■Days of railroading in the vicinity of Old South Street are over. Massachusetts Electric Co. has contracted with W. W. Wyman Company to remove the old coal shed that once belonged to the railroad. Cranes are dismantling the shed which had, in past years, been victimized by fire.
■As has been the custom for a good many years, the 400 boys and girls who carry the Daily Hampshire Gazette to the various subscribers throughout the vicinity will receive the paper free on Saturday. Needless to say, it is hoped that this Christmas present from the publishers in recognition of a good job well done will be added to by the customers.
■The Northampton Teen Center will be hosting a holiday dance at the Florence Community Center on Saturday. A disc jockey will be playing a wide variety of music as well as CDs that participants bring to the dance.
■Humorous yet sentimental thank yous and goodbyes were high on the agenda last night for four of nine city councilors who will not be joining the new City Council next month. Mayor Mary L. Ford paid tribute to each of the four outgoing councilors before their last meeting, which tended to routine housekeeping and procedural matters.
■Prominent gun-rights advocates in Congress are now calling for a national discussion about restrictions to curb gun violence, signaling that the horrific shooting at a Connecticut elementary school could be a tipping point in a debate that has been dormant for years.
■Sales of single-family homes in Hampshire County declined slightly in November compared to the same month in 2011, from 87 to 82. The average sale price declined from $283,920 to $279,726 in November, compared to last year.