Jim Bridgman

50 Years Ago

  • Suzanne Petersson, a newcomer to city politics, yesterday defeated incumbent Northampton School Committee member Joseph Natale by an almost 1,200-vote margin, capturing every ward to win the Democratic nomination for the Ward 2 board seat. It was the only contest of the five seats up for nomination to the school board, and its decisive outcome was unexpected.
  • All Hampshire County communities have now given approval to plans by the county Bicentennial committee to seek matching funds for a project to make the Sylvester Judd manuscripts at Forbes Library in Northampton more accessible to researchers. South Hadley, the only community that had withheld approval, recently reconsidered and endorsed the plan.

25 Years Ago

  • Benjamin S. Mysorski, whose love and enjoyment of children inspired his 31-year career as an executive at the local YMCA, died Sept. 22 in Northampton at the age of 84. “He really liked working with kids and was so good at it, too,” said Suzanne Walker, the former director of the Hampshire Regional YMCA on Prospect Street.
  • As they held a yearly breakfast meeting, members of the Council of Social Agencies of Hampshire County listened to remarks by local author Patricia MacLachlan, gave out recognition awards, and elected officers. MacLachlan, author of well-known books such as “Sarah Plain and Tall,” spoke on the idea of the connection she believes exists between words, literacy and family.

10 Years Ago

  • Hundreds of University of Massachusetts students are expected to volunteer their time Saturday improving communities during the fourth annual Mass Impact Day of Service. Staff and faculty at UMass, as well as alumni, will join these students doing work in Amherst, Northampton and other areas of the Pioneer Valley.
  • David E. Little, the new director and chief curator of the Mead Museum of Art at Amherst College, brings a wealth of teaching, curating and administrative experience to the job, including from his most recent position: curator and head of the Department of Photography and New Media at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.