■Bounce the Clown and company, as well as the king of Burger King, will be leading the parade Thursday, when city children are invited to Halloween festivities at Hawley Grammar School. The parade and party are being planned by Mrs. John Mistark, in an effort to provide a safe Halloween for city youngsters.
■Vandals broke into the Hawley Junior High School and D. A. Sullivan School over the holiday weekend. James McDonald, principal for both schools, said today the vandals broke about six windows in the junior high school. He said the vandals broke into the school and threw around papers and books.
■A quick decision in September to transform the city’s old fire station into a homeless shelter set organizers scrambling to beat the cold weather — and meet an opening date of Nov. 1. When that deadline arrives Monday, city building officials will check to see if the space is ready for its new use, only hours before the first guests might arrive.
■Shoplifters who appear in Northampton District Court could end up spending a Saturday morning in a classroom reflecting on their crime and drafting an apology to the shopkeeper. A new program for shoplifters was launched this week in District Court, and advocates say it could lead to a decrease in the number of repeat offenders.
■The Valley has long boasted its fair share of pumpkin patches and corn mazes geared to families around Halloween. But a growing number of attractions is designed to appeal to older crowds. Elaborate scenes featuring storylines involving zombies, ghosts, monsters and the occasional clown with a chain saw have opened as haunted attractions this year.
■Northampton’s long-desired plan to redesign and expand Pulaski Park into a downtown hub of activity for residents of all ages received a huge financial boost this week thanks to a $400,000 grant from the state. “We’re very excited about this grant for Pulaski Park, which is one of my top priorities,” Mayor David J. Narkewicz said.