25 years ago: It was announced that after 61 years in Middletown the J.C. Penny store would close its doors come July 26, 1986. The reason for the closure was “unsatisfactory levels” of sales according to E.T. Howard, the company’s district manager for New England.

25 years ago: The District 13 budget for 1986-87 was approved by taxpayers by a margin of 60-11. The budget represented an 8.27 percent increase over the operating year for 1985-86. The largest net increase went to teacher’s salaries which rose an average of 10.6 percent.