(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr:
25 Years Ago — Feb. 5, 2001
Members of the Leighton Fire Department showed up at a Township Board meeting to ask that Fire Chief Paul Baker be reinstated after being coerced to resign.
Speaking about a rift between the Leighton Township Board and the township’s fire department members, Supervisor Dar VanderArk promised to “work things out.”
Representatives from the Gun Lake Band of Potawatomis outlined plans for establishing a casino in Dorr Township, including a couple of restaurants, a coffee shop and a hotel. Among the opponents to the project are State Rep. Patricia Birkholz and State Senator William VanRegenmorter.
Globe Staff reporter Jean Gallup wrote in her Soapbox piece about the generous wages of state legislators and their almost equally generous pensions they get when they are term limited. She asked, “Why don’t we throw them all out? You tell me.”
Marv DeHaan of Leighton Township wrote a letter to the editor insisting that when casino officials run an advertisement telling where people can get help for gambling addiction troubles, “Is this an admission that their business destroys lives?”
Brent Bigelow penned a letter saying he occasionally gambles, but he didn’t want to do so when it causes negative long-term effects on the local community.
Kim Lundeen identified herself as a wife and daughter of firefighters expressing in a letter her displeasure with the Township Board over its dismissal of Fire Chief Paul Baker.
Wendy Needham of Orangeville wrote a letter praising Mary Ann Gehrke of Gun Lake for rescuing a dog trapped in ice.
Julie Hooker of Dorr, noting many casino supporters claim facilities are clean and assets to their communities, said Vas Vegas casinos slipped into becoming eyesores and crime magnets only gradually.
Plans for the Wildwood Ridge residential subdivision have gone back to the drawing board after the Wayland Board of Education said no to several requests for easements.
Curves for Women co-owners Kathy Roodvoets and Cindy Rottman opened their fitness business at 138 North Main St. in Wayland.
The very tall sign for the new Shell gas station and Big Boy restaurant were erected just to the east of the U.S.-131 expressway.
Led by Kurt Rizley, Ryan Farmer and Jamie Brown, the Wayland basketball team owns an 6-2 record in the O-K Gold Conference standings, 8-2 overall.
The Hopkins boys, led by Jack Klunder, Josh Ewing and Sean Higgins, are 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the O-K Silver Conference. However, they are smarting from a recent loss to Allendale.
No. 1-ranked Dundee outwrestled Martin at the Quincy tournament.
Donald Weick, developer of the East Lake Campground, died at his Hopkins home. He was 89.
50 Years Ago — Feb. 3, 1976
Wayland, Hopkins, Dorr and Leighton Township and the City of Wayland have agreed to establish a cooperative Wayland Area Emergency Services non-profit ambulance entity and they have set up a $10,000 fund.
The Wayland Motor Supply building on South Main Street is getting a facelift from members of the Ladies Library Club. The decorations are fueled by the approaching Bicentennial celebrations. Mrs. Don Goorhouse and Mrs. Grace Hughes Delp are co-chairs of the project.
State aid payments for this area’s schools continue to decline, according to State Senator Gary Byker’s office. The Hopkins, Martin and Wayland districts are getting less Feb. 1 than they did Dec. 1. The current financial crisis is blamed for the trend.
Huse and Felice Johnson are requesting approval from the State Liquor Control Commisssion for a dance business in the basement of the Galley Restaurant on East Superior Street.
Trooper Richard Largent is the newest addition to the Wayland post of Michigan State Police.
The recycling station at the lumber yard near Hopkins continues to be operating recycling for renewing brown, green and clear glass.
District Gov. Chris Williams was in Dorr to present Dorr Lions Club President George Palmer with a charter for the group. The club has 31 members.
Joyce Selvig was named winner of the Hopkins High School Betty Crocker Family Leader of Tomorrow contest.
Mrs. Cletus Heibel will talk about the work of the Allegan County Historical Society and tracing ancestors at the Dorr Township Library meeting Feb. 5.
The Wayland boys’ basketball team’s fortunes continued to sink as Caledonia used full-court pressure to subdue the Wildcats 84-59. Rod Mauchmar scored 12 points newly transferred Pat McMullen added 11. Dennis Farmer had 14 points in the ‘Cats 71-56 defeat at the hands of Delton. Wayland is 2-10 overall.
Martin ended its nine-game losing streak by getting past Gobles 39-35.
Culture vultures David Young, Robert Meppelink and Jim Wasserman attended the GR Symphony concert featuring Alexis Weissenberg, who performed Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto.
Coach Peg Arnsman and the Hopkins volleyball team will have their first dual match, taking on Gobles Feb. 4.
The ghost of past glories came back to haunt the Wayland wrestling team in a 31-18 dual meet loss to Comstock Park. The verdict left Comstock Park, Wayland and Byron Center in a three-way deadlock for first place in the O-K Blue Conference standings. This means the approaching league meet could decide the eventual champion.
The Martin wrestling team recorded its first-ever dual meet victory in school history, 39-21 over Bloomingdale.
Ellen Penhorwood, coach of the Hopkins state runner-up girls’ basketball squad, is spearheading the effort to launch a fifth and sixth grade basketball program.
Mrs. Russell Pogodzinski won $10,000 in the Michigan Lottery, purchasing her ticket at Weick’s Food Market.
Mrs. Maude Northrup past worthy matron of the Wayland and Allegan County chapters of the Order of Eastern Star, died after a long illness. She was 86.
75 Years Ago — Feb. 9, 1951
Editor-Publisher Rollo Mosher wrote in his column, “Wayland, like most other towns and and cities, seems to be the receptacle of unwanted cats and dogs.” Motorists bring them to town and let them escape.
Mrs. Amos Mauchmar, chair of the local chapter of the Humane Society, is receiving 15 immunization shots after being bitten by a rabid cat.
Myron Winger died suddenly at his farm home southwest of Moline. He was not ill and was only 50 years old.
Mosher wrote that one consolation of bad wintery weather is that when it’s done, it results in a parade of ravished birds at the feeders.
The Rev. Crispin Nowakowski began duties as pastor of the St. Stanislaus Church.
The Rev. Eugene Lochner has left the St. Peter’s Church in Dorr for Pickett, Wisc., where he has accepted a call.
A king and queen contest is being planned at Wayland school Feb. 20 at the high school gym to raise funds for the music department.
A seminarian student preached the Sunday morning sermon at the Christian Reformed Church in Dorr.
A travelogue about a trip from Kalamazoo to San Antonio, Texas, by Mrs. Grace Henckel and Tressa McBride will be presented to the Hopkins Ladies Library Club.
Don Sutton, a graduate of Wayland High School, has been hired as new coach and biology teacher at Pinconning High School.
A strange advertisement from the Michigan Brewer’s Association was published in that Globe edition about “The American Way: Beer, America’s Beverage of Moderation.”
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Gene Autry in “The Blazing Sun.”
- Esther Williams and Howard Keel ink “Pagan Love Song.”
- Gary Cooper and Ruth Roman in “Dallas.”
100 Years Ago — Feb. 5, 1926
The M & W Light & Power Co. has been sold to General Public Service of Chicago, a holding company for various electric companies in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. It will be known as the Lower Peninsula Power Co.
The Wayland High school debate team will take on Comstock at the Regent Theatre downtown Feb. 12. The issue again is about child labor laws and practices. The high school band will furnish a few musical numbers.
The first eight grades of Wayland schools will present “Musical Memories of America” Feb. 18 and 19 at the Methodist Church.
A three-day indoor Chautauqua was given Jan. 28 under the direction of Mrs. C.A. Clark at the Wayland Order of Eastern Star. One program was entirely patriotic. Five boys presented, “The Public Schools Will Make Us True Americans.”
Peter Ross, born in Ohio in 1842 and who served in the Michigan Infantry in the Civil War, before returning to Wayland in 1865, died Oct. 22 at age 82. He served in many positions of trust in the village and township. His remains were brought back to Wayland by train from Florida.
Now showing at the Regent Theatre downtown: Maurice (Lefty) Flynn in “Speed Wild.” George O’Brien and Jaqueline Logan in “Thank You.”
Myrtle Chamberlain gave a reading of. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address at the most recent meeting of the Grange. The debate among members was over the opinion that Lincoln did more for his country than did George Washington.
Mrs. Anna Oliver, who teaches in the Gregg district, was unable to reach school Thursday due to the drifted condition of the roads.
Loretta Ward was judged to have then highest academic average at 96 percent at Bradley School. The school was handing out its five month awards.
The Dorr Farmers Club meeting was postponed a month on account of the poor condition of the roads.
Josiah Piper Kenfield, who came to Hopkins at age 21, died Jan. 29, 1926. He was 74.
Fred Hilbert and Frank Morgenstern went to Lansing Wednesday to spend Farm Week at Michigan State College.
“If the groundhog did make his appearance in this vicinity Tuesday, he was unable to see his shadow, as it was cloudy the entire day in Wayland” Mosher noted.
