• Ed Grode was one many Erie NBA fans who watched the recent Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies during which Tim Duncan mentioned his former Wake Forest teammate, Girard native Marc Blucas. Duncan, who was presented for induction by Michael Jordan, said Blucas helped convince Wake Forest’s coaching staff to keep him on the active roster and not redshirt him when he was a freshman. Blucas reportedly said, “Tim can help us now,” and he was exactly right.
• Congratulations to Keith Nies, supervisor of special education for the Fairview School District, who recently received his PhD. Nies, the former Cathedral Prep basketball star who had a successful run as Fairview’s head basketball coach, keeps moving up the ladder among area school administrators. Keith has always been a great source of pride for his dad, Tommy Nies, and his late mom, Mary Clark Nies.