25 Years Ago — May 20, 1992

The Wayland Memorial Day parade will take place as usual, but the customary route has been revised because of the Streetscape construction in the downtown area.

Candidates have filed for offices in the August 1992 primary. Featured in this year’s vote will be the reduction of districts for Allegan County commissioners from 13 to nine.

The Wayland Township Board will decide in a June 1 meeting the future of the liquor license for the Player’s Club, formerly the Apple Core Lounge, which has been cited more than a few times for violations.

Peggy Blok of Moline penned a letter to the editor in which she suggested the Dorr Township Board is considering shutting down and razing the Moline Town Hall. She encouraged area residents to support the Dorr Township Library having an adequate space to continue its service.

Wayland business people will have a public forum May 26 to discuss ways to better market Wayland during the Christmas season.

Ron “Pete” Zeinstra has announced he is stepping down as Martin varsity football coach after four years and a 26-12 overall record. Zeinstra, who succeeded Bob Kubiak at the helm after the 1987 state championship season, said he could not continue coaching because of the press of his farming business.

Martin won the Southwest Athletic Conference baseball championship behind the pitching of Sean Talsma, the hitting of Mike Davis and the coaching of Dave Nightingale. The Clippers are 15-4 for the season overall.

The Hopkins varsity baseball team sputtered near the end of the season after winning 13 games in a row. The Vikings lost both ends of a doubleheader to Allendale and finished the regular season with a 15-3 record overall and second place in the River Valley Conference.

The Wayland baseball team defeated Kenowa Hills 4-3 to run its winning streak to seven. The Wildcats have stolen a team record 133 bases in 153 attempts.

The Wayland girls’ track team captured its third consecutive O-K Gold Conference crown by taking first in the league meet and South Christian edging Hudsonville for second in the competition. Ann Iciek won the 800-meter run in school-record 2:23.8 and the 1600 relay team with Iciek, Bianca Pratt, Jamie Bronsink and Shanda Kedde won with a conference record 4:12.1. Kedde won the league title in the open 400 at 60.8 seconds. Kevin Stone won the shot put and was second in the discus.

JoAnn Lodenstein was named winner of the Harry Multer Award and Bob Sikkema won the Louis Japinga Award for athletic excellence at Wayland High School.

The Wayland softball team finished its season with a 15-11 overall record. Hopkins was 15-6, despite a very fast start.

50 Years Ago — May 17, 1967

The Wayland post of the Michigan State Police plans to have an open house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 24 during Michigan Week.

The Hopkins Board of Education adopted a resolution to accept the Sycamore, Dallas and Pickle Street schools to be annexed into the district.

Susie Tubergen was crowned Miss Hopkins in the annual local pageant. Kathy Stein was first runner-up.

Sgt. Lewis Brandt, commander of the Wayland post of the Michigan State Police, was honored at his retirement. He had served as commander since the post opened in 1956 and was being succeeded by Lt. Harold Ernst.

The U.S. postal service in Wayland held a ceremony recognizing Ted Niemchick for his long time service to the agency. Niemchick died earlier in the year of a heart attack while mowing the lawn.

James Charles has resigned his position as president of the Wayland Area Chamber of Commerce after closing his business.

Keith McBride, Donald Lapham and Jerome LaValley are three candidates who have filed for two open seats on the Wayland Board of Education in the June 12 annual election.

The annual Cander Fund Drive in Wayland excedded its quota by $20, reported Chairwoman Mrs. Phillip Reno. The drive collected $711.90.

The City of Wayland is observing Mayor Exchange Day with the City of Clare. Mayor Phillip Reno will go there for a day while Mayor Pro Tem Marshall Towne will lead a delegation to welcome the visitors here.

Hopkins High School has announced its Class of 1967 has 75 graduates, the largest group in the school’s history. Six senior girls, Susie Graczyk, Susie Lenhart, Barbara VanderKolk, Janice Coffey, Ann Runkel and Doris Hyde will sing for Baccalaureate and Theresa Harnish will perform music on the piano.

The Wayland High School varsity baseball team has a 9-4 overall record. Southpaw Gary Finkbeiner and Dick Dumond head the pitching staff and catcher Roger Merren is hitting .453. The first-year coach is Jon Carroll.

Zero Mostel and Phil Silvers were starring in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” at the Wayland Theatre.

Dan Lenhart was elected president and David Lowman vice president for the next academic year at the Hopkins FFA annual Parent-Son Banquet.

The Young Rascals hit No. 1 on the music charts for the week with “Groovin’.”

75 Years Ago — May 22, 1942

The local dry cleaning business is asking local residents to bring the wire hangers of their old clothes, suit and dresses with them because there seems to be shortage.

A fire department school conducted by the State Vocational School, attracted about 35 local volunteer firefighters for updates on new equipment and fire fighting techniques.

A house-to-house campaign to ring every doorbell to sell War Bonds was rated a success, with about 90% making contributions.

Harvey Zeerip, Phillip Reno and Arthur H. Johnson have been selected to head up the annual campaign for summer entertainment every Wednesday evening downtown.

Miss Lila Corbett, a teacher and missionary to Singapore, will be special guest speaker at the United Methodist Church May 28. She will talk about the war in the Far East.

Sib Rumery, president of the Wayland Board of Education and the Allegan County Draft Board, was married to Ellen Peters of Grand Rapids and they are taking up residence on West Superior Street.

Grand Rapids Asphalt was awarded the bid for the project of rebuilding, widening and paving U.S.-131 north of Wayland to the Kent County line. Cost is $160,000.

A new Catholic parish has been started at the old C.C. McKlintock residence on South Main Street and the first mass will be celebrated on may 24.

Robert Ellis of the Wayland-Kellogg School has won a new wrist watch from AAA Michigan for efficiency as captain of the school’s safety patrol program.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Burns of Grand Rapids were in a two-car traffic accident north of Wayland and in the confusion afterward lost track of their infant daughter. Dr. C.A. Dickinson located the child and took it to the couple while they were being treated at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids.

The Rev. Walter Ellis will give the Baccalaureate address to Wayland High School seniors, with the theme, “The Victory March of the Class of ’42.” The class motto is, “Forward ever, backward never.”

Dr. Charles E. Barker, a nationally-known lecturer, has been brought to Wayland by the Rotary Club to speak to local business officials and to students at Wayland High School.

Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:

• “Shepherd of the Ozarks.”
• John Howard in “The Man Who Returned to Life.”
• Tyrone Power, Gene Tieney, Roddy McDowell, George Sanders and Frances Farmer in “Son of Fury.”
• John Boles in “Road to Happiness.”
• Wild Bill Elliott and Tex Ritter in “Bullets for Bandits.”

100 Years Ago — May 18, 1917

The Wayland High School Class of 1917 will graduate 18 seniors May 31 at the Christian Church. Charles McKinney, president of the Michigan State Normal School in Ypsilanti, will give the commencement address. Martha Heydenberk will give the valedictory address. The Globe published the names of all graduating seniors in roll call style.

Frank’s Opera House will be the site of a meeting to organize local Home Guards as part of the preparedness program during the war overseas.

Harold Swalie, 8 months old, died at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Swalie.

Mrs. Leon Solomon died at her home south of the village, leaving a husband and infant son, only a few hours old. She died in the home she was born in 26 years before.

The Rev. Fay C. Wing has completed the foundation for the garage at his funeral business. The garage will be usd for storage for three hearse automobiles and an ambassador wagon.

Dr. E.O. Hanlon attended a medical defense meeting in Allegan at the office of Dr. John Robinson. Discussion was about sending physicians to France to help with the war effort.

The MAC asks that every farmer in Allegan County raise a calf this year and earmark it for helping to feed the troops overseas.

Dr. and Mrs. George Brower have returned from Grand Rapids after his operation for appendicitis. He will resume his dental practice in town soon.