25 Years Ago — Jan. 16, 1991
The Village of Martin finally is having clean and clear water pumped to residents after early tests of the new system prompted distribution of bottled water as a temporary measure.
Plainwell City Police and Wayland High School administrators were investigating reports of vandalism at the Comfort Inn Dec. 21 at the WHS annual Christmas dance. The result is that the prom the following spring may be in jeopardy.
Wayland officials have decided to apply for a 50-50 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to beautify the city park. Among the projects is an asphalt walk diagonally through the center of the park to separate it into sections for sports, for senior citizens, for family picnics and for children’s playground.
John H. Peters, in a letter to the editor, penned, “If it is to be war in the Gulf, then it will be war in the Gulf. He (Saddam Hussein) must be stopped and stopped he will be.”
Mary Lou Schwartz, in a letter to the editor, took issue with Promotional Alliance Director Robert VanDuren’s assertion that Wayland now will be better off with the sale of the Kessler’s manufacturing plant. She asked, “Is this good for the City of Wayland or a big loss to the taxpayers?”
About 50 people attended a special seminar at Wayland High School on school finance reform. Tom White, representing the Michigan Association of School Boards, explained the specifics of a proposal that is scheduled to spear on the state-wide ballot sometime in 1992.
Tom Earhart of Gun Lake was induced into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame for his many successes in racing snowmobiles.
Wayland’s overall basketball record has slipped to 2-7 after a loss to Coopersville.
Hoopkins hoopsters staged a huge comeback against Covenent Christian, but fell short 84-81 in overtime. Four Vikings, Kelly Reynolds, Zack Wilson, Kevin Kloska and Jeff Weber scored in double figures. The team’s record now is 5-4.
The Martin varsity wrestling team recorded an unusual feat at the Allendale Invitational when all seven of its individual champions won by pins in the finals matches. The winners were Buzz Hunderman, Lance Hildebrand, Lloyd Foster, Bill Lautenschleger, Mike Cooper, Jason Stewart and Tim Dimock.
50 Years Ago — Jan. 12, 1966
Editor and Publisher Irvin P. Helmey wrote a front page editorial supporting an affirmative vote Jan. 18 on the question of adopting a city charter. He asserted, “If you are looking forward to the day when Wayland will have a sewage disposal system, if you are looking forward to a well-organized efficient city government, then you, like me, will vote yes.”
The nine members of the Charter Commission collectively signed their names to a letter to the editor supporting moving to a home rule city, as did a letter from Village President Phillip Reno.
Night school classes have begun at Wayland High School, with about 25 adult students attending. Most are taking typing from Miss Julia Smith. Others are enrolled in welding, taught by Vernon Becker and in communications, taught by Joseph Iciek.
Wayland High School Athletic Director Robert Marutz told the Wayland Board of Education that plans are being made to field a varsity wrestling team and start a freshman football program.
The Wayland school board voted 4-3 to discontinue accepting tuition students to come into the district.
Joseph Faber, a Moline barber, director of the Moline State Bank and member of the Moline Business Men’s Association, died at age 64 after a lengthy illness.
Plainwell was able to hold high scoring Gordon Hudson to just four points and pinned a 61-44 loss on the Wildcat varsity basketball team. Rick Baughman and Walter Messer both scored 12 points.
The bridge about a mile and a quarter west of Hilliards not has been completed and is open to traffic.
Martin Clouse retired from the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier, the last 20 years handling a route in Wayland.
The parents of Helen Katherine Morgenstern have announced her engagement to Joseph Miller, who is service in the U.S. Navy. She is a 1965 graduate of Wayland High School and works at Brooks Grocery, Gun Lake.
An Associated Press documentary on Vietnam, narrated by NBC-TV broadcaster Frank Blair, was to be shown at the Wayland Congregational Church with a discussion afterward about the role of religion in war.
The Walt Disney classic “Cinderella” was showing at the Wayland Theatre.
Simon and Garfunkel topped the music charts for the second week in a row with “The Sounds of Silence.”
75 years Ago — Jan. 17, 1941
It is surprising the amount of animals destroyed on the highways of the state in the course of a year. William Fellenbarger, of Otsego, foreman of the maintenance crew on U.S.-131 working in Allegan County alone, reports there were 528 animals of all kinds killed on the highway and recovered by his crew during 1940. Rabbits suffered the heaviest casualty with 153 killed, next came 94 cats, 76 chickens, 73 squirrels. Pheasant hunters may bemoan the loss of 34 birds. Dogs were next with 26 killed, 24 muskrats, 23 owls, 7 pigs, 6 opossums, 2 hawks, 1 guinea hen, 1 mink, 3 weasels, 1 duck, 3 cows and 1 goat.
Calling upon all U.S. citizens to “make the sacrifices that the emergency—as serious as war itself— demands,” President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his personally delivered message to the new 77th Congress, pledged full defense and help for those “…people who are keeping war away from our hemisphere.
“I also ask this congress,” said the President, “for authority and for funds sufficient to manufacture additional munitions and war supplies of many kinds, to be turned over to those nations which are now in actual war with aggressor nations.” While he did not actually list the nations to which such aid would go it is generally believed that he meant Britain, China and Greece.
Despite the rambling thunder of Germans about to swoop through Bulgaria toward Salonika, the Greek armies, facing worst blizzards in Albanian history, continued to move forward, but more slowly in the face of stiffening Fascist resistance. Interesting were the dispatches telling how Italians were taking to skis with disastrous results, and how Italian mechanized forces were bogging down.
The British report that since Oct. 15 more than a dozen German infantrymen’ representing eight different units of the German army, have been captured on British soil. They called them the “first men of the invasion army” to reach England alive.
Lawyer: “Do you think that your writing will live on after you?” Editor: “That isn’t what worries me. What I want to know is will my writing keep me living on before I go.”
100 Years Ago — Jan. 14, 1916
The Leighton school commenced Monday after two weeks of holiday, but teacher Miss Carver went home sick Monday night.
“People in this vicinity will do well to lock their henhouses against chicken thieves. A man and a woman have been spotted several times gathering chickens into their horse and buggy.”
There will be a social and a rabbit pie supper at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Swanson. The full supper will be served from 6 to 10 p.m. and Mrs. Swanson will sing Swedish song selections and there will be a spelling competition with proceeds going to help pay for the pastor’s salary.
The next Wayland Dancing Club party will be a masquerade ball on Jan. 26.
The first in a series of Order of the Eastern Star “coffees” was given at the Masonic Lodge. The plan is to come up with money to pay for the new fine piano at the hall.
The third well has been completed near the site of the Helvetia Milk Condensing plant in Wayland and fourth and fifth wells nearly are in the works. Considerable water is used and consumed in the production of condensed milk.
Henry Moeller was cut badly on the back of his hand while he was buzzing wood at the G.B. Chambers farm north of the village.
Smith and Bohn have been engaged in plastering the new brick school house in the Shelbyville area.
Deputy Game Warden Salisbury from Grand Haven arrested Al Schmidt, Jacob Morman, William Spenle and Peter VanderMolen for illegal hunting on posted land after they refused to show their hunting licenses. They each were fined $10 and ordered to pay $12.90 in court costs.
The 65 members of the Aletha Class of the Wayland Christian Church treated the 60 members of the Loyal Workers to a special banquet in the basement of the church after the latter group won a contest.
Dr. H.L. Schuh of the Grand Rapids Veterinary College, was brought in to consult with Dr. O. VanBrussell on a case of forage poisoning of a big bay horse on the Frand Levandoski farm.
Young people of the Wayland area reportedly are enjoying the fine ice skating on the Little Hicks Lake, which they insist sports a condition “just like glass.”
PHOTO: This old gas station served in the heart of Hopkins for many years long ago.