A Look Back, April 10

50 Years Ago

• The chair of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Corrections has said that Hampshire County should move as fast as possible to build a new jail because the present facility “is a dungeon out of centuries past and simply must be closed.” Robert Palmer, an expert in jail planning, wrote a two-page letter urging that every effort be made to build a new jail here quickly.
• Northampton Police Chief James J. Whalen, who recently submitted a budget request for 15 new patrolmen positions, said this week that his department has a critical manpower need in its detective bureau. Whalen said that the present shortage is cutting into the bureau’s capacity to investigate all but the most serious crimes.

25 Years Ago

• A local essay contest is asking young people to reflect on discrimination and their reaction to it. The contest, part of the city’s drive to be designated “No Place for Hate,” is co-sponsored by the Social Justice Forum of the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence.
• Rep. William P. Nagle walked through a back entrance into the governor’s office on Republican A. Paul Cellucci’s last day on the job Monday to discuss a sharp turn in his own career path. As his last judicial appointment, Cellucci nominated Nagle as clerk magistrate of Ware District Court, an $88,676 position with no mandatory retirement age.

10 Years Ago

• El Conquistador, a Spanish restaurant at 91 Main Street in Florence, opened for business on Wednesday. The eatery has already been a success, said Sarah Rivera, who manages it with her fiance Josue Nunez. “I had a line all the way outside,” she said.
• A rare disagreement between some of Amherst’s Planning Board members and its tree warden has left the fate of a large white oak tree on South East Street in limbo. The Department of Public Works is recommending removing the tree to make the road safer for residents and drivers. Tree Warden Alan Snow, however, argues that the tree is healthy and does not pose significant safety problems for drivers.