A Look Back: Jan. 17

50 Years Ago

■Rep. Silvio O. Conte R-Mass., said today he expects President Nixon later today will suspend oil import quotas on home heating oil for four months in an attempt to alleviate the fuel shortage plaguing many parts of the country. “This will be an emergency stopgap measure which is vitally needed now,” said Conte.

■Boy Scouts of Hampshire County have a new leader, David Pool, who has come from the Adirondack Council in Plattsburgh, N.Y., where he was formerly a district executive. Pool resides at 6 Center Court in Northampton.

25 Years Ago

■The debate about how to keep affordable housing in the city will heat up again, now that the City Council has reintroduced the proposal to control rents of “governmentally involved” apartments. City Council President Mary Clare Higgins put the measure back on the table last night.

■The Hampshire Regional YMCA is just $20,000 away from its $1 million goal to fund an expansion of the facility. To help the organization over the top, local branches of BankBoston have announced they will match every dollar raised in the community up to $10,000.

10 Years Ago

■The University of Massachusetts has named a longtime professor at the University of Florida as the Amherst campus’ new engineering dean. UMass announced Thursday that Tim Anderson has been selected to lead the College of Engineering, effective March 1.

■With a need to vacate its longtime site on College Street, Amherst Media is investigating the possibility of constructing a new building within the Emily Dickinson Local Historic District. The nonprofit is interested in purchasing two lots at the corner of Main and Gray streets, currently owned by Jerry Guidera.

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