■The first Northampton drug forum at the Northampton High School last night agreed that there is a drug problem in the city, that youth should have a part in solving the problem and that alcohol may be just as bad or worse than drugs. The forum was chaired by Northampton Mayor Sean M. Dunphy and attracted a large number of adults and youths.
■Loss of business by downtown Northampton merchants to the shopping centers, lack of parking facilities in the Central Business District and a survey of merchants doing business in the CBD were all elements of a discussion on the role of the CBD at the high school last night. In an effort to identify the role of the CBD today, it was pointed out that while the city used to be a regional shopping center, the majority of general merchandise is now purchased at shopping centers, not in the CBD.
■Only one bed remains unfilled at the Florence Inn, two weeks after the new rooming-house program opened. Of the 14 beds at the North Maple Street building, 13 have been rented, according to Rebecca Muller, director of homeless services for ServiceNet Inc., the Northampton agency that owns the building.
■Two weeks ago, Smith College officials took the unusual step of warning students about an area church they contend is cult-like and can have can a destructive influence on students. Smith officials say recruiting by members of the Boston Church of Christ has become so aggressive that they decided they had to act.
■Northampton has been chosen as the “Best Place to Find a Community” by Men’s Journal magazine in its April issue. The magazine selected 18 towns across the country for “perfecting the art of living well,” writing short pieces on each.
■Citing concerns about the treatment of public employee unions in Wisconsin, more than 60 Amherst Regional High School students cut short their classes Friday afternoon and staged a brief political demonstration in front of the school. The walkout in support of preserving the collective bargaining rights for government work unions came 20 minutes before normal dismissal time.