A Look Back: Jan. 24

50 Years Ago

■In Hampshire County, the likelihood of finding a married woman at home during the daytime is slimmer than ever. According to the latest statistics, 46.8 percent of the married women in Hampshire County are in the labor force. This compares with 36.9 percent in 1960.

■A number of area residents active in the peace movement expressed relief today that a cease-fire in Vietnam was imminent, but they also called for continued “vigilance” in pressing for a lasting peace. “The Valley Peace Center in Amherst is not going to close its doors,” said Robert Winston, its director. “We must be vigilant to be certain that the accords are not only signed but implemented.”

25 Years Ago

■Jody Williams, the Vermont activist who shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to rid the world of landmines, will speak at Smith College on Monday as part of the college’s all-campus meeting marking the beginning of the second semester.

■Residents of the small neighborhood off Rust Avenue and Burts Pit Road say they know they’ve been lucky for years: quiet nights, wild backyards, and Sierra Club calendar-style views of the Holyoke Range. Now that the city wants to build softball diamonds and a turf field in the 15 acres near their houses, residents say they fear the changes.

10 Years Ago

■Marijuana will continue to be considered a highly dangerous drug under federal law with no accepted medical uses, after a U.S. appeals court Tuesday refused to order a change in the government’s 40-year-old drug classification schedule.

■Ruth Wheeler, who has volunteered at the Veterans Affairs medical center in Leeds for 62 years, is said to be the longest-serving VA volunteer in the nation. She was honored with a surprise party Thursday, her 82nd birthday.

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