50 Years Ago

• The Northampton City Council tonight is expected to vote to approve the controversial downtown traffic changes proposed under the state and federally funded Traffic Operations Plan to Increase Capacity and Safety (TOPICS) program. A straw poll conducted by the Gazette today found that six of the nine councilors expect to vote in favor of the plan.
• The Hampshire County Commissioners last night agreed to lease to the city some 40 parking spaces in a lot on Gothic Street for conversion to public, metered parking. The move is expected to give a boost to the proposed TOPICS program by blunting criticism about the lack of parking provided by the plan.

25 Years Ago

• Mayor Clare Higgins as well as several city councilors are in the running again as the deadline for nomination papers for the November election approaches. Higgins and Councilors Frances C. Volkmann, who represents Ward 2, and Maria Tymoczko of Ward 3 have returned papers with 50 confirmed signatures, allowing their names to go on the ballot.
• A free-lance graphic designer and arts consultant has been hired part-time to run the day-to-day affairs of the Northampton Arts Council. Sondra Peron, 31, joins Bob Cilman, the former coordinator of the council, in overseeing the organization, which administers a range of arts activities for the city.

10 Years Ago

• The Legislature is considering an override of Gov. Charlie Baker’s action to strip from the budget a provision mandating long-term antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease. Baker substituted an amendment to the current budget that would instead limit access to treatment and force people to incur higher costs associated with visiting specialists.
• A veteran of destination marketing will become the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce s new executive director next month. The chamber’s board of directors Wednesday announced that Timothy O’Brien, 58, will succeed Donald Courtemanche, who left the position in April after two years.