Bygone Days: A look at the Wayland area’s past, Part 229

25 Years Ago — Aug. 21, 1991

Pete Boyd is being hailed as a hometown hero after he ran down and lassoed a runaway cow on the east side of Wayland on East Superior Street.

Bids for the streetscape renovation project for downtown Wayland will be opened Sept. 11 and Downtown Development Authority Chairman Dennis Reno is insisting the work be started as soon as possible.

Republican Kenneth Fein and Democrat Wallace Pitsch emerged as winners in the special primary election for Fifth District County Commissioner, which poll watchers commented was saddled with a very poor turnout, only about 11 percent. The special general election will be Sept. 10. Fein defeated Connie Holbrook, who had been appointed to fill the vacancy left by the death of Ralph B. Sytsma.

Bob Larson wants to reopen the Hooper Tavern on Second Street in Martin Township, but needs support from the Zoning Board of Appeals. Township voters twice in recent years have defeated proposals for liquor by the glass.

Wayland Junior High Principal Jon Jensen, Counselor Lynn Katz and Secretary Joan Culver are collaborating on a project to identify, monitor and visit the homes of chronic school absentees.

Wayland High School has 699 students, but Supt. Bob Brenner said the district is stressed in its ability to accommodate athletic team practices, particularly in the winter.

Martin schools is asking local voters to approve a 4.4-mill request to fund renovations and construction of facilities.

Hopkins school officials are going back to the drawing board in the wake of the defeat in June of a request for 6.6 mills for expansions and construction of facilities.

David Chesey is beginning duties as Wayland High School athletic director after coming here from Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

Christy Nieuwenhuis, Becky Bowens and Missy Bratsburg are the top returnees for coach Cheri Ritz’s WHS tennis team this fall.

David Nightingale has been selected as Martin varsity basketball coach, succeeding the retired Herb Johnson.

50 Years Ago — Aug. 17, 1996

Hopkins Public Schools will begin the academic year Aug. 29 with an enrollment of 800 students.

A farm house in rural Wayland, owned by Mrs. Roman Stanley, was destroyed by fire. No one was at home at the time and fire officials said they aren’t sure about the cause.

More contestants for Wayland’s Cowbell Queen for the Community Fair appeared on the front page of the Globe, including Judy Bala, Geta Laker, Helen Chappell, Diane Wolf and Sandy Bell.

Retired Pet Milk Supervisor J. R. Rugaber was to be the guest speaker for the Aug. 17 meeting of the Allegan County Historical Society.

A letter writer suggested the Leighton School Board be disbanded and petitions be filed with the county to have the Moline school annexed into the Wayland district to ensure that local students will get a high school education. Leighton turned a proposal earlier in the summer to be absorbed into Wayland.

Henika Library Board President Mrs. Fred Hilbert explained to the Village Council that the local library could raise some funds through subscriptions to help pay for needed renovations and expansions.

John Slattery, husband of Wayland native Doris Halloran, has been promoted to corporal by the Michigan State Police and assigned to the Brighton post.

Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleschette were starring in “The Ugly Dachsund” at the Wayland, which was playing along with an animated featurette, “Winnie the Pooh.”

Hopkins will receive $1,685, Martin $1,340 and Wayland $4,725 in revenue sharing for the second fiscal quarter from the Michigan Motor Vehicle Highway Fund.

The No. 1 song in the land for the week was “Summer in the City” by the Lovin’ Spoonful.

75 Years Ago — Aug. 22, 1941

The whole town was buzzing with excitement over the upcoming Cowbell Carnival for four days, Wednesday through Saturday, Aug. 27-30.

Featured was to be radio star Pat Butram, emcee of WLS Radio’s “National Barn Dance,” along with the Hayloft Trio. Also appearing would be the Ford Rodeo Boys and the Fritz Family.

Adding to the excitement was the laying of the cornerstone for the new $200,000 Wayland school building. J.R. Rugaber and Michigan Supt. of Public Instruction Eugene B. Elliott were scheduled to speak and the Boys’ Vocational School of Lansing Band would provide music.

Editor-Publisher Rollo Mosher, noting the upcoming festivities, reported the new school building would replace the one that was built in 1896 after a fire. The original school opened in 1844 in a single shanty owned by Nelson Chambers and the first teacher was Miss Belinda Eldred, daughter of one of the earlier Martin Township settlers.

The school building today is Pine Street Elementary. Pat Butram later gained fame as Mr. Haney in the TV series “Green Acres” and his distinctive voice can be heard in a number of Disney animated films.

A country-style chicken was planned for Sunday, Aug. 31, in Hillards by the St. Stanislaus Church, which was showing off its newly expanded kitchen.

Oliver Francisco Jr., who recently returned to the Wayland area from Boston, will present an exhibit of his paintings at the Leighton Evangelical Church.

The Gun Lake Protective Association will have a homecoming Sunday, Aug. 24, at rearing ponds to showcase local fishing opportunities.

Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:

• Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in “Caught in the Draft.”
• Don Ameche, Betty Grable, Robert Cummings and Jack Haley in “Moon over Miami.”
• Eddie Foy Jr. and June Clyde in “Country Fair.”
• Richard Arlen and Jean Parker in “Flying Blind.”

100 Years Ago — Aug. 18, 1916

The local Board of Trade has announced that the Fall Festival will take place Oct. 6 and 7 with farm products prizes offered by local merchants to patrons and farmers.

Front page photos and brief stories touted the Republican Party candidacies of Mack Short for Allegan County Sheriff and William H. Hill for U.S. Senate. Hills said he is “neither radical, nor a conservative, least of all is he a reactionary.”

The Women’s Improvement League postponed its monthly meeting in August because hostess Metta Ross would be away to an important state-wide meeting for Suffrage Day.

John Fifelski Sr., who had lived in Dorr for the past 24 years, died at his home of a lingering illness caused by gangrene.

Kenneth Barnarby, 10, grandson of G.A. Pullen of Dorr, is recovering from severe burns he suffered all over his body after he poured gasoline over potato bugs and lit them afire.

Publisher George Mosher insisted rumors that local ice cream vendors are charging 10 cents per dish are untrue, but some in surrounding communities have reported higher prices.

The Bradley Indian Mission will have a grove meeting over a six-day period, Sept 5-10, with preaching in both English and Native American tongues.

Mrs. J.E. Reynolds of Seattle, Wash., visited Wayland after being gone for 10 years and reported the town has changed so much she almost didn’t recognize it. She called Wayland “a beautiful shady village.”

Hopkins is planning to have a fall festival near the end of the month.

The Dorr Military Band will perform next week at the Green Lake Farmers’ Picnic.

The 35 members of the Wayland Military Band rolled up their sleeves and built a tabernacle for the group’s practice sessions.

PHOTO: Dorr High School. (Photo courtesy of the Then & Now Historical Museum collection)