25 Years Ago — Oct. 2, 1991
A special prosecutor has bee
n appointed to investigate the shooting death of Dennis Roxbury of Hopkins, a Vietnam veteran who was killed by Michigan State Police troopers Sept. 12. Authorities insisted Roxbury was drunk and in an agitated state when he pointed his rifle at them.
The Wayland Downtown Development Authority has announced that construction of major downtown area improvements will be delayed until March 2. DDA Chairman Dennis Reno explained that concerns about the approaching winter caused the delay.
Martin school district voters approved by a 2-to-1 margin a 4.4-mill increase to construct 11 to 12 new classrooms, a cafetorium, multi-purpose room, an expanded kitchen and a computer lab.
Allegan County Treasurer Fred Edgerton has filed a complaint with the state to try to block the redistricting plan for Allegan County Commissioners that reduced the number from 13 to nine.
Globe staffer Pat Staley wrote a feature story about Mary Walter of Martin, a globetrotter who has visited India, Kenya, the Soviet Union and Colombia on behalf of Missionary World Service and Evangelism.
The Martin High School marching band captured first place at the Wolverine World Wide competition at Rockford. A photo showed Jeremy Tuinstra, Jason Good, Angie Pavlak, Heather Washburn and Director Fred Bogdan hoisting the hardware won.
Blue Cross Blue Shield is offering free health care to Wayland schools students who do not have Medicaid or other coverage.
A Community Choir is being formed and anyone who would like to join is being recruited by the Community Education program. Plans call for the special ensemble to perform a Christmas concert.
The Wayland varsity football team boosted its season record to 3-1 with a come-from-behind 26-19 victory over Kenowa Hills. Howie Koopman rushed for 216 yards.
Martin’s three-game streak of shutouts was halted by Gobles, which registered an 18-14 upset over the Clippers.
Hopkins also fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 42-14 defeat at the hands of perennial power Battle Creek Pennfield. So Martin, Hopkins and Wayland all were 3-1 after four weeks of gridiron play.
The Wayland girls’ basketball has roared to five straight triumphs after starting 0-2. Ann Iciek and JoAnne Lodenstein sparked the latest two victories.
Kristy Nieuwenhuis and Bianca Pratt both enter the O-K Gold Conference tennis meet with undefeated records and coach Cheri Ritz’s Wildcats are in second place.
50 Years Ago — Sept. 28, 1966
Wayland High School graduate Phil Regan finished the regular season with the best earned run average and best winning percentage as a relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “The Vulture,” a nickname he earned from ace starter Sandy Koufax, is now looking forward to pitching in the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Hopkins and Martin school districts will have special elections Oct. 3 for rural school district residents to decide whether or not they want to be annexed according to a recent state law. Nine rural schools, Burnips, Dallas, Fairview, Monterey Center, Oakview, Pickle Street, Plainview, Sandhill and Sycamore will decide about Hopkins and Osborne voters will decide on a proposal to merge with Martin.
Four nuns from the University of Notre Dame are teaching religion classes under a special arrangement at St. Therese School.
Wayland High School senior John Cook penned a letter to the editor describing his experiences over the summer as a foreign exchange student in Japan.
Saturday, Oct. 1, was heralded as a very special day for Wayland, which officially was transformed from a village to a home-rule city. There was a special ceremony in front of City Hall that included Miss Wayland Rita Belka, Mayor Phillip Reno, City Council members and Russell Rugaber, chairman of the Charter Revision Commission, who was charged with the task of calling to order to first meeting of the City Council. The first task was the official discharge of the Charter Revision Commission, included with the council’s thanks for a job well done.
Richard Krup of Wayland has inherited from relatives in Poland a copy of the “Lady of Czestochawa,” purported to have been done by St. Luke and the only portrait done of Mary, Mother of Jesus, while she was still alive.
Wayland defeated Maple Valley on the gridiron 21-12. Senior Roger Merren picked up a blocked put and raced to the end zone from 23 yards and he scored a second TD on a 6-yard run. Mel Spencer tallied the other six, Jay Schaeffer gained 94 yards rushing and Kurt Sebright booted three extra points.
Hopkins suffered its second straight loss of the young season, 25-6 to Bloomingdale. Dennis Brenner scored the Vikings’ only touchdown.
Fred Gwynne and Yvonne DeCarlo were starring in “Munster Go Home” at the Wayland Theatre.
The Association climbed to the top of the music charts with “Cherish.”
75 Years Ago — Oct. 3, 1941
Waxing eloquent about National Newspaper Week, Editor-Publisher Rollo Mosher opined, “America is one of the few countries in the world today where freedom of the press still exists, where newspapers are free to publish the truth.”
However, Mosher lamented the ceasing of publication of “The American Boy” magazine after 42 years, indicating he subscribed to it for many years.
The first meeting of the Parent-Teachers Association in the new academic year was to be an open house introducing the new teachers. Mrs. A.L. Larsen is president of the PTA and Mrs. Frank Morris is first vice president.
The Rebekahs’ food sale will be held Oct. 4 at Myron Wilde’s radio shop on West Superior Street.
The Forrest Lewis Post No. 266 of the American Legion selected Harold Reinhart commander for the coming year.
Bud Malmstone and Halden Hudson were topping the bill for the play “Bubbling Over” at the Wayland High School auditorium. The production was well received.
Principal Justin McCaslin, teaching staff and students were presented with a silver AAA Michigan award for excellence in safety education. Safety Captains Richard Hooker and Wilbert Clark also won trips to Washington D.C.
Local businessman Herman Stroud was a presented with a life membership award from the Michigan Archers’ Association in East Lansing.
Steve Lapekes and Ken Kugelard wrote letters to the editor about Army life in Fort Belvoir, Va.
At the movies this week at the Wayland Theatre:
- Judy Canova and Francis Lederer in “Puddin’ Head.”
- Ginger Rogers, George Murphy and Burgess Meredith in “Tom, Dick and Harry.”
- Double feature — “Frank Buck’s Jungle Calvalcade” an Roscoe Karnes and Ruth Donnelly in “The Gay Vagabond.”
100 Years Ago — Sept. 29, 1916
Miss Maust of Springport has been added to the faculty at Wayland High School to ease overcrowding problems. “With this additional help, all teachers will have a better chance to do work that counts” said the author of the “school notes” column.
Two topics of debate classes this fall are “Our school should publish a daily newspaper” and We should have Monday rather than Saturday for a school holiday.”
The school notes author noted, “The senior class of 1917 consists of 21 pupils, smaller in number, but not in knowledge to that of the Class of 1916.”
Albert Wiggins, a 10th-grader, has been absent because of serious illness in which he underwent surgery for adenoids.
The Common Council voted to pave the square at the four corners downtown with work to commence immediately after the fall festival. “The Globe hopes that this is the beginning of more extensive work along this line for improvement of our pretty village,” commented Editor-Publisher George Mosher.
The Wayland High School football team, fresh from a 25-0 victory over Fennville, now will travel to Grand Rapids Saturday to take on South High.
“The fire bell rang at about 9 o’clock Thursday, the ‘fire’ being caused by a drunk who was put off the interurban here and turned over to police officers.” He set fire to a barrel of kindling outside of the jail.
E.D. Heydenbrink took six first prizes and two seconds at the Allegan County Fair for his Jersey cows raised just east of Wayland.
John W. P. Allen, 85, died at the Old Soldiers’ Home in Grand Rapids. He was a Civil War veteran who had lived in Dorr since 1858 until he moved to Wayland in 1901.
Wayland High School graduate Dr. H.W. Heasley of Grand Rapids was in town visiting August Hardy, landlord of the New Wayland House. Heasley is a writer and orator.
