Yesterday in La Crosse
Another shot at passing fluoride, shot down…48 years ago
In April of 1969, La Crosse voters had a third chance in just over 15 years to decide whether to put fluoride in the drinking water, to fight tooth decay. The new vote came only five months after the previous fluoride referendum was defeated…and although voter turnout was lower, the margin of defeat was greater. Long-time fluoride foe Fred Barge said if yet another referendum was attempted, he would consider it ‘public harassment.’ La Crosse finally did approve fluoride in the late 1980’s.
The city of Tomah was considering renaming a street ‘Gasoline Alley.’ The change would be in honor of Tomah native Frank King, who created the ‘Gasoline Alley’ comic strip. Eventually, Tomah placed signs along its main north-south street, Superior Avenue, to publicize the ‘Gasoline Alley’ connection.
And UCLA basketball star Lew Alcindor turned down a $3 million a year contract to play in the ABA, preferring instead to play for less money with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. Alcindor would later change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but he was still Lew in 1969, 48 years ago, Yesterday in La Crosse.
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