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

30 years ago

ISHPEMING — Five Ishpeming Department of Public Works employees have filed a grievance with the city, complaining that some workers smoke in the lunchroom and in city vehicles. The City Council Wednesday asked DPW Director Richard Burke to draw up a smoking policy and asked other department heads to send copies of their policies to city hall. Councilman Joel LePage suggested making all city buildings tobacco-free, but Mayor James Tobin disagreed. Although he encouraged people to quit tobacco products, Tobin, a smoker, defended smokers’ rights. He said properly ventilated smoking areas are more fair than banning all inside smoking, especially with the onset of winter. He said employers would be smart to subsidize nicotine patches for workers to want to quit smoking.

90 years ago

MARQUETTE — Construction of winter quarters for the civilian conservation corps camps in the Upper Peninsula will benefit the unemployment situation. The federal re-employment office in the Marquette post office building is functioning effectively in placing men in these jobs, as was reflected yesterday when 15 persons were given construction work through that office. Five carpenters and 10 laborers were asked for by F.E. Wester, of Marquette, who has the contract for the construction of winter quarters at Camp Escanaba, 15 miles southwest of Gwinn. The men were supplied by Thomas Downey, of Marquette, manager of the federal re-employment office, which is a branch of the United States Department of Labor. Earlier in the week, 11 other persons had been placed on jobs in the county through Downey’s office.