25 Years Ago — Aug. 19, 1996
Three Wayland Township property owners are asking to be annexed into the city to obtain water and sewer lines. They are sites near Wayland Union Schools, T & M Partners and Eleanor Marker.
Leighton and Dorr Township officials are being told by Dick Baxter they can save a lot of money by implementing a privatized water and sewer extension plan, but the initial cost may be steep, pegged at $12.5 million.
A big Rabbit River cleanup plan may be in the works for the Hopkins area.
North Dorr and New Salem combined efforts to put together a local festival. Letter writers, the Steve Bird family, praised the efforts of Twin Cities Daze co-hosts Jeff and Karen Lenhart.
Hopkins High School graduates Kathy and Kristy Hoffmaster together wrote a letter to the editor supporting the school district’s bond request Sept. 21 for a new high school and renovations to the Hopkins Elementary and Sycamore Elementary schools.
Patricia Kelsey wrote a letter to the editor, asserting, “I still cannot find an apparent need in the Hopkins district to approve the bond proposal, and I am sure you truly cannot either when you have carefully studied the facts and figures.”
The Oceana and O & A Electrical Cooperatives have agreed to merge into the Great Lakes Energy Cooperative.
Mill Street Village apartment complex, with 126 units on a nine-acre parcel, promises to be the biggest-ever apartment project ever to hit the City of Wayland.
The Globe sports pages were graced by a number of pre-season football and fall sports articles about gridiron prospects for Wayland, Hopkins, Martin, Byron Center, Middleville and Caledonia.
Former Dorr Township Trustee Robert Merren died at the age of 68. He also was a member of the local VFW and American Legion groups and St. Therese Ushers Club.
50 Years Ago — Aug. 18, 1971
Lucinda Browand was crowned Miss Wayland, with Denise Lettinga first runner-up and Dede Dewey second runner-up.
Wayland Union Schools will begin the 1971-72 academic year with split sessions, the high school students attending from 7 a.m. until 12:10 p.m. and junior high from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. The building, constructed in 1941, doesn’t provide enough room for current student populations in grades 7-12.
Wayland City Council members agreed to add the light industrial zoning designation to the ordinance.
Martin and Salem Township voters approved renewal of road millages in special elections.
The Hopkins Board of Education voted to hold the line on the district’s millage rate, at 23.09 mills.
Gerry Lynn Steward, 22, formerly of Wayland and daughter of former Wayland Band Director Arthur Steward, was killed in traffic collision with a pickup truck in Kentucky.
Coordinators Mr. and Mrs. Louis Miedema have announced there will be a local talent show Friday night during the annual Wayland Community Fair.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Moored of Burnips both were killed in a traffic crash south of Big Rapids.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bowand penned a letter to the editor praising Wayland Band Director Steve Working for his work with summer music concert series at the City Park.
Sallyann Beaver of Hopkins wrote a letter deploring the condition of 135th Avenue west from Wayland to Hilliards, saying it’s full of potholes.
Kathy and Nanette LaValley have returned home from Europe after visiting in Paris with Monique Souche, who was a foreign exchange student at Wayland High School and now is an airline stewardess.
Wayland tennis coach Spriggs TeRoller defeated Leo Comrie in straight sets to win the men’s singles championship in the annual Globe Tennis Tournament.
Wayland High School graduates Joe Koperski and Leon Hilaski have been in starring roles for the Wyoming Indians Connie Mack League team this past summer.
The 1970 census has revealed there are 2,470 farms in Allegan County.
75 Years Ago — Aug. 23, 1946
The Village of Wayland now is graced by a new Air Way Marker atop the Chevrolet Garage. The sign is sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce.
Wayland Schools will open Wednesday, Sept. 4. New grade students are asked to report to Room 112 or the principal’s office. Faculty includes Ethel Deardorff. Leila Reinhart, Marjorie Sherwood, Goldie Stockdale, Janice Isringhausen, Virginia Born, Ermabelle Hawkins, Lena Heydenberk, Lyda Archer, Claude Smith, Maude Steeby, Forest Calkins, Lenora Sykes, Marie Birchard, Virginia Benson, Julia Smith, Leona Farnsworth, E.M. Bassett, H.G. Burns, Walter Gillett, Edwin St. John, Jack Prescott, Elementary Principal Bessie Baker and Superintendent Rudolph Steeby.
Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher wrote that Wayne Laux has constructed a garage overhead door at his home that will open and close by the pressure of a button inside the home, his car or garage. “The interesting part of the whole business is that the apparatus is composed entirely of junk that Wayne has picked up here and there.”
The Moline Frozen Food Locker, operated by Merle Pepper and Earl Aubil, has opened for business. They make a specialty of handling meat of all kinds.
L. Braun of Leighton is the leading hitter for the summer softball league with a .433 average. Leighton, Dorr, Vets and Ford all are tied for first place with 3-1 records.
Work has begun on construction of the new Calvary Church on South Main Street, including a parsonage for the Rev. and Mrs. John Miles.
Free movies for all school children are being offered Saturday, Aug. 31, at the Wayland Theatre with a special matinee of a one-hour film and cartoons and comedies.
Pvt. Herbert J. Young, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold J. Young of Gun Lake, is in Japan serving with the U.S. occupation troops.
Leighton Grange members hope to have the state master visit on Booster Night Sept. 30.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- William Gargan and Pat O’Moore in “Rendezvous 24.”
- Bill Elliott as Red Ryder in “Sheriff of Redwood Valley.”
- Robert Young, Sylvia Sidney and Ann Richards in “The Searching Wind.”
- Jeanne Crain, Cornell Wilde and Walter Brennan in “Centennial Summer.”
100 Years Ago — Aug. 19, 1921
“Go and Get It,” the story of the life of a newspaper reporter, will be shown at the Regent Theatre downtown Sunday. It stars Agnes Ayres and Wesley “Freckles” Barry.
Managers of the Martin, Wayland, Plainwell and Allegan Co-ops gathered in Martin for a Farm Bureau conference. Robert Wiley, manager of the Michigan Elevator, was guest speaker.
Elizabeth Clark has cautioned area citizens about claims that 51% of electors signing a petition to stop efforts for school consolidation, which are false. She added that Wayland already has a building to care for 200 children and the need would be for between 150 and 200 more.
Lightning struck and destroyed the barn at the farm of Edward Grinage southwest of the village and it burned to the ground.
Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Stroud of Hopkins were injured in a traffic accident accident on their way to the Chautauqua in Wayland. Their car was “quite badly damaged.”
Large crowds at the Chautauqua series prompted the establishment of a larger tent at the Wayland school grounds instead of the Village Park. On one night it was estimated that as many as 3,000 were in attendance.
“Next year, those who subscribe their financial support to the Chautauqua will be given reserve seats.”
Starr Gilger went to Hastings and Lillian Knapp and Ardis Dean went to Allegan to write their teachers’ examinations.
Ice cream is served every Wednesday and Saturday on Mrs. Kibby’s porch in Bradley by the Ladies Aid Society.
Luther D. Eves, born in Ohio in 1859 and left an ophan at age 7, died at age 62. His service was conducted by the Church of Christ.
COVER PHOTO: The Wildcats’ 1958-59 basketball squad, which included Jack Nicolai, Dick Hines, Bristol Messer, GL Brown, Chuck Regan, Hal Brocker and coach Rowan Munson.