Flint Photos: Riverbank Park in 1979

Riverbank Park in 1979, shortly after construction and before the sculpture in the background collapsed. Thanks to David Mata for the photo.

The Energy Crisis: The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same

Ah, memories. Susan Straight remembers the gas shortages of 1979 in The New York Times:

The crisis rolled on through the summer. Irrationality set in. All over the country, people wasted gallons of gas waiting in line for the gas they were afraid wouldn’t be there the next week. The crisis was the only news story anyone cared about. A protest outside Philadelphia turned violent. People stood guard beside their cars at night against thieves who siphoned out fuel. A board game came out called Gas Crisis, in which players had Large Cars or Small Cars and moved the action along with cards like “Oil Sheik” and “Walked to Work.”