25 Years Ago
* The Charles J. Cirelli Company won the contract for construction of Longfellow Elementary School in Columbia. The winning bid was $784,000.
* A rainfall of 4 1/2 inches over a two-hour period caused widespread flooding in Columbia. Basements were flooded, streets filled with mud, and lawns were covered with silt. It was later determined that freshly graded earth and poor drainage in the area were to blame.
50 Years Ago
* The Maryland Restaurant, managed by John M. Valmas, opened on Main Street in Ellicott City at the corner of Maryland Avenue. The establishment featured a dining room, booths and a soda fountain. John's brother, Paul, continued to run the Valmas Brothers Restaurant located further west on Main Street in the Kraft building.
Compiled by Diane Mullaly from the files of the Howard County Historical Society's Library.