Bygone Days: A look at the past in NE Allegan County

(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)

25 Years Ago — Aug. 30, 1995

Barry Brower, a 1963 Wayland High School graduate and former “Vietnam Diary” columnist for the Globe, sent a photo of the wedding of Irvin P. and Helen Jane Helmey. Brower and Helmey had a disagreement over the war in 1970, but remained good friends afterward.
Pat Staley, in the weekly Soapbox, noted the Michigan Supreme Court ruled against Mary Martin in her efforts to remove a feeding tube for husband Mike, who had been severely injured in a car-train accident Moline in 1987. Staley quoted Mary as asking, “Where in the humane society for people?” She urged everyone to get their end of life medical wishes in writing.
James Rollins and Mark Rookus have formed a two-man police officers’ union, negotiating for $13 an hour after serving for three years.
Hopkins Public Schools have opened with portable classrooms and a lack of space for doing much of anything in education, including a shortage of parking spaces and hallroom lockers.
Brian Myaard, 14, drowned in a five-foot pond on his parent’s property in Burnips after falling out of a riding lawnmower.
Michigan State Trooper Tom Spaman has left the Wayland post after 21 years to take a job as fire code inspector with the Grand Rapids District of the state fire marshal’s division.
Junior Angie Farmer, a two-time all-conference selection, and senior forward Jessica McEwen are promising returnees for coach Zack Moushegian’s Lady Wildcat basketball team that was 15-9 overall a year ago.
New coach Mary Shelton, Class A coach of the year in 1992, has taken over the reins of the Hopkins girls’ basketball program.
New coach Joe Orr has his work cut out for him succeeding veteran Martin girls’ basketball coach Robert VandenBerg, who retired after a lengthy successful career.
The Wayland girls’ tennis team , led by Elaine Dubridge, Gina Garza, Kim Nieuwenhuis, Brooke Warner, Julie Martin, Becky Boyd, Brenda Rittenhouse, Robyn Wallington and Lindsey Kotarski, won the TK Invitational.
Scott Sullivan wrote a feature story about the Japanese balloon bomb that was found in Dorr in 1945. The news was classified until only recently.

50 Years Ago — Aug. 26, 1970

Wayland High School Band Parents Dan Grimm, Paul Halloran, Al Halloran, Jake DeBlecourt and Chairman Paul Browand were pictured constructing the band’s refreshment stand for the Allegan County Fair.
Pet, Inc. has donated 10,000 lbs. of dry fat milk to victims of a hurricane in Texas.
Longtime Moline businessman John J. Haveman died at the age of 87.
Paul and Wayne Pratt of Akron, Mich., rode their bicycles 180 miles to drop in on the Wayland Community Fair.
Dave VanErden has been promoted to varsity basketball coach at Wayland, succeeding Jon Wolcott, who resigned, but is staying on as track coach and teacher.
Wayland Schools Supt. James Thomas, in the “Your Schools Operation” column, reported that the district has spend about $10,900 already this year on textbooks, which now are mandated to be free to students by the Michigan Supreme Court.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre: “Dr. Zhivago,” starring Omar Sharif, Julie Christi and Geraldine Chaplain. The advertisement said the film was going out of release Sept. 1.
The Wayland Lions Club held its annual Ladies Night in Grand Rapids, where Dick Overmire was named the outstanding Lion for 1969-70.
The Don Laphams and Ed Pelkas reported they were very impressed with the Augusta Barn Theatre’s production of “Cabaret.”
Alan Kupres, Jim Hendrixson, L.V. Frank, John Griffith and Kay Velderman were winners in the annual Globe tennis tournament. Velderman came up with an upset over Kathy Worfel in the finals of the girls’ division.
The Allegan County fair this year will be held Sept. 12-19.
Edwin Starr and “War!” took over the No. 1 slot among the nation’s tunes, ending the four-week streak by the Carpenters’ “Close to You.”

75 Years Ago — Aug. 31, 1945

A Victory Chicken Dinner is planned for 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 2, in Hilliards to celebrate the U.S. victory over Japan.
Mr. and Mars. Gerald Nash were called to the Great Lakes Training Center in Illinois to learn their son had suffered a broken back while training.
Rebekah Lodge will have a rummage sale Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Apex Building.
S/Sgt. Romuald Belka is home on a 30-day furlough after serving in the Air Force in England and France and earning the Oak Leaf Cluster and Silv er and Bronze Star awards.
William Rohn, who operated the Variety Store in town with his wife, Susie, died at the age of 70.
A.B. Condon of Wayland Township and a native of Hopkins Township, died at age 85. He was Allegan County Treasurer from 1913 to 1917.
Employees of the Peter Ekrich & Son business of Kalamazoo held their annual picnic at Murphy’s Point, Gun Lake. One of the employees was Miss Goldie Kuhtic.
Pet Milk published a full-page advertisement thanking Wayland area dairy farmers for supplying milk to troops serving overseas. The ad was signed by Plant Manager J. R. Rugaber.
Miss Nancy Gurney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Gurney, is in Ann Arbor this week attending the Girls’ State, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary.
Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher took the week off from publishing his “Observations” column.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
• Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake in “Leave It to Blondie.”
• Tomas Mitchell and Mary Anderson in “Within These Walls.”
• Dennis O’Keefe, June Havoc and Eddie “Rochester” Anderson in “Brewster’s Millions.”
• Gene Tierney, John Hodiak and William Bendix in “A Bell for Adano.”

100 Years Ago — Aug. 27, 1945

Critic Glen Clark heaped high praise on the entertainment offered at the recently concluded Redpath Chautauqua at the Dixie Inn. He said he was most impressed with the vocal talent of Roy Knapp and unnamed female pianist who performed selections by Liszt.
Michigan gubernatorial candidate Milo Campbell, while campaigning in Wayland, delivered a blistering rebuttal to opponents who claimed he was making promises to the Sleeper organization. He insisted he has promised no one anything.
“The Moonriders,” billed as the ‘strangest serial film ever made,” will be shown at the Regent in downtown Wayland on Wednesday, Sept. 1.
Fred Newman this week is putting the finishing touches on a varnishing job for the wood at the Methodist Church. Congregation members meanwhile are permitted next Sunday to hold services at the Congregational Chiuch.
Charles A. Welch twice last week successfully defended the chickens on his farm. Shot and killed a weasel and then dispatched a chicken hawk from the premises.
There has been a rash of car thefts reported recently. Charles Weny, a senior member of the vinegar company in Allegan, reported his 1920 seven-passenger Buick was stolen while it was parked in front of the Fuller Theatre in Kalamazoo. Another car belonging to a Three Rivers man was stolen as well. Meanwhile, George Wyers of Chicago was sentenced to one to five years in prison for stealing an auto in Saugatuck.

COVER PHOTO: Wayland High School first aid class, 1941.