Erie Times-News, Pa., Kevin Cuneo column

March 31--Friends keep joking that as long as we've gone this far, Erie might as well smash all of the snow records. I don't know if I'd go that far, but it would be nice to beat Syracuse as the U.S. city with the most snowfall. Warm spring days are welcome, but I'll never forget our wedding day -- April 4 -- when a driving blizzard left a foot of snow on the ground. ... Tuesday is April Fools' Day, so be sure to check the sugar to make sure some wiseacre hasn't substituted salt. ... Steve McDermott's lasting achievement as executive director of the Presque Isle Partnership was bringing in Crosby, Stills & Nash for a summer concert that drew a crowd of 4,000 to the peninsula. It took an army of volunteers to pull off the near-flawless event, but McDermott, who recently retired from his post, served as an able general. Jon DeMarco is serving as McDermott's successor at this time. ... If you see Judge Dan Brabender, prepare to listen to a lengthy tribute to the Dayton Flyers' amazing basketball team. Brabender, who spent his undergraduate and law school years at Dayton, continues to work on his book on Erie high school basketball, with a focus on Cathedral Preparatory School hoops. ... Sorry to hear that former Erie Lions hockey coach and player Jim Mikol died March 15 at the Villages, Fla. Mikol, who was 75, also put in a lengthy stint as head golf pro at the Kahkwa Club. Mikol played for the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs in a long pro hockey career. Friends say he enjoyed a round of golf before passing away in his sleep. ... Practically every advertisement at Erie Insurance Arena was covered with signs and banners for the NCAA during the recent women's basketball championship tournament. ... Jim and Tammy Gandolfo visited friends in Erie over the weekend. Their daughter, Stephanie Gandolfo, is touring as Daphne in the Scooby Doo musical. Christian Gandolfo, their son, works at the Ritz Hotel in Georgetown. ... I will miss listening to Eric Compton's witty sports repartee on WFNN-AM/1330. His final show was Thursday. ... Vinnie DiNicola, who died Tuesday at 75, was a great boxer in his early years. Outside the ring he was the perfect gentleman, who had scores of friends. ... Congratulations to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania administrators on their decision to turn their educational facilities at Millcreek's Porreco Center into a community college. Lou Porreco, who donated his farm to Edinboro many years ago, also deserves credit for his generosity. The location seems to be a good one for a community college. ... I just had a pleasant conversation a few weeks ago with Joe Cyterski, who died Wednesday at 85. Like his brothers, Lenny and Norb Cyterski, Joe had been an excellent athlete. He was also a delightful person who always had a smile for everyone. ... April 2 will be a big day for the Utley family. Dr. Jack Utley will be inducted into the Erie County Swimming Hall of Fame that day, while his son, Dr. David Utley, will receive the prestigious Sages Pioneer in Surgical Endoscopy Award in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the same day. David Utley practices in Sunnyvale, Calif. ... Gannon University'sWERG-FM/90.5 was recently named the nation's best college radio station. Chet LaPrice, the station's operations manager, accompanied nine students on a triumphant trip to New York City to collect several major awards.

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