To everyone who volunteered a little time, treasure and talent this holiday season: You helped make Christmas in Butler County the joyous season it's meant to be.

From the live nativities to the donated toys and clothing, concerts, bell-ringers, cooks and cookie makers, little gifts for co-workers, generous tippers and patient shoppers: thank you.

There were those who pitched in when the Rodgers family of Jefferson Township lost everything in a house fire. Friends ponied up more than $38,000 to help the family get back on their feet.

Every gift, from the biggest to smallest gesture of kindness, is an expression of joy for the season and for our friends and neighbors.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous, health New Year.

They're saying Bethlehem is a busy place these days. Jesus' birthplace has become a modern city with modern problems — no room at the inn being the most chronic, but certainly not the only headache.To ease traffic congestion, Palestinian officials who run the West Bank city want to excavate a tunnel directly under Manger Square, home of the Church of the Nativity, traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. They say the $5 million tunnel is especially necessary around the holidays when traffic is shut down around Manger Square to accommodate tourists, pilgrims and others flocking to the location.The tunnel is a bad idea. Given the state of affairs in that troubled part of the world, it would be a terrorist attack waiting to happen.Remember the Siege of the Church of the Nativity? It happened in the spring of 2002 during the Second Intifada. Riots that began in Jerusalem the previous September erupted into pitched battles with Israeli Defense Forces, which eventually occupied Bethlehem and tried to round up suspected Palestinian militants.Dozens of Palestinians fled into the church seeking refuge. They occupied the church, essentially trashing the interior and taking some 200 resident monks hostage.They occupied the church from April 2 to May 10, when an agreement ended the stalemate. The Palestinians turned themselves in and subsequently were banished to Europe or the Gaza Strip.The key point is that the Palestinians regarded the church as a secure refuge — a tunnel would seriously compromise that status, setting up a potential scenario akin to the first attempt to destroy the World Trade Center with explosives beneath it.And when you think about it, bringing traffic to a standstill in Bethlehem during the holidays is not a bad idea.

A clear cheer to the Wild Waterways Conservancy and others dedicated to cleaning up the Connoquenessing Creek watershed. Efforts not only to restore the creek to its original state, but also to ease public access, are greatly appreciated.At one time, the Connoquenessing was one of the most polluted waterways in the country. But with water quality improving, the conservancy is working to create public access to the creek so more people can use it. It has created four access points on the creek with two more planned.The access areas provide a safe location for launching a canoe or kayak. Most of them also have a parking area and small installations such as a pavilion or picnic tables, which help minimize wear and tear on the creekbanks.The conservancy volunteers maintain these sites. They solicit funding and apply for grants — money they use to continually beautify and improve the creek.It's a public resource that formerly was tossed aside and left for dead. Happily, the creek is rapidly coming back to life and health, not to mention beauty.Well done!