In today's column, I take you back to July 13, 1978. The Times, a weekly newspaper, was serving readers in Northampton and Catasauqua, at a cost of 10 cents per copy. The paper's feature story was the groundbreaking for the Hampton House on Lincoln Avenue in Northampton.

A large sign on the property stated the project was designated as housing for the elderly for Northampton by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Many of my younger readers may not recall when the Lincoln Avenue site was home to both the Northampton Senior and Junior high schools. Many current folks, including this writer, graduated from the Konkrete Kid School.

The old senior high school, an imposing structure, was constructed on the corner of 18th Street and Lincoln Avenue in 1910, at the cost of a mere $90,000.

In 1926, a bond issue of $275,000 was approved and a new junior high school was constructed. The building housed a gym which was the scene of many exciting basketball games and wrestling matches. The iconic structures, much to the chargrin of the public, were demolished in the 1970s, when a new senior high school was constructed on Laubach Avenue, the present Northampton Area High School.

The borough council, manager and mayor were instrumental in securing the project for the community. The borough officials in 1978 were Mayor Paul Kutzler, council members Jack Guss, Charles Bodnar, Edward Csencsits, John Caumer, Edward Daumer, Stanley Lisetski, Robert Hantz, Sandra Oswald, Thomas Reenock, Peter Rusyn and borough Manager Carl DiCello.

The Nov. 13 Times edition also had an interesting ad from the Cement National Bank, now PNC. They listed an eight-year certificate which paid the rate of 7-3/4 percent, passbook savings had a 5-percent rate.

Fred Brown's Travel Corner at 1701 Airport Road listed a bargain week in Ireland at $379. Bob Kose's Trading Post was located at 17th and Main St., today Rite Aid Pharmacy. Bobby was an agent for Trans-Bridge Lines Inc. where travelers could book a first class trip at a modest price.

So it was, on July 13, 1978.

A special thank you to Larry Oberly for his photography expertise.

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We will be going back to 1952 in two weeks.