Take your rock music outdoors, 35 years ago

In 1984, one area town was trying to decide where to have a rock concert. The Sparta schools were asked to permit a concert on school property during the June celebration called ‘Sparta Fest’…now known as ‘Butterfest.’ The football stadium was requested, but some school leaders were concerned about damage which could be done to the playing field, so a softball field also was considered for the concert site.

A large field of Democrats was running to challenge President Ronald Reagan that election year. After Gary Hart won New Hampshire, California Sen. Alan Cranston became the first Democrat to drop out of the race. Former astronaut John Glenn followed Cranston within a couple of weeks, leaving three major contenders…Hart, Walter Mondale, and Jesse Jackson. Mondale won the nomination. Reagan won 49 states in the election.

The Valley View Mall area got a new steak place in 1984. A Bonanza restaurant, later Grizzly’s, opened near Highway 16, next to K-Mart, later converted to an Office Depot. The business buildings existed 35 years ago, yesterday in La Crosse.