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~_ 4 Waterioo Chronicle, Thursday, December 24, 1970 Could anything be more plainly marked than the crossâ€" walk on King Street, opposite Waterloo Square? There are markings on the pavement and brightlyâ€"lit signs overhead. And yet every day scores of motorists fail to seeâ€"or at least obeyâ€"those markings. They go sailing through, narâ€" rowly missing pedestrians, as if the crosswalk and those using it did not exist. The Waterloo police department charges offenders, but the department can‘t have an officer at the crosswalk full time. When the walk first went into operation an officer was on the scene for several days. It was taken for granted that motorists would soon become accustomed to stopping when pedestrians are in the walk. This seemed to have been borne out, but in recent weeks there had been a relapse. Perhaps it will be necessary to put a policeman back on the walk. It seems now it will be only time before someone is injured or even killed at what was designed as a safety feature. Christmas is no longer just a religious festival of the Christian faith. It has spread to people of all or no formal faith. But that is not a loss to the church. On the contrary, it is a gain : perhaps that‘s what it‘s all about. May you all have a merry Christmas! Some of these motorists may be outâ€"ofâ€"towners and for them there may be some excuse, although it is difficult to see how they can miss those crosswalk signs. But many are local residents, and for them there is no excuse. It would almost seem they are deliberately ignoring the exâ€" istence of the crosswalk and challenging pedestrians in a oneâ€"sided duel. The goods purchased at Christmas time are part of our economic system. They provide jobs in manufacturing of raw materials and finished products and in the several levâ€" els of sales. And each of these steps has its tax, helping provide the many things we require from government. But Christ did not shun the market place. Religionâ€"man‘s striving to be good and to love his God and others more than himselfâ€"is not the sole prerogative of the church. If religion is not in man‘s everyday world, than it is useless in his church. Gifts pleaseâ€"or usually pleaseâ€"the recipient. More imâ€" portant is what they do for the giver. Christmas brings out the best in all of us. At this time of year there are frequent comments that Christmas has become too commercial, with a correspondâ€" ing fading of the religious significance of the event. The comment is as likely to come from someone who has spent far more on Christmas gifts than he planned as from a Scrooge. On first hearing, the comment seems indisputable. But is it such a catastrophe? Every gift is an act of givingâ€"of one of man‘s finest instincts. Most are a symbol of love or at least affection. Even those which are just a symbol of duty may briefly ennoble the giver while hurting the pocket Although our merchants may disagree on whether or not this is ‘"a good year,"" to the casual observer there are no signs of a depression. Many of the signs of Christmas have been borrowed from nonâ€"Christian sources, but they have become part of this most holy of Christian celebrations. Some argue that such symbols are exploited for commercial purposes. They feel that religious carols belong in the church and should not be blared over public address systems in the streets and stores. Waterloo‘s downtown streets and shopping plazas have been jammed during the past weeks with shoppers. Gailyâ€" wrapped parcels, bright colored lights and other decoraâ€" tions, and occasionally the sound of recorded carols tell that this is the Christmas season. > ESTABLISHED 1854 Published everyv Thursday by Fairway Press, a division of Kitchenerâ€"Waterloe Record Lid 30 Queen St N . Kitchener. Ontario Address correspondence to Waterloo Square. Waterioo Ont Telephone 744â€"6364 Christmas thoughts SUBSCRIPTION RATES In Canada : one year $8; in United States and Foreign countries: one year $10 Member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association rosswalks Philomena Rutherford, editor Pupils at Elizabeth Ziegler school washed, combed and outâ€" fitted dolls and repainted and reâ€" made toys and games by the hunâ€" dred for other youngsters less blessed than they. A memory of Christmas 1970 that will remain with me a long time is the generosity shining through the eyes of a little girl who slipped into a classroom, emâ€" pty excépt for me, to slip one more packet of food onto a collection for needy families. Someone had evidently taught her the joy of doing good by stealth and she had discovered for herself the depth of the truth. Indeed the generosity of Watâ€" erloo school, children this Christâ€" mas should be a source of pride to the parents and teachers who have imbued them with such virâ€" tue. A story elsewhere in this paper describes how Lincoln Heights pupils rose to the occasion, colâ€" lecting huge quantites of food for needy Kâ€"W families. At MacGregor school the prepâ€" arations began two weeks ago with And then there was that first lonely Christmas in Canada, when I met a Scots couple who were even lonelier than I. And a visit with a Canadian family where I learned that loneliness and empâ€" tiness are in the heart and all this world‘s trappings are worthless if one has lost one‘s dreams. And the memories of the long walk to church in the morning darkness and the church with its flickering candlelight glinting off the redâ€"berried holly wreathsâ€" and the outâ€"ofâ€"tune choir that to the ears of youth sounded like a veritable angel chorus. Oh, to have such tolerance and trust once more! Is there in this world a thrill like that of the youngster, innoâ€" cent and allâ€"believing, trembling in the preâ€"dawn at the sight of a bulging stocking filled by a mysâ€" terious man who tours the world on Christmas eve? Christmas is a time for nostalâ€" giaâ€"for family members who are absent or gone forever, for disâ€" tant friends and often, for one‘s lost childhood. And so it‘s Christmas Eve 1970 with all its ghosts of Christmasâ€" ses past and hopes of Christmasses yet to be. Hopefully for all Chronâ€" icle readers the present Christâ€" mas is rich in the only things that have substanceâ€"love, peace, courâ€" age and faith. May it also see them abundant in the lesser, material things that make life goodâ€"and worth the struggle that their attainâ€" ment often demands. _ TIONCTO _TELEGRAM SYNDCATE Philomena Rutherford‘s Bits and Pieces Leading Aircraftsmen Douglas Lowe and Kenneth Ruppel reâ€" ceived their wings in graduation ceremonies at Kingston this week. Both Waterloo men receivâ€" ed their elementary flying trainâ€" ing at the Kâ€"W Flying Club. Kitchener Public Utilities Comâ€" mission agreed to purchase three more motor coaches so that with six vehicles it will be able to reâ€" sume service between Kitchener and Waterloo. ° A feature of the closing session of council this week was the presâ€" entation of a gold watch to Wardâ€" en Griffin, who will not seek reâ€" election in next week‘s poll. 40 YEARS AGO Dec. 25 Wellâ€"known Waterloo man Anâ€" drew Urstadt, owner of a confecâ€" tionery and iceâ€"cream business here has purchased a business in Bright and will take possession early in the New Year. The school board has invited town council, local clergymen and the general public to attend the site of the Moore Avenue school building, New Year‘s Day, when the corner stone will be laid. 30 YEARS AGO Dec. 27 No doubt other schools have had similar examples of generâ€" osity but these are the ones who had reported results to us in time for this week‘s deadline. One of the highlights of recent days was a visit to The Chronicle office by Waterloo County‘s favâ€" orite author, Edna Staebler. Mrs. Staebler took time out In addition to mounds of food, May all our readers have a teachers reported cash on hand Christmas filled with joy and at the beginning of the week P€ace: exceeding $330. Somewhere in this city there A few days ago the food was packed into hampers and the money used to purchase turkeys for each family. a penny drive. Dried and canned food poured in to the school, food items were substituted for cash as the admittance fee to a school dance and individual donations were pooled. A new picture of King George Files of Yesteryear The start of the $5 million Watâ€" erloo Square development was the biggest milestone in Waterloo in a large American one have plans for locating here next year. The mercury dropped to five deâ€" grees above zero Christmas night making Christmas the secâ€" ond coldest day of the year. Waterloo‘s Christmas trees have now been removed by the public utilities commission. The trees were up early this year and were a big attraction. Fears that Kâ€"W _ residents wouldn‘t have a white Christmas were unfounded when six inches of snow fell Christmas morning. Judge W.E. Clement gave perâ€" mission for name changes for 18 Waterloo streets to avoid dupliâ€" cation with Kitchener. City officials have indicated that six new industries including 10 YEARS AGO Dec. 29 may lie the secret of a happy Christmas day. 20 YEARS AGO Since New Year‘s Eve falls on a Sunday this year, activities at public and private parties, dance establishments _ and _ cabarets will be kept to a minimum until midnight by the Sabbath laws. Whatever one‘s situation there is always another more alone and more helpless. In seeking them out and sharing your friendship VI has been hung in the council chamber behind the mayor‘s dais. The loneliest are often those who are surrounded with people and worldly goods of themselves have little warmth. sessions crowds. Somewhere in this city there are many who are lonely and some who are poor. To them, most of all, we wish happiness, which, after all has little to do with posâ€" from her shopping to drop by to tell us how much she enjoyed our weekly paper. All unknown to us she is a regular reader and her visit just made our day. and even less with