Jim Bridgman

50 Years Ago

  • The controversial Hatfield mini mall being built by developer William Aubin was the site of $500 worth of window breaking and vandalism over the weekend. Aubin is offering a $500 reward for the “arrest and conviction” of whoever is responsible for the damage.
  • City Council President Robert R. Patenaude said yesterday that he may enter the mayor’s race as a Republican write-in candidate. Patenaude, a Democrat, said that he would wait until the Sept. 23 municipal primary to see how many write-in votes he obtains and who the Democratic candidate is before he decides whether to run. There is no law that prevents Patenaude, a Democrat, from running on the Republican ticket.

25 Years Ago

  • Independent tire dealers in the area say the voluntary recall of some 6.5 million Firestone tires has had a major impact on their businesses. Tire dealers report an increase in business since the recall began one month ago, but they’ve also had to work overtime searching for hard-to-get replacement tires.
  • The Department of Public Works retreated from its plan to make State Street at Main Street a right-turn-only intersection. In response to mounting opposition from State Street merchants, Acting Director of the DPW George Andrikidis recommended to the Board of Public Works that the city simply replace the 22-year-old controller with a state-of-the-art system.

10 Years Ago

  • A half-dozen musical groups took the main stage behind Thornes Marketplace Saturday to conclude the nearly weeklong Northampton Jazz Festival. Residents and out-of-towners listened to music, perused vintage clothing items and visited food vendors throughout the day.
  • State regulators have denied plans by 35 area communities to buy cheaper electricity through a collective buying program run by the Hampshire Council of Governments, citing failure of cities and towns to properly inform citizens of the plans, evidence of false and misleading statements in program marketing materials, and other steps in the process that failed to meeting state law and regulations.