■A group of “Democratic Women on Wheels” rolled into McGovern headquarters in Northampton on Wednesday morning to assist in addressing campaign letters. The office was a whir of activity as the five women briskly stuffed letters into envelopes.
■John W. Duke, professor emeritus of music at Smith College, has received an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) award for the year 1972-73. Duke, who has received an ASCAP award for 14 consecutive years, again is recognized for the widespread use of his art songs.
■Parents of Jackson Street School students say they like their school and its diversity. They do not want to lose that to right a potential racial imbalance. These sentiments were voiced at a forum last night about the “racial imbalance” designation, assigned by the Department of Education to schools with more than 50% minorities.
■Conservatives did not sweep every race in Northampton yesterday, but they did have reason to smile — the pendulum edged back their way. After four years of little representation and scant voice on the City Council, Northampton conservatives will have two new votes on the floor come January.
■Northampton resident and City Treasurer George Zimmerman believes nine years of professional real estate investing, during which he had a hand in about a half-billion dollars’ worth of transactions, prepares him to serve as the county’s next register of deeds. Zimmerman, 57, is running for the post as an independent against Democratic candidate Mary Olberding.
■Even with six additional beds available to homeless people at shelters in Hampshire County this season, demand for overnight accommodations is expected to outpace supply. “We’re continuing to see more and more people,” said Danielle DeBerry, who oversees the Interfaith Winter Shelter in Northampton as director of Hampshire County emergency shelters for ServiceNet.