(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)

25 Years Ago — Sept. 6, 1999

Local police now indicate that the story last week of Wayland teens being threatened by an attempted kidnapper has a lot of holes in it. Investigation has revealed that the so-called kidnapper actually was the manager of the property where they were playing and he was chasing them off his property.

Federal authorities have acknowledged that there may be a gaming casino in the works for the Gun Lake Tribe of Potawatomis. The tribe now has earned federal recognition, which is the first step.

Officers with the Operation HEMP program have ruined a local farmer’s plans for harvesting a local crop of marijuana in Prairieville Township. A total of 108 mature plants were seized.

The Dorr Township Board has adopted new rules for use of private roads. Planner Tim Johnson has developed an ordinance modeled after other area townships.

Christine Schwartz penned a letter to the editor criticizing area clergy for a poor turnout at the recent seminar in Holland on youth violence.

Editor Nila Aamoth, in her weekly Soapbox, opined that there appears to be a flurry of economic activity on West Superior Street near the U.S.-131 expressway. The Globe is seeking public opinions about what this means for downtown Wayland and what should be done about it.

Area apple farmers are protesting recent infestation of Chinese apples competing with their crops and selling at lower prices.

The Allegan County Fair is Sept. 10-18, and this year it promises a star-studded lineup of entertainment, including Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Joey McIntyre, Brittany Spears, Alan Jackson, Andy Griggs, Vince Gill and JoDee Messina.

Pat Staley wrote a feature story on Beverly Areaux of Hopkins and her home canning efforts ahead of the upcoming county fair.

Staley also wrote a feature about a Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrot Clancey, a very talkative and playful bird in the Wayland home of Dave and Lowe and daughter Chelsea.

Twins Cleon and Leon Martin were among the members of the 1949 Hopkins High School football team honored in the Vikings’ season opener. The 1949 season 50 years before was the school’s first.

Hopkins opened the grid season with a thrilling 31-28 victory over Muskegon Catholic. Wayland, meanwhile, lost 21-14 to Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, despite a game-opening 75-yard TD run by QB Josh Smith.

The Quality Farm & Fleet store on the strip mall on West Superior in Wayland has opened its doors.

Freshman Amanda Chan scored 19 points and Jessica Gilder hauled down 24 rebounds as the Hopkins girls’ varsity basketball team christened the new gymnasium with a 54-10 triumph over Kalamazoo Christian.

Kari Blain led Wayland girls to a third-place finish in the Allegan County cross-country meet. She finished first on a difficult and hot 5K course.

Wayland’s No. 2 singles Maria Siva is 9-0 thus far in tennis competition this season and Nicki Merchant is 8-1.

50 Years Ago — Sept. 3, 1974

Lenore Burchardt of Wayland, Karen Sebright of Hopkins and Melody Shook of Martin were among the nine contestants for Harvest Queen at the Allegan County Fair.

The Wayland Board of Education has accepted a bid of $10,035.63 from Andringa Lumber for six new tennis courts.

Mrs. Robert VandenToorn, Mrs. William Sleeman, and Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Lapham attended the Michigan Republican Party convention in Detroit.

Mrs. Carl Miklusicak was driving her car that left the road and crashed into the Felix Gulch house on West Superior Street. She was treated at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids for a broken arm.

Earning master’s degrees at Western Michigan University were James Newell and Sally Beaver of Hopkins, Douglas Moran of Shelbyville, Gareth Stanley and Don Rewa of Wayland and Zack Moushegian of Otsego.

Mrs. David Miller is chairwoman of the local cystic fibrosis drive Sept. 8-14.

Lee Murray is the incoming president of the Hopkins Lions Club. Martin Lions President Charles Gwilliams presided over the join meeting that beckoned 60 members total.

Members of the Garden Club plan an outing and potluck at Mr. Jim’s Animal Kingdown on old U.S.-131.

Members of the Club Kegnicades girls’ club of Moline are planning a “spook house party” to raise funds for the campaign against muscular dystrophy.

The Hopkins varsity football team is shooting for its third straight O-A Conference title with returnees Phil Arndt, Rod Hazen, Ron Shafer and Scott Pavlak. Coach Jim Newell said he expects his team and Allendale to duke it out for the league championship.

Kim Suhusky and Doug Paul are the top returning starters for the Wayland golf team.

Cody Niemchick, Jim Longstreet and John Lubberts have been elected tri-captains for the Wayland varsity football team that hopes to extend the fortunes of the 1973 squad that went 7-2.

Wayland High School graduate Dan Hall is competing for a starting position on the offensive line at Indiana State University.

Bob Walker Jr. of Charlottesville, Va., husband of the former Mary Lou Heth of Wayland, has completed an extensive course in police intelligence management. He also is a certified commercial flight instructor.

Michigan State Police Director George Halverson has indicated that Barry County in the near future will have a small state police post in Barry County to lighten the Wayland post’s work load. Included will be one lieutenant, 10 troopers, three sergeants and a detective sergeant.

Alice Calkins has announced her retirement at the Hopkins post office after serving 35 years. She was to be guest of honor at a special party at the Carriage Stop in Martin.

75 Years Ago — Sept. 9, 1949

Wayland school officials have announced a record number of students are enrolled with 779, 530 in grade school and 249 at the high school.

Grand Rapids attorney Clem Block of Grand Rapids, will speak to members of the PTA about socialized medicine and other aspects of socialism.

A meeting with the purpose of organizing the VFW Auxiliary will be held Sept. 12 at the organization’s clubhouse basement.

Workmen have uncovered a skelton on the Sliter property at Gun Lake while digging to install a septic tank. Authorities believe the bones have been there for at least several years and they have been forwarded to Lansing for examination.

Doc and Ople Murdock, owners of Van’s Gas & Electric of Wayland, have been recognized by a nationwide publication American Kitchen Distributors of Michigan.

Dorr School principal is Talbot Gordon, teachers are Mrs. Giger and Mrs. Leon Podguris.

Judge Raymond Smith has ruled that the Walker Pickle Co. has been operating under the law and permitted it to take water for a sprinkler system from Selkirk Lake as long as it doesn’t lower the lake level.

Allegan County Supt. Ray Sturgis is warning that a new state law forbids children using the excuse of working to avoid attending school if they have not graduated from reaching eighth grade.

Sturgis added that the rural school population in the county has risen by 200 to about 4,000.

Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:

• Lois Hall and James Cardwell in “Daughter of the Jungle.”
• Allan “Rocky” Lane and Eddie Waller in “Frontier Investigator.”
• Esther Williams and Red Skelton in “Neptune’s Daughter.”
• Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and Mary Jane Saunders in “Sorrowful Jones.” 

100 Years Ago — Sept. 5, 1924

Mrs. Lee Dell sent the Globe a letter giving an account of Lulu Selkirk McDermott, formerly of Wayland, who moved to California and her husband died. Dr. W.R. Robson, a former sweetheart, crossed two continents to reunite with her and they were wed Aug. 1. He gave her a wedding present of one million dollars.

Murl Streeter, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs Calvin Streeter, formerly of Gun Lake, now of Highbridge in Manistee County, had a narrow escape from a bear that chased him up a tree. He had been trout fishing with two friends.

A $5,000 suit has been filed against James Robbins in connection with a case of Royal Clark drinking poison out of a jug. (This item appeared in the 25 years ago section of the paper).

School officials reported a record attendance at Wayland school totaling 162 pupils, with 98 checking in as foreigners.

“Appearances seem to indicate that the high school will have a good football team this fall and arrangements are being made to finance the hiring of a good coach to whip the team into shape.”

George McIntyre was scheduled to lead a Grange discussion about “Is life insurance as importable as fire insurance?” And Mrs. Ball was to lead a discussion attempting to answer the question, “Have the women of today lost the art of bread making?”

Now showing at the Regent Theatre downtown: Tom Mix and Tony the Wonder Horse in “Mile a Minute Romeo.” Holbrook Blinn in “The Bad Man.” Additional comedy, “”Kids and Skids.”

Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher asked all all readers to remember to cast their votes in the primary election Tuesday, writing, “Let us keep good men in office.”

Mosher’s column reported the total population of Michigan in the 1920 census is 2,895,606 and about 3 percent are illiterate, including an estimated 2,303 Negroes.

Merrill G. Fales has resigned his position on the Globe force and will enter the commercial department at Allegan High School this fall.

Mr. And Mrs. E.D. Heydenberk and grandson Robert Heydenberk, during their trip to Yellowstone National Park, were caught in a flood at Davenport, Iowa. The camp where they were staying took on a massive load of rainwater. The women and children took refuge in the trees and the men worked furiously to save the camp in knee-deep water.

A night fire destroyed several out-buildings at the Dr. Bryson farm in Leighton Township. A large quantity of hay and chickens was destroyed.