A Look Back: June 9

50 Years Ago

■Miss Henrietta Schmitter of 31 Franklin St., retired art and music librarian at Forbes Library, died early today after a short illness. Her library career began in 1907 when she became secretary and order clerk at Forbes, later becoming desk clerk before going on to the music department in 1913. In 1924, she became music and art librarian, a position she held until 1957 when she retired.

■The Connecticut Valley is growing more shade tobacco this year after eight seasons of a steadily dwindling tobacco crop. A valleywide increase of 17% over 1972 is partially accounted for by an attempt to make up for the last year’s poor crop.

25 Years Ago

■Stephen Calcagnino, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce for the past two years, has accepted a key position at the Calvin Theater complex on King Street in Northampton. Calcagnino, 51, who directed the Northampton Center for the Arts from 1988 to May 1996, will assume his new post as executive director of the Calvin in mid-July.

■Northampton’s registrar of voters is considering running for the Ward 5 City Council seat — and she might have to resign to do it. Patricia Shaughnessy, the registrar of voters for 20 years, said Monday she wants to fill the City Council seat soon to be vacated by Linda Desmond, who is planning to move to Ireland.

10 Years Ago

■Mohegan Sun has upped the ante in its drive to win a Massachusetts license to operate a resort casino. The Connecticut casino has announced new features in its proposal for Palmer that will increase the project to nearly $1 billion.

■Multiple City Council races are shaping up for this fall’s municipal election in Northampton, as political newcomers have taken out nomination papers in wards 2, 3, 6 and 7. The same can’t be said for the School Committee, which so far is seeing a dearth of candidates for six seats on the ballot this fall.

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