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Published every Thursday by Fairway Press. a division of Kitchenerâ€" Waterloo Record Ltd 30 Queen St N Kitchener Ontarico Address correspondence to Waterioo Square. Waterioo Ont Telephone 744â€"6364 4 Waterloo Chronicle, Thursday, December 3, 1970 Waterloo voters will go to the polls Monday to elect six candidates from a slate of 15 who have offered themâ€" selves for trusteeship on Waterloo County‘s two school boards. The men and women they elect will, over the next two years, make decisions which will affect in various ways every person in this city. In their hands we place the fuâ€" ture of every child in Waterloo County‘s schools, for the decisions they make, or neglect to make, will determine the type and quality of education which the schools proâ€" vide during their terms in office. They will decide how much money taxpayers will pay for education and where, when and by whom this educaâ€" tion will be provided. They will control the design and use of school buildings, where new ones will be built and old ones abondoned or extended. Over the next two years, the men and women selected Monday will decide how $40 million dollars, give or take $1 million, will be spent on education in this county and this city. One might imagine then that every eligible voter who could make his way to the nearest polling booth would turn out Monday to play his part in selecting the persons he believes most capable of these decisions, most honorâ€" able to transact them, and most knowledgeable of the burden undertaken when he or she takes the trustee‘s seat at the board table. But it won‘t be like that. People who would normally not even dream of handing over their children for a few hours to a babysitter selected by someone they had neâ€" ver met will be quite content to turn these same children over to a school board they made no effort to form. Nor would these same people consider for one minute having their next door neighbor pick who would handle their financial affairs for a month. In the event of such a decisâ€" ion, they would be right in there making their views known. How well or badly it is spent will not only be reflected in the beaming or scowling faces of those who pay the taxes but in the education handed the students in our classrooms, too. During last year‘s municipal elections here, one voter gave us a convincing argument for not voting. He pointâ€" ed out that the majority of candidates were an unknown quantity as far as he was concerned. Their election blurbs provided him with a name, a few outworn and overworked shibboleths and little else. He suggested that by using his election right to vote for people about whom he know virtually nothing he would be doing himself and the comâ€" munity a disservice. Last election, many people did just that when they let less than oneâ€"third of the electorate make these decisions for them. Will Monday‘ turnout be another fiasco? We sinâ€" cerely hope not. The Chronicle tried to fill that gap of knowledge in this election, when it devoted several pages in last week‘s issue to biographical material on the school board slate and proâ€" vided the candidates with space to state, unedited, their credentials and objectives. The candidates and the community deserve a lot more. A mammoth turnout of voters determined to pick the best possible representatives for the board of education and separate school board is something we owe to ourselves and those we ask to run our affairs. It takes such little efâ€" fort from each of us to do itâ€"just a trip to the nearest polling booth. ‘ The feedback since indicates it was space, time and efâ€" fort well used by the candidates and a service which the community appreciated . Canadians were almost blase about their freedom unâ€" til recent months, when, under tragic circumstances we all realized what a fragile right it is. Perhaps, because this country has never known total war, has never known what it is to be a subject nation, has never been without the freedom to express opinions, we have forgotten how precious our rights are. Exercising a democratic vote is a sacred thing. We are free to do that Monday. Let us prove we appreciate it. Philomena Rutherford, editor SUBSCRIPTION RATES In Canada: one year $8; in United States and Foreign countries: one year $10 Member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association It‘s up to you ESTABLISHED 1854 A volatile Irishman (aren‘t they all?) came charging into the office last week with ominous threats that the writer of a reâ€" cent editorial about the late Charles de Gaulle will be made to eat 20 copies of said editorial for even suggesting that Le Grand General was anything less than perfect. As always may we point out that our lettersâ€"toâ€"theâ€"editor colâ€" umns are there just for such gripes. We appreciate the bricks (honest, it‘s true!) as well as the bouquets that come our way, since it means we‘re not only being read but that we‘re stimuâ€" lating our readers into being glad, sad or mad with us. Howâ€" ever, telling us you disagree violently with our stand doesn‘t do anything to correct the false image you feel we‘re creating. Why not tell our readers the other side of the story? Rumors have it that he wasn‘t the only one who objected to our summation of the former French leader. So, unless the Irish are routed again, our letters column next week should tell us about de Gaulleâ€"as one Irishman saw him. Challenge accepted? Talking of Irishmen reminds me that an Owen Sound friend last week provided me with a longâ€"lost revision of Robbie Burns‘ verse. Remember that poem where the Scotsman was opining that some kind power the Giftie should gi‘e us to see ourselves as others see us? According to her sources had an Irishman been penning the words he would have written instead ‘‘Would some kind power the gift give others to see us as we see ourselves." An organizational meeting for a funâ€"type Little Theatre group was held in Cedarbrae school in Lakeshore Village last night. Press time prevents me from giving more information on the event but initial response to the proposal was well received in the community. The location is ideal for such a group and all the portents are that it will be a huge success. Anyone who has ever been inâ€" volved in putting on a play knows what fun it can be. Anyone in the Lakeshore area who hasn‘t has a firstâ€"hand chance to find out. Those who were unable to make last night‘s meeting have still plenty of time to get involved. Meetings on a regular basis will not begin until early January when most of the Christmas and New â€" Years holiday festivities have eased off. â€" TDONMWTO E EC RAM SYNDICLTE Philomena Rutherford‘s Bits and Pieces M T000 Meantime, anyone wishing to find out more information should call Mr. and Mrs. John Wright, 576â€"4234. Getting involved in this community endeavor could be just the lift you need when the January doldrums set in. "A typical Canadian,""‘ says the unidentified writer, ‘‘is one who has just driven home from an Italian movie in his German car, is sitting on Spanish furniture, drinking Brazilian coffee forâ€" tified with Irish whiskey out of an English bone china cup, and with his Japanese ball point pen, writing his MP protesting that imports are ruining his business." I don‘t know what Vertical Mosaic author John Porter would have to say about this definition of the typical Canadian that I came across recently, but for myself, I can‘t help wondering how near the truth the cynic who wrote the following was. Twin City post office staffs are girding themselves for anothâ€" er onslaught of mail this Christâ€" mas. According to Ken Montagano, You‘ll have to admit there‘s a hint of a home truth there someâ€" where. Donald F. Whitaker, 25, of Waterloo, died in St. Catharines last week after the plane he was piloting _ noseâ€"dived _ near _ an elementary flying training school where he was an instructor Waterloo‘s telephone system was changed from a manual to a dial operation at midnight Satâ€" urday Police Chief E. _C._ Moreau said his department‘s work has increased 50 percent since the The sanitary officer reports 16 contagious diseases in town There are 12 cases of scarlet fever and four of chickenpox. 30 YEARS AGO Nov. 29 The city engineer has been authorized to buy 300 feet of snow fencing. Council‘s finance committee proposed _ $125,000 _ expenditure in the new year on school buildâ€" ings; $40,000 on sewer plant exâ€" tensions; $12,000 for cleaning the bottom of Silver Lake, and $6,600 for extending the market buildâ€" ing. 40 YEARS AGO Files of Yesteryear 1BELIEVE HE OWNS A SMALL GROCERY STOPE AJPOUND local public relations officer for the post office, Kitchener and Waterloo staffs handled over 12 million pieces of mail last Christâ€" mas and expect a similar volume this year. Talking of postâ€"officesâ€"we heard a rumor last week that amalgamation of Kitchener and Waterloo postal serviced will be completed in February, at which time Bridgeport will be included in the union. Meantime, mail service in Bridgeport is being perked up with home delivery commencing there shortly. Up till now resiâ€" dents of that village were depenâ€" dent on box service or general delivery. outbreak of war due to registraâ€" tion of aliens. The public utilities commis sion announced plans for a $250, 000 transformer station The retail section of the Waâ€" terloo Chamber of Commerce aâ€" greed last week that, beginning Dec. 4, stores will remain open until 9 p.m. Monday to Friday, and until 6 p.m. Saturdays from now until Christmas. The majorâ€" ity of the downtown retailers have agreed to this. 20 YEARS AGO More than 500 persons turned out for a homeâ€"cooked bean supper which was sponsored by the home and school association of Central school. 10 YEARS AGO Dec. 1 A spectator at this week‘s nomination meeting was so bored with the proceedings that his yawns distracted the audience from the candidates "fiery" speeches. Waterloo shoe stores report they are snowed under with busiâ€" ness. One dealer said people think of their feet first when bad weather sets in The Waterloo Square merâ€" chants association has approved similar hours. Stores in the mall will be open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and from 9 a.m to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Council‘s _ office _ committee has recommended the city pay a $2â€"perâ€"concert license fee to the Composers, _ Authors _ and Publishers Association of Canâ€" ada Ltd. for each concert presentâ€" ed this year in the park. THECORNEEL !