“Let’s lower the tax rate,” said La Crosse’s mayor, 47 years ago

In March of 1973, La Crosse Mayor Peter Gilbertson was seeking a second term, and declared that his administration was the first in the city to substantially lower the property tax levy.  There was a three-person primary for mayor, and Gilbertson scored 7300 votes.  Joining him on the April ballot would be WKTY Radio general manager Phil Dyer.  In a race for city clerk, the top two finishers were city councilman Roger Vogt and O’Neita Thorsen.  Gilbertson was re-elected as mayor, and Thorsen became clerk.   

Prisoners of war were returning to the U.S. after being released by Vietnam, weeks after a truce was signed to end American involvement in the war.  In Madison, a war protester reportedly was brought back to Wisconsin, a year after being arrested in Canada.  Karleton Armstrong was one of four young men accused of bombing the Army math research center at Sterling Hall at the UW-Madison in 1970.  A researcher was killed in the explosion.   

The Grammy Awards were given out in Nashville.  Record of the year was “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack.  And the Dane County Coliseum in Madison hosted the first concert of Pink Floyd’s American tour to promote the release of their album “Dark Side of the Moon.”  The highest-priced ticket was $4.50.  Money, it’s a gas, 1973, yesterday in La Crosse.