A Look Back, Jan. 7

50 Years Ago

■Western Massachusetts Electric Co. customers of Northeast Utilities will be paying 19.2 percent less in the fuel charge on their electric bills in January than in December. The main reason for the reduction is the return to service Nov. 1 of Unit No. 1 of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station at Waterford, Conn.

■The Northampton Historical Commission last night reviewed its inventory of downtown buildings in preparation for applying to the National Historic Trust to have downtown designated a national historic district. The application should be ready within two weeks, according to Dr. C. Keith Wilbur, chairman.

25 Years Ago

■A rich source of data on properties in Northampton is now available for use by the public inside City Hall. Two weeks ago, the city Office of Planning and Development set up a computer terminal outside the department’s office on the second floor of City Hall. Here, members of the public can access reams of public information about properties throughout the city.

■Alarmed over increases in tobacco sales to minors, city health officials on Tuesday pledged to work closely with stores selling cigarettes to enforce regulations that prohibit such sales to minors. Of the city’s 43 retailers licensed to sell cigarettes, eight sold cigarettes to children under age 18 in a Dec. 11 compliance check with state law.

10 Years Ago

■Faces, the quirky Main Street shop regarded by shoppers as a downtown landmark, is scheduled to close early this year unless owner Peter Vogel can find someone else to take it over. “Though the store remains profitable, a decision to seek other opportunities became very attractive,” Vogel wrote in an emailed statement Tuesday.

■The plan to install a large solar array on the former landfill off Glendale Road is moving ahead two years after public pressure led the city to close the dump rather than expand it. While details are still in the works, the city’s energy specialist said the idea calls for a third-party company to develop the estimated $16 million, 3.5-4 megawatt system on 15 acres of capped landfill.