Bygone Days: A brief look at Wayland area’s past, Part 183

25 Years Ago — Sept. 19, 1990

A lawsuit filed by the 1958037_10152304423475540_503339273_nMichigan Attorney General’s office is charging Gerald VanSolkema Farms, Byron Ag Aviation and pesticide applicator Roger Morullah with pesticide misuse in the poisoning deaths of trout in the Rabbit River above 135th Avenue in Leighton Township.

Globe Editor Nila Aamoth opined, “How can we continue to justify the use of chemicals that kill more slowly and by degree?”

The Martin Township Board voted 3-2 to permit motorcycle dirt drag races south of the Martin’s Nest convenience store on 12th Street. Two of the affirmative votes were by Trustees Jim Brenner and Jack Sipple.

City of Wayland officials have decided to contract with Brenner Excavating for widening West Superior Street at a cost of $141,459.

Leighton Township officials agreed to spend $131,275 for a new pumper for the local fire department.

The Globe published a feature story on Peg Blok, was was retiring after serving as Moline’s postmaster for 25 years.

Beth Moore, 17, of Gun Lake, has been selected as a contestant for the Michigan Miss Rodeo Contest. She has indicated an interest in making a career out of professional rodeo.

Martin’s football team, coached by Pete Zeinstra, enjoyed a merry 45-0 romp over Bloomingdale to improve to 3-0 with three shutouts, but will face a stiff test next against Gobles. Tim Dimock rushed for three touchdowns.

Wayland varsity football coach Ed Lark said he thought the Wildcats were starting to earn a little respect in a 22-8 loss to South Christian. Howie Koopman rushed for 160 yards in 22 carries.

The Hopkins girls basketball team claimed its first victory of the season, 49-26, over Freedom Baptist as Julie Hall scored 14 points.

Ann Iciek drilled five three-point field goals for 17 points to lead Wayland to its first girls’ basketball victory of the season, 58-52 over Allegan. Laura Barghan hauled down nine rebounds and Julie Ainsworth added 15 points.

Coach Cheri Ritz’s tennis team is off to a 3-2 start on the season. No. 1 singles player for the Lady Wildcats is Kristy Nieuwenhuis.

The Hopkins varsity football team is off to a 3-0 start after a 36-8 victory over Saugatuck. However, the Vikings will get a huge challenge this weekend in a long tip to White Pigeon, which lost by only one point last week to perennial power Mendon.

Martin girls breezed past Eau Claire and Bloomingdale, but lost two players, Heather Hildebrand and Emily Guerrant, to injuries.

Soenke Peterson, Wayland High School foreign exchange student from Germany, spent the summer installing solar panels for Dave Lankheet, but said he doesn’t think solar energy has much of a future in his native country.

50 Years Ago — Sept. 15, 1965

Harry Multer asked Athletic Director Robert Marutz to be relieved of his duties as head junior varsity football coach in order to focus more on teaching. He will be succeeded by Spriggs TeRoller and Robert Kerley has been elevated to jayvee assistant.

Bill Conwell of the Wayland Rotary Club came to an agreement with the Wayland Board of Education for use of the “girls gym” for monthly travelogues the club sponsors.

The Wayland Board of Education is planning a joint meeting later this month with school boards of other districts that do not have high schools. The State Legislature passed a law recently in which all school districts must be K-12, so consolidation may be necessary. Dorr and Moline school representatives already plan to attend.

Janice Haggar of Fennville was selected Allegan County Harvest Queen and Miss Hopkins Marcia Olson was second runner-up.

Voters in the Hopkins Public Schools District will be asked to approve a 2.75-mill renewal Oct. 26 that will expire at the end of this year. The request will be for one year, 1966.

Village of Wayland President L. Phillip Reno was to be guest speaker an afternoon session of a Michigan Municipal League Conference.

Three members of the local “Fugitive Five” rock band were injured in a car accident on Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo. They were guitarist Wayne VanDam, drummer George Pawloski and Gene Neyman.

Mrs. Wallace Wakeman will be in charge of Wayland Day Saturday at the Allegan County Fair, which already is reporting record crowds.

Clyde A. Green, a longtime Wayland area farmer, died at his home in Monterey Township. He was 62. He had been a longtime member of the International Order of Odd Fellows in Salem.

Running back Jim Newell and quarterback Jessie Goodrich will lead the Hopkins varsity football team in its Sept. 17 season opener against Grand Rapids South Christian. It will be the Sailors’ first-ever varsity football game.

A photo showed head head varsity football coach Lyle Berry with running backs Jim Kotrba, Terry Bartell and Leonard Kaminski and quarterback Terry Parks. The Wildcats’ season opener once again will be against Plainwell.

“Dear Brigitte,” starring James Stewart, was showing at the Wayland Theatre.

Betsy Strong, a 1963 Wayland High School graduate, is captain of the Central Michigan University cheerleading squad.

The Hopkins FFA and advisor Roy Miller purchased three sows to be added to its swine chain.

The Rev. Oscar Wilson of Newtonville, Mass., was scheduled this Sunday to present a candidate sermon at the Congregational Church in Wayland.

“Help!” the Beatles song from their movie, once again was the No. 1 song in the land.

75 Years Ago — Sept. 20, 1940

Shine has “Boom Town” coming for over the weekend, with Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert and Hedy Lamarr… One Wayland businessman thinks half a buck is too much money to see any movie star, but I would give 50 cents to see Hedy Lamarr alone any time.

Jake Haveman announces that architect’s plans have been completed for the erection of a new bank building for the Moline State Bank. The new building will be located on the site of the former T.B. Rose store, which was torn down several years ago.

A second attempted burglary within the space of a week occurred Wednesday night when prowlers broke into the rear door of the Gamble store. Officer George Douglas found the door ajar and the light in the back room turned on. He entered and had scarcely gotten in the room when someone made a hasty exit. Douglas fired three shots at the fleeing man, one of which George thinks either hit its mark or came mighty close. A checkup by the managers of the store failed to discover that any money or merchandise was missing.

The mosquito is like a child. The moment he stops making noise, you know he’s getting into something.

With two such colorful personalities as President Roosevelt and Wendell Wilkie as opposing candidates and the third term issue supplying material for heated debate, this year’s campaign promises to become one of the hottest presidential contests in recent years.

Some day a town in the sugar bush region will wake up and cash in on an old fashioned maple sugar-off. There are plenty of city dwellers who do not even know what that means and they would pay good money to find out. There’s something new for any community that wants to find it.

100 Years Ago — Sept. 17, 1915

“If these Allegan fair officers are not repaid for all their efforts for record attendance at this year’s far (Sept. 28-Oct. 1), it certainly will not be their fault… The officers have put the well-known fairgrounds, Riverside Park, in fine shape.”

The Rev. J.W. Gibson, new pastor of the Gun Lake and Bradley churches, will live in the T. Williamson house on the county line.

The Ladies Aid Society of West Gun Lake served a fish dinner at William Warner’s residence Wednesday.

Walter Kaminski’s son, Mike, 19, suffered horrible facial lacerations when being struck in a buzz saw accident. Dr. Hanlon of Wayland Dr. Bauchman of Dorr needed at least two hours to dress his severe wounds.

The new post office in the Village of Wayland is nearly complete “and will be among the best in the county.”

The Globe this week received bushels of peaches from J.M. Burpee Fruit Farms of Fennville and from Seth Conrad’s orchard in Leighton Township, potatoes from J.H. Duryea of Wayland Township and bushels of “murphies” from GV. Fales.

The residence of Mr. and Mrs. William Bowen near Bowens Mills was struck by lightning in a storm, tearing out the mortar separating bricks on the other side of their bedroom.

Marcus Crofoot of Wayland was seriously injured when he was thrown from a gasoline-powered vehicle when it struck a car on the interurban. He suffered a broken arm in two places, fractured shoulder blade and injuries to the head. He is recovering at a Battle Creek hospital.

Charles R. Yeakey made a flying trip to Detroit and returned with a brand new Ford motor car.

Wayland High School students Tuesday evening enjoyed a “frankfort” roast on school grounds with Barnhart Bros. providing the weenies.

A.M. Robertson has been contracted for building a Standard Oil station on Commerce Street in the village.

The remains of Henry Sebright are being brought back to Monterey for burial. He died in Auburn, N.Y., after living in Monterey Township for many years.

 

 

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