■Arthur Spencer, son of Mrs. Betty Lou Spencer of Ryan Road and Rolland E. Spencer of Westhampton, was selected as Fighter Squadron 101 Detachment Key West’s Sailor of the Month for December, at the Naval Air Station in Key West, Fla.
■A “prize find” Wednesday in a trash barrel in the county courthouse resulted in five Hampshire County House of Correction work-release inmates taking a breathalyzer test at the Easthampton Police Station. The men apparently found a bottle of liquor in one of the barrels they were emptying and greeted the new year by drinking its contents.
■The tentative date for an official public open house to show off the restored and revamped main floor of the Forbes Library is March 9, and director Blaise Bisaillon is saying it may be late March before the doors actually re-open for patrons. The construction work in the century-old building is about a month behind schedule because of various delays due to unexpected problems mostly related to age, officials say.
■Dialing direct could soon be an option for those looking to telephone a city employee. The City Council next week will consider borrowing $200,000 to buy a new telephone system to replace an old one that uses a central switchboard and operators.
■Disney Publishing Worldwide has sold its Northampton-based Family Fun magazine to Meredith Corp., ending its foray into publishing child-friendly content in the Valley. Disney previously closed Wondertime magazine in 2009, Disney Adventures in 2007, and Disney Magazine in 2005.
■A new Volkswagen dealership is slated to open on Damon Road this month. Tommycar Corp., which owns three other dealerships in the state, including Country Nissan in Hadley, purchased the Volkswagen franchise and will open Northampton Volkswagen in January.