A Look Back, Feb. 18

50 Years Ago

■The Citizens Committee for the Hampshire County Jail, reporting to the Massachusetts Council of Churches, has concluded a five-month study with the recommendations that the county “urgently needs a new jail” and that “the new jail should be a county rather than a regional jail.”

■The Ad Hoc Committee on Cable Television last night adopted unanimously a final report which leans against recommending to the mayor that cable television be introduced into the city. In the report the committee said that it would be pointless for the city to proceed with the licensing process unless it could be assured that a cable system would provide more channels than can presently be obtained with a normal antenna.

25 Years Ago

■A developer’s plan to build a four-story office building at the site of the former City Auto on Pleasant Street has been abandoned — and the property sold to a specialty automobile business. Pearl Street Properties LLP, with Matthew M. Pitoniak as its named partner, sold the property last week to Alan Vadnais of Springfield.

■Thirty community members last night voiced concerns to the Hatfield Planning Board about the possible construction of a Home Depot on the Hatfield-Northampton line. Hatfield residents say they are concerned that because Northampton officials will be making some of the decisions about the development, should it occur, they will have little to say about how increased traffic from a major retailer would affect Hatfield.

10 Years Ago

■More than 8,000 elementary and high schools around the world have incorporated curriculum developed by the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy to motivate aspiring engineers through hands-on challenges. Students from three area high schools are part of a competitive after-school team called the Northampton Devilbots.

■Prize-winning Stoneleigh-Burnham School debate team member Claire Lane of Greenfield will compete with the world’s best high school debaters in Hong Kong. She will be the 14th student from the all-girls private boarding and day school to compete at the world level.