required. Info: www.leaferie.org.

5th annual Car Show & Picnic: Saturday, July 22, noon to 4 p.m.; Collins Center Town Park, School Street and Collins Center Zoar Road., Collins Center, New York; sponsored by the Collins Regional Historical Society; car show, bake sale, gift auction, food, more. Cost: Free admission. Info: https://sites. google.com/site/collinstownhistory/car-show-2017.

MUSIC Thursday in the Park concert series: Thursdays, through Aug. 31, 7 to 8:45 p.m.; City Park Gazebo, at North Center and East Smith streets in Corry; rain location at the Relevant Church, 100 W. South St. Cost: Free admission. Info: www.corryareaartscouncil.com.

WQLN Sounds Around Town concert series: Fridays, July 7-Aug. 4, 7 p.m.; wooded performance pavilion near the WQLN Studios, 8425 Peach St.; in case of rain, concerts will move indoors; beer, coffee and Smiths product samples available; all concerts will be recorded and aired later on WQLN-TV and WQLN-FM/91.3. Cost: Free. Info: www.wqln.org 8 Great Tuesdays concert series: Tuesdays, July 11-Aug. 29, 6:30 p.m.; Highmark Amphitheater at Liberty Park, just off West Bayfront Parkway. Cost: Free admission. Info: www. porterie.org.

ARTS Mid-Day Art Break: Wednesdays, through Aug. 30, noon to 1 p.m., at the Erie Art Museum, 20 E. Fifth St.; music on the patio; guided tours of the museum available at 12:30 and 1 p.m. Cost: Free admission. Info: www.erieartmuseum.org.

Erie County Art Teachers Exhibition: Through Aug. 11; Cummings Gallery, Mercyhurst University; the exhibit celebrates the diversity and talent of artist/teachers across the county; gallery is open Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Info: 8242092, hdana@mercyhurst.edu.

Bayfront Gallery: The 22nd season continues through Oct. 1; hours are Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; 17 East Dobbins Landing; painting, photography and sculpture by more than 30 regional artists. Cost: Free admission. Info: 455-6632.

EATS Chicken BBQ and pierogi dinner: Sunday, July 9, noon-3 p.m.; SS. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, 25636 N. Mosiertown Road, Edinboro. Info: Call 814-898-0284.

Lagoon by Pontoon: Daily, through Sept. 4, 11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m.; pontoon station, Presque Isle State Park; one-hour interpretive pontoon boat ride to discover natural beauty and history; sign-ups begin at 10 a.m.; first come, first served; evening rides (by online registration) are Wednesdays and Fridays, 7-8:30 p.m.; early bird rides (online registration only) take place Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. Cost: Free. Info: http://bit.ly/1sQkhuU.

Erie Food Tours: Tours continue on Fridays and Saturdays, through Sept. 2; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; meet outside Like My Thai Restaurant, 827 State St.; learn the history and culture of Erie’s downtown area while enjoying food from locally owned restaurants, bakeries and specialty shops. Cost: $25-$35; advance tickets required. Info: www.eriefoodtours.com for tour dates and to purchase tickets.

Erie’s Greek Festival: Friday, July 7, 2:30-11 p.m.; Saturday, July 8, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday, July 9, noon-7 p.m.; Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, 4376 W. Lake Road; Greek food, church tours, vendors, more. Cost: Free admission. Info: 838-8808.

BBQ Chicken Dinner & Summer Festival: Sunday, July 9, noon-5 p.m.; Our Lady Of Mercy Church, 837 Bartlett Road, Harborcreek; gift auction, bake sale, bingo, children’s activities, more. Cost: $10; $5, ages 6-12; 5 and younger, free. Info: www. ourladyofmercychurch.org. LEL

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Last look

[JACK HANRAHAN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

We love a parade Erie Zoo Parade has been bringing in summer for decades.

Is it really summer in Erie if the Erie Zoo Parade hasn’t marched north on State Street? Maybe it would be, but it wouldn’t be the same. Here, Mharel Lyons, 13, of the Erie All-City Marching Band, performs in the 51st annual parade. So, welcome summer! LEL

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