COVER PHOTO: Ford and Barry Brower in 1947
(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago — Oct. 25, 1999
A gravel and sand mining company is including a lake and housing development in its ambitious project in Leighton Township. The Bob-O-Link Associates project would do mining operations near Second Street on the east side of the township.
Wayland’s varsity football team came up with a thrilling 30-28 upset victory over South Christian. Kurt Koopman and Neal Frying both recovered an onside kick and QB Bob Miklusicak and receiver Josh Smith did the last-minute offensive heroics.
The Martin Public Schools system is sporting a new set of computers.
James VanWarmer, a Sycamore Elementary student in the Hopkins district was able to keep a cool head to help in a crisis, in which fellow fifth-grader Beth Dykstra suffered an epileptic seizure at school.
Editor Nila Aamoth asked in her Soapbox that readers who send letters to the editor sign their names or somehow indicate who they are.
Nancy Smith and Jan Allman sent a letter to the editor insisting that Halloween is a religious celebration of the occult and witchcraft and suggested public schools should not observe the quasi-holiday.
The Yankee Springs Township Planning Commission has voted against recommending resizing for a proposed mobile home park on 170 acres west of the Yankee Springs Golf Course and just south of the Yankee Springs Meadows park.
Christopher Blanco and Brittany Evans took part in a Michigan Municipal League conference, representing Wayland High School.
Wayland city employees now are using Polaris Ranger six-wheeler vehicles to get into tight spots where a truck can’t go.
The band “Throng,” featuring Hopkins young men Paul Scobey, Steve Spray, Dan Weisse and Mark Scobey, performed a gig at the 54th Street Lounge in Grand Rapids.
Wayland’s marching band earned a first division rating at the festival in Wayland, playing “Mars,” “Venus” and “Jupiter” from “The Planets” suite by Gustav Holtz. Directors were Michelle Stephenson and Steve Working.
Hopkins is awaiting a call for post-season playoffs after beating Morley-Stanwood 54-6 and improving its overall record to 7-1.
The very young Hopkins girls’ basketball team has won its last six games and now sports a 9-6 overall record.
Wayland has continued to cruise on the hardcourt, recording a 10-0 record in the O-K Gold Conference and 13-1 overall. The ringleaders again are Nicole Merchant, Jessie Merchant and Kara Potter.
Kari Blain of Wayland made the all-conference cross-country team in the O-K Gold.
Luke Williams broke the Hopkins school record in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:19.
50 Years Ago — Oct. 22, 1974
Six gentlemen from Australia visited Wayland and confessed they were puzzled and impressed by Ewell Gibbons and his comments about wild hickory nuts.
Alice E. Thompson, 58, has been chosen postmaster for the Hopkins post office.
Mrs. Thomas Ayers of Wayland has been named organist for the Michigan Order of Eastern Star.
The deaths of two candidates forced changes for the ballots in the upcoming Nov. 5 election. One was Goldie Miner, running for trustee in Watson Township as a Democrat. The other was Allegan Township Treasurer Jack Tillman.
Lt. Gov. James Brickley will be special guest speaker at the dedication of the new Hopkins Elementary school building.
The Globe published two pieces of information sent from Hopkins schools and Wayland schools, helping to mark American Education Week Oct. 27-Nov. 2.
Claude Smith of Wayland was elected treasurer of the Allegan County Association for Retired School Personnel. Mr. Smith is a retired math instructor at Wayland High School.
Sparked by rushing exploits of John Lubberts and Jim Longstreet, Wayland’s varsity football team defeated Hamilton 18-8.
Hopkins tuned up for its league gridiron showdown next Saturday with Allendale by turning back upset-minded Saugatuck, 22-18. Mel Arnsman came up with a crucial fumble recovery and Ron Shafer tossed a 10-yard TD pass to Bernie Smith and found Scott Pavlov for a two-point conversion. Phil Arndt had an 82-yard TD run on a kickoff return.
Martin absorbed its first league loss, 38-22 at the hands of Marcellus. Duane Knight tossed two TD passes.
Sports writer David Young crowed that he was 16 for 18 pigskin predictions thus far this season for Martin, Wayland and Hopkins football teams.
Wildcat Cheri Ritz went undefeated against all comers and claimed the individual tennis championship in the O-K Blue Conference.
The Wayland cross-country team, led by Kelvin Lapham and Roger VanVolkinburg, completed its season with an overall record of 4-4 and was fourth in the O-K Blue Conference.
The Hopkins golf team, coached by Barry Kiefer and led by medalist Steve Adamczyk, settled for second place in the league’s final standings.
Penny Ellis scored 11 points, but the Wayland girls’ basketball team lost to Caledonia and now is 0-3.
Mr. And Mrs. Oliver Francisco celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary at Green Lake.
The Hilliards chapter of the Knights of Columbus had a special event to honor past Grand Knights Ken Harris, Louis Peets, Paul Stein, Wayne Bella, Arnie Adamczyk, Hubert Niemchick, Joseph McCarthy, Bernie Damveld and Robert Wagner.
Wayland city patrolman Dan Miller alerted Wayland Fire Dept. to a brush fire on the interurban on the southwest side of the city. Firefighters were able to handle the trouble with little difficulty.
“Nothing From Nothing” by Billy Preston took over the No. 1 slot this week among the nation’s tunes.
75 Years Ago — Oct. 28, 1949
The Wayland “Reserves,” missing seniors, lost 20-7 to Hopkins on a Wednesday night contest. Wayland agreed to play only its freshmen, sophomores and juniors because this was Hopkins’ first season playing the sport at the varsity level. Phil Hines scored the ‘Cats only TD, set up by a pass from Jack Warner to Dick Sprague. Elmer Wright scored for the Blue Devils on a 45-yard return of an intercepted pass. Gene Norman and Jim Newell scored the other Hopkins TDs.
The Allegan chapter of Barber Shop Quartets plans a special holiday concert Dec. 3.
Glenn Clark was selected master of the Leighton Grange, which will sponsor its annual chicken dinner at the hall Nov. 3.
An Emergency Polio Party was able to raise $280, to be turned over to the Allegan County Polio Chapter.
A crew of men applied blacktop to surfaces on Plum and Cedar streets in town, improving the two gravel roads.
A masquerade and dance is planned for Saturday, Oct. 29, at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Hall, Gun Lake.
A drought in Bradley house building since the end of the war was broken by Mr. And Mrs. Wheeler Shinville.
Mr. and Mrs. Halden Hudson are moving from their summer home at Gun Lake to their new, modernized house on Plum Street in Wayland.
The Wayland Roller Rink has announced it will be open now four nights a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m.
A Halloween party will be held Monday, Oct. 31, at the Moline Agricultural School in Moline, featuring cider, doughnuts, sandwiches and coffee.
The L.P. Reno family received word that Mrs. Reno will be released from University of Kansas Hospital, where she spent about a week for observation and complete checkup.
A special election is planned for Nov. 10 at the school library from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m. because a mistake was made on the May 10 bond vote on borrowing $80,000 to build an addition to the current school building.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Guy Madison, Rory Calhoun and Carole Matthews in “Massacre River.”
- Burt Lancaster, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains and Peter Lorre in “Rope of Sand.”
- Howard Duff, Dan Duryea and Shelly Winters in Johnny Stool Pigeon.”
100 Years Ago — Oct. 24, 1924
The agriculture class at the Wayland grammar school has made collections of different kinds of soil and mounted specimens.
Third- and fourth-graders have been making black cats, witches, owls and the like for art work celebrating Halloween.
“The opening gun of the Republican campaign will be fired tonight when a big Republican Rally and banquet will be staged at Woodman Hall.” One of the speakers will be Congressman John Ketchum.
Members of the Ladies Library Club had interesting discussions about “My Favorite Trips.”
Now showing at the Regent Theatre downtown: Stonghart the Wonder Dog in “The Love Master.” Laura LaPlante in “Excitement.” Additional comedy, “The Cornfed Sleuth.”
Third- and fourth-graders are learning to write their own music drills because they do not have a phonograph.
Allegan County Drain Commissioner W.E. Wilson has let a drain contract for work to be done at the George B. Chambers farm, divided into six sections.
The county nurse visited the Kinner School and found that a large number of children attending the school have bad eyers and teeth.
A “Save Our Schools” display advertisement insisted the upcoming millage request will not add a penny to local taxes, but “will assure complete and permanent separation of church and state and hasten the assimilation of our foreign-born residents.”
The Wayland High School football team defeated Lee Street 39-0.
Douglas Nash, local blackface artist, sang several songs on the first radio broadcast from Grand Rapids.
Dorothea Baker and Natalie Kurdel travel to Grand Rapids each week to take classes in sketching.
The speaker who was supposed to address members of the Northeast Hopkins Community Club failed to show, disappointing virtually all. Fay Hazel and Burdette Blair filled in with song and dance and verbal presentations.
Henna Library Director Fanny Hoyt touted the arrival of the story, “Waiting in the Dark for the Bloodthirsty Vampire Bat to Bite Him” in this month’s edition of Popular Mechanics.
