25 Years Ago — April 10, 1991
VanSolkema Farms has been ordered to pay $16,000 in civil penalties and for damages in the 1989 “chemical drift” killing of about 2,000 brown trout fingerlings in the Rabbit River in Leighton Township.
The burglary and break-in at the Radio Shack at 138 North Main, the old Smith Garage building, caused about $2,000 worth of damage and merchandise theft.
Lloyd Richter, 44, of Grand Rapids, was arraigned in Barry County District Court in Hastings after being arrested for assault with intent to do great bodily harm. Richter was accused of shooting a woman and a man in the Deep Lake Campground after becoming angry about their excessive noise. The victims were hospitalized.
Tom White, former owner of the now defunct Kessler’s factory, is expected to enter a guilty plea to a charge of non-payment of customs duties for infant sleepwear assembled in Haiti. White and his wife, Donna, were owners when the business was shuttered and 200 people lost their jobs. The Whites were assured of a combined $215,000 per year salary and $300,000 outright in their sale to Kristi Kraft, later called Unicorn Enterprises.
Mary Lou Schwartz penned a letter asserting Wayland’s downtown has too many empty stores and asked what the City Council will do to attract new business.
Rick Cain and Lynn Mandaville will face challenges from Gary Marsh and Diane Butler in the school board races in June. The terms in Hopkins of President Evelyn Green and Vice President Bill Riksen are expiring, neither see re-election and vying for the two open seats will be Gary Hoffmaster, Debra Cook, Craig Sizer and Boyd Navis.
WHS Class of 1964 grad Gary Henningson has been promoted to division sales manager at the Furst McNees Co.
Tom Fischer has opened the Gun Lake Lawn and Garden business and Dave LaFountaine has started up LaFountaine’s Country Store in Shelbyville.
Shari Fugate drilled a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning to enable Wayland to take a 10-9 softball victory over Hopkins.
Wayland Athletic Director Jerry Omness has announced he will leave that post after five years and return to the classroom. He formerly has been a middle school math teacher.
Robert Riedlinger, 73, who served the Wayland Globe as a printer for more than 40 years, died at Pipp Hospital in Plainwell.
50 Years Ago — April 6, 1966
Members of the Wayland Board of Education fashioned a combined letter to the editor attempting to explain the May 9 special election in which rural school districts are being asked to consolidate with district that have high schools, in accordance with state law. The board maintained that not much if anything will change as a result, except that the Dorr school millage will be reduced from 21 to 17 mills.
Wayland High School senior John Salski also penned a letter on the school consolidation vote, in response to the previous week’s letter from G.W. (Stonewall) Jackson. He said, “I cannot blame our educators, their organizations or ‘mental misfits’ for the condition in which our educational system is in. For if we believe in the principles of democracy… then the blame rests in the hands of the electorate. For he has been apathetic in his ways and failing in his civic obligation.”
A public meeting April 19 will take up the continuing issue of a city charter and its provisions. The proposal was voted down in an election Jan. 17.
Miss Esther Chase, 66, died at her Wayland home. She had been secretary of the Busy Builders Women’s Guild and an active member of the Church of Christ.
The millage rate for the Village of Wayland will remain at 13.5 for the 1966-67 fiscal year.
Earl Miller has submitted his resignation as police officer for the Village of Wayland.
Former Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher, in his weekly column, echoed Ray Farnsworth’s letter of the week previous asserting the condition of Michigan’s roads is deplorable.
The romantic comedy “Do Not Disturb,” starring Doris Day and Rod Taylor, was showing at the Wayland Theatre.
The Hopkins FFA took first place for the fourth time in the last six years in the state FFA poultry contest. The winning team included Ray Jablonski, Greg Kern, Leo Hilaski, Bob Brenner, Jim Kelsey, Mike Ignatoski, Dana McClung and Clare Lodenstein.
75 Years Ago — April 11, 1941
A decision to buy a new fire truck to replace the 14-year-old vehicle was approved by Wayland Township at its annual meeting.
The vote was light, with just 280 casting ballots. Republican incumbents re-elected were Supervisor Harold Fox, Clerk Fred Hilbert, Treasurer Simon Fox, Highway Commissioner Clifford Pike, Justice of the Peace Gaius Jackson, and Constables George Douglas, William Harrington, Wellington Jackson and David Saddler. Roy Wilcox was elected supervisor at Hopkins Township and Jacob Haveman at Leighton Township.
Members of the Dorr, Shelbyville and Middleville Orders of the Eastern Star gathered for a Friendship Night celebration. Alma Weeldreyer played a couple of piano selections and Mary Sebright performed two coronet selections. Gertrude Hiar presented the Eastern Star flag.
Four young people from Middleville escaped serious harm in a traffic crash on U.S.-131 south of Wayland. A collision between a car and truck caused the car’s gasoline tank to explode.
Nationally known exhibition shooter and hunter/photographer Claude Parmalee was scheduled to pay a visit at the Wayland High School auditorium. His appearance was being sponsored by the local Rod and Gun Club.
At the Wayland Theatre: Buster Keaton and Kay Sutton in “L’l Abner,” Jane Withers and Buddy Rogers in “Golden Hoofs,” Robert Taylor and Ruth Hussey in “Flight Command” and Louis Hayward and Joan Bennett in “Son of Monte Christo.”
100 Years Ago — April 7, 1916
Republicans dominated the spring elections. Daniel Douglas won as highway commissioner; Frank Chamberlain, supervisor; Leander Chapple, clerk; Joseph Bowman, treasurer; William Jackson, justice of the peace. In Hopkins Township, the Citizens ticket was the big winner, except for Republican Russell Baker winning the treasurer’s race.
Miss Mable Foster and her pupils presented the entertainment at a special carpet rag social at the Shelbyville school, which raised $13.50 with an auction.
Revival services in Bradley had to be canceled because of the poor condition of the muddy roads.
For Sale: Ready-made suits priced at $10 each and $12.50 at W. H. Mosher’s.
Jerome Zaider has broken ground on a new bungalow on Hanlon Court in the village.
More and more builders are realizing the benefits of building houses on the north end of the village.
The Ladies Aid Society of the Methodist Church will have an Easter apron sale in the church parlor April 21. There will be a dinner for 20 cents a head.
The Rev. Fay C. Wing traveled to Muir this week to attend the state convention of Christian Churches.
Mrs. T.V. Cooper, widow of Thomas D. Cooper, died in Sterling, N.Y., at age 88. She and her husband had lived in Wayland since 1894.
PHOTO: A group of Hopkins FFA chapter member in the late 1970s show off their trendy hair styles.