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

30 years ago

April 17, 1993 – MARQUETTE – A family-run commercial fishing operation in Marquette has been cited by the Michigan Audubon Society for saving loons from drowning in nets. Thill’s Fisheries received the society’s 1993 Small Business Award for Environmental Stewardship for altering their fishing nets to enable deep-diving loons to escape when accidentally snared. “We’re real pleased about the award,” said Jerry Thill, who owns the business with his brothers, Ted and Ron. “We remodeled the top of the net to make the mesh bigger, which allows loons to swim out of the top.” The state Department of Natural Resources estimates that 500 to 600 loons are killed annually in such nets statewide. “We feel they have probably saved some loon lives already,” said Melinda Stamp of Marquette, vice chairwoman of the Laughing Whitefish chapter of the Audubon Society. “They are also setting a good example for other fisheries to follow, particularly in areas where more loon deaths occur.” The risk was that the nets would result in lower fish harvests, but Thill said there’s been no indication of that. The business, meanwhile, is sharing what it’s learned with other commercial fishing operations.

60 years ago

April 17, 1963 – MARQUETTE – A variety of entertainment is in store for more than 10,000 people expected to attend the Third Annual Northern Exposition which will be held this weekend, Friday night through Sunday evening, in the Northern Michigan University fieldhouse. Featuring the largest display of Upper Peninsula manufactured products ever assembled, the three-day event will open to the public at 6 p.m. on Friday. Entertainment scheduled for Friday evening includes two appearances of Chet Moore as “Droopy the Clown” in a comedy and trampoline act, two shows by the Northern Four combo and the first segment of the U.P. queen contest, a preliminary to the Miss America pageant. The exposition will be open for public viewing beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.