50 Years Ago

■The Veterans Administration has decided against continued consideration of land at Northampton State Hospital as the site for a proposed national regional cemetery. John Metzler, director of the VA’s cemetery service, said that tests indicated the water table on the land was too high.

■Playground supervisors for the Recreation Department this summer include Eileen Shannon and Mary Jean McKenna at State Street; Kevin O’Connell at Kearney Field; and Ken O’Brien and Karen Ceckowski at Sheldon Field.

25 Years Ago

■Millitech Corp. is in the process of quintupling production of a new line of wireless communication devices — a leap the 17-year-old company is taking to secure its place in the competitive marketplace for high-speed Internet access. The company, which employs 190 people in South Deerfield, aims to hire 50 more assemblers, technicians and engineers within a year.

■Members of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce cooked pancakes on an outdoor grill this morning to help serve the hundreds who came for a breakfast kicking off the four-day SummerFest. The expanded sidewalk sales event now includes music, food sales and events for children.

10 Years Ago

■The University of Massachusetts says it plans to boost its presence in downtown Boston by opening an academic and administrative building in 2016. All five of the UMass campuses will be given the chance to offer classes at the Beacon Street facility near the Statehouse.

■The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network has appointed James Ayres, CEO/executive director of the United Way of Hampshire County to its board of directors. Ayres is a resident of Haydenville.