Choose four schools on this list to close…40 years ago

In 1978, the La Crosse School District decided to close four elementary schools, and put together a list of six schools to choose from.  The list included Erickson, Pleasant Valley, Hogan, Emerson, Hamilton, and Franklin.  Parents at Franklin didn’t wait to find out if their school would close.  They called a meeting to protest it.  Franklin remained open until a few years ago, when it was replaced by the new Northside School.  Hamilton and Emerson also are still open today. 

Three people were placed on probation for prostitution…two men for keeping a house of prostitution as co-owners of Carol’s Sauna on La Crosse Street and Rhonda’s Rap at 219 Pearl.  A woman was charged with selecting females for prostitution at the rap centers.

Early in 1978, movie fans were still going to see some of the big films that came out at the end of ’77.  They included “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “The Goodbye Girl,” both featuring Richard Dreyfuss…the Mel Brooks comedy “High Anxiety”…and the disco drama “Saturday Night Fever.”  Forty years ago, yesterday in La Crosse.