25 years Ago — March 6, 1991
A seven-mile stretch of 
Patterson Avenue going north from 135th Avenue, described as “pot hole infested,” is scheduled for major reconstruction, road improvement and paving this year, according to the Allegan County Road Commission.
Hoeksema Ford, Okinawa Martial Arts and Hastings City Bank all were granted variances of the Wayland City Council for placement of non-conforming signs within the city limits.
Michigan State Police from the Wayland post are investigating a series of reports of arson in the Gun Lake area. Though damage in the incidents have been varied, Trooper Terry Whitley said they “all were started in similar fashion.”
Christine Schwartz of Dorr wrote a letter to the editor asserting local school districts were not properly following the provisions of the most recent anti-drug laws because they continue to follow rules provided by the Michigan Model for Comprehensive Health.
Paul Jackson wrote a piece that insisted Allegan County recycling programs were “not moving as fast as our growing piles of garbage.”
School board elections were looming in June and the terms of incumbents Barry Herbert in Martin, Lynn Mandaville and Rick Cain, in Wayland and Evelyn Green and Bill Ricksen in Hopkins were expiring.
The Wayland High School volleyball team claimed the Class B district championship by defeating Caledonia and Lake Odessa Lakewood. Annette Tietsma led the way in the championship effort with 18 kills, Snannon Van Putten had 11, Julie Ainsworth 10, Kristi Nieuwenhuis eight and setter Shelly Salisbury had 36 assists.
Martin was taking a 15-5 overall basketball record into the Class D district tournament without leading scorer and rebounder 6-7 center Dan Herp, who was still laid up in Bronson Hospital with back spasms and wasn’t even able to attend as a spectator. The Clippers, who managed to win the SAC title, were counting heavily on Herp’s sidekick, Brian Klok.
The Martin wrestling team was runner-up in the state Class wrestling tournament to Mendon as the result of a 40-30 loss in the dual meet finals. Winning their finals matches were Buzz Hunderman, Lance Hildebrand, Lloyd Foster, Bill Lautenschleger, Mike Cooper and Tim Dimock, who wrestled up from 189 to heavyweight and came up with a pin.
Wayland was enjoying a late season surge on the hardcourt, as coach Jim Orlowski’s group defeated Cedar Springs to finish 3-11 in the O-K Gold Conference and took out Delton 67-51 in the Class B district opener. Eric VandenBerg scored 28 points and Shawn Carpenter 17 and Paul Omness dished out eight assists.
50 Years Ago — March 2, 1966
State Rep. James Farnsworth (R-Otsego) introduced a bill calling for the extension of the school from nine to 11 months. Farnsworth said be believed the increased classroom time would make better use of taxpayer dollars.
Barry Brower, a 1963 graduate of Wayland High School, was elected to a seat on the Intra Fraternity Council at Michigan State University, a collection of 33 fraternities within the school.
About 200 people attended a public meeting in Dorr intended to explain the new state law that insists all public school districts go from kindergarten through 12th grade, which means consolidation will be necessary.
Wayland 4-H Clover Girls annual cookie sales winners were Janice Truax, Shirley Calkins and Mary Bastian.
Vernon Weick has been renominated for president at the Hopkins Village Caucus. Also nominated were John Linsley clerk, Ellen Linsley treasurer and Jacob Arndt assessor. Candidates for trustee include incumbents Earl Miller, Robert Larr and Paul McClung and newcomers Donald Knudsen, Irvin Morris and Ronald Jones. The March village election will include a one-mill request for the library and a question about whether the village charter should be rewritten.
Mrs. John Nowak will entertain members of the Party Line Club at her home with a potluck planned.
A committee has been formed to seek financial help for foreign exchange student programs. Heavily involved are Mrs. Ed Nickels, Joe LaValley, Jack Cook, the Rev. Forest Crum, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Wilde, Mr. and Mrs. James Bezemek and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Velchek.
A Rotary Club vs. Wayland faculty fund-raising basketball game is approaching, with proceeds earmarked for the Wayland High School athletic program.
The Wayland varsity basketball team ended its regular season in third place in the Expressway Conference after edging Caledonia 62-57 in overtime. Gordon Hudson had 23 points, Rick Baughman 14, Terry Parks 11 and Terry Bartell nine. The Wildcats finished the regular season with an overall record of 6-10.
The Wayland High School girls’ basketball team defeated Delton 32-24, as Sandy Ryman scored 17 points. Pat McKee is the coach and Girls Athletic Association advisor.
“World Without Sun,” a film about the first-ever “Oceanauts” was showing at the Wayland Theatre.
Sgt. Barry Sadler’s “Ballad of the Green Berets” took over the top spot on the nation’s top 40 list.
75 Years Ago — March 7, 1941
Do not forget to tear off the label from the front of your telephone directory Saturday, for effective March 1, the new telephone number of the fire department will be Dial 4000. Never dial this number except when reporting a fire, and then be sure and hold the line until someone answers so that the firefighters may know the exact location of the fire.
Japan, under terrific pressure from the Axis, moved her fleet down toward the South Pacific, and made strong demands for privileges of exploitation of territory on the Dutch East Indies.
Four powers, Australia, Britain, the Netherlands and the United States, simultaneously put the pressure on Japan, and there was little indication which way the “cat would jump,” whether Japan would be propelled into open war on the Axis side or would back down precipitately.
The United States issued to all Americans in China and Japan a third and peremptory warning to leave immediately.
When a little bird tells you something, don’t repeat it until you find out whether the little bird is a cuckoo.
Beware of too sublime a sense of your own worth and consequence.
Shell fragments from anti-aircraft fire fall like hail over the areas from which the shells are fired. This is one of the reasons for air-raid alarms. To clear the streets and surrounding zones of people who might otherwise be injured by the falling fragments. According to the U.S. Bureau of Standards, the average anti-aircraft shell is blown into approximately 2,500 fragments, many of them small and relatively harmless. Occasionally, however, large fragments fall with velocity enough to damage buildings and cause serious or even fatal injury.
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Robinson were involved in a traffic crash on U.S.-131 near the Gun River bridge. Their car skidded and then crashed into an oncoming vehicle. Robinson suffered a fractured rib, Eugene Robinson a dislocated shoulder and Mrs. Robinson four fractures of pelvic bones.
The Father & Son Banquet at the Wayland High School auditoriun Feb. 28 attracted 150 people and featured an address from Dr. Paul Voelker, president of Grand Rapids University. Harold Dietiker was master of ceremonies and Emil Dietiker, president of the Brotherhood, gave remarks.
Globe Publisher Rollo Mosher, now village president, made a few remarks about being a public official in his weekly column, “Observations Here and There.” He said, “The needs of the village have been growing and it’s beginning to look as though there will be a need of two full-time men to look after things, a night watchman and marshal and a day marshal and streets commissioner.
Among the movies offered this week at the Wayland Theatre are Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lamour and Linda Darnell in “Chad Hanna” and James Stewart and Hedy Lamarr in “Come Live with Me.”
100 Years Ago — March 3, 1916
The Wayland Dollar Days celebration is set for March 15 and its purpose is “so that our hustling merchants may acquaint people in the surrounding country with the advantage of trading in Wayland and not to unload a lot of unseasonable junk on the unsuspecting public.”
The Wayland Village election notice for March 13 has been posted by Village Clerk George Wilson.
Martin Johnson of Chicago made a vert personal presentation about temperance at the Christian Episcopal Church, Gun Lake. He also presented statistics. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union also had a meeting at the Congregational Church.
Bradley Thimble Club is planning a bazaar, chicken supper and Victrola party to benefit the sidewalk fund. Cost was 25 cents for adults and 15 cents for children for the dinner and 10 cents for the Victrola party.
A Leap Year box social was held by the Young Peoples Class Feb. 18. Meanwhile, it was reported there were three births in Wayland on Feb. 29, all females.
The Women’s Improvement League held a Reciprocity Day celebration with the Ladies Library Club, whose members traveled on the interurban to join them. They sand a rousing suffragette song with mandolin chorus.
Sinke Brothers are reported to be doing a brisk business hauling gravel to cement mills in the manufacture of buildings blocks and tile.
Two deaths of longtime residents were noted. John Norton, 92, had lived here since 1863 and he and his wife, Eliza King, had seven children. Charles B. Brown, 72, was a veteran of the Civil War in the Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, who lived in this area for 41 years.
Sylvester Thornburg, the 19-year-old Wayland man accused of murdering his aunt at her home near Cassopolis, finally confessed to the crime. He said he had been suffering from “spells” and did not remember what happened. “I was not in my right mind,” he said. “I did not know what I was doing.”
A gasoline stove exploded at the Wayland home of Amos Mauchmar, causing burns to the face and hands of Mrs. Mauchmar, but damage was minimal.
The Ladies Library Club observed its 23rd anniversary and the birthday of President Elizabeth Clark. They celebrated with songs, dialogues and dinner.
“A mistake occurred in one of last week’s new items, which should have read Morgan Jordan instead of Mary Jordan, as there is no such person known.”