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

30 years ago

ISHPEMING–Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. is proposing a compromise of $470,000 in 1989 tax on its inactive Republic Mine to be paid by the Friday deadline while it continues its appeal before the Michigan Tax Tribunal. Cliffs said in a prepared statement that the compromise, which has been offered to Republic Township before but as an alternative to the appeal, “will far exceed the amount required by the tax law and will insure that operations of the Republic-Michigamme school district are not affected by the present disagreement.” Cliffs spokesman Don Ryan said the action is being taken “in the interest of preserving positive community relationships.” Republic-Michigamme Superintendent Grant Berggren responded with relief this morning to Cliffs’ announcement. The district stood to lose more than $350,000–one fifth of the school’s budget–had Cliffs decided not to make the payment pending the appeal. Republic Supervisor Gary Johnson claims Cliffs should pay $527,000 in tax on the mine, based on a price published in industry trade journals. The mine has been inactive since 1981. Cliffs is appealing the bill, claiming it should pay only $207,000 based on prevailing market price for the ore, and that the rated capacity for the mine is half the 2.6 million tons Johnson claims.

90 years ago

MARQUETTE COUNTY–“Folk are interested in what to eat and in knowing why they should eat it,” is the opinion of Miss Florence Becker, who will come here from Michigan State College to hold a series of meetings, mostly in the rural communities, in several Upper Peninsula counties. Just now mothers are especially interested in good health habits and right foods for the school child. In her talks Miss Becker explains the food habits score, which is really a “skeleton diet” upon which to build the meals for the family. In brief, the score card requires the following: Milk, four cups a day for children under 20 years or 2 cups a day for adults; vegetables (not including potato) amount equal to one cupful; one good sized potato each day; green or raw vegetables as lettuce, cabbage, greets, etc., one large serving daily; fruit twice a day equal to about one cupful (raw, canned, or dried)–extra credit on the score is allowed for raw fruit or for tomatoes either fresh or canned; whole cereals for roughage and minerals to the amount of half of the cereals eaten; one good sized serving of the meat and one egg are needed for the protein requirements, that is to provide muscle building. With six to eight glasses of water daily, not including that used in tea or coffee, the food necessities of a day’s balanced diet are filled. Miss Becker advises, “A safe rule is first eat what is good for you and then eat the things you like.”