■More than 4,000 young people attended the Third Annual Battle of the Bands last night at Arcanum Field. A group known as Lorien was the winner from among six bands.
■The University of Massachusetts Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center opens for its first conference this weekend. The $16 million complex features a 900-car garage, conference and seminar rooms for 1,500 persons and dining facilities that include a restaurant with a view of the campus from its top 11th story.
■The Baha’i Community of Northampton sponsored a weekend of events to celebrate the unity of the family and promote the oneness of the human family. A dinner at the Florence Civic Center was the climax of a weekend of Baha’i activity focusing on the family, beginning with a children’s unity celebration Friday at Florence Heights.
■In a bid to slash costs at radio station WRSI, the owner plans to automate much of the disc jockey duties and already has eliminated several jobs, including one held by well-known Valley personality Buddy Rubbish. Owner Ed Skutnik of Sunderland said the replacement of Rubbish on July 28 was part of a move to restructure how the station is run.
■Renovations to the interior of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish on King Street will include new pews, enhanced lighting, a handicapped-accessible restroom, repair and painting of walls, and a redesign of the sanctuary. The plans also call for demolishing two buildings and expanding the parking lot.
■An event Saturday afternoon billed as “Main Street: Go Solar!” and sponsored by the Nuclear-free Future Coalition of Western Massachusetts, brought together environmental groups to make the point that war dollars could be better spent on green energy. A mock solar installation preceded the event, with volunteers walking up Main Street moving 6-foot cardboard “solar panels” in front of each business on the street before depositing them in front of City Hall.