(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago — April 24, 2000
Second District Congressman Pete Hoekstra was pictured on the Globe’s front page signing a students-generated petition to expand toll-free phone call areas, a project of Hopkins Elementary fifth-graders.
A Dorr family lost their house and possessions in a fire. Michelle Hines and her three children escaped harm in the incident at a house on 142nd Avenue, across from Tilly’s Deli.
Martin Public Schools residents will be asked to approve a $6.8 million millage request, the first in the district in many years. If approved, the money will be used for repairs and upgrades of school buildings.
Hopkins defeated Martin in a tense softball battle that went down to the wire.
The polls will be open Saturday for the special election of the Allegan County Intermediate School District.
The Dorr Township Board will ask for residents’ help in funding for paving a local street, 141st Avenue, sharing the bill with the board.
Kevin, Robin, Emily and BreeAnna Hodel all sign a joint letter to the editor supporting the ACISD special millage request.
Editor Nila Aamoth wrote a Soapbox column about the census, maintaining, “Every 10 years, legislators responding to irritated constituents, vow they will investigate the census routine. Then everybody forgets the whole thing for another ten years.”
Allegan County Probate Judge George Greig has announced he will not seek re-election to the seat he has held for the last 24 years.
Wayland Township Road Committee Chairman Neal Davis has announced his resignation because of public lack of interest in improving roads.
A site plan for Wayland’s new post office on Reno Drive has been approved and the Globe published an artist’s rendition.
Great Lakes Energy was granted permission to build a substation near the corner of South Main Street and 133rd Avenue. The facility will be named after longtime Great Lakes lineman Wayne Goodwin.
Coach Cheri Ritz’s Wayland softball team started the season on the right foot with a couple of mercy shutout wins over Plainwell. They are 4-0 this far this season.
Bette Hines, VFW Auxiliary president and charter member and post mistress at the Bradley Post Office, died at her home in Wayland. She was 75.
Former Wayland schools physical education teacher Lorraine Merchant died. She was 82.
Dale S. Ward, former president of the Wayland Board of Education and life member of the Masons, died at age 86.
50 Years Ago — April 22, 1975
City of Wayland officials will have a Mayor Exchange Day with St. Johns May 19.
Melvin Arnsman, son of Lee Dale and Peggy Rose Arnsman of Hopkins, will spend part of the upcoming summer in Germany as a representative of Youth for Understanding.
Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Genther of Wayland are hosts this summer to a 17-year-old foreign exchange student from Chile. He attends Wayland High School as a senior.
Allegan County District Judge Gary Stewart’s refused to drop the charges of cockfighting against 44 people who attended an event in Leighton Township.
Dedication services for the new United Church of Wayland building on East Superior Street will be held April 27.
The Globe published the third installment of letters from WHS graduate Tom Latondress insisting that the only problem with marijuana in society is that it has been deemed a controlled substance.
Local brothers Wade and Rex Greenawalt decided to “rough it” down the Rabbit River boating for about four miles and trying to suggest the Rabbit is not just for fishing.
Hopkins Elementary teacher Ellen Penhorwood is offering a series of “In Tune with Physical Education” demonstration sessions.
Senior Russ McCarren copped four first-place finishes, one each in both hurdles, one in the high jump and another in a leg of the 880-yard relay, as Wayland’s track steam split a season-opening double dual meet.
Doug Beek delivered a game-winning bloop single for the Wildcats’ baseball team in a 4-3 win over Plainwell. Wayland’s twin bill with Hopkins was snowed out.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Tanner were honored by Western Michigan University to take a special tour of the WMU campus.
WHS students Craig Suhusky, clarinet, Kim Suhusky, trumpet, and percussionist Garry Grasinski have been selected to play in an all-star band at Western Michigan University.
Wayland High School senior Alice Kessler and the Rev. Richard Koster have just returned from an International Affairs seminar trip to Lansing, New York and Washington D.C.
Harry VanLonkhuyzen is heading up an effort to launch an American Legion post in Dorr.
The Wayland Lions Club will offer its final travelogue in this year’s series April 24, featuring the world’s highest country, Bolivia.
Mrs. Thomas Ayers, grand organist, will be honored at a special program of the Wayland chapter of the Order of Eastern Starr.
Wayland High School graduate Patricia Krup was one of 10 Nazareth College students selected to the Kappa Gamma Pi national honor society.
William Brown Leloney VII, son of Mr. And Mrs. William B. Maloney VI, is a cast member in the play “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” at Albion College.
Mark Hilaski and Jim Schwartz were the big heroes in Hopkins’ two season-opening baseball victories.
A “Spirit of ’76” dinner in preparation of the Bicentennial is scheduled for May 15. Committee co-chairs are Gene Weber and Mrs. Dennis Reno.
Emmanuel Dreier, formerly of Wayland, died at age 68. He was a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, having served in World War II.
Longtime Hopkins resident Ada Iliff, died just after her 103rd birthday at Bethany Nursing Home near Bloomingdale.
B.J. Thomas copped the No. 1 slot among the nation’s tunes with (Hey! Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.”
75 Years Ago — April 28, 1950
Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher reported that 100 legal sized brown trout have been planted in the Rabbit River. A four and a half pound brown was taken by Haven Tarnutzer and Clayton Blue.
Watson Township residents in Maloney Rural School have voted to join the Martin Agricultural School District.
Joseph Iciek, 51, of Hopkins Township, was found dead in a silo chute on his farm by his wife, Rose. Coroner Clyde Dickinson was said the cause of death of a suicide by hanging. Iciek had been known as one of Allegan County’s most prosperous farmers.
The Wayland baseball team defeated Byron Center 10-4. Milton VanDuine struck out 12 batters in six innings. However, Wayland lost later in the week 11-3 to Delton.
Farmers below Gun Lake have been granted permission to proceed with a drain project that will include 10 miles and 7,000 acres of muck.
Czech native Mrs. Zuzan Kris died at the age of 83 at her son’s home in Shelbyville. She came to the U.S. via plane in January 1949.
Russell Hanlon of Wayland was a member of the 60-voice Albion College Choir that gave a concert in Grand Rapids. Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Hoffmaster were in attendance to hear and watch their grandson.
Mrs. A.H. Snook was guest speaker at the Guild of Lutheran Women tea at Charlevoix, reviewing “The Three Wishes of Jamie McRuin.”
The Allegan County Board of Supervisors adopted a budget of $457,000 for 1950-51, including a levy of 9.48 mills.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Warner Baxter as “The Prison Warden.”
- Monte Hale in “The Vanishing Westerner.”
- Lauren Bacall, Kirk Douglas and Doris Day in “Young Man with a Horn.”
- Humphrey Bogart, Eleanor Parker and Raymond Massey in “Chain Lightning.”
100 Years Ago — April 24, 1925
The annual junior play for Wayland High School will be “Miss Somebody Else” at the Regent Theatre April 30 and May 1.
Supt. G.W. Petite will serve as a judge for a debate in Grand Rapids between the junior college and Central State Normal on the issue proposing two-thirds of Congress may override Supreme Court decisions.
Now showing at the Regent Theatre downtown: “D.W. Griffith Presents America.” Elaine Hammerstein in “Broadway Gold.” George O’Hara, Kit Guard, Alberta Vaughan and Al Cooke in “The GoTogethers.”
Allegan farmer Cassius Rockwell has reported he was attacked and robbed of $15,000 while sleeping in his auto while parked in Goshen, Ind.
More than dozen vehicles arrived in town Tuesday carrying the Grand Rapids Wholesalers. “They were a very genius bunch of gentlemen and we hope they will pay our town another visit.”
The brother-in-law of Alfred Marks of Bradley drove his car through Ward’s barber shop in Bradley.
Seventy adults and children took part in Pomona Grange’s potluck dinner.
The senior class of Wayland High School has placed a large order of graduation announcements from the Globe printing department.
The Bradley Indians are planning next August a revival meeting at grove of Selkirk Sprague east of Bradley.
Glenn G. Fales has been re-elected president of the state association of horseshoeing.
