■If when scanning the horizon with binoculars, you spot an American flag and a tree some 300 feet above the ground, don’t be alarmed. They were placed on the roof of the University of Massachusetts Library yesterday, while workmen poured the last cement, to mark the topping-off ceremonies of the 28-story building.
■Summer is officially dead. Today at 11:45 a.m. marked the first day of autumn and those colorful, lingering New England Indian Summer days are ahead before the onset of winter. The summer months of June, July and August this year were colder than previous years, but an endless string of sunny days were perfect for barbecues and swimming and picnics.
■Smith College President Ruth Simmons has pledged to use the resources of Smith College to combat social problems in Northampton and surrounding towns. “I hope that we’ll all infuse this ethic of compassion, caretaking and social justice with another companion piece — and that is kicking ass,” Simmons said, bringing applause and smiles from the crowd of 150 front-line human service workers who gathered at the Hotel Northampton yesterday.
■Kenneth McKown, an Air Force veteran from Northampton, participated in the 10th National Veterans Golden Age Games this month in Riverside, Calif. McKown, 76, a combat veteran of World War II, is an outpatient at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leeds. He competed in croquet and shuffleboard.
■Construction of the 2-megawatt solar array on the former Oliver Street landfill in Easthampton began this week, despite another delay in the installation of the project’s utility poles. The project is expected to be ready to connect to the grid in February.
■Today at the Florence Civic Center, coinciding with harvest time and the autumnal equinox, Western Mass Pagan Pride Day will be celebrated. “It’s a day of building community and bringing people together for educational purposes and fun,” said one of the event’s organizers, Winnifred Tannetta, proprietress of AwenTree in Easthampton.