25 Years Ago — Sept. 4, 1991

The Allegan County Reapportionment Committee voted 3-2 to reduce the number of commissioners from 13 to nine. Prosecutor Andrew Marks, Clerk-Register of Deeds Joyce Watts and County Republican Party Chairman Jack Petit voted affirmative, Democratic Party Chairman Kenneth Pardee and Treasurer Fred Edgerton voted against it.

Linda Craigmyle, 15, of Wyoming, was killed on Kalamazoo Avenue in Leighton Township when the bicycle she was riding was struck by a car driven by Donald Fredrick Shields of Grand Rapids.

Wayland High School students Angela Irwin and Dannette Richards heard a presentation by State Rep. Lynn Jondahl about freedom of the press and student publications. They were attending a summer journalism workshop at Michigan State University. Irwin is editor of the Wayland High School student newspaper Paw Prints.

Eric VanderVeen, 22, was listed in critical condition at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids after he was injured in a car-truck traffic crash on Kalamazoo Avenue.

Miss Dorr Shannon VanPutten, Miss Plainwell Marcia Miller, Miss Martin Heidi Keyzer, Miss Allegan Michelle Martin, Miss Hopkins Rebecca VanderWoude and Miss Fennville Nichole Mohr were the contestants in the upcoming Allegan County Harvest Queen contest. Marcia Halloran of Dorr, a former Harvest Queen, is director of the pageant.

Paul Jackson wrote a feature story about the Rocket football and 78er programs in Hopkins, Wayland, Dorr and Martin.

Ed Lark is starting his third season at the helm of the Wayland High School football program and has his sights set on improving on a 5-4 season from a year ago.

Martin head football coach Pete Zeinstra welcomes back all-league and all-state honorable mention selection Tim Dimock, who gained 900 yards in 1990 and was a star linebacker. The Clippers were 5-4 the previous season.

Jodi Meyers was starting her first season as head coach of the Wayland High School girls’ swim team.

Kelly Reynolds will be the quarterback and Zack Wilson the lead running back for coach Rex Weaver and his Hopkins football team, which continues to face scheduling challenges by being without a conference.

Dr. Harold Lenhart, a 1965 graduate of Hopkins High School, is only one of 10 psychiatrists to be chosen as an American Psychiatric Association Burroughs Wellcome Fellow.

50 Years Ago — Aug. 31, 1966

Six more candidates for Wayland City Commission were featured with bio sketches and photos on the front page. They were Arnold Wilde, Leo Comrie, Marshall Towne, Mrs. Richard (Marilyn) Oetman, Walt Gurney and Hugh DeWeerd.

Hooker School officials may have found a way to get around the difficult situation of not being able to send students to a high school. Voters in the district will decided a referendum on splitting into two regions, with one going to Thornapple Kellogg and the other to Wayland. Hooker rejected a proposal to send children to Wayland earlier in the summer.

Rita Belka was selected as Wayland’s Cowbell Queen and now will represent the community in the Allegan County Harvest Queen contest.

Wayland Schools Transportation Director Frank Bastian outlined for the Board of Education the new bus routes that have been further complicated by additional rural school children attending Wayland this fall.

Three foreign exchange students, a boy from the Netherlands, a girl from France and a boy from Sweden have arrived to attend Wayland High School for the 1966-67 academic year.

Tryouts for the Wayland High School marching band majorettes were planned in the band room.

Two Walt Disney films, “Bambi” and Pinocchio in Outer Space” were showing this weekend at the Wayland Theatre.

Wayland High School graduate Alice Kidney has gone to Vermont to begin training for the Peace Corps.

Night school classes at Wayland High School will get under way Sept. 12, with bookkeeping at Julia Smith, reading improvement and Robert Kerley and general shop with Vernon Becker. The classes are held once a week for three hours, between 7 and 10 p.m.

75 Years Ago — Sept. 5, 1941

The Grand Rapids Press took a photo of the ceremonies of the laying of the cornerstone for the new Wayland school and Editor-Publisher Rollo Mosher was given permission to run it on the front page. Included in the photo were Harry Elenbaas, State Supt. of Instruction Dr. Elliot, Dr. Henry J. Otto of the Kellogg Foundation Sib Rumery and Vincent Snell.

Keneth Kugelard, Ted Niemchick, Steve Lapekas and Kenneth Pardee all were permiited to come to the Wayland Cowbell celebration via taxi from Virginia, where they were stationed with the military.

Wayland schools will commence the academic year at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 8, but there will be a delay of several days for hot lunches because new kitchen equipment is still being installed.

Rollo Mosher wrote that he was informed by a good friend during the Cowbell Carnival that Wayland is the envy of other communities because of its cooperative spirit in getting things done for the public good. The carnival reported at least 5,000 people attending Saturday’s festivities.

Mr. Flack of Northwestern Show told him Wayland was one of two of his company’s favorite stops, along with Bryan, Ohio.

The Fall Garden Festival, sponsored by the Wayland Garden Club and the local Business Men’s Association, is planned for Sept. 12 and 13.

More than 1,500 chicken dinners were served at St. Stanislaus Church for the annual chicken dinner in Hilliards Aug. 31.

Tickets for the Sept. 15-20 Allegan County Fair were on sale at a reduced price.

The films being shown this week at the Wayland Theatre were:

• Walter Pigeon, George Sanders and Joan Bennett in “Man Hunt.”
• Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, husband and wife, in “That Hamilton Woman.”
• Red Skelton and Ann Rutherford in “Whistling in the Dark.”
• Jean Herscholt as Dr. Christian in “They Meet Again.”

100 years Ago — Sept. 1, 1916

The Congreational Church has voted unanimously, with one exception, to reject the resignation two months previous of Pastor Faye C. Wing. He will resume duties at the pulpit Sunday, Sept. 3.

Sid L. Conrad of Ganges was elected the new Allegan County Register of Deeds in the Republican primary. Wayland’s favorite son, Frank Chamberlain, finished third in the four-way race. Frank Hillman defeated incumbent Sheriff Mack Short.

L.B. Mason was appointed president of a special committee formed to implement the Farmers Fall festival Oct. 6 and 7. A new wrinkle this year will be the addition of a queen pageant, with the winner getting a $50 diamond ring and the right to head the parade.

Malon Hilton was injured while driving a team of horses pulling an oil wagon that was struck by a car driven by a young lady between Dorr and Hilliards. He was run over by the wheels of the wagon whn he was thrown from it.

V.P. Fales attended a reunion of soldiers and sailors of Barry County last week in Hastings.

Joe Wercinski of Hilliards suffered a broken leg below the knee when it was caught beneath the wheel of an engine while moving a hay press into the barn of A. Jakubouski.

The Selden and Parmalee Players are coming to town for a three-day street festival under a tent Sept. 7, 8 and 9, with performances each evening. They will present vaudeville plays and concerts, including specialties and a unaphone. Children will be charged 10 cents and adults 20 cents.

Sam Levandoski has sold one of his team horses for $230 to a man from Shelbyville. The Globe reported him “having the finest team of horses in Hopkins Township.”

A notice said that people who want to furnish room and board to high school students in exchange for work as partial payment should get in touch with Supt. Floyd E. Drake.

PHOTO: This a rare peek inside the old Dixie Pavilion south of town at Doan’s Lake, where many young people gathered to dance in bygone days and even Rem Wall and the Green Valley Boys of Channel 3 fame performed. (Photo courtesy of the Then & Now Historical Library, Dorr)