25 Years Ago — Feb. 21, 1990
A hearing scheduled for March 12 will take up a request from about 140 residents of Burnips who are seeking to have their 130 properties transferred to the Hopkins school district from Hamilton. The residents are upset about Hamilton’s recent decision to shut down Burnips Elementary and Superintendent John Graves explaining, “To operate that building with 40 or 50 students is not educationally sound.”
Two local contractors working on the Shelbyville post office have filed for liens against Narita Inc. of Bozeman, Mont., fearing they will not be paid for their work.
About 250 area people have signed a petition in support of the Apple Core Lounge, which is in danger of losing its liquor license from Wayland Township. The petitions will be filed with the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
Officials from the City of Wayland and Wayland Township are close to reaching an agreement on providing equal compensation provided for services in both jurisdiction. The two have had an agreement since 1968 for fire protection in exchange for use of Elmwood Cemetery.
The Wayland City Zoning Board of Appeals voted 7-2 to allow McDonald’s to erect a 48×96 portable sign at its site on West Superior. McDonald’s officials said the sign would advertise promotions and provide announcements of coming events and congratulate local students and athletes for their accomplishments.
Hopkins school district voters will be asked in an upcoming election to approve a three-quarters of a mill request as an override of the Headlee Amendment.
Hopkins Fire Chief Dick Weick has proposed a three-quarters of a mill levy for 10 years to fund building a new village and township hall because the fire department’s facility is just too small to handle all functions any more.
Pat Staley wrote a feature story about cousins Coralie Ritz and Missy Ritz, both WHS graduates who play basketball for Hillsdale College and Grand Valley State University, respectively. Both are point guards for the two rivals in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Tim Dimock, Lloyd Foster and Tom Salingue all have qualified for the Class state westling tournament in Battle Creek. Qualifying from Wayland in Class B was 171-pounder Ken Klump, who was undefeated until he lost in the regionals to Allegan’s Erick Harvey.
Hopkins edged Martin in a triple overtime thriller, 69-67, in a neighborhood basketball contest that featured the attle of the big men, the Clippers’ Dan Herp and Jeff Weber of the Vikings.
Matt Fletcher, James Doane and Brandon Wallace were pictured with advisor Denise Klinge as state qualifiers in the state forensics tournament.
50 Years Ago — Feb. 17, 1965
Lewis F. Smith, a Wayland business pioneer, died at age 84. He originated the Leighton Telephone Exchange in 1908 and was owner and operator of the Smith Pontiac-Rambler car dealership until his retirement in 1955. He also was the father of legendary math instructor Claude Smith, a member of the Wayland High School Alumni Hall of Fame.
Kessler’s Undies & Woolies made a $600 donation to the Henika Public Library for its remodeling project for a new front porch.
The Kenneth Lynema family lost all their belongings in a house fire in Wayland, but no one was home or hurt during the blaze.
Mary Braendle and Cheryl Brewer earned all As during the third marking period at Wayland Junior High School.
Wayland Village President Phillip Reno, in an address to the Chamber of Commerce, likened the village’s and township’s struggles with the County Board of Supervisors over home rule and expansion to the freedom marchers in Selma, Ala. Reno contended the County Board’s 18-17 vote against Wayland denied citizens their American rights.
The United Methodist Church is planning a remodeling project for its basement and space between the parsonage and church, located at the corner of Maple and Church streets.
The Wayland boys’ basketball team captured its third victory of the season by taking a 56-55 squeaker from Grand Rapids Northview. Lee Pepper scored his only two points with less than 10 seconds to go. Gordon Hudson netted 27 points and gathered 12 rebounds and Scott Hilbert had 16 points. The Wildcats, however, suffered a 74-55 drubbing at the hands of Kalamazoo Christian and their season record fell to 3-11.
Wayland will play in a Class B district tournament at Otsego along with the host school, Plainwell, Delton and Allegan.
Mel Spencer scored a clutch basket with less than five seconds to go to lead the Wayland junior varsity basketball team to one-point victory over Kalamazoo Christian.
Bill Nicolai scored 18 points and Jim Gilder 10, but Hopkins was outlasted 43-36 by Lawton.
Phil Regan’s all-star basketball team edged the Harlem Town Trotters 69-65 in a charity basketball at WHS. Regan’s team included Wildcat head coach Jim Lynett and grads Harry Hudson and Charlie Stankey.
“Topkapi,” starring Melinda Mercouri and Peter Ustinov, was showing at the Wayland Theatre.
Winning first-place medals at the FFA districts were Dennis Lambert in public speaking, the Forum Team of Dennis Brenner, Brian Hanson, Steve Wrobleski, Ron Miller and Doug Mann, and the Demonstration team of Tom Morris, John Merbs and Dennis Olson.
Gary Lewis & the Playboys took over the No. slot in the nation’s top 40 tunes with “This Diamond Ring.”
75 Years Ago — Feb. 16, 1940
Herman H. Stroud, local archery manufacturer, has just received a request from E.E. Palmatier, the secretary of the Michigan State Archery Association, for permission to hold their state field meet in Wayland again this summer in August. This will be one of the most popular meetings, as it furnishes training for those who hunt with bow and arrow and the amateur bowman has the privilege of observing the skilled archer in action.
Some of the doggondest ideas come to light in discussing this prospect of a new township school for this locality. One man thought that the village would demand four out of five places on the new school board. This is all poppycock. From all that I can learn, most of the folks in the village would be just as well pleased if four out of five went outside of the village.
Another is that the plans were for a school that would accommodate 1,200 pupils or so. That also is pure imagination, for the very most contemplated is about 750, and they want to keep it under that mark, if possible, so that there will not be more students in one grade than one teacher can supervise.
100 Years Ago — Feb. 19, 1915
There will be no school Monday on account of the teacher’s institute.
Beatrice Brog has a new piano.
While Nick VanDermolen and family were returning from the dance last Saturday night in Wayland, their horse became frightened and kicked one foot over the cross bar. They managed to stop it and unhitch it from the wagon, but Mrs. VanDermolen, who was trying to hold the horse by the head, was thrown to the ground and quite severely bruised. After this, the horse ran away and Connie Halloran and William Troy took the family home.
The Primary children celebrated Lincoln’s birthday and Valentine’s Day last Friday afternoon.
The seniors and sophomores are making a thorough review of arithmetic.
Louie Hendrixma will work his father’s farm the coming year.
H.W. Curie and J.E. Adams attended the Auto Show in Grand Rapids Tuesday.
Birney Barber is at Byron Center taking the place of A. Frary in the depot for a few days.
Seth Conrad has been suffering from sumac poisoning for a few days.
Deputy Sheriff Delbert Fortney of Grand Haven was here Tuesday night and arrested Bert Hunt, on a charge of deserting his wife. Bert says there is nothing to it.
