(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago — Jan. 25, 1995
Peter Schloop, a Wayland High School and Grand Valley State University graduate who joined the Michigan State Police, Coldwater post, was credited with saving the life of his uncle, who had gone into cardiac arrest.
The Dorr Township Library was planning a 55th birthday celebration on Groundhog Day Feb. 2. The facility opened in 1940 at the township hall with just 22 volumes and took over the township hall in 1990 when township offices checked into a new facility across the street. Library Director Mary Johnson and five part-time employees operate the service on an annual budget of just $60,000, taken from township and state sources and penal fines.
The Allegan County Board of Commissioners voted 8-1 to provide a lifeline of $116,000 to the Alliance program and divorce its funding from grant writing. Director Barb Kaarlie pledged to remain on the job until her successor could be selected.
Wayland Police Chief Dan Miller and officer Mark Rookus arrested Wayne Halstead, 21, of Grand Rapids for the July 1993 break-in and burglary of Wayland Auto Parts.
Mary and Ken Herrema, proprietors of Englerth Gardens on 22nd Street, have asked the Hopkins Township Board to pave the road because dust is interfering with the growth of their flowers. Supervisor Kevin Cronin said the township’s two mills annually brings in only $65,000, far from what is needed to get the job done.
Todd Green and Wendell Beard, co-owners of Hopkins Elevator, have been reported to have one of the very few grain mills privately owned in West Michigan.
The Wayland High School volleyball team now owns a 22-5-4 overall record and is 3-0 in the O-K Gold Conference. The squad is led by Heather Postma, Jill Chrisman and Keri Anguilm.
Cheri Ritz has been selected Wayland High School varsity softball coach, succeeding Andrea VandenBerg, who stepped down after six seasons. Ritz had fashioned a 146-75 record at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg. She also was a star athlete at Wayland High School and Michigan State University.
After a miserable 1-7 start, the Martin basketball team has won three straight. Richie Guerrant has led the Clippers and now is getting some help inside from 6-3 sophomore Matt Talsma.
Josh Conley is 22-3, heavyweight Don Bailey 21-5 and Matt Noble 21-7 for Martin’s wrestling team that is short on numbers and has to forfeit too often.
Hopkins improved its hoops record to 9-2 by handing Saugatuck its 31st consecutive defeat on the hardcourt, 76-45.
For Wayland’s 4-13 wrestling team, Tom Jenkins is 18-5 and Heath Postma 17-9.
50 Years Ago — Jan. 21, 1970
The Globe published a front page photo of the new Wayland High School Radio Club with instructor I.P. Smith and faculty advisor Harry Multer. Charles Wright became the first member to earn certification as an amateur radio operator.
Statistics show Michigan gained two million telephones between 1960 and 1970.
The Allegan County Health Department has announced that immunizations for Rubella will be offered at Martin Schools Jan. 28 and Hopkins Schools Jan. 30.
Former Wayland Schools faculty member Mrs. George Schlogel of Flint has earned her master’s degree at Western Michigan University.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Davis of Hopkins have purchased Larry Van Volkingburg’s share in the Larry & Jack’s Appliance business.
The terms of Mayor Phil Reno, Treasurer Rose Marie Feldwisch, Assessor Ernie Martin and Councilmen Arnold Wilde, Hugh DeWeerd and Walt Gurney expire this year before the April city elections.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre: Lee Marvin in Hell in the Pacific.”
Mrs. Willard Benedict and Mrs. Henry Chachulski were featured in a photo promoting the first aid course to be offered at the Congregational Church.
Editor-Publisher Irvin P. Helmey wrote an editorial piece explaining the “weighted” voting tallies of the 21-member Allegan County Board of Supervisors, noting John Gurney of Wayland has 0,75 vote, Ralph Sytsma of Leighton Township 1.20, Clem Rewa of Dorr 0.85, and Nick Leep of Watson 1.10.
Barry Brower, in this week’s edition of “Vietnam Diary,” outlines a brief history of the region since 1905 and until 1952 when it was French Indochina.
Wayland High School graduate Greg Doty was a part of the 15th anniversary celebration in Newport News, Va., of the U.S. Enterprise, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Mack Short, former Allegan County law enforcement officer from this area, sent a letter from southern regions.
Mrs. Clifford (Minnie) Anderson, who taught at Martin School for 18 years, retiring in 1957, died at age 81.
The Wayland High School basketball team’s success continued with a 64-51 victory over Kalamazoo Christian. Don Klein scored 23 points and Boyd Heckert had 18. The Wildcats are tied for first place with Hamilton in the last hoops season for the Expressway Conference.
The Wayland varsity wrestling team thrashed Allegan 41-11, with pins recorded by Brent Irwin, Ken Merren, John Cameron, Steve McBride, Brian Martin, G. Doublestein and J. Merren.
B.J. Thomas’ “Raindrops Kepp Fallin’ on My Head” kept its hold on No. 1 among the nation’s tunes.
75 Years Ago — Jan. 26, 1945
Mrs. And Mrs. Albert Kotrba of Wayland finally were given further explanations about the death of their son, Leonard, in Hawaii. Sgt. Kotrba was filling a gas heater when it exploded, according to his chaplain.
A “brownout” of electricity will commence locally on Feb. 1, according to Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher. It will include all outdoor lighting in the village except for village street lights.
Wayland emerged as the winner of the Bar-Ken-All basketball tournament, besting visiting teams from Kelloggsville, Hopkins, Martin and Byron Center.
The telephone company has installed a public phone booth next the Hanlon Drug Store on South Main Street.
Rollo G. Mosher wrote, “The razing of the old Burleson property at East Maple and North Main marks the passing of a landmark of the horse and buggy days of Wayland.” Once owned by Sim Huntley and David Stockdale, it was a horse livery and stable and offered a horse-drawn bus. It most recently was a wastepaper storage warehouse.
Pfc. Merrill Barrett, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Barrett of Shelbyville, remains listed as missing in action in Luxembourg since Dec. 22.
Leo McClurg has bought the welding and blacksmith shop on Elm Street and changed the name to Quality Welding.
First Lt. James Delvin had earned the Air Medal as a pilot for the Twelfth Air Force Fighter Squadron in the Mediterranean Theatre, Sardinia.
Pvt. Rodney Cole now is reported as missing in action in Belgium, where he was serving with the Gilder Unit of the 82nd Airborne. He had been injured in the Normandy invasion, but had recovered to rejoin troops.
James Carpenter sent a letter to his parents from Japan, where has been held as a prisoner of war after being captured during the invasion of the Philippines.
The annual Father and Son Banquet at Leighton Evangelical Church Saturday evening will feature Wilbur Legree of Flint, “The Singing Cop.”
Letters home from the war in France were sent home by Harold Doxey, Jack Perry and Richard Hines.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Gregory Peck and Casey Robinson in “Days of Glory.”
- Smiley Burnette and Sunset Carson in “Bordertown Trails.”
- Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, W. C. Fields and Jane Powell in “Song of the Open Road.”
- George Coulouris and Paul Guilfoyle in “The Master Race.”
100 Years Ago — Jan. 23, 1920
The Barry County Board of Supervisors has been unable to reach accord on a request to build a dam at Gun Lake to protect resort property owners from low water preventing boat launches. Missing is title for land where the dam will be built.
A special farmers’ public meeting has been scheduled for Jan. 26 at Frank’s Opera House. Milo D. Campbell, president of the Milk Producers Association, will speak. The event is being sponsored by the Allegan County Farm Bureau.
The Rev. William Malcolm Young of Detroit will be in charge of a revival series at the Wayland Methodist Church. Local promoter is the Rev. Fay C. Wing of the Christian Church, who urges all local churches to forego weeknight services to come to the revival instead.
The Northeast Hopkins Community Club held an old-fashioned farmers’ dinner at the home of Louis Nichols. Miss Anna Mosier gave a presentation about her experiences as a nurse in France during the Great War.
There will be a school officers’ meeting in Allegan at the Baptist Church Jan. 30. All local districts are urged to send at least one representative to the two, two-hour sessions.
Arthur Hooker, a pioneer Leighton Township farmer, died of a heart ailment at his home in Moline.
The Shelbyville School was closed all last week because of the illness of teacher Miss Wheeler.
John Wykoski’s herd of 36 cattle suffered a major setback when veterinary Dr. O. Van Brussel pronounced them unfit for use as meat because of tuberculosis.
Many local people have been donating food and canned goods to Wayland Schools’ home economics class students who have been preparing lot lunches as part of their coursework.
Uriah Hoffman of Wayland has been declared insane after being warehoused in the Allegan County Jail and he has been transferred to the asylum in Kalamazoo.
Lucetta Hughes presented a speech on “Property Rights of Women in Michigan” to members of the Ladies Library Club.