(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago — May 19, 1993
Baccalaureate services no longer can be sponsored by public schools after a ruling in 1992 by the U.S. Supreme Court. So area churches are sponsoring the exercises this year, with as many as 14 local churches sponsoring the Wayland High School event.
Four Allegan County Commissioners plan to attend the Michigan Association of Counties annual meeting at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Commissioner Muriel O’Leary objected, noting the cost is $1,000 per public official at the swank quarters.
Thompson-McCully Inc. has been ordered to finish the job of mining gravel at a site on Payne lake Road by the May 31 deadline originally set by the Yankee Springs Township Board.
Wayland Township Planning Commissioner Jan Streigle penned a letter to the editor exhorting citizens to come to meetings. She said… ”join in a meeting and help divine your destiny or you might find out a stranger is doing it for you — for big bucks!”
Barbara Chachuski of Dorr penned a letter speaking out against a grocery store-back bill to allow prices not to be marked on products. She asked, “What proof would we have then that we have been overcharged?”
Recent economic growth in Wayland was noted at a City Council meeting, focusing on the arrival of a Burger King Restaurant, the sale of the old Kessler’s building to ITC, an addition planned for Wayland Standard station and plans for an addition to Midway Die & Engineering.
Henika District Library Director Lynn Mandaville said Wayland Township’s recent voted millage has enabled the purchase of $12,000 worth of books. Her remarks were made at a ceremony marking the library site with a historical marker.
Ron Grassmid has announced he will resign as principal at Moline Christian School to spend more time with his family and to return to the classroom to teach fifth grade.
The Wayland Union Schools’ Kid Care program will be expanded to Dorr and Moline elementaries during the next academic year.
A picnic shelter is being added to the L.M Wise Preserve in Hopkins Township by FFA members.
The Hopkins Board of Education has voted unanimously to submit an application for membership in the O-K Conference, which is considering adding a new division for Class C and B schools. The reason given was to cut down on transportation costs to athletic events.
The Wayland High School baseball team continues to ride high with a 21-4 overall record and coach Rick Morse’s Wildcats are tied atop the O-K Gold Conference standings with Kenowa Hills. Robert Moore has 28 stolen bases, Chris Vlietstra eight home runs and Mike Wilson 30 RBIs.
Martin’s Melissa Young set the school record in the discus with a throw of 105 feet.
50 Years Ago — May 15, 1968
The four candidates in next month’s election for two four-year seats on the Wayland Board of Education are Mrs. Frank Bastion, Mrs. Joseph McCarthy, Jerome LaValley and LaVerne Lettinga. The only candidate for the remaining two years on former President Frank Langley’s term is Wallace Wakeman. Also on the June 10 ballot will be a proposal to increase the tax levy by 6.8 mills.
A front-page photo showed Wade and Barb Greenawalt decked out in garb believed to be commonly worn in the 1860s in anticipation of the city’s centennial celebration.
Northern Michigan University Board of Regents Chairman John McGoff was scheduled to visit the city as the representative in the annual Mayor Exchange Day, this time not with a village of city but a college. Hopkins was set to exchange with Powers and Martin with Grant.
Mrs. Frank Stankey has been appointed administrative assistant at Montcalm Community College. The former Marilyn Engle, her husband is physical education teacher and baseball coach at Greenville High School.
The Wayland Board of Education presented retiring President Frank Langley with a plaque for his six years of service. He was told by his physician he must resign for health reasons. Clara Durfee, who was appointed his successor, presented the award.
Supt. James Thomas, in his latest column explaining the upcoming rerquest for a 6.8-mill increase, said Wayland has one of the lowest operating millages in all of Allegan County.
The annual Memorial Day parade in Wayland will start at the post office on East Superior and travel down South Main to Elmwood Cemetery, where former state VFW Commander Clarence Schumacher will speak.
Peter Brocksmith, owner of the South Shore Beach business and member of the Gun Lake Protective Association, died at age 81.
Edward Read Barton, an attorney with offices in Wayland, has been appointed city attorney at Allegan.
Allegan County Sheriff Robert Whitcomb has announced the new breathalyzer device to detect drunken drivers will be employed over the Memorial Day holiday in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on “implied consent.”
Debbie Frank was fourth in the state bowling tournament, Wanda Chlebana fifth, Diane Misak seventh, Linda Wisniewski eighth and Mary Lou Worfel ninth. Carol Daniels rolled the second highest single game in the competition, with a 191.
Allen Brenner of Hopkins is the All-Van Conference leader in hitting at .556 and Ron Selvig’s .450 is not too shabby, either.
Bob Ayers emerged as the Expressway League tennis champion at No. 1 singles, but the Wildcats had to settle for second to Caledonia in the league meet.
Larry Thomas was elected president Roger Lambert vice president of the Hopkins FFA for the next academic year.
Archie Bell and the Drells finally broke Bobby Goldsboro’s stranglehold on No. 1 by taking over the top slot with “Tighten Up.”
75 Years Ago — May 21, 1943
Registration for canning sugar will take place at the library May 24-26. Applicants must bring with them their war ration books.
Norma Elaine Calkins has been elected to membership in the Tower Guard sorority at Michigan State College.
The Village Council voted to keep the tx millage rates the same, with contingency one and a half mills, street fund six mills, library three-quarters of a mill, park fund a quarter of a mill and band fund, a half mill.
George Tanner, Wayland Globe operator of the linotype machine for the past 19 years, has taken a new post at the Grand Rapids Press. Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher said, “Consequently, we have been short-handed in getting out this week’s edition.”
John E. Ward has purchased the Tubah Hardware building. The business was run by George Tubah until his death 20 years before and it was taken over by Mack Short, who sold it a couple of years ago to L.A. Roberts, who closed it recently because of hardships during the war.
Rewa Tavern has been sold by William Rewa to Gerald Damoth.
A fire of unknown origin destroyed the Leighton Township farm owned by Lambert Jager. Moline and Wayland firefighters were able to help rescue seven children living there, but all they salvaged was the clothes they were wearing.
Writing letters from serving overseas in the military this week were Ray and Harry Wykoski and Mitchell Laker.
Kennard Schaibly and the Hopkins High School Glee Club put together a patriotic spring concert free of charge.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Ann Miller, William Wright and Dick Purcell in “Reveille with Beverly.”
- Charles Starrett in “Fighting Buckaroo.”
- Frederick March and Martha Scott in “One Foot in Heaven.”
- Bing Crosy, Bob Hope, Fred MacMurray in “Star-Spangled Rhythm.”
100 Years Ago — May 17, 1918
Corporal Henry, who has served in the trenches in France under General John J. Pershing, has agreed to be speaker at a program at the Bradley Congregational Church, at the urging of local citizen Edgar Allen.
Wayland’s quota for the Red Cross fund-raising campaign has been set at $1,000 and the county’s goal is $25,000. The Anti-Can’t Society is doing its part by putting on the play, “Mrs. Tubbs Does Her Bit” at Frank’s Opera House. Fourteen members of the society are in the cast.
“Draft 258,” starring Mabel Taliaferro, will be the film shown at Frank’s Opera House May 26. The movie is a survey of many patriotic events in America’s past.
Margaret Beall was the winner of the Third Liberty Loan speaking contest and Wayne Thomas was runner-up.
Impersonator Elmer Marshall performed for Wayland school students with depictions from Macbeth, Hamlet and Merchant of Venice. Students took up a collection of $9.67 to pay him for his trouble.
Ten Wayland High School boys will compete in the annual Field Days competition in Allegan. All county schools will be there, as Otsego has reconsidered its decision not to participate because of the war.
Wayland lost a practice girls’ basketball game to Martin 27-20, which was blamed on a lack of practice. It is expected new coach Mrs. Ester Martin will change that.
Eighth-graders in Miss Haines’ class are rehearsing a patriotic play for the graduation ceremony May 27 at Frank’s Opera House. Proceeds will go to the Red Cross.
Mr. Liedens, business manager of the new Moline Milling Co., has purchased the A.L. Hollopeter home and he and his family will move in from Holland soon.
What was described as a small tornado caused lot of damage in the area the previous Thursday. Losing barns were Bird Frank and Jake Roczak, windmills operated by D.G. Clack and Albert Wykoski, a garage owned by Walter Gilbert in the village and Frank also lost a silo.
- G. Clack underwent surgery at Butterworth Hospital to lengthen a leg.
B.G. Davis of Lawton is the second announced candidate for State Senate. (Current Senator Tonya Schuitmaker is from Lawton, as is her 2014 opponent, Jim Walters and current candidate Aric Nesbitt).
COVER PHOTO: Oscar Hogan is shown here in 1927 with his wife, Blanche, who outlived him and three other husbands. A diabetic, he died in 1947. He spent some of his early years living and working Wayland more than 100 years ago.