25 Years Ago — April 25, 1990
Hopkins School Superintendent Dr. Craig Misner has announced he is leaving to take the school chief’s job at Parchment. During his four years here Hopkins was recognized by the State of Michigan as an exemplary school.
The Wayland Board of Education has decided not to seek any additional millage in the annual school election June 11 and instead will go for a renewal of the 23.34-mill levy. Supt. Robert Brenner explained that increased state aid support and student and enrollment and wise stewardship of the district’s finances were the reasons.
James Merchant, 52, former treasurer of the Martin United Methodist Church, was sentenced by Circuit Judge George Corsiglia to spend 18 to 20 months in prison after being found guilty of embezzlement of more than $100.
Wayland Area Emergency Services has decided to offer memberships to residents in the coverage area for $35 a year per family through the Vital Care Partners program.
GZA Donahue of Livonia and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has begun installation of eight monitoring wells around the former Sunrise Landfill in Wayland Township, which has been declared a major site of major environmental contamination.
Dean Schut, 54, of Byron Center, has died. He was co-owner of Wayland Paint and Hardware for the past 18 months.
The 3200-meter relay team of Julie Haase, Shannon VanPutten, Shawn Banner and Missy Bratsburg combined for a 10:17 clocking at the John Bos Relays to set a new school record.
Becky Long clouted a home run, but Wayland’s softball was edged by South Christian 5-4. Jenny Ritz suffered the loss on the mound in relief of Heather Staley. Ritz earlier in the season hurled a one-hit shutout over Northview, 3-0 and the Wildcats pummeled Plainwell 18-1 and 10-0.
The Hopkins baseball team was off to a 3-1 start, losing its most recent game, but beating Hamilton 19-11. Leading the 16-hit attack in victory was Alan Brehm, who cracked a grand slam homer.
The Hopkins softball team was 3-1 as well. Mandy Busker struck out 11 Bloomingdale batters in a 7-3 victory, but coach Mick Francis’ girls were victims of a no-hitter by Hamilton.
St. Stanislaus Principal Peter Boyd spent an hour flag pole sitting at the school after students met his challenge of reading a book a week for seven weeks.
50 Years Ago — April 21, 1965
Pet Milk’s “Big Shot,” a new chocolate flavored syrup for milk, manufactured exclusively at the Wayland plant, won the Allegan County Product of the Year award for Michigan Week. Wallace Wakeman, chairman of the Michigan Week local celebration, noted it was the second Wayland had received the honor. Kessler’s Undies & Woolies had won earlier for its “Bring Baby Home” garment.
David Dagley, a Hopkins teacher in biology, science, math and physical education, has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to attend the University of Georgia. He and his family will spend the summer in the Boyne City area before moving to Georgia next fall.
Four more candidates for Charter Commission were featured in another front page story. They were Clayton Blue, William Mauchmar, Harold Weaver and Donald Shafer.
Donald W. Christensen, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Christensen of Bradley, has been elected mayor of the City of Springfield near Battle Creek. A Wayland High School graduate, he also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Michigan University.
Ganges Township Supervisor Jacob VanPolen has been selected chairman of the Allegan County Board of Supervisors.
Allegan County was designated by Gov. George Romney as a disaster area in the wake of the deadly Palm Sunday tornado that killed a Dorr area woman. County Red Cross personnel were summoned to action in relief and recovery.
Kessler’s Undies & Woolies has announced the appointment of David Low as new head of product development. Low had been a product manager for North Shore Manufacturing of Duluth, Minn.
Robert Hendrixson of Wayland has been named director of the Michigan Liquid Propane Association and he will handle the southwestern part of the state.
Michigan State University football team co-captain Don Japinga was guest speaker at the Wayland High School athletic banquet. Japinga, a 1962 Wayland High School graduate, was a starting defensive back for the Spartans.
Hamilton tossed a no-hitter at Wayland’s baseball team in a 4-0 verdict. Don Klok and Terry Dumond hurled for the Wildcats and yielded a couple of unearned runs.
Jim Kotrba won the high and low hurdles and other individual winners were Tom Miller in the shot put, Francis Lindgren in the high jump, Alan Hayes in the mile and Wes Compson in the open 440.
Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole were co-starring in “Becket” at the Wayland Theatre.
Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders took over the No. 1 slot in the land with “The Game of Love.”
Dorr boys Bobby Grafford and Jimmy Grafford, ages 9 and 6, escaped major harm after both inadvertently fell in an abandoned cistern with six feet of water.
75 Years Ago — April 19, 1940
Henry F. Buskirk, prominent and active in community, political and agricultural affairs for many years, died at the Allegan Health Center. An 1878 graduate of Michigan State College, Buskirk has served as a state legislator, village president and a member of the State Board of Agriculture. Among his survivors was daughter Bessie B. Baker, for whom Baker Elementary is named for today.
Editor and Publisher Rollo Mosher reported that his sister, Mrs. Guert Fales, had suffered a heart attack in Abilene, Texas, and was in critical condition at Hendricks Memorial Hospital.
Jo Delp, who has one of the leading roles in the Wayland High School junior play, has completed a pencil sketch of Reginald March’s engraving “Felicia,” which will be sued as a prop on the stage.
Vernon L. Parks of Grand Rapids has purchased the radio equipment and stock from Myron Wilde at Frank Auto Supply and will begin taking over sales and service duties. Wilde will remain with fewer work hours.
The Bennett Furniture Store has announced a new 30-day trial policy of selling all of its store merchandise at 10% markup of actual cost.
Among the appointments approved for the Village Council and President Rollo Mosher were Dr. C.A. Dickinson as health officer, C.D. Averill as fire chief, Clayton Blue as assistant chief and Mayor Pro Tem J. R. Rugaber.
George K. Brown was elected president of the new school board for the Wayland Township district. Harry Elenbaas was chosen secretary, Kirk Brouard treasurer and Sib Rumery and Clifford Pike trustees.
Lloyd Nolan was starring in “The Man Who Wouldn’t Talk,” and “Young As You Feel” was showing with the Jones Family. Spencer Tracy, Robert Young and Ruth Hussey were in “Northwest Passage” and Jackie Cooper and Betty Field were starring in “Seventeen.”
The Reams building is now boasting a new front caused by the disastrous fire of last November.
Malmstone’s store also boasts new awnings. Max Reno is in Kansas City taking instruction as a final step before he becomes a full-fledged pilot for the Transcontinental-Western airlines. Another case of local boy makes good.
It just seems as though spring cannot really get started this year of 1940. So far we have had only about two days of really decent weather. Farmers have been hard put to it to get any spring crops in and at this writing there are but few acres of oats planted.
Wayland’s old business landmark, Chappie’s store, is being remodeled and soon will blossom out with an entirely new refinished interior. A soda fountain will be installed, a full line of confectionery and tobaccos carried along with a line of packaged drugs. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Chapple will make formal announcements later.
100 Years Ago — April 16, 1915
The Superior Refilled Broom Company, a new concern, which is to make brooms that may be refilled, will begin operations in Allegan soon.
Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Young and family have arrived at their Apple Forest home for the summer, making the trip from Kalamazoo in their new eight-cylinder King auto, which is 60 horsepower and surely looks it. Mr. Young says the prospects for an apple crop are good. He is busy with an army of men and horses, spraying,
pruning and plowing, as he is a great believer in clean cultivation.
Nick VanderMolen of Dorr will tear down a portion of the old house and move the remainder back to make room for the new bungalow.
Mr. Charles Pierce and son, who live about nine miles south of Wayland, came up to Mr. Molewyk’s woods after their tractor engine Tuesday. It took two teams, all the power of the engine, and a number of men until Wednesday to move it from the woods.
