■The Coachlight Room of the Hotel Northampton was the scene last night of the 13th annual Valentine Ball of the Western Matrons and Patrons Association of Massachusetts (WEMPA), Order of the Eastern Star. The ball is held annually to raise money for scholarship aid to worthy students.
■James Cahillane, chairman of the marshal committee of Northampton’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, today announced the selection of William R. Barry as grand marshal for Northampton’s contingent in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade. Barry served as superintendent of schools in Hampshire County for 39 years, 10 in Ware and 29 in Northampton.
■Superintendent Bruce E. Willard is urging principals, school councils and the School Committee to “revisit” the question of school choice in coming weeks. With the district facing “very serious issues with the fiscal 1998 budget, school choice must be considered as a piece of how we will meet our obligations next year,” Willard told the School Committee last night.
■Amateur artist Michael Porter of Northampton may not have his work hanging in the Smithsonian Institution, but he may someday have it tailing cars in New Jersey. Porter is one of 10 artists asked to help design a preservation license plate for the New Jersey Shade Tree and Community Forestry Program.
■Todd Diacon, deputy chancellor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the past 18 months, is leaving to take over as senior vice president and provost at Kent State University in Ohio. He will assume his new position June 1.
■Frontier Regional sophomore alpine skier Sean Doyle flew down the slopes of Berkshire East Ski Area in Charlemont on Tuesday and surpassed even his own expectations, placing second overall in the PVIAC Ski League individual finals. “I feel like I had a really good season all around and I’m very pleased with how I did,” Doyle said.