25 Years Ago — Dec. 8, 1993
The Bruce Aukema family members of Martin Township insist their recent health problems and related troubles for their animals are the result of stray electric voltage.
The Dorr Township Board denied a request from Louis Bartz to rezone the property behind the Dairy Ranch on 142nd Avenue to accommodate contruction of an apartment complex.
Al Henry has offered $20,000 to the Watson Township for purchase of the 20-acre lot at 115th Avenue and 12th Street, which used to be the site of the Watson/Martin Township landfill.
Peg Merren penned a letter to the editor urging local residents to get in touch with former Wayland businesswoman Dorothy Arbanas, who now was living in Grand Rapids in a retirement home.
Cousins Marcus, 21, and Clinton Shook, 20, have been charged with the break-in at the Sea Shanty store, Gun Lake.
Watson Township Supervisor Marv Henricksen has announced an arrangement to give Glenn Leep more time to sell the former Carriage Stop Restaurant building sitting idle. The building formerlywas owned by Gordon Lyons, who is trying to sell the old eatery’s equipment to the Red Brick Inn, Plainwell.
The Bradley Indian Settlement and Cemetery is asking the Allegan County Road Commission to designate 128th Avenue as a natural beauty road.
Three new troopers, Ray Hoffman, Steve Hickman and Jeff Schripsema, have joined the Wayland post of the Michigan State Police.
Selkirk Lake area residents have told the Wayland Township Board they are concerned about the lack of septic system management, which they maintain is causing pollution of the lake.
Named to the all-conference football team for the O-K Gold were Wayland players Joe Jandernoa at quarterback, Mike Paekes, Matt Barghan, Mike Selzer and Mike Westfahl. Making the all-league girls’ basketball team was Chris Holben and freshman Angie Farmer was honorable mention.
Hopkins High School football standout Kris Knobloch, an all-MIAA defensive player at Albion College, was killed in auto accident. The son of Pat and Eugene Knobloch of Hopkins, he had been employed since graduation as a child care worker at Starr Commonwealth.
Linden Steeby of Leighton Township was ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution and serve five years probation and 60 days in jail for the embezzlement of hot tub parts from Quality Pools in Wayland.
50 Years Ago — Dec. 4, 1968
Ed and Barbara Nickels wrote a letter to the editor praising members of the community for their caring responses to the news of their daughter’s traffic accident. Patricia Nickels was still recovering, but her dog was killed in the crash.
Shirley Holley was selected as winner of the annual Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award for Martin High School.
Fire on Thanksgiving Day destroyed the Moline home of Verle Risner, who lived across the street from Moline Community School. The family also had a house fire in the Gun Lake area a couple of years earlier. They are seeking new housing near Corinth.
Staff Sgt. Jerry McFarland of Moline received the Army Commendation Medal with the 34th Engineering Battalion in Vietnam.
The Wayland City Council is seeking a $53,000 federal loan to help defray costs for a sanitary sewer system.
The second annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Wayland will get under way at 7 p.m. this Friday, with Santa expected to arrive downtown.
Wayland elementary students will present a Christmas concert Dec. 12 and the high school choirs will perform their holiday presentation Dec. 19. Both will be presented in the boys’ gym of Pearl Street.
Historian John Pahl of Allegan, guest speaker for the holiday program for the Wayland Chamber of Commerce, said, “Many communities like ours have neglected to keep pace with improvements (in infrastructure), and are now faced with having to finance them. The federal pot is too pinched to help.”
Wayland opened its varsity basketball with a 58-51 victory over Hopkins. Randy Rairigh dropped in 11 points, Mark Schipper had 10 and Don Klein and Jim Ritsema nine each. Don Krause scored 16 points and Jim Anderson 11 for the Vikings. Hopkins lost 61-43 to Fennville, with Krause bagging 14 markers and Anderson 11.
Charlie Frost’s “Surveying the Sports Scene” column debuted on the Globe sports pages with an examination of the top college basketball teams for the 1968-69 season. Obviously, UCLA and Lew Alcindor topped the list.
Robert Church, a 1960 Hopkins High School graduate, was presented with the Abbott Award for hospital pharmaceutical research.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre: Elvis Presley in “Live a Little, Love a Little.”
Kris Mellon, Joanne Grzesak and Carolyn Chrisman are serving as candy stripers at Pipp Community Hospital in Plainwell.
Patty Adams, who spent part of her summer as a foreign exchange student, was guest speaker at the recent meeting of the Elenbaas Guild with the presentation, “Christmas in Denmark.”
75 Years Ago — Dec. 10, 1943
The Wayland varsity basketball team bounced back from its season-opening loss to defeat Delton 33-31. “Sutton was high point man with 18.” Co-captains of the team are Bill McElwee and Ed Christensen. The squad will take its 1-1 record to Byron Center next Friday.
Village Treasurer Harold Fox has reported that the tax rate has decreased slightly this year to $13.55 per $1,000 valuation.
There is a serious demand for wastepaper for the war effort and paper mills are paying good prices for it.
Bud Snook is in charge of the Rotary “Ladies Night Out at the Red Brick Tavern in Plainwell, an event intended to honor the Rotary Anns.
Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher announced, “We are printing by far the greatest number of papers ever in the history of the Globe.”
Mrs. Ruby Smith will be in charge of the program for the next meeting of the Dorr Farmers Club at the Wayland Grange.
The Anti-Can’t Club is planning a chicken dinner and holiday bazaar, with help from the Pegaways, at the Congregational Church.
Capt. Wayne Brown, commander, wrote a letter to the parents of the late Fredrick Deardorf, who was killed in a plane crash near Panama. He wrote, “He was a superior officer and a gentleman. The squadron will miss him.”
The Wayland Ladies Library Club’s Christmas program will be Dec. 21 in the music room of the high school. “All members are urged to attend and bring gifts for the Indian children.”
Chet Brevitz and Haven Tarnutzer wrote letters to the Globe from where they are serving in the military. Tarnutzer was complimentary of Mosher for publishing his “Dear Bud” series that include bits and pieces of new of interest to military servicemen.
Mosher, in his latest “Dear Bud” installment, noted, “No colored street lights this year because of the wartime restrictions. Toys for the kiddies are mostly made of wood this year.”
Martha and Louis Japinga are the proud parents of a baby boy, Donald Louis, born at Pipp Hospital in Plainwell. Eighteen years later, Donald would be an all-state football player.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Franchot Tone, Marsha Hunt and Gene Kelly in “Pilot No. 5.”
- Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in “Air Raid Wardens.”
- Gene Tierney, Don Ameche, Charles Coburn and Marjorie Main in “Heaven Can Wait.”
- Fred Waring and Pricilla Lane in “Varsity Show.”
- Merle Oberon and Brian Aherne in “First Comes Courage.”
100 Years Ago — Dec. 6, 1918
Rollo G. Mosher, son of Editor-Publisher George Mosher, wrote a letter to the Globe from France, where he is stationed at the close of the war. He wrote, “No one, of course, knows how long it will take to ship us back home, but we surely ought to be there by spring.”
Dick Heydenberk also wrote a letter from France, noting, “I am up in a hayloft in a barn tonight, writing by candlelight. The days are so short that now I don’t get any time to do anything but drill by daylight.”
Andrew Crofoot died of a heart attack while hauling wood with a team of horses. A neighbor found him lying on the ground next to the load.
“The churches have decided to have a Christmas tree and holiday program at the Congregational Church this year.”
George Mosher wrote: “Won’t somebody kindly stir up something around here? Everything is going dead. The Yeoman Hall (in Bradley) is waiting for Simon Fox and officers of the lodge to commence their winter music.”
Wayland school officials are recommending that because of the recent influenza epidemic cutting into students’ attendance, they have been advised not to send out report cards. “Teachers will strive earnestly to assist those who need more time to catch up in classroom work.”
A number of high school students who live in rural area in the district are anxious to secure accommodations in town over the winter. Some will pay for room and board with farm produce and others will perform light housework.
James Burnes, in a letter from overseas, reported, “France is a fine country where it has not been broken up by those black-deviled Huns.”
Named to the all-county football team were Calkins at end, Cutler at guard, Gamwell at center and Jones at running back.
The Rev. Fay C. Wing has accepted the call to be permanent pastor for the Christian Church in the village. He also is the local undertaker and manager of the furniture store.
Rural Grange will have an all-day meeting later this month with guests from Fennville, Plainwell, Sparta, Martin and Otsego.
Ernest Sigler, a U.S. soldier in France, is sick with the flu in a hospital overseas.