A Look Back: April 22

50 Years Ago

■Admitting that the state “very obviously” mishandled the Russell Daniels case, Gov. Francis Sargent said Saturday that the developmentally disabled 29-year-old has, in effect, been given a pardon. Sargent said that after Daniels is released shortly from Norfolk State Prison and transferred to Belchertown State School, he will never return to jail because of his murder conviction, regardless of the outcome of any appeals.

■The Rev. David Cochran, former rector of St. John’s Church in Northampton, has been elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska. Father Cochran was rector of St. John’s from 1952 to 1966.

25 Years Ago

■After a terrorist-like attack Tuesday by two teenagers left 16 dead at Columbine High School in Colorado, area parents and school officials are asking the same question as everyone else: Could this happened here? The answer is: yes.

■Two Northampton firefighters have climbed another rung of their career ladders. Thomas Clark and Mark McCormick were named acting captains this week. The two were selected from a pool of ten applicants.

10 Years Ago

■For the first time in years, the 40 acres of Childs Park on Elm Street will get some badly needed TLC when as many as 30 certified arborists donate a day of work in honor of Arbor Day, an annual day dedicated to planting and caring for trees. The work party is part of a statewide program spearheaded by the Massachusetts Arborists Association.

■A landscape architecture firm leading the first redesign of Pulaski Park since 1976 will lay out its preliminary vision for the park and solicit ideas from the public at the first of three forums starting this week. Officials from Stephen Stimson Associates will kick off the workshop by going over the existing conditions at the park, followed by an overview of the plans it drew up five years ago as part of a design competition sponsored by the city.