The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

It‘s not 1920 â€" in fact this photo was taken in 1890. But it does show that even before the turn of the century, King St. in Waterloo played an important role in the growth of the town. The road crew pictured here are working on King St. The $85,000 first stage of sidewalk reconstruction in downâ€" town Waterloo is complete, and merchants, councillors and idents alike are awaiting the results. Depending on reacâ€" ls to this phase of revitalization will be future renovaâ€" s and changes. And those reactions have already begun. The old cement sidewalk on the east side of King Street between William and Herbert has been replaced with one that incorporates patterned red bricks, planters, trees and ballâ€"type incandescent lights at the cost of 6 parking spaces It is the beginning of an attempt to induce shoppers to take advantage of the goods and services offered by downtown Waterloo merchants The need for beautification of the business core was anâ€" ticipated in 1977, the year a study for Waterloo council was released that proposed an extensive $1 million redevelopâ€" ment scheme for King Street between William and Young That plan. quickly deflated because of cost and parking conâ€" siderations. was set agide early. but the problems and conâ€" siderations it dealt with have remained One is the wellâ€"known parking situation. which some downtown merchants say is critical while others say is merely bothersome Wayne Deyarmond. chairman of the Downtown Merchants Association. feels one of the biggest problems is that employees are using free parking spaces that should be restricted to customers. He points out that ere are a number of lots behind several businesses that be purchased by employees for a period of time A common sight. says Deyarmond. is the employees of downtown businesses wiping off chalk marks placed on their tires by the business district metermaid. Though some merâ€" chants claim that the two hour parking limit discourages shoppers. it‘s employees who are getting the tickets. he said The reported lack of parking spaces in downtown Waâ€" terloo has increased since the expansion of Waterloo Square in 1976. and the city is now ready to conduct a $20,000 study of business district parking needs Merchants report good reaction to the reconstructed sideâ€" walk Paul Oschefski. general manager of Ali Baba Steakâ€" house has called the project "fantastic‘. James Prange. manager of Laura Sharpe Flowers. believes the beautificaâ€" tion will generate business to a degree But Bruce Burns. chairman of the Downtown Business Improvement Associaâ€" tion stresses the need for merchants to offer the personal service he says is not available in the large shopping malls Revitalization sparks interest in downtown "This is more important than trees and attractive lights, though the project is a step in the right direction,"" he said. In general, however,. the direction downtown Waterloo will take in the next few years is not known, according to city planner Greg Romanick. Further changes will have to All that Friday and the eveningâ€"of that Saturday downtown Waterloo shoppers were in suspense. Someâ€" where among them. disguised as an everyday custâ€" omer. passing quietly from store to store like any other human. was a woman with a secret that only the town paper knew .. and they weren‘t telling It was just one way to attract interest to the coâ€" operative summer sale. There were prizes to be given to the biggest spenders during the sale. and a poetry competition for local pupils to try their hand at comâ€" It was May 19. 1923. Many of Waterioo‘s mainstreet merchants had gotten together to hold a special Dolâ€" lar Day affair. but even they didn‘t know who this inâ€" trepid lady was She was the Mysterious Miss Dollar. and if you found her and addressed her in the following way. you would win $5.00â€" ~Pardon me. you are the Mysterious Miss Dollar of the Waterloo Chronicle ‘* To qualify for the prize. you‘d have to be holding a copy of the paper‘s Dollar Day issue mysterious MISS DOLLAR Are you the in front of what was called the Conrad Block, where the City Hotel is now located. Romanick feels now that changes in the face of downtown Waterloo will be gradual, the possibility of an extensive resâ€" tructuring having been ruled out . wait for the results of the parking study and reactions to the renovated block. Most of the downtown merchants were participatâ€" ing. The names may not be familiar. but they were all there in 1923 Ernst‘s, Alexander Shoe Repair. Rahn Bros. Shoes, Haehnel‘s Drug Store. Learn‘s Drug Store. The Arcade Grocery, Zick‘s Shoes, Brickerâ€" Germann commer store. M. Weichel and Son Hardware, A. Bechtel Dry Goods and Clothing. Menno Devitt & Co and Bohlenders. among others. > Dollar Days 1923 may be symbalic of the exâ€" travagance and carnival atmosphere of those old days. Can that spirit be captured again? Oh yes. a young girl. Miss Louise Germann. capâ€" tured the Mysterious Miss Dollar Saturday evening. winning the $5 prize. The incognito lady was Miss Bea:â€" trice Gardiner Two trouser suits went for $25 during Dollar Days. while boys shirts went for $1. women‘s calfskin Oxâ€" fords $&. work boots $3 95. 8 Ihs sugar $1. 4 Ibs. coffee $1 and bedroom slippers _> cents memorating the event in verse. Waterioo Chronicle, Wednesday, July 11, 1979 â€" Page B3