A Look Back, Oct. 24

50 Years Ago

■Converting Northampton High School from a three-year to a four-year high school, as the Northampton School Committee recommended last night, is likely to be a good change, according to high school principal John J. Feeney. “Any secondary principal will tell you that you’ll have a better program for kids the last four years when they’re under one roof,” Feeney said.

■City officials are now reviewing the final draft of plans which would substantially change Northampton’s Main Street by adding traffic lights, creating a pedestrian island in the center of the road and, replacing the present diagonal parking with parallel parking. The only issue which is expected to be controversial is the proposed change from the present system of angle parking to parallel parking.

25 Years Ago

■Smith College employees and members of the L’Heureux family planted more than 1,700 daffodil bulbs on the island in Paradise Pond this past weekend — all to remember a cherished friend and relative. College employees donated about $1,000 and volunteered their time to plant the bulbs in honor of their friends and colleague Marie T. L’Heureux of Northampton, who died of cancer last spring.

■At least one dozen Amherst Regional High School students were suspended Thursday for lewd and vulgar behavior during a Homecoming football game Oct. 15 with South Hadley. But the suspensions have not placated South Hadley school officials, who say they are less concerned about the actions of the students than the failure of adults to put a stop to the activity.

10 Years Ago

■It’s the end of an era for a Hatfield town building. About 100 residents at a special Town Meeting on Tuesday evening voted overwhelmingly to demolish the antiquated Center School building at 58 Main Street. The 100-year-old building has been vacant for more than a decade and is in need of significant repairs.

■Trustees at Goodwin Memorial Library have named veteran staffer Patrick Borezo of Orange to be the new library director, replacing Jane Babcock, who retired in August. Borezo, 40, who has worked at the library since 2009, said he is pleased to take over as director.