■Registrar of Deeds Robert F. Czelusniak is seeking a ruling from new Secretary of State Paul Guzzi to determine if 440 old record books in the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds can be given away. The record books are now in “dead storage,” Czelusniak said, and are taking up space in the registry, which is supposed to move to the new courthouse addition by the end of this month.
■Solar heat prompted some lively discussion at the Jackson Street School Building Committee meeting last night, as members questioned an architectural firm that is experimenting with it. In the end the committee voted to hire a firm that uses more conventional heating methods.
■Parents, educators and community members from the Northampton area will meet this month to discuss their concerns about how the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests are impacting classroom learning. Opponents of the tests are circulating petitions which call for the state to suspend the MCAS tests and replace them with a variety of tools for evaluating students, such as portfolios and classroom work.
The regulars who warm the seats and swap gossip at the coffee counter at Dunkin’ Donuts at 132 King St. are going to have to change their ways somewhat – starting today. The shop has closed for a minimum of six weeks while a complete reconstruction of the popular coffee shop takes place. And when it re-opens, there will be no countertops.
■Reactions were mixed to Thursday’s announcement by University of Massachusetts Amherst Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy that he will end the police department’s confidential student informant program, saying it is “fundamentally inconsistent with the core values of our community.”
■A national debate over racial tensions between police officers and communities of color came squarely into Northampton City Council chambers Thursday night, where dozens of people lent their support to a city councilor who took a strong stand against institutional racism at a November rally on the steps of City Hall. The comments made by Councilor Alisa Klein angered the local union that represents Northampton police officers and has led to extensive debate about race relations.