■Attempts will be made today to siphon some 200 gallons of fuel oil from Lower Mill Pond in Easthampton after a midnight oil spill behind the National Felt Co. A truck was delivering oil to the felt company last night when 3,000 gallons of oil spilled onto the ground on the banks of the pond.
■Sen. John D. Barrus of Goshen said today that a tally of his mail on legislation to ease the state’s abortion laws shows 309 opposed and 15 in favor of easing the law on abortion. The tally shows that less than 5% of residents in Hampshire and Franklin Counties have expressed approval of the attempt to liberalize the state’s abortion laws.
■Voters in Easthampton said goodbye to the past yesterday by approving a charter that will oust New England’s traditional Town Meeting in favor of a mayoral form of government. The charter was approved by a margin of 235 votes, with 1,627 in favor and 1,392 against.
■Two national chains are scheduled to open Hadley stores this month and another is on the way. Chili’s, whose menu features food from the American Southwest, and Blockbuster Video are set to open businesses as part of a building boom that began last year and continues to a degree.
■They’re heading to Phoenix in May. A team from the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School won the state championship Friday in the Massachusetts Bar Association’s mock-trial competition, prevailing over a team from Boston Latin School.
■Abby Delamater, 17, of Florence, came in 56th out of 116 competitors in the Division 2 women’s foil portion of a North America Cup fencing competition in Detroit last month. She was seventh out of 89 competitors from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico in the Division 3 women’s foil portion of that competition.