Anniversaries, like birthdays, are typically cause for celebration. For example, if you’ve been married for fifty years, you’ve earned some recognition. Similarly, if you’ve been alive for 100 years, a party is in order. It probably won’t be a wild party, but it’ll be a party, nonetheless.
But not all anniversaries are as personal as those. We also mark the time that’s passed between today, and important dates in history, for events that impacted our lives.
Here are a few anniversaries which are notable, due to how, and how many, people were affected by the event. Some are happier than others, but all are worthy of being remembered, for one reason or another.
50 Years Ago
They Did What??
In a couple weeks, Northern Michigan University will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the football Wildcats’ most improbable National Championship. It’s the only one the gridiron program has on its record, and it’s certainly worthy of celebration.
For those unfamiliar with the story… it was a long time ago, the success of the ’75 season is particularly notable due to what fans probably expected from the ‘Cats that year. In 1974, the team was winless. Zero and whatever. Optimism was in short supply.
Then, in what was the most remarkable turnaround in football history, the team, led by quarterback Steve Mariucci, went 13-1 and brought home the National Championship.
Other NMU intercollegiate programs have won Natties… the Division I Hockey Cats in ’91, back-to-back titles for the Women’s Volleyball program in 1993 and ’94, as well as several ski team crowns, but to go from the bottom to the top, in one year… well, that deserves special recognition.
The celebration will take place next month from Thursday the 9th through Saturday the 11th, with a number of different events for both players and fans. Included will be a showing of the film, “Put Your Hand on the Line,” which documents the season and the legacy of the team, one which will be hard to duplicate.
The Legend Lives On
In a few weeks, thanks in large part to the lyrical narrative of Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, we’ll again be reminded of the night the ship of the same name succumbed to the “gales of November.”
When we drive out to Presque Isle and see one of those huge ore boats loading up at the dock, it’s hard to imagine a storm so severe it could take one of them down. Small craft warnings on the big lake are fairly common, but… an ore boat?
Apparently, waves up to 35 feet were too much for the 730 foot freighter to overcome. Obviously, extreme weather and sea conditions are to blame, but exactly what caused the ship to go down remains somewhat of a mystery.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold two separate 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial ceremonies at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th. A ceremony for the general public will take place outdoors at 2:00 PM, and a ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM.
I find it interesting the last words received from Captain Ernest McSorley were… “We’re holding our own.” As the legend lives on, half a century later, those words are no less apropos today.
It’s Just a Jump to the Left
On the list of Cult Classics, you’ll find The Rocky Horror Picture Show right near the top. The movie, featuring Tim Curry as transvestite scientist Doctor Frank-N-Furter, as well as a cast of other well-known actors, continues to draw large audiences even today, 50 years after it first hit the big screen.
The music, the dance, the costumes, and audience engagement, all come together to make the film, and live performances, one of the traditional activities of the Halloween season.
Initially met with negative reaction, Rocky Horror soon became a “must see” and ultimately, a “must see again.” It’s been performed numerous times around here, and will be again this year by the NMU Theatre and Dance Department at Forest Roberts Theatre.
It’s the kind of film that makes me wonder how it would be received if it came out today. The transvestite angle alone would cause some theater-goers to question whether or not they should be seen in the audience. But it’s films like Rocky Horror that create cults undeterred by societal norms. Plus… it’s just a great flick!
30 Years Ago
The Last Flight Out
I remember people saying they’d never close K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base since it was the first line of defense if the Russians ever decided to come over the top to attack the United States. Sounded good to me. Too bad nobody told the Pentagon about that.
The base was a huge economic and cultural influence on Marquette County. The loss, though considerable, could have been worse. It took a concerted effort by citizens and local authorities in order to minimize the impact of the base closing in 1995.
County Board Commissioner Bill Nordeen represents the Sawyer area. “Marquette County has done exceptionally well in re-tooling Sawyer for civilian use. There are people living in all of the housing and we created good jobs at Sawyer to include: Potlatch Mill, Superior Extrusion, MJ VanDamme Trucking, Argonics, Envoy Air, and Adler Lumber, to name a few.”
Certainly a major factor in the revitalization of Sawyer was the decision to relocate the county airport there in 1999, which facilitated renewed relevance. Nordeen agrees. “The County airport moving to Sawyer provided an anchor to the commercial development over the past 30 years. The County focused resources and jobs in the Sawyer area. It clearly helped Sawyer develop.”
In addition to the multi-million dollar payroll, the base also brought diversity to the area. “The Air Force personnel certainly added a cultural influence, since they were from all areas of the country,” Nordeen says.
Though the Sawyer and Gwinn areas still have their share of challenges, not the least of which is the loss of population, Nordeen says they continue to work on making it a good place to work and live. “Sawyer continues to get better and better each year. To look at the improvements from only 15 years ago is incredible. The residents, community groups, and local government have all helped to make it better.”
5 Years Ago
A Lot of Words
This is one of those personal anniversaries I mentioned earlier. Five years ago in September of 2020, I took over the publishing of Word on the Street.
My predecessor and the creator of the blog, Brian Cabell, had started the post some eight years earlier, and when he decided he’d rather focus on other things, I offered up my services to take over the writing and keep the info and opinion site up and running.
The celebration will be modest… probably just me. But that’s the deal with anniversaries. They mean something different to each of us. This one? As I look back on 271 original posts, I think, that’s a lot of words… on the street. Salute!