(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago — Jan. 25, 1999
Goble Messer, a Wayland Township resident, has threatened to start a recall of Supervisor Jose Blanco and Clerk Bev Taylor if they don’t stop bickering and resolve the lockout issue.
Sandy Pines has won a property tax battle with Salem and Monterey townships with a ruling by the Court of Appeals that mobile homes in the resort will pay $3 a year each instead of property taxes.
State Rep. Patricia Birkholz has introduced a bill increasing the number of snow days permitted for public schools from two to 10.
Area fire officials are advising residents that house numbers are not effective in identifying locations if they are obscured.
The Yankee Springs Township Planning Commission is struggling to handle issues with cell towers.
Wayland volleyball coach Dennis Anguilm scored his 600th career victory.
Wayland City Treasurer Karen Doyle has resigned after serving for more than nine years to take an undisclosed different position.
The Globe published a front page photo of big rigs working on the site of where the Quality Farm and Fleet store will go in at the plaza along West Superior Street.
Allegan County Sheriff’s deputies Scott Tatrow and Kevin Hahn introduced K-9 officer “Jock” to youngsters at the Leighton Township Library.
Jamie Brown scored 13 points and Kurt Rizley 11, but the Wildcat basketball team lost an overtime game against Cedar Springs.
Martin’s Travis Brenner upset the top-seeded Lakeview grappler at the Allendale Invitational and 130-pound standout Rick Mena continued his winning ways.
Senior Jessie Brown scored 27 points, including 12 of 13 free throws, to lead Martin to its first hoops win of the season, 59-57 over Saugatuck.
The Wayland wrestling squad finally suffered a dual meet defeat, to Sparta, after winning 18 straight.
Hopkins’ Tom Marcoux lifted his record at 140 pounds to 15-1 with three wins at the Allendale Invitational.
Norma Weick, owner of Weick’s Department Store and a 1939 graduate of Hopkins High School, died at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids. She was 76.
Helen F. Marshall of Shelbyville, a member of the Gun Lake Protective Association and Wildwood Protective Association, died at age 89.
The Rev. Lawrence Umfleet of Bradley, former pastor of Wayland Free Methodist Church, died at age 62.
50 Years Ago — Jan. 22, 1974
Fred Edgerton of Plainwell has been appointed Allegan County Treasurer, succeeding James Boyce. He had to resign his seat on the County Board of Commissioners as a result.
Ralph Mallett was promoted to vice president and cashier at Wayland State Bank, Arthur C. Johnson to vice president and James Schumaker to assistant cashier.
Paul Jones, a consultant from Williams & Works, said public response to the Wayland Planning Commission survey on future growth has been positive.
A number of local citizens turned up at the Wayland City Council meeting to protest plans by Pet, Inc. to construct an adjacent parking lot on Elm Street. Those opposed said traffic on the street is too fast and too much.
Wayland High School teacher Gerald Nelson penned a letter to the editor asking parents to have their children take part in the upcoming science fair.
Wayland Schools Supt. James Thomas wrote a “Your School Operation” column attempting to explain state aid. He noted Wayland currently levies 20 mills and Martin has the highest rate in the county at 24.9 mills, mostly because of the unfair guidelines of the Bursley Bill.
Editor-Publisher Irv Helmey wrote an editorial insisting the media, broadcast and print, have been unfairly criticizing President Richard Nixon in the Watergate affair and passing off opinion as news.
The Wayland basketball team is one game behind Caledonia in the O-K Blue Conference standings and the Scots will invade the Wildcats’ gym for a showdown. Randy Mauchmar had 19 points and twin brother Rick had 13 as Wayland downed Byron Center, 68-63,
Mike Smith had a big week, leading Hopkins to hoops victories over Grant and St. Joseph Seminary to lift its overall record to 7-3.
Sports writer David Young wrote a column praising the coaching of Wayland basketball coach John Vargo, who has guided the Wildcats to an 8-3 overall record. The ‘Cats had won only five in each of the two previous seasons.
The Ogres had an impromptu beer fight erupt at a Grand Rapids pub, with several lads getting very wet.
The Wayland wrestling team scored its second dual meet victory in the O-K Gold Conference by pasting Middleville.
Eric Finkbeiner and Darryl Schroeder were pictured during the Hopkins FFA’s high scoring at the annual broiler contest at Michigan State University.
The Leighton Farm Bureau group issued its dissatisfaction with the recent implementation of the double daylight savings time efforts crafted to cope with the current energy crisis.
Former Hopkins FFA member Dennis Miller, a 1971 graduate, has won a Dean’s Fellowship at Michigan State University.
A traffic crash claimed the life of Mrs. Gerald Akers, 16, of Shelbyville, when the car she was riding in skidded off the slippery road and struck a tree.
Joseph Selzer, a 1968 graduate of Wayland High School, was invited to attend the Gerald Ford Vice Presidential laymen’s prayer luncheon as a representative of Grand Rapids Junior College.
Former Beatle Ringo Starr scored the No. 1 slot among the nation’s tunes with “You’re Sixteen.”
75 Years Ago — Jan. 28, 1949
Wayland’s basketball team now has a comfortable two-game lead in the Bar-Ken-All Conference with a 6-0 record. Hopkins is in second place at 4-1 and
Martin is in sixth place. The Wildcats downed Byron Center 43-29, with Louis Nakken scoring 17 points and Gene Weber 13.
Prospects appear to be good for a public hearing on bringing in a sanitary sewage system to the village. Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher said those who want to see it here should make their wishes known.
The Michigan Department of Conservation has declared the Rabbit River as a designated trout stream and Mosher has noted it’s an effort to put a stop to spearing the fish.
A luncheon hour fellowship will be held each Wednesday at the Calvary Church annex, which formerly was the Pine’s Lunch. Ladies of the church will serve the meal at 12:05 p.m. and all high school students are invited.
John Johnson was elected president of the Rod & Gun Club at the group’s pancake supper at the high school cafeteria.
Mosher suggested local citizens help the Allegan County Health Department with funding challenges in the wake of the Kellogg Foundation withdrawing its annual $28,400 stipend.
Because of the sharp increase in polio cases, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis is conducting a March of Dimes campaign. The Allegan County chapter recently received a check of $1,800.
Mr. and Mrs. John Rawlinson were special guests at a combined meeting of the Ladies Library Club and Rotary. The couple gave a presentation about their lives at the Firestone rubber plantations in Liberia.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
• Warner Baxter and Faye Baker in “The Gentleman from Nowhere.”
• Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid and Smiley Burnette in “Trail to Loredo.”
• George Montgomery, Ruth Roman and Rod Cameron in “Belle Starr’s Daughter.”
• Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde and Celeste Holm in “Road House.”
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bastian of Dorr had the misfortune of suffering injuries in a car accident west of Hopkins.
Russell Rugaber presented an informational program about the history of evaporated milk to members of the Allegan County Agricultural Council.
The “hard hitting pin smashing” Van’s Gas and Electric Company bowling team defeated a determined Schweikert and Duryee group at the lanes in Hopkins. The squad includes Vern Kelly, Leonard Wisniewski, Bill Tigchelaar, Irvin Wisniewski, Ray Pelletier and Doc Murdock.
Alan Baugh of Wayland underwent an operation for appendicitis at Crispe Hospital in Plainwell and is getting along about as well as can be expected.
100 Years Ago — Jan. 25, 1924
The Wayland Ladies Library Club meeting had to be canceled because the leader “was unable to carry out her program as planned… It has always been the policy of the club that if the leader cannot carry out her program as outlined, it is her duty to arrange a substitute of some sort, even though it must be done on short notice.”
Home economics girls at the high school are selling chocolate bars to help defray kitchen expenses.
The West Gun Lake skating party has been postponed. Instead there will be a shoveling party because of more than six inches of snow.
Grangers were to answer roll call at the next meeting by indicating what they can do during winter months that would lighten the load next summer.
Now showing at the Regent Theatre downtown: Glenn Hunter in “Youthful Cheaters.” Additional feature: “The Flying Dutchman.” Coming soon: James Oliver Curwood’s “In the Valley of Silent Men.”
Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Charles Ball are being handled by the Rebekahs. Mrs. Ball had been in poor health for some time and she died at her home in the village.
The M & W Light & Power Co. is in charge of constructing a new power line from Wayland to Moline.
William Warner of Shelbyville died at his home. Born in Wayland Township in 1856, he was 67.
The main roads, as well as cross roads, have been blocked to automobile traffic for most of the week and gangs of men have been shoveling out the drifts.
Mrs. Margie Rumery’s son has been critically ill from infection after suffering appendicitis, but he is gaining.
A school of instruction on internal combustion engines will be held at Fred Vader Sheer’s home in Moline.
Wilbert Jones is scheduled for an appendectomy at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo Saturday.
