EDITOR’S NOTE: Superiorland Yesterdays is prepared by the reference staff at the Peter White Public Library in Marquette.

30 years ago

HOUGHTON — A tiny sawfly has turned ornamental yard trees ugly this summer in Houghton and Keweenaw counties. Earlier reports blamed a small wasp for decimating certain pine tree species, but Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service personnel in the counties now say it’s a fly that’s been damaging spruce trees. The yellow headed spruce sawfly has been attacking young white and blue spruce trees in open areas, such as residential yards, said Extension Director Ralph Duffek. The pests haven’t been noticed in other counties in the Upper Peninsula, Duffek said. After hatching in early June, the sawfly larvae, which is a dark olive green color and eats spruce needles at an alarming rate. If gone unchecked, they can strip all the needles from a young tree, Duffek said. The flies are fairly easy to control, with a pesticide such as Diazinon.

60 years ago

HOUGHTON — A six-point program aimed at implementing an Upper Peninsula economic program has been adopted by the Michigan Economic Development Commission. The commission, meeting here recently, said the program was to “accelerate and intensify the economic development work currently going on.” The program called for: 1) Additional research by state educational institutions for ideas on expanding the economic base of the affected region. 2) A “concentrated and coordinated effort” by state and federal agencies to search for additional wood-working industries. 3) Issuance of a brochure to “attract attention to the advantages the peninsula offers in forest products manufacture.” 4) The holding of special clinics to advise the proper preparation for defense contract bidding. 5) A special counseling service by federal agencies on industrial financing. 6) More effort by the state and its education institutions ‘to develop home industries especially in the arts and crafts.”