Jim Bridgman

50 Years Ago

  • City and Chamber of Commerce officials have revived plans to build a pedestrian walkway linking the Armory Street parking lot with Main Street. They are also investigating putting a “parking deck” over the lot to increase its car parking capacity.
  • The teachers’ committee of the Northampton School Committee is supporting Superintendent John M. Buteau’s refusal to allow two principals and a vice principal to take vacations while school is in session. Committee member Russell Carrier said that the requests of High School Principal John J. Feeney and Vice Principal Eugene B. DeFilippo and Hawley Junior High School Principal James K. McDonald are “outrageous.”

25 Years Ago

  • The first Young Parents Regatta, a crew competition for pregnant and parenting teens, will bring together young mothers who also are novice rowers from four Connecticut River states this month. The one-of-a-kind regatta is part of Rowing Strong, Rowing Together, a collaborative program in Holyoke designed to introduce and teach the sport of rowing to teenage mothers.
  • The Pioneer Valley Chapter of Religious Witness for the Earth is planning an informational demonstration against sport utility vehicles Friday in front of three King Street dealerships. The Rev. Richard Fournier, a member of the environmental organization, said this week’s demonstration is aimed at educating consumers about SUVs and their impact on global warming, and not at the businesses.

10 Years Ago

  • A long-planned regional bicycle sharing program that could launch next summer in both Northampton and Amherst secured more than $1 million in federal funding this week. ValleyBike Share will allow people the opportunity to pay small fees to access bicycles for commuting and recreation.
  • A fire ripped through 49 Round Hill Road in Northampton on Friday night. Orange flames leaped out of the building and loud cracks issued from the inferno. As onlookers captured photos and videos on their cell phones, firefighters and emergency responders moved them farther away from the building.