Yesterday in La Crosse
Would Armstrong or Aldrin be first on the moon, 48 years ago?
In March of 1969, the Apollo 9 mission was the first space flight to test the lunar module that would take men to the moon’s surface. The actual landing was planned for later that year, during the Apollo 11 flight, and Buzz Aldrin was the favorite at that point to become the first man to step onto lunar soil. NASA said the plans could change, and Neil Armstrong might get the honor instead. Armstrong eventually was first to walk on the moon.
Why did the turtle cross the runway? At the La Crosse Airport, the turtles wanted to lay eggs, and experts believed that a runway extension had been built on the migration path of the turtles on French Island. The state director of airport development, Joseph Abernathy, was hoping that a fence around the runway could keep the turtles out. He called it ‘kind of a ridiculous situation.’
At least three local radio stations were planning to broadcast sectional basketball playoffs featuring North Crawford and Onalaska. Neither of those local teams made it to the final eight in Madison. The ’69 state finals are still remembered for the 55-foot buzzer shot made by LaMont Weaver of Beloit Memorial to force the first of two overtimes with Neenah. Beloit won the state title in 1969, 48 years ago, Yesterday in La Crosse.
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