50 Years Ago
- In seven house breaks in Northampton last night, pocketbooks were taken from six homes with such stealth that the breaks were not discovered until the occupants awoke this morning. Police said that in each case thieves broke into two-story houses in the area bounded by Locust Street and Bridge Road while the occupants slept upstairs.
- A 40-year-old Maryland city manager and a graduate of the University of Massachusetts who has been active in environmental affairs and human services is Amherst’s new town manager. Amherst selectmen today announced the appointment of A. Louis Hayward to the town’s top post.
25 Years Ago
- Northampton Health Agent Peter McErlain said Friday he believes the dead crow found in Florence last week is not infected with the West Nile virus, although the city has yet to receive any official word after sending it to the state for testing. McErlain based his opinion on reports that all the dead birds sent in from western Massachusetts were found to be free of the virus.
- A change of owners at La Cucina di Pinocchio is not expected to bring changes in physical layout, personnel or the way the upscale restaurant is managed, said current owner Mauro Aniello. “The menu is going to be improved, actually,” Aniello told the Zoning Board of Appeals at its hearing Thursday on his request to transfer ownership to Thomas J. DeCosmo of Agawam.
10 Years Ago
- Eight months after purchasing a single-family home on a two-acre lot at 95 Barrett St., an Amherst developer is seeking Planning Board approval to build an apartment complex at the site. Plans for the proposed Sunwood Green development call for renovations to the existing home, building 12 townhouse units in blocks of three, and adding a freestanding garage.
- Work is underway this summer at the Paradise Pond dam on the Smith College campus to ensure the structure meets safety regulations. Contractors have installed new grout in an earthen section of the dam that will strengthen it and preserve its integrity during an earthquake.
