Yesterday in La Crosse

Where to put ice, ice, baby, 40 years ago

Published

5 years ago

January 21, 2020

In 1980, a group headed by former UW-L hockey coach Lloyd Dresen planned to build an ice rink for the campus and community, for just $750,000. That was not long after a $2 million campaign for a rink at the university fell short of funding. There were already plans to build an indoor rink at Green Island, and proposals to put an ice rink in the new La Crosse Center were cut from the building budget to save money.

California Gov. Jerry Brown came to La Crosse to campaign for president in 1980. Brown was challenging President Jimmy Carter and Sen. Ted Kennedy for the Democratic nomination. Speaking at the Bodega downtown, Brown said Carter’s foreign policy was weak and disorganized, and he said if the president was nominated for a second term, Republican Ronald Reagan would almost certainly defeat him.

The Oscars were given out in mid-April of that year. The best picture award went to a divorce drama, “Kramer vs. Kramer,” and its stars Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep won their first Oscars. So did “Norma Rae” star Sally Field.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.