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

30 years ago

MARQUETTE — Marquette letter carrier Bruce Wentela received a $500 check from Marquette Postmaster James J. Holtz recently. Wentela won the U.S. Postal Service’s Special Achievement Award in recognition of his actions July 1 in the rescue of Thomas Beard Jr., who was trapped beneath a collapsed porch roof. Wentela was about to pass Beard’s house when he saw a foot sticking out of the collapsed porch. Wentela ran to a neighbor’s to call for help, then jacked up Beard’s roof to relieve the pressure on the trapped man until emergency personnel arrived.

60 years ago

ISHPEMING — A skunk with a pint jar stuck on its head caused quite a commotion here Saturday morning. Before the excitement was over, he had left his odoriferous calling card at two homes.

The animal was a large, narrow-stripe critter (No. 3 to the fur trade) which, somewhere during his travels Friday night, had stuck his head in a pint jar half-filled with leftover chili. He was unable to extract himself and sunrise Saturday found him wandering around the neighborhood near Nelson’s Store on Deer Lake Avenue.