Robert Patenaude was unanimously re-elected president of the City Council yesterday. Patenaude served as acting mayor of Northampton in December after former Mayor Sean Dunphy resigned to take his new post in state government.
Members of the new Northampton School Committee say that they want to spend more time on educational policy and developing a better relationship with the community, and less time bickering over such routine items as the school lunch program and custodial help.
25 Years Ago
Advanced Video, the first video store in the area when it opened on King Street in 1982, ceased operating Jan. 1, after struggling with a steady drop in business ever since Blockbuster Video opened here in 1996.
A plan to convert 15 acres of farmland on Burts Pit Road to a city recreational area appears likely to win Conservation Commission approval, although the board won’t vote until it views wetlands on the site. Members decided Thursday to delay their decision until Jan. 18, following a site visit scheduled for today.
10 Years Ago
If the city set New Year’s resolutions, becoming more affordable and encouraging broader civic discourse would be high on the 2016 list. Moving into the new year and new City Council session, councilors have a number of issues they would like to address, but most said affordability is paramount, as is expanding the number of people involved in city decisions.
The next phase of renovations of Easthampton’s Old Town Hall is on the horizon as the city seeks preliminary concept designs for turning the historic building’s ballroom into a flexible performance space. Renovations to the first floor of the structure built in 1869 were completed in August.