As a new decade approaches, a look back at the year 2019 had its share of great feats, sorrows, hopes and important developments for the future for Wayland, Hopkins, Martin, Dorr and Moline.
As usual I have done a one-man historical analysis of what happened and my take on the biggest stories of the year.
Best Western Hotel and Carpenters, Millwrights Training Center
Two very important buildings appeared on the west side of Wayland, both easily seen from U.S.-131 for terrific visibility. The hotel is the first major temporary housing facility to hit town and it may have positive economic impact because of its proximity to the Gun Lake Casino. The training facility addresses a need in the employment sector and sets up Wayland as the place to go for young people who want to get into fields with high demand.
The downside, however, is that it continues the trend of businesses growing near the expressway, but not in the downtown.
The Presley Hudson saga never seems to end
Wayland’s most decorated female athlete, alongside Jessica Merchant, finished her basketball career at Central Michigan University, emerging as the school’s all-time career and individual game scoring champion. She gained even greater fame by recording the best free throw percentage of any player in the nation at 94.3% and she wowed fans all over America in her winning handily the national three-point shooting challenge, even defeating the top male performer.
Hudson tried out with the Seattle WNBA team, but was let go and she now is playing professionally in Poland, averaging nearly 16 points per game and, of course, she’s made all of her free throw attempts.
Legal battles between Gun Lake Casino and Hopkins Township
The Hopkins Township Board voted to oppose the Gun Lake Tribe’s efforts to take the Nowak parcel of land into a trust and off the tax rolls. The 
township hired a high-powered attorney in Lansing to serve its legal interests, but the land indeed was taken into a trust.
Though the land no longer will be taxed, the Tribe pays about $38,000 to Hopkins Township in a revenue sharing agreement.
The Gun Lake Tribe later in the year also announced its intention to take into trust a parcel in Watson Township.
Wayland Union Schools seem to be on a roll
After reeling from a huge $55 million millage proposal setback several years ago, Wayland Union has rebounded mightily since in the financial and public relations departments.
A sixth-grade wing was added to the middle school to ease upper level elementary crowding and new tennis courts were installed. Then came news that because the project came in under bids and district officials were able to refinance the earlier bond at significant savings, artificial turf now will be approved for the football, baseball, softball and soccer fields, something that had to be cut from the ambitious proposal of several years ago.
The once-depleted fund balance of 7.5% several years ago has more than doubled to 15.79%.
K & M dealership forsakes city, goes to Hopkins Township
The old Chrysler-Jeep dealership on North Main Street just outside the city limits was bought by K & M, which at first was believed to be seriously considering a new site on Reno Drive.
However, the new dealership’s owners changed their minds and opted instead for a sit in Hopkins Township, just west of the U.S.-131 expressway.
So Wayland’s loss was Hopkins’ gain in tax revenue.
Tragic death of a student-athlete
Ethan Mutschler, about to start his senior year at Wayland High School and his fourth year as a lineman on the Wildcat varsity football team, was killed in a July traffic crash on 92nd Street and Wilson Avenue in Kent County.
It was later determined that the motorist who hit his car was going 95 miles an hour as he crested the nearby hill and 84 at the time of impact.
It was a devastating blow to the football team, basketball team, the schools and the community.
Of all Townbroadcast stories published in 2019, this one had the most views, more than 10,000.
Wayland schools’ administrative merry-go-round
Though there was plenty of evidence that things were improving at Wayland Union Schools, it wasn’t reflected in the seriously high number of resignations of administrators.
No fewer than three principals stepped down in 2019, including Jennifer Moushegian at Pine Street, Kevin Zaschak at Dorr and Mike Haverdink at Steeby. Zaschak left to take a position with the Allegan County Intermediate School District. Neither Haverdink nor Moushegian had reached 50 years of age at their retirements.
Meanwhile, Wayland High School Athletic Director Santino DiCesare moved to assistant principal at WHS and was succeeded by Matthew Moffatt. Mike Omness moved from the high school to Pine Street Elementary.
Christina Johnson succeeded Haverdink at Steeby and Robyn Robinson took over for Moushegian, two examples of promoting from within.
But the biggest move was the announcement that Norman Taylor, superintendent for the past 10 years, will retire as of June 30, 2020.
Martin switches to 8-man football, with wild success
As many high school football programs are seeing a decline in participation, Martin joined more than 75 other schools in switching to eight-man football. It turned out to be a winning decision.
The Clippers went undefeated during the regular season for the first time in its history, qualified for the post-season playoffs, and they finally lost to the eventual state champion, Colon.
Lineman Ethan Gillihan and running back Cayden Curry were selected for the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association first team All-State.
Martin had a special tribute to days gone by for homecoming with its victory over Lawrence and recognition of the Onion Kings, the team’s mascot from the 1930s and 1940s.
Hopkins, meanwhile, struggled with lack of competition in the O-K Silver Conference, as three teams, Wyoming Lee, NorthPointe Christian and Calvin Christian, declined to compete in the league in football. Kelloggsville later in the season dropped football.
The Vikings went to the post-season playoffs nonetheless and finished with a 9-2 record overall.
Head coaches have their merry-go-rounds as well
Mike Hudson, who coached Wayland basketball for 26 years, finally decided to call it quits as the most successful and longest-serving cage coach in the school’s history. The move enabled him to go to Poland to watch his daughter play and to help with son Wes’ surprising Lady Wildcats’ basketball team that started the season at 6-0.
Two other girls’ varsity coaches retired, John Robinson at Hopkins and Doug MacVean at Martin. They were succeeded by Tim Hoogewind and Ben Schipper, respectively. Martin is off to a 5-0 start.
Mike Doupe was fired after five seasons coaching varsity football at Wayland, the last of which was a disastrous 0-9.
Brad Blauvelt enjoyed his first season as eight-man football coach at Martin, going 10-1.
Veteran Byron Center and Caledonia mentor Eric Bottrall accepted the head girls’ varsity bowling coach position.
Wayland softball coach Cheri Ritz had an unusual losing campaign at 17-19 with only one senior on the squad.
Martin Schools have administrative changeover
Dr. David Harnish, who oversaw Martin school’s groundbreaking moves toward solar energy, retired after five years. He was succeeded by part-time Supt. Ballee Brooke-Stone and Principal Brad Coon.
A look at the future of trash?
Dorr Township was given a presentation by “Reimagine Trash” of Kent County, which showed prospects for a recycling park in the near future on the northwest portion of the township.
The Kent County landfill is approaching capacity and current rules determine the next site will be in Dorr Township, but there exists a possibility of a recycling park that will reduce the need to handle so much refuse.
Meanwhile, all local municipalities are facing prospects of much more expensive curbside recycling charges and many residents are being asked to pay $50 per household per year.
The death of community journalism?
The Penasee Globe ceased publication Jan. 27 after 135 years of telling the stories of local communities.
There is no successor except the on-line publication Townbroadcast, which next month begins its eighth year of existence.
The frightening part is now there are many meetings that have only one reporting on their proceedings.
A potpourri of other news in 2019:
- Besides Ethan Mutschler, others who died included longtime elementary teacher Nancy Marutz, chef Tony Kramer, Beard’s Produce matriarch Bonnie Beard, former Hopkins Village President Rick Harmsen, Dorr Library Board President Peggy Otto, Right to Die advocate Mary Martin of Moline, teacher-coach-school board member community activist Jeff Salisbury and former teacher, coach and athletic director Richard Akers.
-
Mark Garnsey Local police underwent changes with Mark Garnsey taking over as city chief, succeeding Steve Harper. Mark Riemersma established himself as an effective sleuth in closing out crime cases.
- Brenden Gossman closed out his excellent bowling career at Hopkins by rolling his second perfect game and by taking second in the state Division 3 championships.
- The Wayland High School track team established itself as a formidable entry in 400-meter races, individually and in the 1600-meter relay. The Wildcats were regional runners-up.
- New Main Street program director Julia Sturvist was handed an unpleasant surprise of a summer storm for the annual Main Street celebration.
- In the midst of so many reports about PFAs contaminating water in West Michigan, Watson Township joined the club after tests at the old dump site.
- Michelle Herman retired as city clerk after a dozen years and Kristin Engel is interim clerk.
-
Brenden Gossman The Dorr Township Library ran out of money because of the defeat of two millage requests and now will try again with a reduced 0.6-mill proposal during the March state presidential primary.
- Area football games were plagued with EEE scares after an animal in Allegan County was determined to have died of eastern equine encephalitis.
- One negative side effect of Leighton Township’s population growth is the need for better roads, so Steve Shoemaker is establishing a citizens’ road committee, modeling Dorr Township’s program.
