25 Years Ago — March 14, 1990
Final approval was given to developer Truman Dollar of Alpha Properties to hook up sewer service from the Gun Lake Area Sewer Authority to a mobile home park on Patterson Avenue in Yankee Springs Township.
The Allegan County Board of Commissioners wants to have a clear policy fashioned on reimbursement for Wayland Emergency Services for “dry runs” of its ambulances in which WAEMS is not paid. Director Bob Farrell said the County Board now owes WAEMS about $2,000.
Temperatures outdoors soared into the 70s, causing the Wayland Fire Department to rescue kites from trees.
Newcomers Robert Porter and Robert Mihelic won in the Martin Village election over incumbent Gary Brinkhuis and Fran Miller. Elected without opposition were Clerk Joyce Merrill and President Dick Conklin.
Gary Kerber defeated incumbent Barb Bennett by two votes, 70 to 68, in a runoff for Hopkins Village seats. Elected were President Steven Sterns, Clerk Sandra Morris, Treasurer Lisa Rewa and council members Ann Hodge and Freida Kraft.
The Wayland Board of Education finally approved the Channel One program proposed by Whittle Communications of Knoxville, Tenn., which will spend $100,000 to install a satellite television system for 15 minutes of programming every school day at the high school. School officials who were proponents of Channel One called it, “an opportunity to make students more aware of what’s going on in the world.” Opponents insisted it’s just a sneaky way to market to a captive audience.
Don and Jane Jackson went before the school board to protest the school district’s “three strikes and you’re out” policy for athletes caught smoking tobacco three times. Their son has been banned for the rest of his career because of the third offense.
Dan Herp scored 24 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, but Martin came up short in its Class C district final contest against Kelloggsville. The Clippers, 18-4 on the season, still have one game left against Gobles with the Southwest Athletic Conference title on the line.
The Wayland volleyball team finished eighth in the state after losing to Stevensville Lakeshore in the regional tournament.
Frank Rybiski set a blowing series record by rolling an 809 at Airport Lanes. He bowled games of 288, 276 and 245, which included 31 strikes.
50 Years Ago — March 10, 1965
Four Wayland High School juniors, Jill Wilde, Dorothy Cook, Ken Kaumeyer and Eileen Liska, have been selected by the student council to go overseas during the summer as part of a student foreign exchange program. Dean Cummings, guidance counselor, is shepherding the program.
The Central Michigan University choir will present a concert at Wayland High School to help the WHS Choir’s Robes Fund. Local choir members, under the direction of Helen Gambee, will serve dinner to the visiting group before the 8 p.m. program.
Republican Village of Wayland incumbents President Phil Reno, Clerk Max Vipond, Clerk Edith Weber, Assessor Ernest Martin and council members Hugh DeWeerd, Richard Wilson and Marshall Towne all were re-elected. Though they did not prevail, Democrats fielded a full slate of candidates.
Village of Martin voters approved a proposal to fund a $165,000 water system, 91 to 70, but its local ordinance required a three-fifths majority, so the ballot issue was defeated.
Jack Linsley was elected clerk and his wife, Ellen Jane, was elected treasurer in the Hopkins Village election.
Action was expected this week by the Allegan County Board of Supervisors on the Village of Wayland’s petition to have an election on the question of becoming a home-rule city and expanding its borders.
Wayland High School graduate Ron Kidney, now a freshman at Grand Rapids Junior College, was recognized as being the nation’s top scorer among junior college basketball players. Kidney was shown in a picture being congratulated by his coach, Warren VanderHill. A lot of big-time collegiate coaches have been looking closely at Kidney in encouraging him to transfer. He is majoring in mechanical engineering.
Gordon Hudson, who was just named to the all-Expressway Conference basketball team, scored 22 points, Scott Hilbert had 13 and Lee Pepper 11, but Wayland lost to Plainwell in the district tournament opener. Other all-league selections were Rob White and Garrett King of Middleville, Rocky Ringold of Kenowa Hills and Bruce Rogers of Caledonia. Scott Hilbert was named honorable mention.
Jerry Lewis was starring in “The Disorderly Orderly” at the Wayland Theatre.
The Beatles climbed back into the top spot of the nation’s top music charts with “Eight Days a Week.”
75 Years Ago — March 8, 1940
The Wayland Rod & Gun Club was shooting for having the largest banquet in local history at 7 p.m. Thursday at the high school auditorium. A country-style chicken dinner was planned, as well as a slide presentation by William Curry about a Canadian fishing trip.
Pet Milk and Middleville finished tied atop the local recreation league basketball standings with 8-2 records, so a championship game between the two will settle the final score.
About 60 Wayland businessmen showed up for a banquet at the Wayland Hotel to discuss plans for the summer activities. Dean O. Green and Naman Frank co-chaired the event.
Publisher Rollo Mosher, in his column, noted the Village of Wayland published its annual fiscal report, but it lacked “details on how much where funds came from and from where they went.”
The Republican caucus for Wayland Township has been scheduled at the Village Hall.
Three movies this week at the Wayland Theatre were Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette in “South of the Border,” George Raft in “Invisible Stripes” and James Cagney, Pat O’Brien and George Brent in “The Fighting 69th.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: There was no information available in the archives of the Then and Now Library in Dorr for this week 100 years ago. We hope to resume that portion of the feature soon.