Jim Bridgman

50 Years Ago

  • Sgt. Arnold W. Cummings, son of Mr. and Mrs. Norman F. Cummings of 15 Arnold Ave., has re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at Kindsbach Air Force Station, Germany. Sgt. Cummings, whose Air Force career began in October 1968, is an electronic computer systems specialist at Kindsbach with a unit of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
  • Opponents of the TOPICS program for downtown Northampton said today they will mount a petition drive to put the question on the November ballot in the wake of City Council approval of the measure last night. The controversial $1.3 million program to improve traffic flow and safety in the Main Street area was approved by a 6 to 3 vote.

25 Years Ago

  • Northampton has got some serious blues. On Sunday, eight blues bands promise to groove and move audiences at the second annual Blues, Brews and Bar-B-Cue Festival. The concert, which will be held at the Three-County Fairgrounds, was trimmed this year from a two-day, two-tent celebration to a one-day blast of blues.
  • The Northampton State Hospital has become a temptation for college-age thrill seekers drawn at night to the abandoned rooms and tunnels by MTV and the Internet. According to the Massachusetts State Police, which is responsible for making arrests on the hospital grounds, 31 people have been arrested there since the beginning of the year and numerous others issued criminal summonses.

10 Years Ago

  • A new park opening next month will offer space to roam on its lush green lawn, food made with produce grown on-site, alcoholic beverages and a panoramic view of Mount Tom all inside the walls of Mill 180 in Easthampton. Mill 180 Park/Community Food Engine is set to open the first week of September.
  • Helicopters from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which is an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will drop winter rye grass seed across crops in the area from mid-August through mid-September. The process is important, considering the seeds will ultimately keep the soil from eroding and from running into rivers and streams.