50 Years Ago

• The J.A. Tepper Co. variety store on the corner of Pleasant and Armory streets was broken into overnight Tuesday. Police said $7 in pennies and several watches were taken. Entrance was gained by breaking through a window on the Armory street side of the building.
• The long-discussed proposal to divert water from the Connecticut River to the Quabbin Reservoir for use in the Boston water supply would cost at least $35 million to $40 million, a state official said yesterday. The proposed project to divert Connecticut River waters to the Quabbin Reservoir would supply 72 million gallons of water a year to the Boston water supply.

25 Years Ago

• Donald W. Madsen, 76, who served on the Southampton Board of Selectmen for 30 years, including 25 years as chairman, died Sunday at The Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke. He was remembered today as a kind and giving person whose deep concern for his town translated into years of service on boards ranging from the Park Commission to the Economic Development Committee, as state representative in the 1960s and as a county commissioner.
• The United Way is well within reach of its record-breaking $2 million goal, campaign chairman John J. Heaps Jr. told 200 volunteers at the organization’ finale breakfast at the Inn at Northampton Thursday. Heaps said the group is “on track” to reach its goal, up 15 percent from last year.

10 Years Ago

• After a tense debate about security, the Northampton School Committee voted Thursday to lease a portion of the JFK Middle School campus to the Parks and Recreation Department for a new modular headquarters. Most School Committee members agreed that the placement was not ideal but seemed satisfied the school could continue to monitor visitors and work with the recreation department as it already does for programs that use its fields and aquatic center.
• The Friday night SantaCon pub crawl in Amherst that expected to see nearly 200 participants — many dressed as Santa Claus — was called off less than 24 hours before its scheduled start. The organizer confirmed Friday morning that the event was canceled in response to what he described as threats from town officials that the liquor license he holds could be in jeopardy if the bar crawl got out of hand.