50 Years Ago
- The assistant city solicitor has ruled that it is not a conflict of interest for the Northampton School Committee to hire a relative of a city councilor. The ruling by Atty. Thomas P. Nagle Jr., means that the name of Joan M. Ames, wife of Councilor William C. Ames, may be placed on a list from which teacher aides will be appointed during the year.
- Voters in Northampton will go to the polls on Nov. 23 to decide the fate of the controversial Traffic Operations Plan to Increase Capacity and Safety (TOPICS), the City Council decided last night. The council set the dates, hours and polling places for the special election on the referendum question.
25 Years Ago
- The code of conduct at JFK Middle School now includes a prohibition against “roughhousing,” following complaints last year that bullying is commonplace. Carol Gregory, the new principal at the middle school, told the School Committee Thursday night the category has been added to the code’s list of unacceptable behavior.
- If the owner of the building at 5 Old South St. has his way, the sidewalk in front of Fire & Water Cafe will be dug up and converted into a patio before winter sets in. Gerald Cohen of Brookline said in a telephone interview Thursday that he is taking bids from contractors to excavate part of the extra-wide sidewalk and create a level patio.
10 Years Ago
- Massachusetts Environmental Police have seized 47 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of between $141,000 and $188,000 that were growing at the Daughters of the American Revolution State Forest off Route 112. Each plant has an estimated street value of $3,000 to $4,000, according to the state agency.
- Dozens of people gathered for a jovial celebration at Congregation B’nai Israel on Friday evening for the grand opening of the Peggy Walker Memorial Playground and Outdoor Classroom. Peggy Walker was a longtime preschool teacher at the synagogue, 253 Prospect St., who died in November 2014.