(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
The old Plank Road passing by a house in Martin Township in the late 19th century.
25 Years Ago — May 10, 1999
Because of the recent Columbine school shooting tragedy, there seems to be an uptick in phony bomb threats being made to area schools, most recently to Wayland schools. The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest in connection with a threat incident at Martin schools.
Wayland High School Assistant Principal Linden Anderson, who has been with the school system as a teacher, coach and administrator for more than three decades, has decided to retire. He also is former mayor and Planning Commission member for the City of Wayland.
The Dorr Township Board is taking action to put a stop to solicitations at the four corners of the 18th Street and 142nd Avenue intersection.
The Hopkins and Wayland High School softball teams are on top of the O-K Silver and O-K Gold Conferences, respectively. The Wildcats won the Spring Lake Invitational and copped seven wins in six days. The Vikings now are 5-0 in league play.
Editor Nila Aamoth announced in her Soapbox column that the Penasee Globe has established a web site and is joining the Internet revolution. She issued an invitation to local residents to submit news items, such as letters, weddings, reunions, anniversaries via e-mail on the world wide web.
Jennifer Koch, a 1996 graduate of Wayland High School attending Valparaiso College in Indiana, sent a guest editorial telling Wayland High School officials not to fall for stereotyping students who wear trench coats in the wake of the Columbine tragedy.
Don Moore of Moline penned a letter to the editor expressing opposition to Pine Street Elementary starting one hour earlier next fall.
Cory Retig of Byron Center was sentenced to six months of work release from the Allegan County jail after being found guilty of driving while impaired and causing injuries to three Wayland High School students on Aug. 4, 1998.
Paula Zerndt and Marcia Slagter sent letters opposing Pine Street’s new starting hours because they didn’t want young children riding the bus with high school students.
Thanks to community development block grants from the State of Michigan, construction continues on the road inside the industrial park and on 133rd Avenue west of Division (10th Street).
The Globe published a photo of Cole Lutz as a member of the WHS tennis team. Lutz today is superintendent of streets for the City of Wayland.
The Globe also published a photo of Katie Laisure and Sarah Kouchnerkavitch singing the national anthem before the start of a Wildcat soccer match.
The Wayland 100-meter relay team of Mike Jandernoa, Ken Marquard, Jed Turcott and Jessy Simmons came through in the last event to power the Wildcats to a thrilling 69-68 dual meet victory over South Christian.
Hopkins’ Jon Slyker earned a 17-5 pitching victory over Saugatuck for the first time though he has been better known as a feared, hard-hitting first baseman.
The Hopkins girls’ varsity track team is battling Comstock Park for the O-K Silver Conference lead.
Martin’s Becky Justice set two meet records at the Centreville Invitational in the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles, but the Clippers just missed first place by three points.
50 Years Ago — May 7, 1974
Janice Thomas, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Thomas, was crowned Miss Wayland at the fourth annual variety show. She was crowned by the 1973 queen Jane Kessler Mauchmar.
Rep. Dan Angel will be guest speaker at the Allegan County GOP dinner at Lake Doster Club May 15.
The Martin Clipper High School band earned first division rating at the Michigan High School Band and Orchestra festival, marking the third time this academic year the group, under the direction of Fred Bogdan, has earned the honors.
R.J. Barney Nicolai has sold his Gulf gas station of the past 18 years to Monte Listopad. Nicolai, who has been involved in the local oil business for the past 40 years, plans to work part time at the station at Maple and North Main.
Mrs. Frank Nauseida, Mrs. David Meinke and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Acheson, wrote letters to the editor challenging allegations by “Disturbed Taxpayer” of favoritism and misuse of funds for the French Club trip to France in April.
The annual mother-daughter banquet at United Church of Wayland will be May 13, featuring a chalk talk on the book of Ruth.
The Rev. Earl Green will be guest speaker for a revival series at Dorr Baptist Church. His wife is the former Marcia TerBeek of Moline.
The Junior High Parents’ Group is working hard on reducing truancy at the school, with the assistance of Principal Robert Marutz.
The Wayland High School Class of 1959 held its 15-year reunion at the Middle Villa with 23 members present.
The Hopkins baseball team, coached by Mark Austin, is assured of at least a tie for the A-O Conference baseball championship with a doubleheader sweep over Fennville. Stellar mound performances were turned in by Bernie Steffes and Louis Stein, who also leads the team in batting average.
Wayland senior Paul Heckert captured first place in the Allegan single tournament that included 30 players. Coach Tom Tarnutzer said it was the first time a Wildcat had accomplished the feat. Meanwhile, the Wildcat team, featuring doubles team of Kathy Worfel and L.V. Frank, has surged into third place in the O-K Blue Conference.
Tom Damveld is 3-0 against league opponents on the mound for Wayland and Jon Johnson is leading the ‘Cats in hitting.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources plans to plant 1.7 million walleye fry in Gun Lake.
Phil, Jeff and David Lenhart of the Hopkins FFA, along with Lee Dreyer, John Watson and and Steve Gratz attended a special leadership camp near Cassopolis.
Lawrence Jones, a World War II veteran who owned and operated a service station in Burnips for 33 years, died at Zeeland Community Hospital. He was 64.
75 Years Ago — May 13, 1949
Word has been received of the death of Milton Gunn, an attorney at Helena, Montana. He was an 1884 graduate of Wayland High School.
Voters approved a request for $80,000 from Wayland schools to build an addition at the school complex to house six more classrooms. The tally was 217 to 187. A second proposal to increase the 15-mill tax levy to cover the cost of the bond was approved 238-209.
Joan Lacey, 19, and Carl Miklusicak, 21, both were treated at St. Mary’s Hospital and released after suffering injuries from an auto rollover. They had been returning from a dance at Gun Lake.
Wayland Schools Supt. R.J. Steeby has announced that Zale Frey has been hired as full-time instructor at the Wayland Veterans Institute. Frey this year earned certification from Michigan State College.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Doublestein are on a trip on the Atlantic Ocean via the Queen Elizabeth to Cherbourg, France.
Donna Carey of Wayland, a student Western Michigan College, won first place in the state press and poetry contest sponsored by the Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League.
The Wayland Rod and Gun Club trap shooting range has been moved from the Carl Ryno property to a site in back of the Wayland Livestock Sales. Trap shooting will resume Sunday morning.
Jennie Monteith died at her home in Martin, the community where she had lived for all of her 88 years.
The Hopkins Board of Education has scheduled a vote on a proposed new school building for May 16. The new building would be an addition to the current structure and provide eight new classrooms. Cost has been estimated at $165,000, with a bond of $135,000 to be paid off with 15 mills over 20 years. The addition would be for elementary children in kindergarten, first and second grades.
The remains of Donald Gurney are being sent to Wayland, but funeral arrangements haven’t yet been made. Gurney was killed serving with the Marine Raiders in the Solon Islands during World War II.
Hopkins Township schools entertained rural children with a field day, including running, jumping and ball throwing events.
Mrs. A.H. Snook of Wayland has been elected president of the Parkwood Garden Club of Kalamazoo.
Sycamore School District No. 4 has been honored for excellent work in teaching traffic safety and safety patrol activity. Teacher for the school is Mrs. Helen Hudson.
Twin sisters Fay and Kay Hall were baptized at the Free Methodist Church in Bradley this past Sunday.
Wayland has a perfect 6-0 record in the Bar-Ken-All League standings. The Wildcats have averaged 11 runs and 12 hits per game thus far.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
• William Gargan and Virginia Welles in “Dynamite.”
• Charles Starrett and Smiley Burnette in “Quick on the Trigger.”
Vera Ralston and Brian Ahearne in “Angel on the Amazon.”
• Richard Widmark, Lionel Barrymore and Dean Stockwell in “Down to the Sea in Ships.”
100 Years Ago — May 9, 1924
Special programs are planned all week in Wayland for the “Better Homes” series. Demonstrations are planned at the home of Mrs. Charles Yeakey and at Henika Library.
The comedic play “Jumbo Jum” will be presented to members of the Wayland Grange.
The local Boy Scout troop will present a three-act comedy “Safety First” at the Regent Theatre downtown.
Bertha Anne Curths, born in Germany in 1879, died at age 45. She came to the United States in 1900.
Now showing at the Regent Theatre: Wallace Reid, Agnes Ayers and May McAvoy in “Clarence.”
Douglas Fairbanks in “The Three Musketeers.”
Byron Hackett was injured when his team of horses became frightened and ran away, throwing him from his wagon, causing him to suffer cuts to his face.
German native Martin Hoerner died at Allegan hospital. He came to Wayland to live and farm in 1919. He was 74.
The mothers’ meeting was well attended. After debate, it was resolved that emigration should be further restricted.
Members of the Congregational Church played a joke on the Rev. and Mrs. W.M. Todd by placing a sign at their home reading, “Closed by the Board of Health.”It was their 37th anniversary.
Ball games at the school are proving to be quite interesting for the youngsters at Ohio Corners.
E. A. Stowe, editor of the Michigan Tradesman, stopped in at the Wayland Globe.
Work on the new grade school is progressing rapidly. The foundation is completed and work on upper stories is under way.
Wayland Township is considering erecting a township hall on a lot east of the village hall.
The seventh and eighth grade examinations will be held May 15 and 16.
Fred Leggett was awarded the contract to build a mile of country road east of Wayland from the village limits to the Stockdale Farm.
L.D. Chapple was chosen to represent the district as secretary of the Republican Party convention. Rollo G. Mosher was elected as a delegate of the Fourth Congressional District.
Village Marshal John Devitt is warning motorists not to turn their cars around in the middle of the block downtown.