(From the archives of the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago — July 22, 1992
Marcy McClellan of Allegan was crowned Miss Allegan County at the Scholarship Pageant at Wayland High School and Julie Martin of Martin was first runner-up.
The Allegan County Road Commission, in a confusing series of developments, finally agreed to have Second Street paved in Wayland Township.
Public Access Channel 31 is now up and running to serve Wayland, Dorr, Middleville, Moline and Gun Lake, according to organizer Kerry DeWitt.
The “Silly Season” was peaking just before the Aug. 4 primary. Perhaps the most interesting races included incumbent Erwin Doublestein, Don Black and Nathan Gambee for Wayland Township Supervisor; Dennis Taylor and Dar VanderArk for Leighton Township Supervisor; Hope Jenema and incumbent Mary Lou Nieuwenhuis for Leighton Clerk; Monte Listopad, Brian Martin and Terrence Mulvihill for Leighton trustee; Francis Coughlin and Don Graczyk for Dorr Township Treasurer; Jerry Akers, Paul Burmania, Larry Dolegowski, John Lenhart and Norm Fifelski for Dorr trustees; Lloyd Miller of Hopkins and Lou Thierwechter of Allegan for Allegan County Commission District No. 6 ; Ken Fifelski. David Hodge, Ron Layton, Gary Melvin, Dave Miller and Ken Visser of Martin for District No. 7; Patty Birkholz and Alfred LeMaire for Allegan County Treasurer; Ed Wedge, Robert Schra and David Haverdink for Allegan County Sheriff; and Kevin Cronin was running unopposed for Hopkins Township Supervisor as an independent.
The Wayland and Hasting posts of the Michigan State Police were joining the celebrations of the police organization’s 75th anniversary. The Globe published a photo of the original members of the local post in 1956, including Commander Louis Brandt, Duane Smith, Richard Dalton, Corp. Fritz Wellerecht, Joseph Laird, Joe Keena, George Briggs and Walter Bilanow.
Peter Schermerhorn was selected head football coach at Martin, succeeding Ron Zeinstra. The new coach played at Portage Northern and after graduating from Western Michigan University, an assistant varsity coach at his alma mater.
Former Pittsburgh Steeler and University of Michigan standout Russell Davis will join Olivet College coaches Robert Kubiak and Dominic Livedoti as instructors for a two-day football camp at Martin.
Wayland Middle School teacher Sandra Wade was selected as Booster of the Year.
50 Years Ago — July 19, 1967
John Andreasen resigned as superintendent for Hopkins Public Schools. He has been hired as business manager for the Grand Haven Schools after being at Hopkins for four years.
Lt. Gov. William Milliken will be guest speaker at the Allegan County Republican Party picnic at the fairgrounds in Allegan.
Wayland High School student Patti Adams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Winfield Adams, has won a music scholarship from Western Michigan University for its summer camp session.
Bob Brevitz, a 1965 Wayland High School graduate and son of Mr. and Mrs. Chet Brevitz, sustained injuries to his face and shoulders and his eardrum was shattered after being booby trapped while serving on patrol in Vietnam.
Dietitian Betty Snell Seay, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Snell of Shelbyville was elected an officer for the North Carolina Food Supervisors Association.
Jorg Briechle of Frankfort, Germany, stopped in to the Wayland home of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Nickels to visit with Patricia, who had been his foreign exchange “American sister” the year before.
The Wayland City Council is studying prospects for becoming a one precinct district for voting and there are plans for remodeling at City Hall on West Superior Street.
The Malmstone Building, believed to be Wayland’s oldest (since 1856) now has come down at the northeast corner of Main and Superior streets and a local service group has indicated interest in beautifying the site.
Jack Smith was elected president of the Hopkins Board of Education.
Rollo G. Mosher, in his “Observations Here and There” column, asked, “Is it so necessary for almost every family to own and use an automobile? Thousands of workers live a long enough distance from places of employment and must use them as a means to go to and from work. Some cut corners by taking turns with others.”
Alice Kidney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Kidney of Wayland, wrote a letter to the Globe from Brazil, where she has been serving in the Peace Corps.
Pvt. Merle Thompson of Wayland has completed his eight weeks of training with the U.S. Army and Air Force Artillery in Ft. Bliss, Texas.
Robert Parker, Donald Amborski and the Rev. Neil Horn from the Wayland Calvary Church all took part in a Boys’ Brigade trip to the Museum of Natural Science and History in Chicago.
The Association’s “Windy” topped the nation’s musical charts for the fourth straight week.
75 Years Ago — July 24, 1942
Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher noted there were few races in the upcoming Sept. 15 primary election, but singled out the contests between Kim Sigler of Hasting and H.D. Tripp of Allegan for state senate and Congressman Clare Hoffman’s opposition from State Senator Hammond and Benjamin Burton of South Haven.
Wayland School students have canned about 400 quarts of string beans and 16 quarts of beets and rounded up 160 head of cabbage in the Community Garden.
Mezzo-soprano Pauline Bowman and organist Oliver Francisco will perform works by Bach, Handel, Grieg and Guilmant at the Methodist Church July 26.
Lifetime Hopkins area farmer Olin Atwater died at his home in Wayland after suffering a stroke. He was 76.
The goal of 100 attendees at the annual community Bible School was exceeded with 106 at the Methodist Church. A program ending potluck supper will be Friday, July 31.
The Wayland Grange plans to have a surprise volunteer dinner and mystery program. The committee planning the event includes Mrs. Ruby Smith and Mrs. John Hupp.
The West Hilliards School District elected William Westphal director, Robert Conner moderator and Martin Beaver treasurer.
100 Years Ago — July 20, 1917
Former Wayland resident and Wayland High School graduate Walter Finkbeiner was killed in a traffic accident in southeastern Kent County. Editor-Publisher George Mosher reported his car “turned turtle” at the foot of the Kelly Hill on Green Lake Road.
Wayland School District No. 2 reported a total budget of $6,715.94 for fiscal year 1916-17.
Twenty-five young people have organized a Christian Endeavor Society at the Bradley Congregational Church. President is Metta Ross and vice president is Eva Fergus.
Leighton is having so much rain that area farmers hardly dare attempt to bale hay.
The West Gun Lake Church Alpha Society will have a bazaar, selling a variety of Larkin brand goods, with proceeds to be used to help buy a piano.
Federal authorities are hot in the trail of a mysterious letter writer who threatened to kill anyone who signed up for military service. The letter was traced to the Kalamazoo area. Mosher said every eligible Allegan County man registered properly “like a man.”
At the annual meeting for Bradley School, it was decided that about $4,000 will be bonded to construct a new school house.
There will be an Indian Camp meeting from Aug. 8 to Sept. 2. “Good speakers have been engaged, assisted by local preachers.”
There will be a band concert in the village of Dorr July 24 for the benefit of the American Red Cross.
“Quite a number of young men have been rejected (for military service) because they couldn’t measure up to the standard of 5 feet, four inches tall and 120 pounds. The bar was lowered later to 5-1 and 110.
Daisy C. Allen, a Democrat from Utah, was this week’s entry for Women Legislators.
PHOTO: At left in this photo is the Malmstone Building, constructed in 1856 and brought down 50 years ago at the northeast corner of the intersection of Main and Superior streets downtown.
