The courts of several states have dealt with an odd question, none of them agreeing upon a similar answer. When is it legally noon? Fire insurance policies expire at noon, and the word is admitted to mean exactly 12 o’clock midday. But standard time has not been adopted in all communities. Many small towns cling to sun time, which may be from a few minutes to nearly an hour earlier than standard. In one state, a fire occurred at two minutes past noon, sun time, and the insurance company held that the policy had expired before the fire.

50 years ago, 1957

MINEOLA, N.Y. – Mrs. Helen Buccheri, 49, said she put up with her husband’s drinking, idleness, refusal to get up before midafternoon and the time he spent in his pajamas in front of the television. But, she testified in Nassau County Court, it was the last straw when her husband, Ciro, sneaked her ravioli out of the house to give to another woman. Mrs. Buccheri was granted the separation she asked for.

• A public hearing was held by the New York Board of Estimate, and in a reasonably short time, it will decide whether to introduce one part of fluoride per million parts of water into the New York City water system, serving nearly 10 million people.

25 years ago, 1982

Trying to get kids to eat beans is a chore in itself, if not a futile exercise. Handing them a plate of beans that also contains corn-borers is going a little too far. But that’s what happened in Pittsfield recently, and, needless to say, some parents voiced some pretty strong objections. They had a right to. The beans had been served at lunch at two Pittsfield schools, and it was done after warnings had been received via the state that some bean shipments contained worms. The beans were served anyway, and parents showed their disapproval by serving some of the same beans to school board members. They found one courageous taker.