25 Years Ago — June 19, 1991
Allegan County will have to under go th
e redistricting process soon in the wake of final results of the 1990 census. A special committee made up of County Clerk Joyce Watts, County Treasurer Fred Edgerton, County Prosecutor Andrew Marks, Democratic Party Chairman Ken Pardee and Republican Chairman Jack Petit will meet to decide whether the numbers should be reduced for the Allegan County Board of Commissioners, which now has 13 members.
Leighton Township voters will have a special election Sept. 10, a referendum on the Township Board’s decision to rezone a 160-acre parcel on 10th Street from 144th to 100th Street rezoned from agriculotural to industrial. It was also be an opportunity to select a successor to the late Ralph Sytsma on the County Board.
The Art Train, once thought to be an idea that failed, is back on the itinerary for Wayland this summer. Though the Wayland Board of Education decided not to contribute $3,000 to the Art Train coming, the Chamber of Commerce has decided to charge $3 per adult and $1 per child, according to chamber spokesman Dennis Reno.
Marilyn Page has announced she will retire as clerk for Yankee Springs Township after serving for 10 years.
The City of Wayland’s water rates will increase by 10 cents per 1,000 gallons, beginning at 40 cents for the first 35,000 gallons of use.
Wayland is among the first school districts in Michigan to offer college credit courses, with classes through Kalamazoo Valley Community College in psychology and business.
David Lee Turner, 30, of Northbrook Estates, has been charged with kidnapping a local woman and holding her captive for 24 hours.
The former Wayland Calvary Church Sunday School meeting room has been demolished to make way for a new structure that will house a gym, nursery, pastor’s study, conference room and new bathrooms.
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Larson are celebrating their 65th anniversary. Dr. Larson was a long-time dentist in town.
Edit Doneakova, 19, of Czechoslavakia, is visiting cousins Mary Krup and Helen Alflen for the summer in Wayland. In an interview with the Penasee Globe, she said jobs are scarce and prices high in the wake of the dissolution of the old Soviet Union.
Melanie Shook, 12, of Shelbyville, a Martin Junior High School student, has been selected sto sing a patriotic medley of songs at the Lowell Showboat.
50 Years Ago — June 15, 1966
Superintendent John Andreason told the Hopkins Board of Education the district has received a $26,446 grant to offer a special Head Start program for six weeks over the summer for pre-kindergarten children. Mrs. Walter Lodenstein, kindergarten teacher at Hopkins, will be in the instructor in the program, which also will provide free lunches for 15 children.
David Dagley has been selected as head varsity football coach and biology instructor for Hopkins High School as soon as he completes requirements for earning a master’s degree at the University of Georgia.
James S. Farnsworth has announced his candidacy for re-election to a third two-year term as state representative.
The Wayland Charter Revision Commission has submitted to the governor’s office and new proposal for the Wayland City Charter, which lost by only 18 votes in the fall of 1965. The biggest change is calling for the elections, rather than appointments, of the treasurer, assessor and supervisory posts for a new home-rule city. However, the commission remained steadfast in insisting the clerk be appointed.
The Wayland Board of Education adopted a fiscal year 1966-67 budget of $542,000. The board also accepted employment contracts with teachers for the first time ever.
Eleven Wayland High School students earned perfect 4.0 grade point averages for the last marking period of the 1965-66 academic year. Phyllis Thompson was the only senior, but she was joined by juniors Gary Finkbeiner, Mary Jane Miller, Dennis DeHaan and JoAnn Halloran; sophomore Kathy Smith, and freshmen Mary Breandle, Lois Sykes, Cheryl Brower, Marjean Lynema and Lesley Wakeman.
In annual school board elections, the winners were Clara Durfee and Frank Langley in Wayland, Russell Brenner, Ray Timmer and Kenneth Punches in Hopkins, and Bruce Culver and Anthony Leep in Martin.
Sam Bravata, who owned grocery stores in Wayland Gun Lake for many years, died in Grand Rapids. He was 69.
James Stewart was starring in “The Rare Breed” at the Wayland Theatre.
The official blessing of the Sacred Heart Mission’s new parish hall in Watson Township took place Sunday, June 5.
Bruce Larson, son of Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Larson, graduated with the highest academic honors at Wheaton College in Illinois.
The Rolling Stones took over the No. 1 slot among the nation’s tunes with “Paint in Black.”
75 Years Ago — June 20, 1941
Irene Towne and Blanche Christensen were selected by the local American Legion Auxiliary to attend the University of Michigan Wolverine Girls’ State week in Ann Arbor.
The 11th annual reunion of the Jackson School District No. 9 was held at the church June 14, with about 45 students, teachers and friends in attendance. Wellington Jackson was elected president of the association.
The Guest Night put together by the Wayland Mothers Club was a huge success, with 62 members attending from the Wayland, Moline, Dorr and Hopkins chapters. Helen Herb is president.
The old Wayland school house was taken down, along with the stately bell, after standing for 45 years. The new facility was being constructed at a building adjacent and lockers and cabinets were being installed.
The Village Council has agreed to have about a mile paved in the village with a new process. Instead of having tar and gravel mixed and then applied, the new material will be prepared at a mixing plant and then will be hauled to the site to be poured just like concrete. The old road will be prepared first with a hot tar base coating.
George M. McBride, a longtime area resident until 10 years ago, died in Kalamazoo after being in poor health for some time. He was 78.
Miss Norma Deen Green has completed coursework at the Grand Rapids School Comtometry and already has landed a full-time position at American Seating in Grand Rapids.
Movies this week at the Wayland Theatre:
- George Raft, George Bennett and Walter Pigeon in “House Across the Bay.”
- William Power and Myna Loy of “The Thin man” fame, in “Love Crazy.”
- George O’Brien and Virginia Vale in “Legion of the Lawless.”
100 Years Ago — June 16, 1916
The Berean Bible Class No. 1 of the Methodist Episcopal Church held a meeting in the new basement of the church with 11 members present, 30 people in all. “The class believes in and practices team work’ and is a powerful factor in all of the general interests of the church.”
John Auble of Moline was seriously injured by shocks and burns he suffered while shoveling at the interurban. Some rubber rapper tape on the handle of his shovel became worn when it struck the third rail. Though he was rendered unconscious at the scene, he was rushed home, where he was slowly recovering.
The amount of milk now being received and processed daily at the Helvetia Milk Condensing Co. in Wayland has reached 55,000 gallons and there is optimism about reaching 60,000 per day by year’s end.
Frank McIntyre went to Grand Rapids to have repairs done on his Indian motorcycle.
Mary Cutler of Korea, daughter of Mrs. J.T. Cutler of Gun lake, was visiting in the area and dropped in on old teacher and friend Charles T. Wiggins.
It’s Show Week downtown, and the Hunt Stock Co. is sponsoring three movie nights at the Opera House. The week of entertainment was capped off by an appearance of the Silver Family Show.
A classified ad placed by Frank Heydenberk noted he was paying $1.40 per hundred of old rags.
“A band of gypsies with eight wagon loads are camping in the neighborhood.”
The Wayland High School Orchestra is expected to perform June 30 in a special presentation at the Gun Lake Church.
The Alpha Society met with Miss Beulah Cover for sewing activities and vocal and instrumental music presentations. A bountiful supper was served by Mrs. Van Patten.
“Grandma Neuman is very low at this writing with little hope of her recovery.”
F. Ladue, F. Weaver, Earl Cheesbro, John DeJongh, Nora Rewa and Mrs. Wilda McCall took exams in Allegan, each hoping to become the next postmaster or postmistress in Dorr.
PHOTO: The 1971 Wayland varsity baseball team, which won district and regional championships and finally lost in the state Class B semifinals, 3-0, to eventual champion Detroit Lutheran West. (Front row, from left) Dave Wolowicz, John Cameron, Mike Longstreet, Tom Wilcox, Gib Goodwin, Rick Merren, (middle row) Conrad Mauchmar, Russ Aubil, Dave Smith, David John Koperski, Leon Hilaski, (back row) coach Jon Carroll, Tom Marks, Mike Damveld, Dave Kaminski, Larry Tolan, Bob Merren, Bill Mauchmar, Joe Koperski and coach Dick Akers. (Photo courtesy of Tom Wilcox)