From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 20, 1985:

• The Lawrence Urban Renewal Agency voted to recommend that the city commission spend $10,000 to $20,000 for a study to see if the “footprint” of a proposed downtown shopping mall could still be classified as “slum and blight.” A large portion of North Lawrence and part of downtown had met statutory slum and blight requirements, according to a study completed in 1969 and reaffirmed in 1974. The designation was necessary for the city to condemn property in the 600 block of downtown.
• The Sanctuary was running this ad: “Christmas Shopping Got You Tired? Get back on your feet with FREE EGG NOG! 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. It’s a nice respite.”
• In New York, restoration of the Statue of Liberty had reached the halfway mark, as engineers had corrected defects in the supporting structure as well as replacing the corroded flame and torch, patching the tip of the nose, and cleaning the exterior. Lady Liberty’s rededication was scheduled for July 1986.