25 Years Ago — April 24, 1991
Customers who are delinquent in pay
ments to the Gun Lake Area Sewer Authority will face penalties in terms of fees, which total about $71,000.
An anti-drug rally will be held in the Harding’s parking lot off West Superior Street. The May 1 event, sponsored by local scouting organizations, designed to encourage young people to “Just Say No” to drugs.
Marco Jones of Lansing, a former Coast Guard member with an extensive background in drug enforcement, is the newest trooper at the Wayland post of the Michigan State Police.
Marge Woltjer, a kindergarten teacher at Moline Christian School, has decided to retire after spending 21 years in the classroom.
Pat Staley wrote a feature story about WHS grad and former athletic standout Jennifer Hall, who has just returned briefly to Wayland after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force. She was getting ready to head to Arizona with her fiancé.
Dave Cutler has just opened the “oily business in Wayland” with Cutler’s Quick Oil on the north side of Wayland.
Daniel Joe Corner and Donald Lee Colon Jr. have been charged with breaking in to the Radio Shack business on North Main Street in Wayland.
Kevin Stone was featured with a photograph in the story about Wayland’s track team defeating Forest Hills Northern. Stone won both the shot put and discus in the meet. The Wildcats boys were preparing for a touch week ahead against O-K Gold Conference powerhouses Caledonia and South Christian.
Jenny Fearnow fired a two-hit shutout at Coppersville in a 5-0 victory for coach Andrea Vandenberg’s Wildcats.
Paul Omness pitched only two-third of an inning in relief, but picked up the win when Wayland’s Aaron Whitley scored the winning run late with head-up base running. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the ‘Cats.
Hillary Cooper belted a grand slam homer and drove home six runs to highlight the Hopkins softball team’s 18-4 triumph over Covenant Christian, lifting coach Mick Francis’ squad’s record to 7-1 overall.
50 Years Ago — April 20, 1966
Former Editor and Publisher Rollo G. Mosher expressed his disappointment in the low turnout of 18 for the Charter Revision Commission’s public hearing on adjustments to the proposed charter that might make the public vote to approve it, along with establishing a home-rule city. “We certainly are curious to know where all the critics were,” wrote Mosher, who noted two of the 18 attendees couldn’t even vote in the village.
Wayland High School seniors Eileen Liska and Marsha Morgenstern, under the tutelage of government teacher Bobby Kerley, compiled a survey attempting to determine how informed local people are about their federal government. Their conclusion: “Wayland area people know more about their government than they are given credit for.”
The newest trooper at the Michigan State Police Wayland post is Domingo Gutierrez, a native of Pharr, Texas, who was transferred from Paw Paw.
Mrs. G, Mennen Williams, wife of the former Michigan governor, was to be the guest speaker at the Allegan County Democrats’ dinner at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Hilliards.
The Hopkins Board of Education has scheduled a public hearing on the Michigan school reorganization plan for April 21. Meanwhile, it was announced that in the annual school election in June, the seats held by Ralph Duryea and Ray Timmer are expiring.
The Wayland Village budget for fiscal year 1966-67 has been set at $112,142 with the same tax rate of 13.5 mills.
Bob Jackson, a Western Michigan University freshman, has launched his “Bob’s Saddle Shop” business on West Superior Street.
The Wayland High School junior play will be “Peace Corps Girls” at the Wayland High School auditorium.
Allegan County voters in the August primary will be asked to approve a one-mill levy to repair and construct bridges.
The Wildcat tennis team defeated Caledonia, with singles winners Bob Ayers, Scott Chestnut and Ken Kaumeyer and double winners Bill Conwell and Terry Parks and Bill Carpenter and Mick Mutschler.
Jim Kotra was a triple winner, taking the low and high hurdles and the long jump, but Wayland’s track team lost to Fennville in its dual meet opener.
The No. 1 song on the charts nationwide for the past three weeks has been the Righteous Brothers’ “Soul and Inspiration.”
75 Years Ago — April 25, 1941
Dr. Arthur Larsopn and the Rod & Gun Club spearheaded an effort a year ago to have the Conservation Department plant small German brown trout in the Rabbit River on the east side of the village. A couple of young boys presented Dr. Larson with a 13-inch brown they caught this week as a gesture of gratitude.
The Ladies Library Club wants to publish Mrs. Dell Chapple’s paper on the history of Wayland, but is finding the project costly. Grayce Delp, Anna Short, Frances Herrington and Fannie Hoyt are soliciting historical incidents, anecdotes, information and contributions.
Plans are just starting to take shape for this year’s Village Band and a new director and teacher are being sought.
The Village of Wayland will have its annual Clean Up Week soon and announced the dump will be open every day in that stretch.
About 100 spellers are expected for the annual community spell down. Also included with be music and singing. Top prize will be $5 in the adult competition.
The Moline State Bank will have an open house at its new facility for friends and deposit holders. The new faciity is heated by oil burners and lighting is fluorescent. Jacob Haveman is president of the bank.
The Wayland baseball team will play at Martin this week and then come home to meet Caledonia. Wayland defeated Hopkins 7-3 Friday.
Charles E. Allgeo, former owner and proprietor of the Wayland Drug Store died in Goodells, Mich. He was 74.
Movies this week at the Wayland Theatre included Edward Arnold and Lionel Barrymore in “The Penalty,” Tommy Dorsey, Constance Moore and Phil Regan in “Las Vegas Nights,” Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in “Road to Zanzibar,” and Ellen Drew, Robert Paige and Paul Lukas in “The Monster and the Girl.”
100 Years Ago — April 21, 1916
Mrs. Ira C. Montague, who was born in Wayland May 26, 1879, died of pulmonary tuberculosis. She was only 36. A teacher for several years, she also had been a member of the Women’s History class, the Order of Eastern Star and the Congregational Church.
Delegates to the State Republican Convention in Lansing are Harry D. Allgeo, Earle Briggs, George Clouse, William Shepherd and E.S. Bottsford. A resolution was passed at the convention condemning the Democratic Party administration.
Adeline E. McMartin, 74, born in Gun Plains Township in 1841, died. She had been a member of the Congregational Church for 54 years and was active in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and Ladies Library Club.
Eighth-grader Marion Sherwood finished third in the county-wide spelling bee.
William Warner lost his most valuable horse, who broke a leg and had to be shot.
N.B. Leek, formerly of Leighton Township, died in Los Angeles at age 84. “He had not been well since and attack of the grippe in winter, but his death was caused by a general breakdown due to old age.”
- J. Lussenden was nearly killed after he was thrown from a truck, which ran over him.
Etta Tobin of Hooker School, Leighton Township, had a perfect score in the first round of the spelling bee before finally bowing out of the competition. She and Roscoe French represented the school and their teacher was Miss Rena Hydenbuck.
A mass meeting of the taxpayers of District No. 2 school in the Village of Wayland has been called to consider an addition to the building.
Wayland High School will clash with Plainwell in tennis, baseball and basketball, all on the same day.
Wayland Township Supervisor Frank Chamberlain has announced his candidacy for Allegan County Register of Deeds in the August primary.
A horse belonging to Mrs. W. Ogden of Caledonia broke loose on Mill and Clark Streets, dragging box springs, which narrowly missed Eva Lyons.
William Streeter, former proprietor of the Streeter’s Gun Lake Summer Restort, died at his home in Highbridge, Mich.
PHOTO: A geography class in Moline Christian School in the late 1960s.