Jim Bridgman

50 Years Ago

  • The proposed state ban on handguns can be defeated at the polls in November, 160 Hampshire County sportsmen were assured at a meeting last night at the Hotel Northampton. “We want to beat 5A, and you’re the troops that are going to win the battle,” Victor Anop, executive director of the Gun Owners Action League (GOAL) told the Hampshire County Council of Sportsmen’s Clubs.
  • The Northampton planning board approved a resolution yesterday calling upon the City Council to rescind its recent approval of the downtown TOPICS traffic control program. The board took the action so that it might gain time to see if some kind of compromise can be worked out between supporters and opponents of TOPICS City Planner York Phillips said.

25 Years Ago

  • Staff, volunteers and supporters of Jessie’s House family shelter are throwing a big party Tuesday for Jessie Benoit, but they’re not calling it a retirement party, at least in her presence. The 86-year-old Easthampton woman fumes at the word. It has not been easy for her to leave the institution that bears her name after serving 11 years as a volunteer and the last seven as a part-time paid officer.
  • Northampton is close to signing up with an electricity-buying cooperative that would secure rates 28 percent lower than they are now. While officials are still exploring other options, they signaled they likely will buy energy from the Hampshire Municipal Electric Cooperative, a provider created by the Hampshire Council of Governments and the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co. that would buy electricity wholesale.

10 Years Ago

  • Ryan O’Donnell promised to carry out the duties of his office Thursday afternoon at City Hall as he was sworn in as an at-large city councilor. O’Donnell was elected Aug. 4 in a special election, but City Clerk Wendy Mazza waited until Thursday to certify the results so that the special election to fill the vacated Ward 3 seat could coincide with Election Day, Nov. 8.
  • Despite a handful of prominent empty storefronts downtown, a midyear economic report shows vacancies remain stable while meals and hotel tax revenues are on the upswing for the first time in years. Expanding on a report compiled earlier this year, Mayor David J. Narkewicz and Economic Development Director Terry Masterson released the report Friday detailed in the economic state of the city’s downtown.