■Noble Manufacturing Co. in Haydenville has been forced to have one of its buildings, once a brass foundry, demolished in order to buy insurance on the rest of the buildings. The building, which was well over 100 years old, was in such disrepair that Robert Davidson, president, said the company decided to demolish it.
■Pfc. Michael J. Griffin Jr., whose parents live at 25 Cherry St., Northampton, received the Army Commendation Medal recently in Vietnam. Pfc. Griffin received the award for heroism in action while engaged in military operations against a hostile force in Vietnam.
■In its first weeks of use, the new playground at Look Memorial Park seems to be a success, both with the many children who have tested it, and the parents who’ve watched the trial runs. The new equipment, which cost about $50,000, is designed for children ages 5 to 12.
■A new group is forming in the Valley as a way for black women to build a community for social and political activities. The group, African-American Women of Hampshire County, is an outgrowth of a similar group that formed in Amherst a few years ago.