■The annual Rag Shag parade sponsored by the Michael F. Curtin Post 8006 Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Florence Civic and Business Association was held last evening. About 250 youngsters took part in the parade. All youngsters who participated were given a bag of goodies.
■William P. Hurley of Northampton has been promoted to brigadier general in the Massachusetts National Guard by Gov. Francis W. Sargent, marking the first time a city man has served on the active polls of the Guard as a General officer.
■Amherst police, State Police and representatives of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission raided two Hobart Lane residences on Halloween night, shutting down makeshift bars and making seven arrests. Two young Amherst police officers disguised as youths joined the crowd and saw beer and hard liquor being sold at bars in the basements.
■Following its first night in operation, Northampton’s new homeless shelter welcomed the community yesterday at an open house attended by city officials, area spiritual leaders and many of the volunteers and staff who helped set up the Hawley Street facility.
■A half-century’s worth of Greenfield Community College alumni and faculty will descend on campus Saturday for the college’s 50th anniversary celebration. The event will feature guest speakers and two hours of an open reunion reception in the college’s core building.
■Construction crews have nearly completed decommissioning a defunct leachate plant at Northampton’s landfill, paving the way for the building to be used as storage for city records and equipment. The project is expected to cost about $700,000, money that’s coming from the city’s solid waste enterprise fund.