A Look Back: Aug. 10

50 Years Ago

■Gov. Francis W. Sargent will swear in attorney Alvertus J. Morse as the new special justice of the Hampshire County District Court late this afternoon in the Superior Court courtroom. Morse’s swearing-in will end a six-month vacancy in the special justice post created when Judge Raymond R. Cross moved to the Superior Court bench.

■Joseph V. Natale, a special education teacher for the Chicopee School System, and a lifelong resident of Northampton, has announced his candidacy for a second term on the Northampton School Committee. Democrat Natale says he believes the best type of education will encourage young people to “strive to attain their highest potentials.”

25 Years Ago

■Near-perfect weather and a stepped-up advertising campaign spurred a record turnout at this year’s Taste of Northampton, according to the event’s chairman. William A. Letendre estimated today that between 115,000 and 120,000 people sampled the city’s smorgasbord of food and music during the four-day annual event, held for the eighth time.

■With toothbrushes held high, more than 1,000 people swayed to music and sang “Give teeth a chance” to celebrate a new Guinness World Record they helped set Saturday in Northampton. The crowds were gathered to achieve a record by getting 1,000 people to brush their teeth simultaneously for one minute. Thanks to heavy on-air promotion, balmy weather and the lure of food and games at the Taste of Northampton, WRNX exceeded its goal.

10 Years Ago

■The Hadley Select Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to appoint Fire Capt. Michael Spanknebel as the town’s new full-time fire chief. Spanknebel has been a member of the Hadley Fire Department since 1999, when he joined as a call firefighter.

■Townspeople using the Deerfield transfer station on Saturday mornings this week may notice a police officer patrolling the Lee Road facility. Some townspeople have increasingly become disgruntled over having to buy a $65 sticker to use the dump, and the two town attendants who staff the transfer station have borne the brunt of their displeasure.

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