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

30 years ago

MUNISING — A hush falls over the packed auditorium while a low, guttural growl rises from the silence, filling the room. Then, to the delight of hundreds of elementary and middle-school youngsters, “Critterman” appears. Stopping occasionally to snarl at unexpecting audience members, he climbs onto the stage and for the next hour, mesmerizes his young audience with a blend of theater, humor and natural science lessons. Critterman – alias Denny Olson of Superior, Wis. — works for the Superior School District as an environmental education specialist. Trained as a biologist, Olson has a master’s degree in zoology. “My objective is to get people to remember the important messages about how we two-leggeds fit into this system,” he said. “For a long time we’ve gone through our civilized (lives) thinking we control everything, but that’s an illusion. We’re part of the system, and we’re very dependent on the system. If we screw part of it up, we’re basically taking a bite out of ourselves.”

60 years ago

GWINN — K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base’s 56th Fighter Wing played host to 30 cadets from the United States Air Force Academy recently. The cadets represented the 18th Squadron at the academy. The 56th Fighter Wing has sponsored the 18th since Wing Commander Col. James F. Reed visited the academy in 1961 and presented them with the colors and a history of the wing. During their visit at Sawyer the cadets toured the SAGE building, were taken for orientation flights in the F-101 jet fighter interceptor and visited the junior officers and their families.