A Look Back, Nov. 29

50 Years Ago

■A complete audit of school of education finances has been requested at the University of Massachusetts, following charges by an administrator that federal funds have been misused. Dean David C. Bischoff of the UMass provost’s offices will supervise the audit, university officials said today.

■A traffic control program for Main Street and Elm Street was sharply criticized last night by downtown merchants and property owners, who predicted that the elimination of some parking spaces on Main Street, called for in the plan, would “kill” downtown. The objections of merchants and landowners to the plan to eliminate parking spaces in order to improve traffic flow along Main Street were voiced at a meeting of the City Council ordinance committee.

25 Years Ago

■For the tenth year, the center of Florence became holiday central, on the weekend following Thanksgiving. The Florence Civic Association, the Lions Club and the St. Patrick Association sponsored a Saturday parade that included floats, llamas, Santa Claus and three marching bands, including the Shriner’s Oriental Band and members of the Caledonian Pipe Band from Holyoke.

■Dana Torrey, a Northampton native, has made a name for himself in the art world in Los Angeles. Last month he used that name for an art auction at Sotheby’s that earned $19,000 for a children’s charity. Torrey, who graduated from Northampton High School in 1976 and from the University of Massachusetts in 1980, moved to California in 1982 to launch an art career.

10 Years Ago

■With some area residents dealing with power outages following the season’s first snowstorm, the basement of the Edwards Church became a place to seek sanctuary and eat a Thanksgiving meal for more than 200 people Thursday. This marked the eighth year MANNA has handled the Thanksgiving meal, succeeding the Honor Court, which began the tradition in 1985 before dissolving in 2006.

■In what has become a rite of passage for the season’s first snowstorm, police spent a good portion of their time early Thursday morning ticketing or ordering vehicles towed for parking on city streets during a snow emergency.