■The David G. Madsen family of Southampton performed at the Veterans Hospital coffee hour sponsored by the American Red Cross, Hampshire County Chapter, Sunday afternoon. The six children, under the direction of their father, played various selections on their accordions.
■Over 3,500 people braved the cold and forestalled dinners yesterday to hear consumer advocate Ralph Nader attack big industry and big government and prod students into action on behalf of the public interest. Speaking at Curry Hicks Cage at UMass, Nader charged that corruption in government has become so institutionalized that it is not even recognized as corruption.
■A second-grade teacher in Northampton, inspired by John Silber’s call for innovation, wants to create a charter school in a city elementary school. Leeds School teacher Kathy Itterly’s idea comes at a time when Northampton school officials are worried about losing the state aid that follows students to independent charter schools.
■With so much at stake, and tired of feeling that their voices are not being heard, downtown Amherst merchants have formed an action committee to advance a simple but clear message — Amherst needs a parking garage. A new committee met for the first time this past Monday, with about a half dozen downtown business owners attending.
■A senior at Amherst Regional High School was appointed Monday to a vacancy on the Amherst School Committee in a divided vote that took three ballots and disappointed many who gathered to watch the proceedings. Solomon Goldstein-Rose, of Poet’s Corner, will serve until the April 3 municipal election, filling the seat vacated by Steve Rivkin who resigned in December.
■Smith Academy’s Mat Sulda scored his 1,001st career point against Athol Monday in Hatfield. Sulda, who scored a career-high 35 points, hit the milestone with 2 minutes, 10 seconds left in the first quarter. He was congratulated by his teammates and coaches and visited his parents in the stands.