EDITOR’S NOTE: Because of generosity of longtime history maven Linda Stoepker, who opened at the doors of the Then & Now historical library Saturday afternoon, there is a “Bygone Days” column this week. It was delayed because Then & Now was closed Wednesday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
25 Years Ago — Nov. 28, 1990
Wayland Fire Chief Hugh DeWeerd and longtime Wayland Board of Education member Dorothy DeWeerd were selected as grand marshals of the 1990 Wayland Christmas parade Dec. 1. The annual festivities were to include a chili cook-off and a visit from Santa Claus.
A newly-formed mobile home association has purchased the Gun Lake area campground owned by Ray and Gerry Page. The Pages were planning to get the property rezoned to accommodate a 22-site condo development on 5.5 acres, but decided instead to agree to the sale.
Detective Lt. Rick Cain has reported an
increase in crime in Allegan County of late. “We’re seeing crimes by bigger city residents who are now more mobile and come out farther to do a job… Burglaries and larcenies are being committed in order to support a drug habit.”
A new attendance policy at Wayland High School is indicating some success, according to Principal Jack Deming. The limit is 10 school days per semester and those who have perfect attendance are eligible for movie passes, skip trip passes, Walkmans and McDonald’s gift certificates.
Hopkins High School junior Heather Nash was one of 350 students nationwide to be selected to attend the National Young Leaders’ Conference in Washington D.C.
The Wayland school district has joined many others statewide in a campaign calling for reform of the school finance system in Michigan.
Wayland Junior High School Principal Jon Jensen has announced a special program in which Wayland is exchanging Channel One videos with Burton Junior High School in an effort for the student populations to get to know one another.
The Chris Reinhart family on 30th Street in Monterey Township has received notice it is being honored for living in the same farm house for 101 years.
The Wayland Community Choir, under the direction of Helen Gambee, is planning to present a Christmas concert at the Wayland High School auditorium.
The Martin High School basketball team has high expectations again, with 6-7 standout Dan Herp, who averaged 23.7 points and 13 rebounds per game the previous season. Luke Keyzer is the outside playmaker and 6-7 Brian Klok will be in the mix as well, as the Clippers attempt to capture their fourth straight Southwest Athletic Conference title.
The Wayland basketball team is preparing for its first season under new coach Jim Orlowski.
Hopkins also has a new hoops coach in Wayland native Scott Hall, who was elevated from junior varsity to varsity because of the departure of Scott Palczewski.
Hopkins was beginning its first wrestling season under the guidance of coach Greg Jones.
Julie Ainsworth was chosen all-conference for Wayland in girls’ basketball and Laura Barghan and Ann Iciek received honorable mention accolades for the O-K Gold.
50 Years Ago — Nov. 24, 1965
Third-graders in Mrs. Olive TenElshof’s class at Moline Agricultural School sent President Lyndon Johnson a get well card as he was recuperating from gall bladder surgery. They received an autographed photo of the President in reply with his thanks.
Wayland High School seniors presented the play “The Diary of Anne Frank,” directed by Vince DeJong and Viola Carroll. Cast included Dorothy Cook, Susie Longstreet, Ken Kaumeyer, Darlene Truax, Christel Schneider, Linda Frue, Bill Baweja, Jim Kotrba, Judy Bala, Peter Baar, John Salski and Annette Anderssen.
Gladys Tilma, only 35, died of a lingering illness. An employee of the Beauty Center of Wayland, she leaves three sons.
Only five candidates have filed for the six City Council seats to be decided in Wayland’s first-ever city election in January. The deadline is the following week. Filing for council were Walter Gurney, Arnold Wilde, Hugh DeWeerd, Marshall Towne and Richard Wilson. Mrs. Halden Hudson and Mrs. Fred Hilbert are the only candidates for the two posts up for election on the Henika Library Board.
The proposed new city charter, which will be up for adoption in the special election, calls for a city manager form of government as soon as there are enough funds to pay for a city manager.
Mike McBride was selected to the All-Expressway Conference first team at guard for Wayland. Earning second teams honors were quarterback Terry Parks, end Gordon Hudson, running back Leonard Kaminski and lineman John Crofoot.
The Wayland basketball season will get under way against Otsego Nov. 26 against Otsego, with new coach Lyle Berry. The starting five was expected to include center Gordon Hudson, forwards Dave Snyder and Rick Baughman and guards Terry Bartell and Terry Parks.
James Stewart, Doug McClure and Glenn Corbett were starring in “Shenandoah” at the Wayland Theatre.
Wayland High School graduate Bruce Larson was inducted into the Wheaton College National Honor Society.
A ham dinner, sponsored by the Explorers Scout Troop, was being held Wednesday evening at the Dorr American Legion Hall. Cost was $1.50 for adults and 75 cents for children under 12.
Pvt. Terry Roxberry of Hopkins wrote a letter to the editor from his his Ft. Hood, Texas, address, though he was serving in Vietnam. He wrote: “These people protesting Vietnam are only a small minority group that apparently doesn’t have anything better to do than run down our government, freedom and mankind.” He suggested the existence of an American group called the May Second Movement, which was sending blood, supplies and money to the Viet Cong.
The Supremes had the No. 1 hit in the land for the second straight week, with, “I Hear a Symphony.”
75 Years Ago — Nov. 29,1940
Eight inches of snow fell Wednesday night. With what we had from the time the storm began Monday noon, it looks like winter had an early start.
The village snowplow was out for the first time Monday evening, an early record here for some years.
Diplomats, both domestic and foreign, came into their own as far as the spotlight was concerned. In Berlin, they buzzed about the capital like flies. It was another case of the mountain laboring and bringing forth a mouse.
Out of it all has come to the public eye only the broadest of platitudinous pledges:
Germany promises various powers that, if they are good, they will get something.
Germany and Italy will rule Europe.
Russia will get expansion room anywhere she wants as long as it doesn’t interfere with European situations. Diplomats took this to mean at least a part of India and also perhaps Iran and portions of Turkey if she misbehaves.
Japan will get the rest of Asia, at least the southeastern part, and Russia and Japan are urged to get together at once about the rest of it.
Comes to mind, what ever did become of family prayer? Is it that our so-called “moderns” have decided in their own poor frail minds that prayer is all right for “kids and old ladies.” Well maybe it’s those very prayers that are keeping this crazy world from going into a tailspin!
Then, too, the so called “moderns” say, “the devil is something people believed about a long time ago as sort of a “boogey man.” Don’t let’s kid ourselves. He has just got so sophisticated we don’t always recognize him. And he’s plenty busy too. In the newspapers we read about murders, robberies and above all divorce being played up to the Nth degree.
Our modern publications likewise, some of our movies glorifying divorce and stressing the point of a “limited” family. Well, folks, it’s a sorry mess, now isn’t it? Which brings us back to prayer. Prayer inspires good clean thinking. Let’s take a good sized dose daily as a tonic for that dark brown taste the modern thinkers leave.
100 Years Ago — Nov. 27, 1915
Gertrude Truax, 20, a native of Wayland Township, died at her home in Parma, Mich. She had been married to Olin Truax since 1910 and she was preceded in death by an infant daughter.
T.V. Fry disloated his kneecap while engaging in a wrestling match with John DeJongh.
A Kalamazoo man has launched a business in a Dorr building owned by Frank Noel, with three employees trimming, washing, grading and packing celery for shipment.
The Ladies Aid Society will have a chicken pie supper from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Cost is 25 cents.
The Wayland school grammar room presented a play “Myles Standish” on the Wednesday before the holiday break.
William G. VanVleck, general manager of the Southern Pacific railroad, died at his home in Houston. He attended Wayland schools and got his start in the business here many years ago.
The body of the recently deceased Mary Morse, 74, was brough to Wayland for a funeral officiated by Faye C. Wing. Amother the survivors were her husband, Arah Sprague, and three children.
Miss Corda Paul has been living alone in a very rural and challenging house in North Dakota under a program in which she will be granted a piece of government land.
Dr. E.J. Byson has reported a case of smallpox in Leighton Township. The young man, who attends Allegan Normal School, has been said to have a mild case.
Madames Blackney and Devitt have opened a dressmaking shop on West Superior Street.
The West Gun Lake Church will be the beneficiary of an entertainment event next month, which include a recitation, dialogues and a farce, “The Irish Linen Peddler.”