1990 –
Earth Tech was billed as a gathering of companies that wanted to show the latest technologies in recycling and saving energy. They were talking about work on an 18-watt light that would replace the 60-watt incandescent bulb, and save 76-percent in energy use. Many of us have converted to those low-energy lights.
I covered a special Senior Prom that spring. Some older folks were invited to join kids at Quince Orchard High School for the event. The high schoolers could have been the seniors’ grandkids. Some dance steps from two different eras were exchanged, including the popular “Electric Slide.”
On March 25th the Hubble Telescope was being eased out of Shuttle Discovery’s cargo bay. A solar panel needed some coaxing to unfurl. The Hubble began its long career of sending back stellar images from its 380-mile orbit, even though it needed some work to improve its vision. I still have my Hubble press kit.
On June 13th, I watched Ron Jacko, a deserter, turn himself in at the gates to Quantico. Jacko had been a Marine PFC. who chose to live in Canada for 21 years rather than go to Vietnam.
June 2nd was a big day in Washington history. That’s when Garfinckel’s Department Store filed for bankruptcy - Chapter 11. Some employees had 40 years with Garfinckel’s and were wondering if they would get any severance or vacation pay.
June 16th 1990, marked the first National Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure” to promote breast cancer research awareness. 8,000 people took part, including Vice President Dan Quayle and his family. Organizers passed out pink ribbons to recognize breast cancer survivors.
1990 was an interesting year for Montgomery County politics. County Executive Sid Kramer thought it would be smooth sailing to re-election. But Neal Potter, who had planned to retire after 20 years on the Council, put his hat in the ring two hours before the filing deadline to challenge Kramer. I had been tipped about Potter and watched him file his paperwork at the Elections Board. Potter won the primary. Kramer first announced his support for Potter, but three weeks later began a write-in campaign. Potter would go on to beat Kramer and a republican challenger, and wound up facing a 700-million dollar shortfall.
After four years, 200-Million dollars, and 12 lanes, I-270 was about to open. Seems like only yesterday. It was 13 miles of wide-open highway, with collector-distributor lanes connecting exits to the main lanes. After a few weeks, we learned it was a whole lot easier just to call them, “local lanes.”
October 1990: Washington metro area people were required to start dialing area codes to make local calls. There were a few glitches, most of them human errors. It’s hard to change old habits.
And everyone was watching the Middle East – Iraqi troops had invaded Kuwait, and the world was waiting for war.
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