Bygone Days: A brief look at Wayland area’s past, Part 208

25 Years Ago — March 27, 1991

Rita Martin and her husband, Bill, both Wayland High School graduates, plan to re-start “The Note” teen dance and hangout business at Gun Lake after it has been absent for 15 years. The Note’s building most recently had been home to a church, the “Note of Praise,” so a special use permit would be necessary to allow entertainment and dancing.

During a public review of the master plan by the Dorr Township Planning Commission, it was reported that Dorr has lost 4% of farm land since 1978 to residential. Agriculture zoning now accounts for 66% of the all property in Dorr Township.

The Sunrise Landfill on the south side of Wayland and A-1 Disposal in Plainwell are included as two of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ top 100 contaminated site in the state.

Gravel producers and local citizens have been debating the pros and cons of a proposed gravel mining ordinance for Yankee Springs Township.

Gordon Lyons, operator of a junk yard business in Watson Township, has been ordered by Allegan County Circuit Judge George Corsiglia to cease operations because he has failed to have a 12-foot fence placed around the boundaries.

Jeannie Ling of Gun Lake will be one of the women interviewed on an ABC-TV special, “Profiles in Survival,” sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Ling has survived seven years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Gray Brouwer of Byron Center has purchased the Lavelley Insurance Agency from Jerry LaValley. The local agency was started by Sib Rumery in 1935 and Jerome LaValley bought it in 1965.

Named to the first unit of the all-SAC basketball team were Dan Herp, Brian Klok and Luke Keyzer of Martin. Clipper girls named to the all-league volleyball team were Vonda Evers and Shana Kraai.

50 Years Ago — March 23, 1966

Former Editor-Publisher Rollo Mosher, in his weekly “Observations Here and There” column, responded to current Editor-Publisher Irv Helmey’s front page editorial bemoaning the low voter turnout in the village election. He wrote: “Considering the fact there was no contest and few seem to want any of the jobs of running the village, I thought the turnout wasn’t too bad.” All but two elections included incumbents running unopposed and two trustee seats were decided by write-ins for Arnold Wilde and Leo Comrie.

The Wayland Village Council voted to express official interest in a proposed county-wide water and sewer project.

Wayland Village Assessor Ernest Martin told the council the assessed valuation of the village now has surpassed $3 million.

Russell Culver of Rapid City, S.D., has taken over ownership of the Cecil Davis Studios photography business. Culver is a 1951 graduate of Wayland High School.

Construction has begun on a parsonage for the minister who will serve both the Martin and Shelbyville United Methodist Churches. Robert Schrier is chairman of the nine-man building committee.

Mrs. Leo Smith, penning a letter to the editor about meetings explaining the need to consolidate all rural schools with those that K-12 education, wrote: “I feel we should keep control of our schools. Just what is free about a country whose public servants will allow us to be put in a situation where we will have no control over our school systems?”

The Hopkins Public Schools have scheduled a special meeting for April 26 on the state’s insistence on consolidating rural schools with those that offer K12 education.

Tanya Bennett was announced as valedictorian for the Hopkins High School Class of 1966 and Barbara Kipfmiller was salutatorian. Remaining members of the list of top 10 academic students were Jim Newell, Sally Beaver, Marcia Snoeyink, Linda Howard, Keith Plagsterd, Sandy Reynolds, George Schwartz and Larry Goodrich.

The Disney film “That Darn Cat,” with Hayley Mills, Dean Jones and Roddy McDowell was showing at the Wayland Theatre.

The annual Allegan County Dairy Tour with Extension Agent Marvin Heft this year was featuring the Hopkins farm of Lee Kerber, the Hopkins Township farm of Henry Blauuw and the Shelbyville farm of Frank Doezema.

75 Years Ago — March 28, 1941

The Wayland Kellogg Music Department will present a spring concert under the direction of Miss Alma Weeldreyer at the Wayland school auditorium. Guest soloist will be Robert Arendshorst of Holland. Featured will be music from such masters as Jean Sibelius, Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner, Felix Mendelssohn, Edward Greig and Carol Maria Von Weber. The finale will be “God Bless America” by Irving Berlin.

Norris Schuh is opening a lunch room and pool room of West Superior Street.

Eli Frank, owner of the Wayland Theatre, plans to open another movie house, in Galesburg soon.

The Wayland Brotherhood will have its annual mixer with beef steak and fries prepared by Jack Gurney, Dr. Arthur Larson, Wilbur Dolfin and Dean Green at the Wayland school auditorium. The evening’s entertainment will include a barbershop quartet.

Earning the highest academic honors for the Wayland High School Class of 1941 was Freda Jager, with Elaine Zeerip runner-up. Other top ten students were Ruth Ehle, Jack Perry, Ardis Anderson, Jo Delp, Bertha Shafer, Gordon Cole, Roger Kibby and Edward Winaski.

The Wayland Theatre was showing the Technicolor film “Western Union,” starring Robert Young, Chill Wills, Randolph Scott, Dean Jager, Virginia Gilmore and John Carradine. Later in the week promised a comedy-horror film, “You’ll Find Out,” with Kay Kyser and featuring Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and “The Trial of Mary Dugan,” with Robert Young and Laraine Day.

100 Years Ago — March 24, 1916

Longtime Wayland Township resident J.J. Franz died in his sleep at his current home in Evanston, Ill., at age 81. He had been a farmer and was engaged in the meat business.

Edward C. Bacon is organization Wayland’s first Boy Scout troop and Leon B. Mason has been selected scoutmaster. Editor-Publisher George Mosher stated, “The Globe believes the Boy Scout movement is a thoroughly wholesome one,” responding to some notions its promotes youth militarism.

The Ladies Library Club members heard presentations about Jane Addams and Hull House and about Booker T. Washington and the Tuskegee Institute.

The Gun Lake Church Ladies Aid Society has gotten the local men to work packing ice before the arrival of the summer season.

Marion F. Shafer, 39, died of tubercular meningitis in Bay City. He had been a veteran of the Spanish-American War, serving in the Philippines in 1899 and he had a farm east of the Village of Wayland.

Postmaster John C. Yeakey traveled to Grand Rapids and then to Allegan to attend the Ferris banquet. He said he enjoyed meeting a number of county and state Democrats.

The St. Patrick’s Hop, sponsored by the Wayland Dancing Club, was well attended at Yeakey’s Hall. The next dance event will be March 31.

M. Stehouwer and William Burghart both have decided to auction off their farm equipment, tools and livestock. The latter has decided to quit farming altogether.

The Globe reported that “Thunder and lightning ushered in the worst snowstorm of the season on the first day of spring… The ground was covered with about a foot of snow… Most trains were late in the morning and cars on the Interurban were not up to schedule.”

PHOTO: This picturesque farm of long ago on North Main Street today is the Cook-Kubiak Funeral Home.