John L. Cahillane last night was elected chairman of the superintendents of Smith’s Vocational High School, succeeding Lawrence P. Chase. Wilfred D. Spencer was elected vice chairman, and Director B. Stanley Dowgert was named clerk of the board.
The Northampton school system’s special education program is rated highly in a report released this week by the state Department of Education. The evaluation, which measures the city schools’ compliance with Chapter 766, shows that Northampton has met satisfactorily all requirements of the state special education act.
25 Years Ago
After months of environmental analysis and removal of a 5,000-gallon oil tank from the property, the old fire station on Masonic Street is nearly ready to be sold. The tank came out “clean as a whistle,” said Joseph Cook, chief procurement officer at Central Services.
Plans to transform the Northampton State Hospital property into a residential and commercial urban village will likely involve the demolition of all or part of the 143-year-old main building. That possibility has prompted calls from some Historical Commission members and a local architect to save the Gothic-revival-style building, which they say could be restored and converted into apartments or office space.
10 Years Ago
South Hadley Schools Superintendent Nicholas Young announced Wednesday that Henry “Hank” Skala will be the new principal of the Plains Elementary School. Skala, of East Longmeadow, has 21 years’ experience as an elementary school principal, most recently in East Granby, Connecticut, and, earlier in his career, in the Gateway Regional School District.
Raising the minimum wage and eliminating tips at the Haymarket Cafe not only increased business for owner Peter Simpson, it made the coffee shop the topic of a U.S. House floor speech by Rep. James McGovern. In his speech Thursday, McGovern said Simpson was “choosing the high road” in terms of raising wages.