(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr):
25 Years Ago — Sept. 25, 2000
The Martin Township Board has hired a new sexton, Ryan Berens.
Two Wayland students, junior Tom McInerny and senior Jon Gillenwater, will test their oratory skills debating out of state at the University of North Carolina. They finished 15th out of 170 entries at Wake Forest earlier this year.
The flu vaccine, in short supply this season, is arriving late in these parts.
Bob Herold, the Yankee Springs Township treasurer, who lost in the primary in August, is planning to run as a write-in candidate in the November general election.
Wayland Township resident Christine Blanco took the township clerk to task for violating her voting rights in the primary. She applied for an absentee ballot because she was going to be outside for the Aug. 5 runoff.
Letter writer Susan Barker lamented the loss of rural agricultural land at Chambers Corners in last week’s feature presentation by former State Senator Fred Hilbert.
The Michigan Department of Transportation says next on its list of expressway overpasses to be improved is at 76th Street. A bridge project at 84th Street now has been completed successfully.
Hopkins Village Police Chief Wayne Rantz turned in his resignation, effective Sept. 30, but the village was able to work out an agreement to keep him on board with reduced hours.
The Yankee Springs Township Board announced there will be a second recount for the August primary because the latest exercise didn’t add up properly, according to the state elections bureau.
The Hopkins football team blew out Wyoming Lee, 50-0. Martin blew out Marcellus 51-7, led by QB Brad Blauvelt, who tossed a 65-yard TD pass.
Janine Gilder and Amanda Chan led the Hopkins girls to two victories. The Vikings have taken over first place in the O-K Silver Conference.
Star point guard Jessie Merchant suffered a foot injury and the sixth-ranked Wayland girls lost to Wyoming Park, another ranked team, and Belding.
The Wayland girls’ tennis team, coached by Cheri Ritz, are heading into the O-K Gold Conference championship meet with a 7-0 record.
Sophomore Robby Young was second in a dual meet vs. Wyoming Park in a 22-33 loss. The Vikings were led by individual medalist Mark VanderMeer, who later became a close friend of Young’s when they both ran for Grand Valley.
Richard Stein and Kirk Williams went 1-2 individually, but settled for fifth in the first O-K Silver cross-country meet this year.
Longtime Hopkins resident Howard McEwen, a longtime driver for Holland Motor Express, died at his home. He was 83.
50 Years Ago — Sept. 23, 1975
The 117 members of the Wayland Education Association, the local teachers’ union, are urging the Wayland Board of Education to agree to binding arbitration, but the board stands firm on continuing negotiations. The two sides are far apart on salary proposals.
Contestants in this year’s Miss Wayland contest include Dory Merritt, Sandra Skelton, Frances Kles, Laurie Smith, LuAnn Bala, Janice Truax and Lee Van Heck. Alice Kessler was missing from the font page photo.
Wayland High School foreign exchange student Jose Leal of Chile sent the community a thank you letter. He stayed last winter with the Leroy Gunther’s.
St. Stanislaus will have its annual bazaar and smorgasbord on Oct. 14.
Wayland Middle School Principal Robert Marutz reported that students in physical education classes will have the opportunity to use the swimming pool once per week.
Joyce Selving, daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. Al Selvig and Sharon Belka, daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. Tom Belka, all of North Dorr, earned first and third place medals, respectively, in a baton twirling contest at Paw Paw.
Mrs. Robert Hendrickson was photographed with a huge salmon she caught in a family fishing trip earlier in the summer and she was persuaded to offer her recipe for a fish boil in the Globe.
The Wayland VFW Post and Auxiliary prepared and served a meal for 56 patients of the Grand Rapids Veterans’ facility at the Allegan County Fair.
The Hopkins Organization of Parents and Educators (HOPE) is sponsoring a community open house Sept. 30 at the high school auditorium.
Mrs. Jen Powers was elected president of the Wayland Bus Drivers’ Association, a new union.
Hopkins rebounded from a disappointing 12-12 tie with Byron Center to blast Fennville 36-0. Phil Arndt and Ron Schafer led the offense. Dennis Norman starred on defense.
Senior co-captain tailback Jim Longstreet suffered a knee injury in Wayland’s 14-0 victory over Wyoming Lee and will be out of action for at least three weeks.
The Globe, noting the upcoming dedication of the new football field, published a huge photo of the 1934 team and coach Louis Japinga that went 7-0-1 at the location of the current field on Sycamore Street.
The Hopkins girls’ basketball team is set to begin the season with juniors Karen Caywood and Sue Maher, coached by Ellen Penhorwood. They were 8-5 the previous season and just missed the A-O League title.
Don Japinga, former all-state football player at Wayland, now is “color man” for Michigan State University radio broadcasts. He was co-captain of MSU’s Rose Bowl team of 1965.
Martin opened its girls’ basketball season with victories over Wayland and Allegan.
The Wayland girls tennis team won four of its first six encounters for its first season. Leaders are freshman Andrea Amborski, junior Jeri Heth and senior Gail Niemchick.
Wayland High School student Randy Lettinga is a member of the 4-H dairy judging team in the national contest in Madison, Wisc.
Injuries to Kelvin Lapham and Elvie Stein plagued the Wildcat cross-country team this past week in a couple of losses.
The Central Michigan University marching band will perform as special guests in the dedication Friday of the new Wayland High School football field.
Gene Moore is manager of the new ITCO farm machinery and accessories business inside the Alflen Brothers building on the north end of Wayland.
75 Years Ago — Sept. 29, 1950
Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher urged local residents to bring their choice specimens of grain, fruit and vegetables for display at the Wayland Community Fair next week at the high school cafeteria. The annual event is sponsored the Wayland Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, FF, Garden Club and Department of Agriculture.
Henry Pierce died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Kalamazoo. Pierce, who hadn’t been in the best of health lately, formerly was president of the Gun Lake Protective Association.
Newly-elected officers for the American Legion took an anti-communist oath that will be placed on file with state and national headquarters.
The Wayland High School football team was dealt a 39-0 shutout loss by Kelloggsville and its season record fell to 0-2.
James H. Bruinsma, co-partner of the Wayland Livestock Auction, died of a six-year illness at his home.
Haven Tarnutzer has purchased the Airport Lanes bowling establishment from original owner Vinton Shafer. Tarnutzer had been working in Grand Rapids for the past 14 years, but now will devote all his time and effort to the sport and business of bowling.
Art Steward, music director, has announced the first meeting of Band and Orchestra Parents Club at the Wayland High School cafeteria Oct. 2.
Wayland Future Farmers entered an exhibit on safety at the Michigan State Fair in Detroit and received an “A” award and reserve championship. Members included Henry Modreske, Marvin McBride, Bernard Baker, Carl Ballard and Charles Fenton.
Larry Knowlton of Wayland was the big winner at the Allegan County Fair with his grand champion Hereford steer, which weighed 1,030 pounds. Jack Fenton had the ninth place in the scramble class.
Other big winners at the fair were Charles Fisher, Bernard Baker, Floyd Modreske, Jack Martin, Tom Modreske and Wilbert Lettinga.
Antonette Schlock was elected president of the American Legion Auxiliary.
The Wayland High School band has been invited to take part at the annual Western Michigan College Band Day Saturday. “Our band will make a ‘W,’ a C for ‘Cow Town’ and ‘can’ for Wayland, the home of Pet Milk.”
The first group of Allegan County young men has been sent for induction into the armed forces.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Don McGuire and Tracy Roberts in “Sideshow.”
- Joe Yule and Renie Riano in “Jiggs and Maggie Out West.”
- Joel McRae, Ellen Drew and Dean Stockwell in “Stars in My Crown.”
- Cary Grant and Jose Ferrer in “Crisis.”
100 Years Ago — Sept. 24, 1925
The Village Common Council has awarded the bid for paving sides of South Main Street from Superior and Pine to George L. Ryno, who will begin work at once.
The Village Fall Festival is approaching, with the big event, the downtown parade, set for Friday. Prizes of $24 in cash will be awarded to rural and village schools in first through fourth places. Congressman John C. Ketchum will provide an address. Nancy Thomas and the Harmony Four will perform. There will be sports-related contests, as Jess Elster and his colored athletic baseball team will play the Wayland All-Stars. “The colored boys will keep the crowd on edge every minute with their funny stuff.”
The Grand Rapids Press Newsboys will provide musical entertainment at festival, as will the Wayland band.
Now showing at the Regent Theatre downtown: Lon Chaney in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” On Wednesday, “Turmoil,” a melodrama.
The Globe published an informative article about the expanding role of nurses carried on by local and public health boards.
Henika Library Director Fanny Hoyt wrote, “In 1924, our purchases from Brazil aggregated $179,234,668. The bulk of this huge bill was for coffee.”
Businessman F.D. Cutler reported Delmore Baughman harvested 60 pounds of potatoes in less than four hours on his property.
Miss Ruth Lehman left a Wayland visit Saturday for Chicago where she will resume duties as as instructor of home economics at Chicago University.
The Barcafer Tent will have its “Challenge of the Cross” at the close of the evangelical series at the village park Sunday.
The local American Legion post has won recognition for having one of the largest increases in membership.
Vaudeville artist Jack Raymond escaped serious harm while en route to Wayland when the muffler of his car became detached and a traffic accident took place immediately afterward.
Arch Edwards won big with his Rhode Island Reds entered at the Kalamazoo fair. However, someone impersonating him sold the prize winning bird and officials are seeking the culprit.
