25 Years Ago — Nov. 13, 1991
Allegan County officials are reporti
ng a surplus of $750,000 in a $35.7 million budget. Commissioner Muriel O’Leary is leading an effort to cut the Allegan County Promotional Alliance. Director Robert VanDuren of Wayland announced he will resign and join an economic development firm, DPM of Hudsonville.
During a Hopkins Township Board discussion about fees for permits for the Zoning Board of Appeals, Supervisor Kevin Cronin indicated he believes greater numbers of requests will be made in the near future regarding zoning and development.
Paul Jackson wrote a feature story about the Shelbyville Fractional School No. 8 that sat on the property at the corner of 124th Avenue and 10th Street for many years before it was purchased by Jose and Sophia Blanco and then reopened as a furniture store.
Keith and Rhonda Grey are the new proprietors of the Wayland Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor at the corner of North Main and West Superior streets. They have owned the Road House Restaurant on Chief Noonday Road, Gun Lake, for several years.
The Chapter One reading and math program for first-graders has been expanded, according to Moline Elementary Principal Jody Pratt.
The Hopkins varsity football season concluded with its first-ever appearance in a post-season playoff game. The Vikings lost 27-6 at Decatur.
Martin’s football season also ended in the first round of the playoffs in a 20-0 shutout loss to Schoolcraft, the top-ranked Class DD team in the state.
The Wayland girls’ varsity basketball team improved to 12-6 with victories over Hudsonville and Coopersville, with Shari Fugate scoring 14 points in the latter contest. The Lady Wildcats will be seeking their 10th straight district title next week in Hastings with an opening round game against Delton.
The Martin girls’ basketball team is 9-4 in conference play and 11-8 overall while preparing to play in the district tournament.
50 Years Ago — Nov. 9, 1966
A Sunday fire at an abandoned building on the corner of East Superior and North Main streets prompted Fire Chief Paul Brocker to ask the City Council to have something done about the building because it is a fire hazard. Harry Walker, a passerby, discovered the fire, and Brocker said if it had burned for an hour longer it could have ignited a much more serious blaze downtown.
Dedication of the new addition at the Moline Christian School was planned for 8 p.m. Nov. 17. Parishioners from the Wayland, Dorr and Moline Christian Reformed churches were expected to attend.
Sgt. Lewis Brandt, commander of the Michigan State Police post in Wayland, has been promoted to staff sergeant. A native of Dollarville, he has been at the Wayland post since 1956.
Globe Editor Irvin P. Helmey stated he could not recall when a Democrat had ever been elected to a Wayland Township position, but Steve Kuhtic accomplished that feat by edging write-in opponent Jack Fenton. He also noted that a slate of Republicans made a respectable showing in the election at Dorr Township, usually a Democratic stronghold.
All Wayland school district principals met with Superintendent James Thomas at Baker Elementary to discuss local education issues.
World War I veteran Gust Downer, 77, died at his Locust Street home after a lingering illness. He also had been a member of the local American Legion post.
Hopkins defeated Martin 13-6 in a season-ending neighborhood rivalry contest. Clipper quarterback John Anderson raced 90 yards for a touchdown in the first half, but then the Vikings answered with two second-half touchdowns, one on a one-yard plunge by quarterback David Lohman and the other on a run by Mel Krumm.
Wayland completed its season with a 2-6 record by beating Hamilton 27-13. Lee Pankratz tossed a 62-yard TD pass to Roger Merren, Jay Schaeffer scored on a one-yard plunge, Pankratz hit Rick Middleton with a 40-yard scoring strike and Ed Matecki picked up a loose fumble and took it 23 yards to pay dirt for the Wildcats. Joe Seltzer also stopped a Hawkeyes’ scoring drive by recovering a fumble near the goal line.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre: Audrey Hepburn in “How to Steal a Million.”
The Monkees’ first big hit, “Last Train to Clarksville,” took over the No. 1 slot.
75 Years Ago — Nov. 14, 1941
“There were many signs, it was asserted, that Japan would receive a signal from Germany to open hostilities to draw American fleet strength tinto the Pacific and removal some of its vessels from the North Atlantic.”
The Wayland High School Agriculture Department was planning an excursion to the Chicago Livestock Show Dec. 2 and 3, and there were hopes to attract as many as 50 local boys to come along.
A reception honoring Edythe Frank Andrus of the Jackson chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star was to include the presence of her mother, Mrs. Lana Frank of Wayland.
Richard O’Donald, son of William O’Donald of Wayland, has been named to the debate team at Albion College.
Former Wayland residents Mr. and Mrs. Ray Looker were victims of an armed robbery at their food store in Iola, Kansas. The perpetrator made off with $95 from the till.
“The Wayland area “Go to Church” campaign apparently is increasing Sunday attendance. The Church of Christ and the Rev. C.G. Ellinger will be hosts for the annual Thanksgiving union service later this month.
The Wayland High School football team defeated Martin 15-0 and finished the season with just one loss, a 7-6 speaker to Kelloggsville in the first game of the campaign.
The senior class play at WHS this year is “Gabriel, Blow Your Horn.”
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Dorothy Lewis, James Ellison, Jerry Colona and Alan Mowbrey in “Ice Capades.”
- Tyrone Power, Betty Grable and John Sutton in “A Yank in the RAF.”
- George Montgomery, Mary Howard and Lynne Roberts in “Riders of the Purple Sage.”
- Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake in “Blondie Goes Latin.”
100 Years Ago — Nov. 10, 1916
Albert E. Sleeper was elected Michigan governor, Edward Hamilton for 4th District Congress and George Leland State Representative in the November general elections, which were dominated again by Republicans, despite Woodrow Wilson’s re-election as president. Editor George A. Mosher wrote, “Latest reports are that Michigan will go dry (Prohibition) by about a 50,000-vote majority. Only a few counties are wet. The dry vote passed in Wayland Township 340-165.
School District No. 10 in Leighton Township was closed because of too many cases of scarlet fever. The Globe the previous week erroneously reported that Miss Mabel Lentz was one of the fallen ill, but reported “she is as well as ever.”
Lester Gilbery suffered a fall from near the top of a silo about 28 feet at his father’s farm. Luckily, he suffered no broken bones, only bruises and scrapes.
A good number of local people were in Grand Rapids Monday to hear the Rev. Billy Sunday preach about temperance.
The live action film drama, “Lying Lips” will be shown Monday evening at Frank’s Opera House downtown. Admission is 10 cents per person.
A special program at the Congregational Church included the high school choir and Miss Lillian Leggett, along with winners of the essay contest n the issues of Prohibition and home rule. Winning essays were penned by eighth-grader Leon Rankin, seventh-grader Bertha Somers and eighth-grader Hugh McIntyre.
Wayland school seventh-graders and sixth-graders are enthralled while studying Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
A.E. Weaver and William Somers have announced their meat market will no longer be open on Sundays.
PHOTO: (Courtesy of the Then & Now Historical Library in Dorr) Downtown Hopkins on Water Street in bygone days