■Fire early last night severely damaged the home of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen J. Cahillane and the attached Ryan Road Variety Store which they operate. Firefighters found the west side of the two-story frame dwelling portion of the house aflame. The one-story cinder block store section also on the west end of the house was filled with dense smoke.
■“My Fair Lady” will go on stage at Northampton High School tonight. Robert Kulp, director of this presentation, is in his first year as a music specialist in the Northampton Public Schools. He is the choral director at the high school and is also involved in the elementary instrumental program.
■Garrison Keillor, former shy person and voice of small towns everywhere, brought his radio entourage to the Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusetts Saturday for a show that thrilled its sold-out audience here and, to its radio listeners nationwide, gave our valley a little ribbing for its politically correct ways.
■Northampton’s Postmaster Thomas Joyce has promised to convey to Washington the wishes of Florence residents for their own ZIP code. Joyce made the pledge after James Brazeau presented him with petitions containing about 1,400 signatures seeking to reinstate the 01062 ZIP code.
■Gov. Deval Patrick announced Tuesday he was rescinding a new $5 fee the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles had started levying on customers who prefer to conduct their business with a real person, rather than by mail, online or through an automated telephone system.
■The Granby School Committee Monday night unanimously approved plans for an international private high school at the former St. Hyacinth College and Seminary, paving the way for the school to open its doors in the fall of 2011. The property will be sold to International EC LLC, a for-profit company, which intends to operate the Granby Preparatory School at the site.