25 Years Ago — Oct. 23, 1991
The county-wide 911 emerge
ncy call program will begin Oct. 29 and county dispatchers are urging residents to call the number once to assure their names, addresses and numbers are included in the system.
The City of Wayland has learned it has received a $117,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for improvements at the City Park. The city will provide $43,000 in matching funds for the $160,000 project, which will include upgrading child playground equipment, a senior citizens’ passive area, landscaping, barrier free walkways and rest room renovations. Barb VanDuren wrote the grant.
Donna Stankey wrote a letter to the editor backing the Michigan State Police’s handling of the shooting death of Dennis Roxbury of Hopkins. She maintained that alcohol abuse, easy access to a gun and Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) were the most important triggers. She added that the tragic ending could have been avoided if Roxbury had put down his weapon.
Hoekzema Ford was closed on West Superior Street by owner Jim Hoekzema, who promised he would work very hard to sell the dealership.
The Wayland High School debate team chalked up 14 victories at an invitational in Traverse City. The team includes coach Denise Kling and students Margie Chesebro, Kevin Goodwin, Lara Peninger, Mark and Adam McBride, Janet VanHaitsma, Jessica Gadzinski, Marissa Parker, Anne Cook, Alexis Roberts, Rachel Doyle, Jennifer Halloran, Brian Nakken, Jeremy Ballard and Corey Haller.
Frank Rybiski rolled 11 straight strikes at Airport Lanes and left a six pin on the last frame to finish with a 299. His son, Bryan, rolled a 679 series. Daughter Sherry later was to be the Wayland High School bowling coach and Frank went on to bowl more than 25 perfect games. Wayland’s First Family of Bowling.
Martin kept its playoff hopes alive with a 32-0 victory Fennville to move to 5-2 on the season. Wayland beat Cedar Springs 37-14 and Bob Sikkema and Ty Johnson each had a dozen tackles. Hopskins moved to 6-1 and a good shot at playoffs, but must face unbeaten Maple Valley the following week.
Shari Fugate, JoAnn Lodenstein and Ann Iciek provided the offensive fireworks as the Wayland High School girls’ basketball team improved to 9-4 after a terrible 0-2 start. Martin was 7-6 and Hopkins 5-7.
50 Years Ago — Oct. 19, 1966
Mr. and Mrs. Zaid Assfy opened Queen Bakeries in the Arbanas Building on West Superior Street. The couple had been owners of Middleville Bakery for two years and they hired Mrs. John Arbanas to manage the business in Wayland.
The proposed master plan for a storm sewer system in Wayland was presented to the City Council by Williams & Works, engineers.
Middleville recorded its 28th straight victory on the gridiron over three seasons by pinning a 32-6 defeat on Wayland. The Wildcats gave the Trojans a real tussle in the first half, which ended in a 6-6 tie.
Thirteen members of the Wayland chapter of the TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) Club attended a special regional meeting in Muskegon.
Loren Bishop of Narcotics Education Inc. was guest speaker for a meeting of the Hopkins PTA. Earlier in the day he was available to speak to students in the classrooms.
Mrs. Nicola Ashton, the former Ethel Stone and a Hopkins High School graduate, is serving with her husband, a physician and surgeon, as missionaries in Tanzania in East Africa. She teaches home economics, English and sewing.
Miss Nancy Halsey has been hired as home economics teacher at Hopkins High School. She had been in the Peace Corps for the past two years in Brazil.
E-3 Alan Lee Selvig, a 1963 graduate of Hopkins High School and son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Selvig, is serving in Vietnam.
Sandy Reynols, now Sandy Brand, and Edna Mann, now a freshman at Michigan State University, won a special journalism award from Western Michigan University for an editorial they co-wrote the previous spring about the defeat of a local millage.
Paul Newman and Lauren Bacall were starring in the detective thriller “Harper” at the Wayland Theatre.
The Four Tops took over the No. 1 slot among the nation’s tunes with “Reach Out, I’ll Be There.”
75 Years Ago — Oct. 24, 1941
The U.S. Navy, in a series of advertisements in the Globe, was recruiting young men for special training “not offered in the other branches of military service.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that “Your chickens can do a great deal to help defeat the Nazis.” It was noted there is a great need for the food for Great Britain and America.
Concerns have been raised about the Empire of Japan extending its conquests into Indo China, now known as Vietnam.
Michigan Bell has announced it will issue refunds totaling $379 to 185 Wayland area phone customers who were overcharged for long distance calls between August 1938 and April 1941.
Adeline Kaminski was selected homecoming queen as Wayland defeated Martin the homecoming football game. The court included Kathryn Haywood, Norma Herrington and Lois Fleser.
Walter Ellis, “the Fighting Parson,” will give a sermon on “Triple Truth” at the Congregational Church Union Service.
Frederic Hilbert has announced that Cowbell Seeds will be host to the third annual Corn Show, with prizes for contestants.
Mrs. Bessie B. Baker was guest speaker for this month’s meeting of the Mothers Club. She was to make a presentation about the new school.
Elmer Kugelard amd Harold Fink have begun work on getting local streets graded before winter weather sets in.
100 Years Ago — Oct. 20, 1916
Each student at Wayland school chipped in 10 cents to provide access to $15 worth of magazines to keep up on events in the world.
School was dismissed for an hour so students could hear Edwin Sweet, Democratic Party candidates for Michigan governor, who was in town to speak Monday afternoon. A school official opined, “This beats reading about him.”
Miss Fannie Hoyt, librarian at the Henika Public Library, was guest speaker at chapel hour at the school. Her topic was spiders, as she is a nature devotee.
Seventh- and eighth-graders are organizing a sewing club with Leone Rankin chosen as president.
Mary F. Osgood, born in Germany in 1846, died in Leighton Township at the age of 70. She was the widow of John Fisher.
The Improvement Lague met with Blanche Allen Friday, Oct. 13, and 12 members and three vistors were present. Roll call was answered by quotations from Leo Tolstoy.
The Myron Davis residence in Dorr was heavily damaged by a fire with flames fanned by high winds. A neighboring resident just to the east also sustained damage.
L.D. Miles has sold his lumber and coal business to Ivan Hunsberger of this village and A.J. Bowman of Gaines.
John C. Ketchum of Hastings, State Grange Master, will speak at the Union Service at the Christian Church.
Helen Holmes, featured in the “The Girl in the Game” film series at Frank’s Opera House, is getting to a very popular performer with Wayland viewers because of her daring exploits.
PHOTO: A copy of really old photo, perhaps 100 years, of the Helvetia Milk Condensary in Wayland, the forerunner of Pet Milk and Bay Valley Foods. (Photo courtesy of the Then & Now Historical Library in Dorr)