A Look Back: Oct. 23

50 Years Ago

■Henry Steele Commager, Amherst College historian, called for President Nixon’s impeachment last night before a crowd of 700 at Johnson Chapel. The eminent scholar’s speech was the highlight of a day which saw several groups in Hampshire County organizing to support the impeachment of the President.

■Next month three brand new apartment complexes will open in the city, the largest ever to be built in Northampton. The three projects are: Hampton Gardens on Jackson and Barrett streets; Meadowbrook Apartments on Bridge Road; and Hampton Manor on Damon Road.

25 Years Ago

■Public works crews that maneuver snowplows sharpened their winter skills in a novel contest in the city Wednesday. A Snow Plow Roadeo, as it was called, convened at the city Department of Public Works garage on Locust Street. Along with a tight slalom course, in which drivers had to negotiate turns without hitting cones, the half-day event included educational workshops and safety inspections.

■Judd Hirsch, a veteran of TV sitcoms and major motion pictures, will appear in a reading of a new play to be showcased at the Northampton Film Festival. Hirsch will perform in a reading of “Adam Baum and the Jew Movie” by Daniel Goldfarb at the Academy of Music.

10 Years Ago

■The community will have a chance Wednesday to hear from three candidates for the post of school superintendent, topped off with a planned decision by the school board. The three finalists, chosen from a pool of 16 applicants, are: Timothy Lee, of Lenox; John Johnson, of Wisconsin; and Laurie Bell Farkas, of Northampton.

■Facing their first contested council race in years, about 50 Ward 2 residents Tuesday heard incumbent Paul D. Spector tout his experience and track record and challenger Jason T. Foster stress that he would be proactive and bring a needed set of business skills to the city.