(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago— Dec. 15, 1997
As an early Christmas present, former longtime teacher Julia Smith’s family has given the Wayland Educational Enrichment Foundation a gift of $50,000 to boost the local economy.
The Durant school underfunding legal case in Michigan has been settled in court, but area school districts are learning that the windfall won’t be as good as hoped. Wayland will get $731,000, Hopkins $255,000 and Martin almost $140,000.
Sun Communities, the developer of the proposed Hunter’s Glen mobile home park has been given the green light to begin work on the project with rezoning of a 102-acre parcel between 142nd Avenue and 144th Avenue.
Ronald Huff of Watson Township was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of his infant daughter.
Editor Nila Aamoth wrote a “Soapbox” editorial saying she wasn’t impressed with the way the Wayland Township Planning Commission handled the Westshore Gravel request for permission to haul gravel along 129th Avenue.
In a comment about a universal problem, letter writer Karen Krulac insisted dog owners are responsible when their pets get loose and then are killed by traffic. She was commenting on a letter writer’s troubling missive the week before about the death of her dog. Pat Smith added, “People with animals are responsible for their welfare, and while I feel terribly sorry for the family’s loss, this kind of misplaced blame is ridiculous.”
David Kacsor penned a letter asking, “If they (newcomers) don’t like the way people of Dorr live, why did they move here?”
The Hopkins and Wayland basketball teams opened with victories over Byron Center and Kelloggsville, respectively, in low scoring affairs.
Wendy Shrock, Julie Norman and Kammy Larr are tri-captains on the Hopkins varsity volleyball team that is defending champion in the O-K Silver Conference. Wayland is defending league champion in the Gold Conference as well. Top middle hitter Kara Potter is recovering from an injury.
Retired C & O Railroad engineer James A. Johnson died at his home in Martin. He was 69.
Clare Seplinski, 55, Wayland Township, died at Borgess Hospital. He was an employee with Channel 3, Kalamazoo.
50 Years Ago — Dec. 12, 1972
A group of Wayland school bus drivers protested what they believed to be too lenient punishment of a student misbehaving. The board, immediately have Transportation Stan Jansen authority to suspend students guilty of such transgressions.
Michigan Gov. Bill Milliken has appointed former State Senator Frederic Hilbert to the State Officers’ Compensation Commission.
Former local resident Ernest Caslet died in Kalamazoo after a long ill ness. He had been a teacher in the Wayland school system.
Bonnie Lynema was announced as the winner of the annual Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Good Citizenship Award.
The City of Wayland has received a check for $11,281, the first payment from the federal revenue sharing program signed into law by President Richard Nixon in October.
Earning 4.0 grade point averages on the Wayland High School honor roll were Bob Grafford, Paul Heckert, John Sandmeyer, Alan Steines, Deb VanderWoude, Nancy Sherman and Craig Suhusky.
Raymond Yoder, the 16-year-old seriously in a traffic crash the week before, now has been removed from the intensive care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital.
Seven students and FFA Advisor Roy Miller attended the Chicago Rodeo and Livestock Show.
Sports writer David T. Young penned a column praising the unselfish play of Hopkins guard Kelly McEwen, pointing out that his school record 15 assists are the same as 30 points.
Bob Lehocky scored 24 points and Paul Heckert added 11 as Wayland pulled out a 65-63 victory over Kelloggsville. The ‘Cats, however, are only 1-3.
Kathy Worfel, who averaged nearly 20 points per game the previous season, anchors the Wayland girls’ basketball team, which will play 10 games over 1972-73.
The Wayland wrestling team lost 30-23 to Caledonia, a much better effort than the previous year’s 61-0 shellacking.
Wayne Mills had 20 points and 10 rebounds for coach Herb Johnson’s Martin basketball team in a 75-65 win over Fennville.
Billy Paul took over the No. 1 slot among the nation’s top tunes with “Me and Mrs. Jones.”
75 Years Ago — Dec. 19, 1947
Frederic Hilbert has been appointed to the vacant village trustee’s seat, succeeding Harold Hawkins, who was elevated to village president upon the resignation of George Ryno.
Judge Irving J. Tucker will join a panel discussion about prison reform on WKZO-Radio Sunday afternoon.
Seven anglers were seen ice fishing on Doan’s Lake and there have been reports that Gun Lake now is frozen over,
Advisor Jack Prescott and FFA and 4-H students were guest of the Swift and Co. meat processing firm for the International Livestock Exhibition in Chicago.
The mobile chest X-ray unit of the Michigan Health Department served 753 people in the community last week.
The James Fenton Lodge of the local Masons elected Phillip Reno worshipful master.
The remains of Charles Schulek, 21, of Gun Lake, were brought to Wayland to the Archer Funeral Home and services were planned. Schulek was killed in Germany in 1944.
Members of the Ladies Library Club are planning a carol sing on Christmas Eve around the municipal tree installed in front of the library.
Jay Oberley, 73, died at his home. He had been a resident of Wayland for the past 71 years.
The Martin Methodist and Reformed churches will sponsor community-wide Gospel meetings on the evenings of Dec. 18 and 19.
Consumers Power officials warn there may be electric interruptions soon because post-war use has been increasingly significantly.
The Christian Boys’ Brigade from Grand Rapids will sing in concert at the Calvary Church Sunday.
Raymond Greene scored 19 points as Hopkins defeated Fennville on the hardcourt. Del Miner came up with the game-winning free throw.
Mrs. Devere Andrus, formerly of Wayland, won second prize in a Comsumers Power safety slogan contest. Her entry was “Be Alert and Accidents You’ll Avert.” Her prize was an electric roaster.
John M. Clouse of Wayland has been named director of the Michigan Association of Rural Letter Carriers.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
• Roy Rogers and Trigger in “On the Old Spanish Trail.”
• Margaret O’Brien, Cyd Charisse and Danny Thomas in “Unfinished Dance.”
• Ray Milland and Marlene Dietrich in “Golden Earrings.”
100 Years Ago — Dec. 15, 1922
Miss Haines entertained Wayland school teachers with a chicken pie supper, which included gifts from the local faculty orchestra.
The children’s Christmas program, “Down the Chimney,” was held at the Congregational Church Saturday night.
Barbara Pierson was elected of the American Legion Auxiliary.
Thomas E. Fales, 73, who came to Wayland with his parents in 1852, died in Richland. He was a life member of the Masons Lodge.
Willis D. Parmalee, owner of one of Hopkins most productive farms, has moved into a brand new bungalow.
The Dec. 11, 1884, edition of the Globe reported Chamber’s & Carner’s roller rink will be completed soon.
Heavy snowfall delayed laying of the extension of the water main on Cherry Street.
“News is about as scarce an article this week around the printing office as hen’s teeth. Our old standbys that usually end in a grist of items failed us this week.
A.B. Congdon has been appointed to fill the vacancy left by Frank Chamberlain, the new Allegan County Register of Deeds.
Miller & Wolfe Light and Power Co. was voted in a special election 107 to 7 to be granted the franchise to supply electrical power to Hopkins.
A bazaar in Bradley was well attended and raked in $95 last week.
The schools and churches and all public gatherings at Hopkins have been closed on account of scarlet fever.
Now showing at the Regent Theatre downtown: Harold Lloyd in “An Eastern Westerner,” Marie Prevost in “Kissed” and “The Lure of Egypt.”
The Julia Smith endowment through the Wayland Union Education Foundation is used to support scholarships to Wayland Union School graduates who are pursuing a business education. That initial donation has funded these scholarships for 25 years and continues to this day.