25 Years Ago — Nov. 7, 1990

Allegan County was said to have had a “respectable” turnout of 48 percent in the general election Tuesday. The county voted in favor of Republicans throughout the ballot — Gov. John Engler over James Blanchard, Congressman Bill Schuette over Senator Carl Levin, Judy Miller over Secretary of State Richard Austin and Clifford Taylor over Frank Kelley for attorney general.

Wayland City Police Chief Dan Miller asked the City Council for permission to hire another officer, insisting the city’s recent population growth spurt brings with it more crime. The current force includes Miller, John Rookus, Jim Rollins and Jeff Nieuwenhuis.

Plans to renovate the Allegan County courthouse for $3 million have been shelved temporarily because the economy has “gotten soft.”

L. Phillip Reno, mayor and village president in Wayland for 16 years, died at his home at age 79. He also had been owner of the Reno Agency insurance firm for 35 years and he had worked on the new Michigan State Constitution in 1963.

Though Wayland City officials have indicated they support the idea of having a Downtown Development Authority, there has been no movement on getting started the work on its implementation.

Ford G. Braben wrote a letter from Florida praising the Globe’s recent feature story about the 6-2-1 Wayland High School football team that played in “Sandburr Stadium.” However, he asked why nothing has been written about the 1928 team that went undefeated until its final game, a 14-0 loss to Allegan on Thanksgiving Day. He said the team was led by fullback Floyd Tooker, quarterback Halden “Hike” Hudson, center Walter Couzzens and the coach was Lee B. Jeanne.

Sgt. Lou Quinn of the Wayland post of the Michigan State Police was given his promotion after playing a huge role in solving a case in which a Shelbyville man was convicted of embezzling money from a Martin church. Quinn was being transferred to St. Clair.

Wayland High School teacher Don Mackey owns the unusual distinction of being the author, director and musical composer of this fall’s production of “Dinner at Wellington.”

Elise Stephans and daughter Valerie have open a floral shop in the building that houses Bridal Lane in Dorr.

The Martin girls’ basketball team, under coach Robert VanDenBurg, has won its fifth consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference championship and awaits the district tournament with just one loss this season.

The Wayland girls’ basketball squad, under coack Zack Moushegian, as struggled through an 11-7 season, but the Wildcats are tied for second place in the O-K Gold Conference and they’ve been playing well of late. Key players in the surge are Julie Ainsworth, Chris Gruver, Ann Iciek and Laura Barghan.

50 Years Ago — Nov. 3, 1965

Trinity Lutheran Church of Wayland voted with a two-thirds majority of congregation members to sever ties with the Missouri Synod. However, the Rev. Roy B. Faulstick will remain as pastor.

Johnson’s Bait Shop on East Sycamore Street has been sold by Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Johnson to Clyde Ziegler of Hastings. The Johnsons have purchased a market in St. Helen and plan to relocate soon.

A Harvest Dance at the Wayland VFW post on South Main Street is being planned for Nov. 13. Co-chairs are Mrs. Ed Nickels and Richard Clack.

Dwight M. Cheever was elected probate judge of Allegan County to succeed the late Harold Weston and the county-s millage limitation was increased from 15 to 16 mills by narrow voters’ approval.

The ancient bathing pavilion at Green Lake has been brought down.

Dr. Donald Bouma, Western Michigan University professor of sociology, was to be guest speaker at a special presentation sponsored by the Ladies Library Club. The program was set for Nov. 17 at the Wayland High School cafeteria.

Members of the Organic Soil and Health Builders Club will have their annual Homecoming Festival Saturday evening at their clubhouse in Bradley.

The Hopkins football remained tied for first place in the Al-Van Conference with a 6-1 overall record after getting past Gobles 12-2. The Vikings gave up a safety when a center snap went over the head of the punter and into the end zone. Jim Newell threw yet another halfback TD pass to Wendell Beard and quarterback Jesse Goodrich scored from a yard out.

Wayland’s football team lost by shutout to Zeeland for the second straight year. The Chix scored two touchdowns and a safety. Leonard Kaminski gained 103 yards on 17 carries and Roger Merren and Gordon Hudson were cited for their efforts at defensive end.

Dwayne Hickman and Frankie Avalon were starring in “Ski Party” at the Wayland Theatre.

The local Jehovah’s Witnesses have moved into their new church on Garden Street just outside the city limits in Leighton Township. Floyd Jackson is presiding minister.

The Rolling Stones broke the Beatles four-week No. 1 streak for “Yesterday” with “Get Off My Cloud.”

75 Years Ago — Nov. 8, 1940

We certainly are glad that election is done and over with. Perhaps now the country can forget politics and get back to work. The New Deal once more ran away with the race, but the Republicans made a very good showing, in fact Wendell Wilkie received more votes than has ever been accorded any man except President Roosevelt.

An all-time record for heavy voting was set in Wayland Township, even exceeding the previous record vote of four years ago when 998 ballots were cast. The township polled just 1,015 votes, with precinct No. 1 casting 498 votes and No. 2, 517.
Wayland Township went Republican, giving Wilkie 674 to 332 for President Roosevelt. The remainder of the ticket went Republican by an even greater ratio.

The yielding of the Vichy government to Hitler’s demands brought the war to a new crisis, as Britain prepared for a possible naval onslaught of the French fleet at Toulon and other bases.

Nazi air pressure relaxed for a couple of days. Londoners got a little bolder about their shopping, and suddenly daylight raiders jammed sticks of bombs into crowded streets. There was great slaughter. Italy proudly announced her planes were taking part in the London bombings.

During the German blitzkrieg, the tank took its place as the most deadly of military weapons in land fighting. While America has the best tanks in the world, we haven’t enough of them, though we are industrially equipped to turn them out in gross lots. So let us give our army tanks — so many tanks that not even all the armies of the rest of the world combined would dare attack us.
Religion lies more in walk than in talk.

100 Years Ago — Nov. 12, 1915

Members of the Wayland Grange were to gather and hear a presentation on “Good Equipment Essential to Modern Farming” by D.G. Clack and a Thanksgiving recitation by Dorothy Jordan.

Ella Ford of Grand Rapids presented an elocution recital with humorous sketches at the Congregational Church.

All Bradley area women interested in equal rights for women are invited to join the Wayland Equal Suffrage Association, which now has 14 members. Meta Ross is president and Lillian Buskirk vice president. Next meeting will be Nov. 17.

Charles A. Weissert of Hastings is seeking and gathering information for a book be intends to publish, “The Indians and Trading Posts of Barry County.”

An oyster supper fund-raiser put together by the Christian Endeavor Society was regarded as a big success. It was held at the home of Mrs. F.B. Cutler.

Supervisor Chamberlain told the Globe that state and school taxes would increase by a total of $11,000 this year, along with a hike of $2,300 for drains.

The Wayland football team defeated Fennville 26-6. Calkins and Nelson were mentioned for making consistent gains running the football and Anway and Hooker broke loose for long gains. The team’s next game will be against Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

Because of the change in times and train routes for the G,R & I Railroad, it was asserted that a letter from Wayland to Moline would take more time to be delivered than from Wayland to Detroit or Chicago.

Many of Michigan’s poultry raisers are struggling with an outbreak of a flu-like disease of the birds that sometimes resembles tuberculosis.

An unspecified church reported, “Outside of the regular service, there will be a meeting for men only at 3 p.m. Sunday.”

H.P. Hudson has been buying and shipping potatoes and he reports favorable quality of the harvest. The crop is selling for between 38 and 40 cents per bushel.