50 Years Ago
- Northampton plans to go into the municipal bond market sometime in January to obtain financing for building projects totaling $9.1 million, Jeffrey Spear, administrative assistant to Mayor Sean M. Dunphy, said yesterday. The sale of city bond issues is to finance three municipal building projects: the Jackson Street School addition, the Smith Vocational High School building project, and the City Hall annex.
- A young driver in a spectacular accident Wednesday, who was described by one witness as appearing to be a stunt driver, was arraigned in Northampton District Court today. The accident totally demolished his car, did an as yet undetermined amount of damage to the front of the Jack August Original Seafood Restaurant at the Hawley and Main streets intersection, and smashed several parked cars.
25 Years Ago
George W. Bush is designing a transition to the White House, describing himself as “honored and humbled” after being certified the winner in Florida’s razor-thin presidential election. Meanwhile, Al Gore turned anew to the courts Monday to press his fight.
Bundled up in scarves, gloves, and heavy coats, hundreds of residents braved the chill Saturday morning for the 10th annual Christmas parade through Florence village. Many of the parents and children lining the streets clutched red and green balloons and caught the hard candies and candy canes tossed out by parade participants.
10 Years Ago
- A fire that engulfed a massive pile of discarded rail ties in downtown Holyoke this week is raising new concerns among public safety officials and area lawmakers about the hazards posed by thousands of such ties left along the newly constructed Connecticut River Line. Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials had pledged earlier this year to remove all the displaced rail ties from greater Northampton and Holyoke by the end of June.
- With the United Nations climate summit set to begin in Paris on Monday, people in Northampton and Amherst will rally Sunday evening in support of a treaty aiming at reducing carbon emissions. “These climate talks in Paris are what many climatologists are calling the last, best chance to prevent catastrophic global warming,” said Marty Nathan of Northampton, a member of Climate Action Now.