50 Years Ago
- The new administration building at Smith’s Vocational High School is expected to be completed in February, ahead of schedule. Paul Garvey, chair of the building committee, said that maintaining the 40,000-square-foot building will require additional custodial positions, which are not included in the school’s 1977 fiscal year budget. The building includes administrative offices, a cafeteria and three classrooms.
- Mayor David W. Cramer has said that he will appoint six provisional members to the Northampton Fire Department. There has been one vacancy in the department for the last two years following the death of a firefighter. Five other members of the department have retired. They are Raymond Mach, James P. Walsh, Ernest Giroux, Raymond W. Soucy, and Joseph Wysinski.
25 Years Ago
- Northampton is still seeking a successor for Patricia Shaughnessy as registrar of voters. In five weeks, Shaughnessy will begin her job as director of the Council on Aging, following Irene Lamson’s retirement last month.
- The 11th annual Taste — Northampton’s Food Festival — opens at noon Friday in the Armory Street parking lot. This year’s menu features dishes from 30 restaurants, each serving up to three different items, and a new wine bar.
10 Years Ago
- Ryan O’Donnell handily beat opponent Marlene Morin in Northampton’s special election Thursday, according to unofficial numbers from the city clerk’s office. About 13 percent of the city’s 20,484 registered voters participated, casting a total of 2,576 votes — 1,900 for O’Donnell and 646 for Morin.
- Hampshire College has reason to celebrate, as Thursday will mark the groundbreaking ceremony for the installation of 15,000 solar panels on the Hampshire College campus. The college will become the first U.S. residential college to go 100 percent solar.