A Look Back: Sept. 25

50 Years Ago

■McCallum’s department store, acquired yesterday by the First Hartford Corp. of Manchester, Conn., will remain open in its current location under the new management. First Hartford’s board chairman and chief executive, Neil H. Ellis, said this morning, “In our plans, there is absolutely no intention of closing the store.” He added that the corporation had no plans to relocate McCallum’s, contrary to widespread rumors over the past few months.

■Amtrak officials said this morning a decision on whether to add a Northampton stop to the Washington to Montreal train can be expected “within a month or so.” Amtrak is considering the stop in view of a report it recently received from Mayor Sean Dunphy and a letter sent yesterday by Gov. Francis Sargent.

25 Years Ago

■“Bruce M. Penniman Day,” held Wednesday in the Great Hall of the Statehouse, was overwhelming, said Penniman, an Amherst Regional High School faculty member – and Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. Penniman was showered with accolades from the governor, education colleagues and former students.

■Mayor Mary L. Ford and the Recreation Commission will dedicate a playground area at Veterans’ Field in memory of Willard S. Hodges this Saturday. Hodges served the city as a member of the Common Council and as an alderman from Ward 4 in the 1940s. He was the prime mover behind the establishment of the Recreation Commission.

10 Years Ago

■Five of six groups seeking to open medical marijuana dispensaries in Hampshire County have cleared the first hurdle in the state’s competitive application process. The companies seeking to set up shop in Hampshire County are headed by a former state senator from western Massachusetts, a former Hampden Superior Court clerk, the CEO of a social services network and a Northampton retailer.

■The unveiling of a 14-by-170-foot mural in downtown Florence Friday evening served as the unofficial kickoff for the inaugural Florence Night Out art event planned for Thursday. The as-yet untitled mural covers the side of the Pivot Media photograph and digital imaging studio at 70 Maple St.

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