(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago — Jan. 22, 2001
A 26-year-old motorist died in a traffic crash at the corner of 142nd Avenue and Kalamazoo Avenue. Authorities have said the intersection continues to be one of the most dangerous in Allegan County. Accident witness Keith Weber of Leighton Township, reported in a guest editorial, “Last night I felt useless as these two mangled cars laid entangled on the corner.”
The annual Wayland City Council election has been scheduled for April 2, with the two-year council member terms of Robert Golm, Anita Modreske and Bruce Sexton, expiring. All three have indicated they will seek re-election.
Gary Marsh of Wayland Township penned a letter to the editor opposing prospects for a casino in this area, noting that casinos essentially exploit humans’ personal weakness, sometime with devastating consequences.
The Wayland Lions Club and the DeLano Foundation have donated $3,000 to the Henika Library for purchase of literature for young adults.
Allegan County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jon Campbell said he hopes the parent company for Ampro Seeds, U.S. Home & Garden, is able to find jobs for employees who lave lost their jobs because of the business closing.
Village of Martin officials said they are considering shutting off sewer services to the Little Gem Trailer Park because of delinquency in paying bills.
Allegan County has experienced a huge increase this year in farm parcel assessments, according to Equalization Director Blaine McCloud.
Wayland City Manager Mike Jager said he is considering placement of a warning signals at the railroad crossing on 133rd Avenue near the industrial park on the south side of town.
The Hopkins Board of Education is considering the idea of opening the high school’s fitness room to the public so they can get exercise.
The Hopkins boys’ basketball team doubled up Martin in a battle of neighborhood rivals, 64-32. No fewer than 10 Vikings scored in the contest.
Jamie Brown scored 24 points and Kurt Rizley 19, as Wayland blew out O-K Gold Conference rival Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, 81-43. Trojans’ coach Kurt Holzheuter said he was impressed with the Wildcats’ quickness.
Coach Pete Boyd’s Martin wrestling team finished second to Class C mat powerhouse Tri-County in an invitational. The Clippers own an 18-1 dual meet record and are ranked in Class D.
The Hopkins volleyball team finally ended its losing streak to Allendale in an O-K Silver Conference dual match.
William Gene Buell, a carpenter and handyman from Orangeville died at his home Jan. 10.
50 Years Ago — Jan. 20, 1976
The Allegan County Fair has won the John F. Reid Award for having Michigan’s best county fair in 1975.
Members of the Wayland, Leighton, Dorr and Hopkins Township Boards are working on plans to finance the newly-created Wayland Area Emergency Services ambulance cooperative in the wake of George Hampel’s announcement the Archer-Hampel Funeral Home no longer will have an ambulance as of March 1.
Ardis Spicer of Hopkin was arraigned in Allegan County District Court on charges of embezzlement of more than $45,000 from the Hopkins branch of the Wayland State Bank between 1972 and 1975.
The Wayland Bicentennial Committee is working on plans for a celebration of America’s 200th birthday in the City Park in July.
The Hopkins Community Players theatrical group has been organized and its second meeting will be held Jan. 29.
The Wayland, Hopkins and Martin school districts were closed Monday, Tuesday and Thursday because of slippery and snow covered roads.
54th District State Rep. Ed Fredricks penned a letter to the editor noting the creation of a new pressure group, Taxpayers United. He urged local citizens to sign a petition to limit state spending to 8.3% of personal income.
Mrs. Oliver Francisco, author of the Green Lake Breezes column, wrote about a friend who told her she doesn’t get out and about much because of her fear of driving on a road that features a huge number of snowmobilers she may inadvertently strike.
The Globe glad-handed Mr. and Mrs. Ray Foss of Wayland, who found an envelope with money and turned it in to the Globe office for placing a Lost and Found ad. The owner and the cash were reunited.
The Wayland boys’ basketball team attempted a stall tactic against Byron Center, but several turnovers doomed the effort and the Bulldogs prevailed. The Wildcats now are 1-8 overall after scoring their first win, over Kelloggsville.
Hopkins evened its overall season record at 5-5 by pummeling a Martin squad that seems to have fallen on hard times. The Vikings had a balanced offensive attack led by Ron Schafer, Phil Arndt and Bill Sebright scoring in double figures. Robert Vandenberg tallied 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers.
The Ogres bowling team, with Ed Matuszak, Mike Balding, David Young, Dick Murphy and Francis Nawrocki, have entered the Grand Rapids city tournament.
The Ogre floor hockey championship game has been stalled by “wooseye” Maple City Seed Pods coach James Wasserman.
The Wayland wrestling team moved closer to the O-K Blue championship by stopping. Hudsonville in a dual match and moving to 7-0 overall. Quality performances were turned in by Paul Beuschel, Darren Irwin and Bruce Brinks.
The Hopkins Area Fire Department spearheaded the effort to provide local youth with an ice skiing rink downtown.
Wayland High School student Wayne Van Dam and the Red Machine was scheduled to be the musical guest at Stan’s Tavern in Dorr and later at Plainwell Lanes.
Wayland Boy Scout Troop 97 won the district Klondike Derby held near Byron Center. Scoutmaster is John White.
William H. Monroe II will tour with the Blue Lake Fine Arts international program next summer, under the baton of Daniel Kovats, professor of music at Grand Valley State College.
Don Rabideau is post commander of the new chapter of the Don Gurney Amvets Post.
Edward G. Marshall, a member of the Bradley Masonic Lodge, died at his home unexpectedly. He was 48.
Diana Ross captured the No. 1 slot among the nation’s tunes with “Theme from Mahogany… “Do You Know Where You’re Going to?”
75 Years Ago — Jan. 26, 1951
Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher asked area residents to restrain their dogs from following children to the school bus or those youngsters who walk to school.
Russell Rugaber of Wayland has been elected president of the Western Michigan Dairy Association.
Wayland native Lynn Arthur Green of Kalamazoo, a meat cutter by trade, died at Borgess Hospital. He was 43.
Mrs. Leland Sheels has been absent from duties at the Bee Hive restaurant because she is recovering from surgery at Crispe Hospital in Plainwell.
Norris Herrington, former Hopkins pharmacist and drug store owner, died at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. He was 50 years old.
The new 1951 DeSotos will be on display at the Edward Alflen & Sons car dealership starting Friday. Herb Chevrolet also has 1951 Chevys is stock.
Members of the American Legion and Auxiliary are planning an old-fashioned box social for Tuesday, Feb. 13. The box will be sold to the highest bidder.
Six students from Wayland are enrolled at Western Michigan College — William Mauchmar, Raymond Cook, Katherine Hoch, Ward Arbanas, Kathy Williamson and Kathryn Sebright.
Miss Lucy Baird, a lifelong resident of Hopkins, died. She was 92.
Ruth Hoffmaster was chosen president of the Hopkins chapter of the Order of Eastern Star.
An estimated 50 people attended the most recent meeting of the Leighton Farm Bureau. The Discussion topic was, “Should township government be abolished?”
The Dorr Township Fire Department, assisted by Leighton, was summoned to the home of Charles Ryan. It was the second time this week the firefighters were called out.
It was reported that automobiles have killed twice as many people as all wars for this nation over the last 25 years.
Adult homemaking classes have resumed at Wayland High School, which has been focusing on topics such as meal planning, home decorating, flower arrangements and clothing construction problems.
The road from Allegan north to Hopkins is being resurfaced this year with plans to designate it as one of Allegan County’s principal roadways.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Huntz Hall and Leo Gorcey in “Blues Busters.”
- Roy Rogers and Trigger in “Sunset in the West.”
- Paul Henreid and Jack Oakie in “Last of the Buccaneers.”
- James Cagney, Virginia Mayo and Gordon McRae in “The West Point Story.’
100 Years Ago — Jan. 22, 1926
Mrs. Ida Bell’s entire flock of sheep was destroyed by two dogs at her farm northeast of Wayland. A caretaker came on the scene and was attacked by the dogs, so he returned to the location with a shotgun.
In the biggest business transaction in these parts lately, the Wing & Metcalf furniture store was sold to Martin Loyengoed, who has been in the business in Holland. Ivan Hunsberger will be store manager.
A $50,000 wreck on the Pennsylvania railroad about a mile and a half south of Wayland occurred Saturday when 17 freight cars jumped the rails and tore up the track. Officials said the cause was a defective wheel on one of the cars. As a result, local mail delivery was temporarily halted.
Chicken thieves made off with the entire flock at the Ed Carpenter farm. Authorities were notified and there will be a serious effort “to bring the despicable culprits to justice.”
Now showing at the Regent Theatre downtown: Mary Philbin in “The Rose of Paris.” Charles Ray and Wallace Beery in “Dynamite Smith.”
The annual meeting of the Corning Telephone Exchange was held at the town hall. The Corning Ladies Aid served dinner in the church basement.
Semester exams are taking place at Wayland schools, marking the close of the first half of the 1925-26 academic year.
The Wayland debate team defeated Zeeland 2-1 on the subject of child labor. The team’s record overall now is 6-6. The next debate will be held Feb. 12.
The junior play this year is “Welcome Home, Jimmy.” Presentations are planned for Feb. 25 and 26.
A Free Power Farming program is scheduled for Jan. 28, featuring a tractor school, entertainment, free lunch at noon, and a free movie show at the Odd Fellows Hall in Moline. The sponsor is Edward Alflen of Moline.
Mrs. John Thede will be in charge of the Leighton Community Club meeting at the Corning Church Jan. 26. Members will take in two plays, “The First Day of School” and “The Union Depot,” performed by the Helping Aid Society and Embroidery Club, respectively.
Mrs. Bernice Anway, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F.D. Cutler, is working at the huge Donaldson’s Department Store in Minneapolis and is in charge if the toy department.
E. H. Dickey, district manager of Bell Telephone, will make a presentation about the progress of the telephone since its invention less than 50 years earlier to the Ladies Library Club.
Walter M. Ellis is this area’s new representative for the Fuller Brush Co.
The village of Wayland has suffered through a water shortage for a few days because of a water main break between Superior and Maple streets.
Mrs. Sib Rumery has suffered from a karbuncle and has been taken to Battle Creek Sanitarium for treatment.
