We’ve never had. the slightest de
sire to be away from New Bern dur
ing the Christmas holidays, but our
choice if we got the urge would
probably be Maplewood, New Jer
sey.
To the best of our knowledge,
there isn’t a living soul there we
know, but it sounds like the sort of
a town where the Yuletide spirit
, abounds. Maybe we’U land there
someday in this grandest season of
all, or perhaps a few of our readers
will.
Displaying community cooperation
to the fullest extent, citizens of
Maplewood turn it into g storybook
village in which young and old
alike play what has been termed
“an enchanted game of make-be
lieve.” - )
In this wonderful world of once-
uponna-time, carolers see to it that
there is no lack of Christmas music,
■ day in and day out, on the village
^een. With a setting like that, get
ting Christmas in your bones is as
easy as falling off a log — a Yule
log that is.
Merchants get into the act too,
. by wearing wide-winged collars and
colorful ascots and waistcoats. Sales
ladies are adorned in mobcaps and
frilly organdy pinafores. Windows
are taped to represent tiny leaded
panes.
Emphasizing the theme of Charles
Diokens’ beloved Christmas Carol,
and giving the town a look of Mer-
He Olde England, Maplewood’s of
ficials selected Tiny Tim to puU the
switch that lighted the community
'■^hriswias 4ree. fti'oijrilf-stending-by
were all the members of the Crat-
chit family.
The idea for Maplewood’s unusual
way of celebrating and decorating
was born at a meeting of the city’s
merchants. Not entirely satisfied
Wilii iheir routine display of over
head lights and tinseled trappings,
they remembered Mr. Dickens and
decided to stress the season’s true
spirit of giving.
Business establishments a«ie- ;?*ctu-
ally renamed to make the Ulusioii
even more convincing. A bank be
came Ye Counting House, a real
estate firm became Ye House ariff
Cottager, and a beauty shop became
Milady’s Wig and Patches.
A town crier and a lamplighter
were appointed. At the local high
school the students in manual-train
ing classes made metal hoods for
street lights. Placed over the lights
they gave the appearance of gas
lamps.
Whether other towns will follow
the pattern set by citizens of Maple
wood remains to be seen. New
Bern’s presentation of a tableau,
■vnth choirs and a band, was a new
venture this year in lieu of a Christ
mas parade.
To our way of thinking, the per
formance was creditable. Many had
lamented the fact that the usual
parade was vetoed in favor of the
program presented in front of New
Bern’s post office. Some, we feel
sure, felt less critical after viewing
the tableau, but approval of the ven
ture was by no means close to unan
imous.
Although the program was attend
ed by quite a crowd, the niunber of
persons witnessing it was only a
fraction of the crowds that have
turned out for Christmas parades in
the past.
It didn’t help matters when the
temperature dropped sharply. No
one particularly enjoys standing in
one spot for an hour, when the
weather is uncomfortably cold. How
ever, waiting for a parade on a chii-
ly curb can be rather unpleasant
too.
As far as the kids were concern
ed, the big event of the evening was
the appearance of Santa Claus. What
went before, commendable though it
was, had much greater appeal for
adults and teen agers than it did
for children who are at the age to
(Continued on Page 8)
The NEW BERN
Mass®®
f^Oo\ WEEKLY
t. 5-^
5^ Per c'
VOLUME 4
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1961
NUMBER 31
4" ^
1  f' '
1 1
V
MUSIC AT ITS BEST—Pictured here is the New Bern High
school choir, famed for excellence year in and year out.
With Donald Smith conducting and Jimmy Meredith at the
keyboard, these talented youngsters will present their
Christmas concert, along with the boys and girls glee
cljibs, Tuesday night at the High School Auditorium.—
Photo by Johnny Williams.
I.!
QUALITY AND QUANTITY—This year the New Bern High
school girls glee club is the largest ever, with 112 votes.
Louise Whitty is accompanist for the group. Like the High
school choir and boys glee club, they have labored tireless
ly under the direction of Donald Smith to make Tuesday
night’s Christmas concert an event to be remembered.
—Photo by Johnny Williams.