A Look Back, July 4

50 Years Ago

The state Legislature has passed and Gov. Michael S. Dukakis has signed a new Open Meeting Law, which places more restrictions than currently exist on closed sessions of public boards. The law requires that all meetings of public boards, committees and commissions must be open to the public and press and must be announced and posted at least 48 hours before the starting time.

Motorists and homeowners in New England can expect to have all the oil and gasoline that they need for at least the next six months, provided they are willing to pay substantially higher prices. A price rise of 1½ to 3 cents per gallon recently was imposed by many companies, with another rise of 3 cents possible by December.

25 Years Ago

Northampton businessman and developer William Muller expects to start the renovation of the former Elks Lodge by August. The project will add a one-story extension to the rear of the structure, reconfigure the front entrance and enclose the columned front porch in glass.

Sixteen members of Immaculate Conception Church in Easthampton left Monday for Peru, bringing clothes, medical supplies and money for an impoverished parish south of Lima. Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Peace parishes in Villa El Salvador have had a relationship for two years, sharing prayers, candles and cultures.

10 Years Ago

As it celebrates another birthday, America is forging the outlines of a new century. The Confederate flag is coming down, marriage is being redefined, whites are fast becoming a minority. After electing its first black president, the country is poised to elect a new leader from among a roster including a woman, two Cuban-Americans, and the scion of an old Yankee family married to a Mexican-American.

A long line of vehicles stretched down the road on East Street in Easthampton on Friday as nearly 50 volunteers gathered for Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity’s “Super Insulation-Installation Day” for the two homes they are building there. The two homes are the organization’s first “Women Build” project, which seeks to have 70 percent of the labor be provided by woman volunteers.