25 Years Ago — Oct. 6, 1993
Hopkins school district voters for the fourth consecutive time have rejected a bond proposal to build a new high school and to make improvements to Sycamore Elementary.
Regina Diaz, Greg Drobny and David Guiterrez, troopers at the Wayland post of the Michigan State Police, have returned from a short course on how to operate new-fangled hand-held radar guns. Diaz said the local post has one of the devices, which she called, “another weapon in the war against speed.”
The Wayland Township Board and Planning Commission have instructed Carl Dehn to abide by the rules by paying a $250 fee and get a special use permit for his gravel mining operation at 124th Avenue and Patterson Road.
Longtime community volunteer Diane Smith was presented with a special award for her work at Christian Neighbors food pantry by Modern Woodmen of America.
Hopkins Elementary Principal Mary Howard, in the wake of the most recent defeat at the polls of two bond proposals, penned a letter, saying, “Unfortunately, most people made their decision on whether to vote yes or no based on which printed ‘facts’ they wanted to believe.” She pointed out that Hopkins has 630 students in a building intended years ago to house only 350.
Lois Commons was more specific in her reaction to the loss at the polls, insisting a group of people identifying themselves as “Friends of Education” who used questionable tactics of intimidation.
Local dentist Dr. Michael DeWeerd was appointed to fill a vacancy on the City Council. He had served before, but did not seek re-election in 1992, but said now he’s willing to give it a try again.
Correct Craft, a ski boat manufacturer, is seriously looking at setting up shop at a site just to the west of Gun Lake Glass on 124th Avenue.
Scott Sullivan wrote a feature about the Yankee Springs Awareness Committee (YSAC), a pressure group formed during the controversy over gravel mining by Thompson McCully.
Mona Ayers, longtime owner of a foster care business in the Hopkins area, died at age 59.
Patients of Dr. Kenneth Berneis at Wayland Family Physicians have been notified he is taking a leave of absence to fight leukemia.
Martin scored 23 unanswered points to score a come-from-behind victory over Fennville, 23-14. Al Moran scored two touchdowns and Mark Gracia came up with a crucial interception return for six points.
Hopkins crushed rival Allendale 39-0 to move into the No. 10 slot in the latest state-wide poll. Shannon Bird had eight tackles to lad the shutout defensive performance.
Defending O-K Gold Conference champion Forest Hills Northern scored three times in the fourth period to overcome Wayland and dropped its overall record to 3-2.
The Wayland girls’ basketball team has won seven in a row and leads the O-K Gold.
Martin hiked its season record to 6-3 in girls’ basketball with a 48-29 triumph over Hopkins. Sophomore Kristin Frazza had 17 points.
Curtis Golm, a 1979 graduate of Hopkins High School, has earned his master of divinity degree and is about to travel to Africa as a missionary.
50 Years Ago — Oct. 2, 1968
Gary Doublestein was elected president and John DeWeerd vice president of the Wayland High School Student Council.
City Manager Blaine Bacon continues the circuit of speaking to local service organizations about the Nov. 5 proposal for sanitary sewer and water. His latest audience in the Wayland Chamber of Commerce.
Former Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher, in his “Observations” column, discussed the general election Nov. 5, focusing on the ballot proposals on Daylight Savings Time and the graduated income tax.
Mrs. Joseph Pawloski, former president of the Ladies Library Club and St. Therese Altar Society, died “very unexpectedly” at age 48.
The fourth season of Rotary Club travelogues will begin with a presentation about Montana at the Wayland Theatre. The venue was changed from the girls’ gym at the high school.
Snowmobiles now must be registered with the state for three years, according to Michigan Secretary of State James M. Hare.
Mrs. Walter Gillett, wife of the longtime teacher and basketball coach, died at age 75 at Pipp Hospital.
Sgt. Allen Dykstra of Dorr received an Army commendation medal for his service in Vietnam.
Gary Wrobleski of Martin is scheduled to begin training on the Vietnamese language before shipping out overseas.
Wayland Lions shown in a photo building a shelter for the city park were Donal Mellon, Richard Overmire, Ron Standish, Kenneth Bird, James Gabala, Ken Hoyt, Win Adams and Jerold Chrisman.
Registrations for the general election Nov. 5 in the City of Wayland are near 100%, City Manager Blaine Bacon has reported.
The Rev. George VanderWelt has been installed as new pastor of the Wayland Christian Reformed Church, succeeding Rev. Ken Visser, who is now serving in Edgerton, Minn.
Carol Crawford wrote a story about and took a photo of Girls Athletic Association initiation rituals that included measuring the distance from the downtown stoplight to the high school with hot dogs and wearing bobbie sox.
The Wayland football team’s season record fell to 0-2-1 with a 46-0 loss to Maple Valley.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre: “Never a Dull Moment,” starring Dick VanDyke, Dorothy Provine and Edward G. Robinson.
A sharpshooting contest is planned for local Cub Scouts at the high school girls’ gym Tuesday evening, Oct. 17.
Former Wayland student Pauline Bowman will perform a piano concert for the Wayland Grange at its next regular meeting.
75 Years Ago — Oct. 8, 1943
The third local War Bond campaign will be combined with the annual Community Chest drive this fall to support programs such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross, scouting and, of course, the military. Frank Malmstone is chairman.
Writing letters home from the service this week weel were Jack Perry in North Africa and Ed Wisniewski at Camp Walters, Texas.
Wayland lost 33-12 on the gridiron to Kelloggsville, which the writer said “gave a demonstration on how a football team should function. Touchdowns were scored by Hooker and McElwee.
Steve Lapekes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Lapekes of Wayland, has returned home from Fort Dupont in Delaware and discharged with a physical disability.
Lynn “Bud” Miles has been promoted to corporal. His father is a World War I veteran.
Wiley Mills, an 1888 graduate of Wayland High School and longtime attorney in Chicago, has died at age 73 of a heart attack. He was commencement speaker for the WHS Class of 1938.
Benefit Parties, which were discontinued over the summer because of the war, have resumed at Bennett Furniture Store Saturday evenings downtown.
Roscoe French Jr. had another harrowing adventure by being struck by schrapnel in the Mediteranean and is on leave again from the U.S. Navy. He and about a dozen others were picked up at sea in 1942 after their boat had been struck and sunk by enemy fire.
William Dewey was elected master at the Wayland Grange meeting.
A juvenile Grange group is being formed at Leighton.
Village Treasurer Elizabeth Clark has announced only $45.90 of the local tax roll of more than $7,800 has had to be returned to the county.
The U.S. Navy has conferred at commendation on Merle Hurley of Hopkins.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Jimmy Lydon in “Henry Aldrich Swings It.”
- Richard Arlen and Wendie Barrie in “Submarine Alert.”
- Anne Baxter, Akim Tamariff and Eric VonStroheim in “Fire Graves to Cairo.”
- Big Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in “Dixie.”
100 Years Ago — Oct. 4, 1918
Helen Bowman, Linda Bahr and Fronia Smith have been inducted as newest members of the Ladies Library Club. President Phila Dueul presented reminiscences and there was a sketch on “Going Somewhere.”
A community party will be held Friday night, Oct. 11, at Yeakey’s Hall with admission fee of 10 cents per person.
Wayland’s football team trounced Sparta 25-0. Ben Stockdale is the coach. The boys will be at Ryno Park next Friday afternoon to take on Martin.
“As the man without (wearing) a ‘V’ Tuesday morning whether he is for or against America. Ask him where he intends to hide when the boys come home.”
Mrs. Fay C. Wing has been recuperating nicely after surgery at Butterworth Hospital and is expected home soon.
E.S. Fitch was found unconscious and prostrate in his office at home by his wife. He was attended by Dr. E.O. Hanlon, but “little hope is entertained for his recovery.”
First Lt. A.B. Calkins is now a senior instructor at the Machine Gun School at Camp Hancock in Georgia.
Entertainment at the Moline Congregational Church raised $74.55 for the American Red Cross.
“FOR SALE: The building and lot just east of Bell Telephone office. Inquire of Fanny Hoyt.”
A full-page advertisement for the sale of Libert Bonds said, “Prevent the Kaiser from making spoil of of America by making America spoil the Kaiser.”
A couple of world news headlines read, “Germans bury dead without clothing” and “Studies German cuss words, Marine fits self to be able to tell the Kaiser what he thinks of him.”