A Look Back, April 24

50 Years Ago

■Earth Day 1974 came and went without much fanfare. “I hate to admit I didn’t even know it was Earth Day,” said Bradlee Gage, a former member of the Amherst Conservation Commission. “Every day, especially in Amherst, conservation seems to be a big concern, so Earth Day is no longer necessary.”

■Northampton State Hospital’s new superintendent is expected to arrive here Monday, replacing Dr. Harry Goodman who retired in December. The newly appointed superintendent, Irving A. Jacobs, is now serving as director of institutional reform and deinstitutionalization planning for the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene.

25 Years Ago

■Some downtown merchants say the number of youths congregating on Main Street is a growing problem not only for business owners but for customers. A “sidewalk ordinance” was shaped last fall to empower police to prevent crowds from blocking sidewalks and business entrances without impinging on the constitutional right to assemble.

■A fund-raising effort to erect a statue in honor of abolitionist Sojourner Truth got a major shot in the arm from a local bank last week. The Sojourner Truth Memorial Statue Committee says Florence Savings Bank has donated $10,000 toward the fund, bringing the effort’s total to $45,000.

10 Years Ago

■Several hundred soccer players will be on the University of Massachusetts campus Saturday for the Supercuts SoccerFest. The tournament will have 97 teams, made up of 889 players, with both youth and adult skills playing at the athletic fields near McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

■A $10 million gift from longtime University of Massachusetts supporters will help create a Center for Entrepreneurship at the Isenberg School of Management. Douglas and Diana Berthiaume recently made the donation that will establish the Douglas and Diana Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship.