Medary turned down by the state in 1977

In 1977, the town of Medary tried to incorporate…partly to take advantage of development that was expected to follow the opening of a new shopping mall on Highway 16.  But the Wisconsin Department of Local Affairs and Development turned down the incorporation effort, saying the move “would have an adverse effect” on solutions to community problems.  The city of La Crosse also tried to annex Medary, before Valley View Mall opened in 1980.

With no big mall existing yet, K-Mart on State Road was a hot place to shop.  The store was selling a stereo with a built-in 8-track tape player and recorder for $250.  K-Mart also had a pet clipper set for $11.96, and a five-quart bucket of latex wall paint, costing $4.27.

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was ending its run on CBS, but most of the show’s cast had new series ready for the fall.  Ed Asner would get his own spinoff as “Lou Grant,” running the fictional Los Angeles Tribune.  Betty White and Georgia Engel would be seen on “The Betty White Show,” a sitcom where Betty played a TV star of a police drama.  And Gavin MacLeod signed on as captain of “The Love Boat.”  TV exciting and new in 1977, yesterday in La Crosse.