Yesterday in La Crosse

A Boardwalk could have been a “park place,” 29 years ago

Published

4 years ago

December 20, 2019

In late 1990, the La Crosse park department was discussing plans for building a boardwalk in Riverside Park. The department wanted to install 32 boat slips on that proposed wooden walk, along with two special fishing piers for the handicapped. The boardwalk was not built.

The La Crosse Center brought in Heart and Cheap Trick on the same rock bill just before Christmas. The Catbirds basketball team was still a big draw at the Center, as the defending CBA champs.

“The Simpsons” was the hot new TV show for 1990, but not everybody thought it was funny. The U.S. Council for Energy Awareness said it was “horrified” to see nuclear plant workers portrayed as “bumbling idiots”…meaning, Homer Simpson. Also on TV around Christmas, CBS had a series about DC Comics superhero “The Flash.” And a weekly musical drama about singing police, “Cop Rock,” with music composed by Randy Newman, ended its brief run on ABC at Christmas 1990, yesterday in La Crosse.

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.