25 Years Ago — Feb. 23, 1994
Allegan County has earned an A1-plus rating from Standard & Poor’s financial rating agency.
The Wayland City Council’s offer to settle a 10-year lawsuit with Westbury Apartments through the Michigan Tax Tribunal has been accepted. The city’s counter offer is $24,000 per unit for 32 units.
Scott Sullivan wrote a feature about John Hooker, 32, of Leighton Township, who is the seventh generation of a family that has lived at the Hooker Homestead near the corner of 140th and Kalamazoo Avenues. The tradition was started with the settlement of Josiah Hooker in 1849.
Evelyn Parker of Holland protested in a letter to the editor the “distasteful” writing of Scott Sullivan in the previous week’s Soapbox column.
Shelly Haner of Grand Rapids and Faith Geisel of Dorr wrote letters opposing the views of Denny Geurink in his column about “extreme” and “terrorist” animal rights activists.
The Wayland City Tree Board is seeking a federal grant through the Small Business Administration for funding costs of planting trees on public sites.
Wayland Township resident Jose Blanco told the Township Board that funding efforts for the People Path over two counties and four townships are facing daunting challenges.
Mike DeWeerd is the only candidate who has filed for mayor in the April elections in the wake of Linden Anderson stepping down after eight years. Council candidates for three open seats include incumbents Marie Hall and Paul Kaczanowski and newcomers Dallas Strong, Kenneth Moore, Amanda Sikkema and John Noordyk.
The Wayland varsity basketball team, winner of four of its last five ballgames, shocked South Christian 77-75. Ken Stewart dropped in 28 points and Matt Barghan added 19.
The O-K Conference is realigning again and this time it will welcome the new Silver Division that will include Hopkins. There is talk about Hudsonville Unity Christian joining the Gold, but some object because it does not have football.
Martin avenged its loss to Hopkins earlier in the season and then beat Fennville and high-scoring Frank Alfieri. Richie Guerrant scored 23 points in both Clippers’ victories. Ben Knight added 21 and Chris Rantz 16 vs. Fennville, which was led by Alfieri’s 39.
Martin completed its wrestling season with a 17-11 dual meet record and Josh Conley (135 pounds) was district champion.
Hopkins’ varsity basketball team now is 7-9 overall and 2-7 in the River Valley Conference.
Wayland’s Tim Kopp won the district wrestling championship at 130 pounds and will take a 14-1 record into regionals.
Longtime Wayland businessman Ford Brower died. He was 80.
50 Years Ago — Feb. 19, 1969
Mayor Phil Reno, speaking the annual Wayland Chamber of Commerce dinner, was very critical of comments by former Globe Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher opposing the sanitary sewer project in the city. Reno said Mosher “didn’t do his homework” and urged citizens to vote in support of the sewer proposal in the April election.
The Globe published a huge front page photo of Gov. William Milliken at the Allegan County Lincoln Day dinner. Included were Wayland dignitaries Irv Helmey, Fred Feldwisch, Wally Wakeman, Fred Hilbery, Martha Japinga, Joe LaValley, Bill Kessler, John Gurney and Ivan Smith.
Eighth-graders Kimberly Baugh, Bonnie Lynema and Linda VanderVeen, and seventh-grader Alan Steines were recognized for earning perfect 4.0 grade point averages over the latest marking period at Wayland Junior High.
Mayor Phil Reno, City Manager Blaine Bacon and Councilman Don Shafer represented Wayland at the Michigan Municipal League annual dinner in Lansing. The main topic of discussion was funding shortfalls for local government.
Bruce Douglas, son of Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Douglas of Wayland, was featured in a presentation to Michigan State University students about TV camera techniques.
Wayland, Allegan and Hamilton band students will combine efforts in a Tri-City Band Festival under the baton of a Western Michigan University music professor at the Wayland High School boys’ gym on Pearl Street.
The City Council approved the appointments of Mrs. J.H. LaValley, David Low, Ron Standish, Mary Ellen Mynatt, David Miller, Vincent DeJong, Ted Green, Walt Wenzel and Richard Worfel to the city’s first-ever Planning Commission.
Mrs. Kenneth DeWeerd has reported the third annual dance for Precious Acres School for handicapped children raised $1,300. Music was provided by the Terrible Troubadors, featuring Irv Helmey on sax.
The Wayland High School wrestling team earned at least a share of the Expressway Conference wrestling title, with its only dual meet loss to Caledonia, 24-22.
Wayland’s basketball team overcame sharpshooter Randy Hummel and Maple Valley 63-59. Don Klein scored 22 points and Tom Latondress swished 10 free throws and netted 12 points. The Wildcats now are 6-6 overall and 4-2 in league play.
Don Krause dropped in 27 points, Dave Veldkamp had 15 and Chad Hildebrand and John Wilson 14 apiece as Hopkins bested Bloomingdale 79-68.
Mrs. Richard Bruin was elected president of the Wayland Garden Club.
Robert Schwartz of Dorr has been promoted to Spec-4 while serving as an assistant machine gunner in Vietnam.
Rex Greenawalt, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Greenawalt of Wayland, is recuperating in a hospital from schrapnel wounds he suffered in Vietnam.
J.D. Grant has accepted the call to Moline Baptist Church, succeeding Stanley Veldt, who has taken another post elsewhere.
75 Years Ago — Feb. 25, 1944
The Wayland Village Council is taking up the question of adopting a new zoning ordinance to regulate buildings of all kinds and estanlishment of new businesses. Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher wrote, “A safe and sane zoning ordinance is something this village has needed for some time, especially for the protection of property owners in residential sections of the community.”
Only five weeks remain for the third and final class series for repairing farm machinery on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Bowena Delvin was elected president and Maude Schuh first vice president of the Wayland Garden Club, which held its winter picnic, hosted by Fannie Hoyt. A key topic of discussion was “Insect Pests and Other Garden Enemies.”
Rollo G. Mosher was nominated again to be village president at the caucus, along with Trustees Fred Greenawalt, John Gurney and Emil Dietiker.
The Wayland High School chapter of the FFA is having its annual Bot control program, with more than 30 horses registered for treatment under the care of Dr. O.H. VanBrussel.
Pvt. Rus Sakkers of Wayland, in a hospital at Ft. Bliss, Texas, wrote a letter to the Globe soliciting letters and snapshots of tall girls for correspondence.
Ensign Ellis Tooker remains in a hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., with influenza. He is serving with the Army Air Corps.
Fred Hilbert will succeed Bessie B. Baker as chair of the local Red Cross campaign, with a goal of $22,000 set for Allegan County.
Serviceman Loren Mauchmar wrote a letter telling of his vacationing in Hollywood, Calif., seeing and hearing the Harry James Band and bumping into actress Barbara Stanwyck, of whom he remarked, “The screen doesn’t do her justice.”
Alton Crofoot has been granted a medical discharge from the Army Air Corps.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Ruth Terry and Robert Livingston in “Pistol Packin’ Mama.”
- Hugh Sinclair and Jean Gillie in “The Saint Meets the Tiger.”
- Olivia DeHavilland, Sonny Tufts and Ann Shirley in “Government Girl.”
- Wallace Beery and Marjorie Main in “Jackass Mail.”
100 Years Ago — Feb. 21, 1919
The Rev. Fay C. Wing sent a letter to the Globe suggesting a weekly community meeting at the school house, featuring outside speakers for “free and open discussions on all questions pertaining to moral and educational advancement of the community.”
William Hooker, who had just returned from the war overseas and being gassed in Verdun, was married to Genevieve Allen at the bride’s home in Bradley. “The bride and groom were school day sweethearts.” The new Mrs, Hooker was a graduate of Wayland High School and Western Normal College.
Mark H. Beall was the lone nominee for village president at the caucus, which was attended by nearly 200 people. Also nominated were Leander Chapple, clerk; Arthur Deuel, treasurer; Frank Chamberlain, assessor; Leon Mason, district trustee, and local trustees Clarence Ryno and Fay C. Wing.
“John Alman is making sugar. We expect John will be sweet for the rest of the winter.”
Mrs. Foster of Allegan is teaching in the primary room at Bradley school while the regular teacher recovers from tonsillitis.
John Chrisman has gone to Rochester, Minn., to undergo treatment by the Mayo Brothers.
Local Ladies Library Club delegate Mrs. Fred Nelson attended the Michigan federation of Women’s Club Conference in Battle Creek.
Two students have left Wayland school for others this past winter, freshman Marie Tuttle for Indiana and sophomore Mabel Newkirk for Otsego.
Charles Gamsell represented Wayland at the Allegan County Athletic meeting, where it was decided to do away with splitting the county into two districts and have all schools compete against each other.
A meeting scheduled at the Wayland Grange Hall will feature consideration of forming a new party to put up candidates for township offices in the next election.
