A few news and notes as we inch closer to Thanksgiving:

• One can’t think of many more deserving for a New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame induction honor than former (and now retired) Nashua High School wrestling coach Paul Bellavance.

Let’s face it, as the first wrestling coach ever at the one Nashua school, he’s the father of Nashua wrestling – a true pioneer.

But get this – Bellavance might not have really known about his honor, which took place Sunday in Concord, had he gone through with something he was set to do when the letter from the NHIAA late last spring informing him of the honor.

“When I got the first letter, I almost threw it away,” Bellavance said with a chuckle. “I thought they were trying to solicit something. And it ended up recognition for me making that NHIAA (honor).

“I almost threw it away, I had to re-read it, and I said ‘Oh my God.’”

See, Bellavance had no idea there was an NHIAA Hall of Fame. Moral of the story: guess you really always have to read what you think might be your junk mail, too.

• Who replaces R. Patrick Corbin as the head of the NHIAA? Well, keep in mind the one thing that seems to escape people’s minds about the organization that runs the state high school athletic competition – it’s a principals’ organization.

They make the rules, and mainly make up the NHIAA Executive Council. Thus, it would seem that you would look at someone who is a current or a former principal to take the reins. Someone who, on his way up to that principal position, has also coached and/or has been an athletic director.

Think of it on the pro level as seeking a current or former team owner who the other owners respect and admire to serve as commissioner. Yes, like Bud Selig.

In any event, Corbin’s reign is the shortest since Concord’s J. Robert Eddy had the job from 1953-58. Walter Smith (26 years) and Jim Desmarais (22) were long-term guys.

• Congrats to the Nashua Silver Knights for winning the Futures Collegiate Baseball League’s Organizational Promotional Award. In layman’s terms, that means their promotions at games were the best in the then-nine team league.

“It was a complete team effort,” Silver Knights team president Tim Bawmann said, “from our front office to our interns to all of our workers, our coaching staff and players. Everyone contributed. We work very hard as an organization and take a tremendous amount of pride in our promotions to entertain fans. This is a great honor for us.”

And it’s a tribute to the promotional genius of Silver Knights VP Jon Goode, who comes up with the zany and even approaching-normal promotions. But the thing that separates the Knights from other teams is the players take part in the whole thing, including dancing to the “Love is Gone” song every sixth inning in front of the dugout. Truly unique.

This year the organization did a great job of celebrating the memories of past teams/organizations that called Holman Stadium home. They’ve had sports celebrities make appearances. Perhaps one of their best promotions is their post-game Father’s Day event, when the team drops 1,000 one dollar bills out of a helicopter around second base and 20 fathers scramble to pick up as many as they can.

“The Knights front office staff has really put together a winning situation for everyone involved,” FCBL Commissioner Chris Hall said. “The minor league (type) experience they’re offering the fans of Nashua is superb.”

• In case you missed it, hockey history was made last week. Manchester Monarchs head coach Mark Morris, who had a great longtime college coaching career at Clarkson University, became the first coach in the history of the sport to record 300 wins as a pro coach and 300 as a collegiate head coach.

Morris, whose son Kevin played hockey for Bishop Guertin a few years ago before going prep, reached that pro level with the team’s 3-1 win over Norfolk at the Verizon Wireless Arena. This is his eighth season behind the Manchester bench.

But 300 wins on two levels? That’s an amazing accomplishment.

“Very surreal,” Morris said late last week when asked how he felt about the milestone. “I had what I thought would be a lifetime job (at Clarkson). I don’t think I ever envisioned being a pro coach.”

Morris, 55, compiled a 306-156-42 mark at Clarkson from 1988-2002. As the Monarchs head man, going into this past weekend he was 300-207-4-6.

Of course, a lot of the personnel issues get complicated for minor league coaches. Morris had to go from being in complete control of his roster in college to seeing players go up and down from the Monarchs to the parent L.A. Kings. As he described it, “Some days it’s like driving the bus, and you have no idea where you’re going.”

One place Morris would love to go: The National Hockey League. As a head coach preferably, or an assistant.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I think any hockey player or coach aspires to do that. I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t.”

Here’s hoping some day he gets that chance.

Tom King can be reached at 594-6468 or tking@nashuatelegraph.com. Also, follow King on Twitter (@Telegraph_TomK).