25 Years Ago — Oct. 16, 1991

Michigan State Police from the Wayland post were found blameless by Kalamazoo County Prosecutor James J. Gregart in the shooting death of Dennis Roxbury of Hopkins Sept. 12. Gregart regarded the incident as justifiable homicide because the victim pointed his rifle at officers before being shot.

Karen Paradiso, mother of a student at Dorr Elementary, urged the Wayland Board of Education to adopt a more aggressive policy in handling head lice problems.

Barbara Chachulski of Dorr penned a letter to the editor insisting that “These people don’t think twice about destroying a person who will defend the rights of the unborn” in her discussion of the hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

The Wayland varsity girls’ basketball team has dedicated its season to fallen teammate Chris Gruver, who suffered an attack of arythmia over the summer at a Gus Macker tournament and since has been undergoing rehabilitation at Grand Valley Nursing Center in Grand Rapids.

Patricia Staley wrote a feature story about Dale Camburn of Geneva Lake, who received the “Gift of Life,” a new heart in 1989. He underwent transplant surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

The Hopkins varsity football team continues to entertain hopes of making the post-season playoffs after a 42-2 victory over Eau Claire, featuring four touchdowns by Kelly Reynolds. Martin also has hopes with a 4-2 record in Class DD after a 13-0 shutout win over Decatur.

Kristy Nieuwenhuis fashioned a 26-2 record for the season at No. 3 singles for the Wayland tennis team after winning the O-K Gold Conference and regional tournaments. He only losses were to Kendra Weatherhead of Middleville Thornaple Kellogg.

Despite illnesses and injuries, the Wildcat girls’ basketball team improved to 7-4 with a 62-34 pasting of Coopersville. Heather Moreau stepped up with 20 points and Amy VanderArk had 10.

Quarterback Patrick Kruizenga passed for 150 yards and a 40-yard scoring strike to Howie Koopman, but the Wayland varsity football team lost 19-6 to Hudsonville.

50 Years Ago — Oct. 12, 1966

Robert parks, a 1960 graduate of Wayland High School and 1963 graduate of Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music, has agreed to teach a music class at GRSBM, which today is known at Cornerstone University.

A group of educators from Tazmania visited Hopkins High School to get some ideas about agriculture education from FFA classes and projects.

The Wayland Board of Education granted $200 across-the-board increases in pay for faculty members to being the local district in line with other schools in Allegan County. Base annual salary for a teacher in Wayland now is $5,200.

Jack Bruin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harm Bruin of Wayland, has been selected as one of 54 members of the Western Michigan University A Capella Choir.

Mrs. A.H. Snook, with the able assistance of Mrs. Halden Hudson and Mrs. Frederic Hilbert, will present a book review to the Elenbaas Guild of the Congregational Church of Wayland.

Dwight Punches, 58, owner and operator of the Punches Food Store in Hopkins, died at Pipp Hospital in Plainwell.

Moline Machine Products is the newest local business, manufacturing parts for government contractors, the agricultural industry and heavy road equipment industry. Robert J. Heath, formerly of Manistee, is plant manager.

Adult driving instruction for people at last 18 years of age, is available from Wayland High School, featuring at least five hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, but no classroom time.

Cedar Springs spoiled Wayland’s homecoming in a 46-21 verdict. Roger Merren scored on a short plunge and he tossed TD passes of 37 yards to QB Rick Blok and 65 yards to wide receiver Rick Middleton. Wanda Lemons was homecoming queen and Melvin Spencer king.

“Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” was showing at the Wayland Theatre.

The Association’s “Cherish” still topped the nation’s music charts.

75 Years Ago — Oct. 17, 1941

Editor Rollo Mosher, in his weekly “Observations Here and There” column, lamented that “Credit is a big gamble with people on the move so that it’s hard to catch up with the poor payers, and besides, there are so many government restrictions due to the defense program… Another thing that is a constant aggravation is the steady stream of folks looking for handouts…”

Michigan State College Extension is reporting that more than 1,000 saw mills continue to serve communities in southern Michigan.

The Allegan County chapter of the American Red Cross has announced a serious demand for nurses.

Former Wayland man Lawrence W. Gilchrist, 39, was killed on his farm near Leslie after he was thrown from a horse.

A new neon sign, 15 feet high, has been installed at the Wayland Theatre.

The Western Michigan College of Education is offering an extension course on political science at Wayland High School.

The Wayland High School football team, which attracted its largest audience in a long time the previous Friday, will play its last home game this fall against Martin Oct. 17. The game against Caledonia has been moved to Wednesday evening, Oct. 22, because of Teachers’ Institute.

Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:

• Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore and Laraine Day in “Dr. Kildare’s Wedding Day.” Also showing: The East End Kids in “Flying Wild.”
• Sonja Henie and John Payne in “Sun Valley Serenade,” featuring music by the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
• Tim Holt, Jan Clayton and Ray Whitley and His Six Bar Cowboys in “Six Gun Gold.”
• Bonita Granville and Ray McDonald in “Down in San Diego.”

100 Years Ago — Oct. 13, 1916

An estimated 8,000 people attended the seventh annual Wayland Fall Fest. Winning the best float award for the parade was the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Ray Wells won the trotting race and Frank Presley the pacing race and there many awarded for entries in a number of exhibits.

Charles Sutter, 55, of Dorr, was charged with shooting his daughter, Hazel, 19, in the hip as she was running from the family house. She was recovering at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. The incident prompted a lot of discussion about the evils of alcohol because he was in a drunken rage. “Everyone is hoping that final extinction will be given the liquor traffic when nearly all crime and misery will be done away with.”

Hog cholera has been reported on the Allegan Township farm of H.C. Weeks.

Edwin F. Sweet, Democratic Party candidate for governor and congressional candidate Roy J. Wade will be guest speakers in Wayland Monday afternoon before they travel on to Allegan.

Martin Looyengoed is the newest community member, moving into the Abbott house on Cherry Street. He is a plumber by trade.

Wayland lost 38-3 to Plainwell on the gridiron. The team has been hampered by a lot of fall farm activity and the loss of Coach Stockdale, who has left for work in Grand Rapids.

The high school choir in Wayland now has 40 members. “Good music creates a desire for high class amusement and fosters a dislike for cheap and trashy entertainment.”

Mrs. David Mallett has returned home in Wayland after surgery to remove a tumor, not cancer as reported in last week’s Globe.