■A Boston and Maine freight train derailed Wednesday afternoon on a section of icy track and crashed into the platform roof of the defunct Northampton railroad station. The train clipped the overhanging roof at a speed of 10 mph, stripping singles and wood braces for a distance of about 40 feet.
■As has been the custom for many years, the 400 boys and girls who carry the Daily Hampshire Gazette to the various subscribers throughout the vicinity will receive the paper free on Monday. We sometimes forget how important these messengers are to our comfort and knowledge of what is going on in the world.
■Shannon O’Brien, an Easthampton native and the state’s treasurer-elect, was among the Women of the Year honored Thursday night by the Network of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy. Also honored were Lt. Gov.-elect Jane Swift and Martha Coakley, the incoming Middlesex district attorney.
■A contradance for people of all ages — dubbed the Family Dance by organizers — has begun its second season in the First Churches on Main Street, drawing about 60 parents and children for live music and guided dancing at its debut last month. Meg Ryan and her husband, Steve Howe, started the dance series in October 1997.
■At its meeting Thursday night, the Northampton City Council will recognize outgoing city councilors Owen Freeman-Daniels of Ward 3, Pamela C. Schwartz of Ward 4, and Eugene A. Tacy of Ward 7 for their service.
■As much a social hub as a place to pick up groceries, the Chesterfield General Store is preparing to close by year’s end after 40 years in business. Denise Kellogg, who has owned the store for seven years, says it is no longer viable. Kellogg said she and her family are saddened but the closing was inevitable.