(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago — April 17, 1995
Mayor Michael DeWeerd in a letter to the editor, thanked local citizens for their participation in recycling efforts and pledged to make the practices more convenient in the future.
Because the immediate threat to nearby residents is gone, Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials have determined the Misak Landfill i9n Yankee Springs Township isn’t likely to be a site for environmental cleanup.
Gov. John Engler is expected to propose a five- to seven-cent increase in taxes to help fund road improvements as the Build Michigan program is coming to an end.
Daniel Kelsey wrote an enterprise piece on the growth and spread of piles of discarded tires. The story featured Tom Miller of Watson Township, Gordon Lyons of Middleville and Don Kern of Martin.
Lynn Mandaville and Rick Cain are the incumbent board members on the ballot for Wayland schools, opposed by newcomers Robert Wiersema II of Dorr, Kenneth Olney of Wayland and former board member Diane Smith of Wayland.
Robert Beck of Hopkins is spearheading an effort to clean up the Rabbit River water quality for fishing and has enlisted help from the Allegan County Soil and Conservation District.
Dale Buskirk of Martin has been selected district chairman for the Lions Club, taking in the counties of Allegan, Barry, Ottawa, Muskegon, Kent and Ionia.
Hopkins pitcher Ryan Rewa fired a two-hit shutout, striking out 14. As the Vikings beat Martin 5-0. Catcher Jerry Funk helped the defensive effort by throwing out two would-be base stealers.
New Wayland High School softball coach Cheri Ritz captured her first victory with a 2-1 victory over Hastings. Angie Farmer outdueled Saxons’ hurler Amanda Jennings. Andrea Schloop walked, stole second and third and scored on a suicide squeeze by Kim Hendricks for the winning run.
Karen Schwartz and Toni Newell were the winning pitchers in Hopkins’ first two softball victories.
50 Years Ago — April 15, 1970
Allegan County Circuit Judge Chester Ray died of lung cancer at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was 57.
The Wayland, Hopkins and Martin Lions Clubs are joining forces to help defray the hospital costs of 11-year-old Terry Hildebrand, who was seriously injured in a tractor accident near Shelbyville.
A Hopkins Variety Show to raise money for the band and athletic programs, is scheduled April 17 and 18. Shown in a photo making preparations were John Dunsmore, Mrs. Lee Dale Arnsman, Mrs. Roman Stankey, Mark Austin and David Dagley.
Lester Flatt and the Homesteaders from the Grand Ole Opry will be guest performers at a show to benefit the Fraternal Order of Police Saturday afternoon at the Wayland High School gym.
U.S. Senate candidate Lenore Romney, wife of former Gov. George Romney, will be guest speaker at the Allegan County Republican Party dinner next month.
Martin voters will go to the polls April 26 in a special election to decide Martin Schools’ request for a renewal of 13 mills.
Tuba soloist Nick VanderVeen will be featured in a Wayland High School band concert at the boys’ gym.
Among the all-A students at St. Therese School for the most recent marking period were seventh-grader Mike Sevigny and eighth-graders Jan Schoemaker, Harry Walker, Alice Fifelski and Deb Kirkby.
The Rev. J. Lawrence Ward, former pastor at the Martin and Shelbyville United Methodist Churches, died in Sanford, Fla.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre: “Journey to the Far Side of the Sun.”
Wayland businessman Harold Weaver wrote a letter to the editor asking local citizens to cooperate with 1970 census enumerators, of which he was one.
Mrs. Huse Johnson was elected president of the Henika Ladies Library Club.
Hopkins FFA member Jon Koster captured first place in the Michigan Broiler Contest.
75 Years Ago — April 20, 1945
In the wake of the news of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher wrote of successor Harry Truman, “He will make us a good president and we intend to string along with his policies until we find out differently.”
Mosher also bemoaned the death of war correspondent Ernie Pyle, killed by Japanese machine gun fire in battle.
The Wayland Village Council opened bids for the sale of the old fire truck to open up more room in the village garage. Mosher noted the truck had served since 1917 and plans to use the vehicle in an American Legion parade had fallen through.
While spearing suckers on the Rabbit River, a couple of local anglers mistakenly nabbed two brown trout ahead of the official season opener. The fish weighed six and four pounds.
Wayland Grange planned a discussion for the next meeting on, “Should the Grange encourage the family farm?” Elton Calkins, Mae Smith and Howard Clack were moderators.
The Wayland girls’ basketball team this spring is tied with Martin for first place in the Barkenall League standings.
Retired farmer George Manchester died. He had lived in Wayland and Gun Plains townships for a combined 65 years.
Dr. Arthur Larson and 12 local Boy Scouts took part in a Scout Rally in Allegan, demonstrating how to start a fire with just flint and steel.
Services were held at the Martin United Methodist Church for Army Cpl. Garth Bush of Shelbyville, who was killed in action March 28 while serving in Germany.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Gene Autry in “Red River Valley.”
- Michael O’Shay and Lloyd Nolan in “Circumstantial Evidence.”
- Marjorie Reynolds, Charlie Ruggles and Fay Bainter in “Three Is a Family.”
- Dorothy McGuire, James Dunn, Joan Blondell and Peggy Ann Garner in “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.”
100 Years Ago — April 16, 1920
The freshman class held a bake sale and raised $7.50 for the athletic program.
Weather permitting, the Wayland boys’ baseball and girls’ basketball teams will take on Martin in both sports contests Saturday afternoon.
The nation-wide railroad strike has affected Wayland in that the condensary is unable to obtain coal for the facility and must down on its hours of lighting.
Roll call answer for the Ladies Library Club meeting was “Bright sayings of children.”
The Michigan Farm Bureau is organizing a central exchange for cooperative elevators in this state, according to Allegan County Agent Alfred Bentall.
A display advertisement indicated the Battle Creek Sanitarium was seeking 40 women to work at the facility for dining room and kitchen work. The sanitarium offered living quarters.
Mrs. Harold Young has been granted a divorce from her husband who lives in Elgin, Ill. She now will be known by her maiden name, Miss Pearl Skinner.
The Ladies Aid of the Christian Church will do plain sewing, mending and darning and they will tie comforters.
Work on tearing down the old grandstand at the Allegan County Fair has begun to make way for a new one and a new floral hall.
The Republican Party County Convention is nearing. Wayland has 10 delegates, Hopkins nine, Martin eight, and Dorr and Leighton townships get six each.
Hundreds visited the Auto Show and Bargain Days downtown, buoyed by splendid weather conditions. One feature was a tour of the new Auto Sales and Service business in the old Perkins Building.
The Caledonia News had high praise for Rollo Mosher and the Globe for extensive coverage of the auto show, resulting the paper’s largest edition ever.
Charles Ellis of Leighton Township is not seeking another term, so the Allegan County Board of Supervisors will have to find another chairman.
COVER PHOTO: A look inside the iconic Martin Diner from many years ago. (Photo courtesy of Christie Fontaine)