A Look Back, Jan. 1

50 Years Ago

■For Mr. and Mrs. G. Scott Gay of 472 North King St., their new daughter Jill was not just another bundle of joy. Her birth as the first baby in the New Year locally will mean that the Gays will receive hundreds of dollars of gifts donated by area stores. After attending a New Year’s Eve party, Mrs. Gay left for The Cooley Dickinson Hospital where she gave birth at 1:11 a.m.

■For the third year, Ward 5 City Councilor Robert R. Patenaude was elected president of the Northampton City Council. The vote by members of the council last night was unanimous. There was no opposition. Ward 7 Councilor Frances McNulty nominated Patenaude from the floor.

25 Years Ago

■The cannons blasted. The ball rose. The fireworks lit up the night sky with a rainbow of colors and the lights stayed on. Altogether, it was Y2OK. Police say as many as 10,000 people gathered to welcome in the new millennium in downtown Northampton last night, following a day’s worth of First Night activities.

■The pace of arrivals at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s emergency department on New Year’s Eve was slow but steady, a relief to hospital administrators and caregivers who were braced for a flood of patients. Most of those who came were victims of falls and household accidents.

10 Years Ago

■An early morning fire destroyed the dining hall at the Timothy Hill Christian Camp in Huntington on New Year’s Day and knocked out power throughout its grounds. The blaze left only a stone fireplace standing among blackened rubble.

■While the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s popular toy drive wrapped up its 82nd successful year of putting presents in the hands of children, newspaper leaders say they are concerned that a drop in donations in recent years may affect the fund’s ability to distribute as many gift vouchers next holiday season. This year’s drop marks the third straight year donations are down.