Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 4

JG-TC I www.lg-tc.com 1 A4 WCDNDAY, NOVEMBCR 13, 2013 1, -V The end of Thanksgiving quickly turning into all-day shopping frenzy PATE BOOK Today Government 7 p.m., Areola school board meets, library, Areola Junior-Senior High School. Public Events 11 a.m., Senior Social Group, Charleston Carnegie Public Library, Rotary Room 712 Sixth Charleston, www. charlestonllbrary.org; 217-345-1514 6-7 p.m., Free Fit Club at Cross County Mall, 700 Broadway Ave, Mattoon, 217-343-1275, camerondmc Cyahoo.com 7 p.m., Fast Chat 20:20: artist presentations, Tarble Art Center, Atrium, EIU, Ninth Street and Cleveland Charleston; www.elu.edu-tarble; 217-581-2787 7 p.m., Gunny Sack Revue performs, 1061 MxJer Center, 1061 E. Columbia St. (Route 133) near the Dollar General, Arthur.

7:30 p.m., Molly Ringwald and Jazz Trio performs, Dvorak Concert Hall, Doudna Fine Arts Center, EIU, Charleston, www. eiu.edudoudna; 217-581-3110 10 p.m., Karaoke night, Friends and Company, 509 Van-Buren, Charleston, Aaeociated Prear In this Nov. 22, 2012, file photo, shoppers stand In line outside a Best Buy department store before the store's opening at midnight. Thanksgiving Is slowly becoming ust another shopping day as at least a dozen major retailers are planing to open Thursday. Sears and Kmart last year because she believes Thanksgiving should not be commercialized.

This year, she's adding Macy's to the list. I think it's turning into a day of greed for shoppers and stores," Gillis, who lives in Hawaii, says. Given the controversy, opening on Thanksgiving can be a difficult decision for retailers to make For instance, last year, Macy's and J.C. Penney didn't open on Thanksgiving evening as competitors did. Both chains say they wanted to honor their workers' time with their families.

But this year, they changed their tune Tony Bartlett, executive vice president of Penney's stores, says the company decided to open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving this year because of customer feedback. He also says Penney store employees wanted to open on Thanksgiving so they could get the chance to better compete with rivals. Obviously, we were one of Chicago research firm Shop-perTrak. But business dropped 1.8 percent to $11.2 billion on Black Friday, though it still was the biggest shopping day last year.

That day accounted for about 4.3 percent of holiday sales last year. Customers clearly showed that they wanted to Be out shopping much earlier on Thanksgiving," Amy von Walter, a spokeswoman for Best Buy, which moved up its opening this year to 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving from midnight on Black Friday in 2012. "Our plan this holiday is a direct result of that feedback." To be sure, the issue is divisive among shoppers. Some believe that the holiday should remain sacred and that store employees should not have to work.

Some even have threatened on retailers' Facebook pages that they will boycott stores that open on Thanksgiving. Jennifer Gillis, 49, refused to shop during the holidays at Holiday is NEW YORK (AP) Last Thanksgiving Day, Kimberly Mudge Vla's mother, sister and nieces left in the middle of their meals to head for the mall. Now, Via says she'll never host Thanksgiving dinner for her relatives again. They barely finished," says the 28-year-old who lives In Boone, N.C. They thanked me and left their plates on the counter." That scene could become more common In homes across the country.

Black Friday shopping, the annual rite of passage on the day after Thanksgiving, continues to creep further Into the holiday as more stores open their doors a day early. It's a break with tradition. Black Friday, which typically is the year's biggest shopping day, for a decade has been considered the official start to the busy holiday buying season. Stores open In the wee hours of the morning with special deals called doorbusters and stay open late into the evening. Meanwhile, Thanksgiving and Christmas remained the only two days a year that stores were closed.

Now Thanksgiving is slowly becoming Just another shopping day. Over the past few years, major retailers, including Target and Toys Us, slowly have pushed opening times into Thanksgiving night to one-up each other and compete for holiday dollars. Some initially resisted, saying that they wanted their employees to be able to spend time with their families. This year, more than a dozen major retailers are opening on Thanksgiving, including a handful like Macy's, J.C. Penney and Staples that are doing it for the first time The Gap, which operates its Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic, is opening half of its stores on Thanksgiving morning.

Roger Beahm, professor of marketing at the Wake Forest University School of Business in Winston-Salem, N.C, expects that it's just a matter of time he estimates five years before most chains open all day on Thanksgiving. As for Christmas, he says that To order copies of photos that have appeared in the paper or online, go to www.jg-tc.com FACEBOOK Follow local news events by liking us on Facebook. facebook.com MattoonJGTC COLES COUNTY WEATHER Tuesday's data: High temperature .82 Low temperature .21 Observed at 6 p.m. 27 0.04'of precipitation was recorded in Charleston between 4 p.m. Monday end i p.m.

Tuesday. Information provided by the Eastern Illinois University weather Center. LOCAL SKIES Sunrise 6:35 a.m. Sunset 4:39 p.m. ILLINOIS TEMPERATURES City Bloomington Carbondale Chicago O'Hara Peoria Springfield Wheeling High law Pre.

'31 119- 39 528? .01 33 '23! 0 32 .07 33 .17 34 OUTLOOK Saturday Chance of rain 8882 Sunday Chance of rain 6284 ON THE WEB lifl Thursday Govsrnmsnt 7 p.m., Coles County Public Health Board meets, county Health Department office, 1404 Broadway Mattoon. Public Events p.m., Annual Pinecone Wreath Workshop, Douglas-Hart Nature Center, 2204 Dewttt Ave. East, Mattoon, www.dhnature.org, 217-235-4644 6-7 p.m., Bag Toss Tournament, American Legion Post 88, 1903 Maple Mattoon, 217-234-7155. 7 p.m., Open Mic Night, Jackson Avenue Coffee, 708 Jackson Charleston, www.jacksonavenuecoffee.com, 217-345-5283. 7 p.m., Silver Bow Creek Band performs, VFW 6410, 1132 State Highway 32, Sullivan, 217-259-3700 7:30 p.m., Molly Ringwald the EIU Jazz Lab Band performs, Dvorak Concert Hall, Doudna Fine Arts Center, EIU, Charleston, www.eiu.edu doudna, 217-581-3110.

8-11 p.m. live music, acoustic and requests, Dirty's Bar Grill, 706 Lincoln Charleston, 217-512-2050. LOTTERY Numbers drawn Tuesday Midday My3 1-2-9 Evening My3 1-6-3 Pick Three-Midday 7-3-9 Pick Three-Evening 7-8-1 Pick Four-Midday 3-7-2-4 Pick Four-Evening 9-3-7-4 Mid Lucky Day 01-06-17-24-35 Eve Lucky Day 01-04-12-16-17 Lotto jackpot $4.5 million Mega Millions $132 million Online: www.llllnolslottery.com lyilGHT 'Modern Family' The family goes to the annual school fair; Phil and Claire each plan a separate surprise for their 20th wedding anniversary; Haley has an awkward encounter. p.m. on ABC the last to open," last year, says Bartlett, referring to the chain's 6 a.m.

opening in 2012. But he says this year, 'We're all in." Not every store is opening on turkey day, though. A couple of retailers even put out statements specifically noting that they won't be opening on Thanksgiving so that their employees won't have to work. We believe it is Important for our team members to be able to spend this time with their loved ones," Travis Smith, CEO and president of Jo Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, says in a statement. The retailer plans to open at 6 a.m.

on Black Friday. Wholesale Club also says it will not open on Thanksgiving. "Once again, BJ's is bucking the trend of putting sales on Thanksgiving above family time," BJ's says in a statement in which it announced that it would open stores at 7 a.m. on Black Friday. respect.

A favorable change in a relationship will bring you good fortune LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -Look over your personal financial matters. Money may come from an unexpected source A quick change of plans will be required to accommodate a shifting situation. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.

22) Getting together with friends or peers will be enlightening. The conversations you have will open your eyes to new possibilities. Love is in the stars, and relationships can be improved. LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct. 23) -You'll be drawn to change, and emotional situations will develop among your friends and co-workers.

Don't make a rash decision based on hearsay. Protect your interests and your heart. day Is still sacred among shoppers. "The floodgates have opened," Beahm says, People will turn Thanksgiving Day shopping into a tradition as they historically have on the day after Thanksgiving And stores don't want to be left behind" Indeed, retailers say they're Just doing what shoppers want. And they know that opening earlier gives them a chance to be the first to grab shoppers' dollars.

That's an important opportunity for chains, which can make up to 40 percent of their annual revenue during the last two months of the year. But so far, it's unclear whether opening on Thanksgiving boosts retailers' top line or simply pushes forward sales from Friday. Last year, it was the latter: Sales on Thanksgiving were (810 million last year, an increase of 55 percent from the previous year as more stores opened on the holiday, according to HOROSCOPES If today is your birthday: Participation in a public endeavor will help broaden your outlook, refresh your memory and add satisfaction to your life in the year ahead. Getting to know people from different backgrounds will result in a chance to follow a longtime dream. Focus on affection and important relationships.

Leave yourself time to play. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Make travel plans, sign up for a course or gather information about a subject that interests you. No matter how, where or what you learn, it will end up being beneficial.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick close to home and take care of any renovations, decorations or changes you want to make Prepare for something that you are looking forward to it will turn Rockford j36Bl168 10' Moline 41 1 5 should be reviewing and reevaluating. Time is on your side, but caution will be required TAURUS (April 20-May 20) High energy and enthusiasm will bring good results. Turn a power struggle into a positive situation that will allow you to do your own thing.

Romance will bring greater happiness. GEMINI (May 21 -June 20) -Get in touch with old friends or colleagues. Finding out what others are up to will encourage you to implement a positive personal change Make your opinions known, but don't start any arguments. Pay your own way, but no one else's. CANCER (June 21 -July 22) You probably won't please everyone, but as long as you are true to your word, you will command attention and out well.

CAPRICORN (Dee. 22-Jan. 19) You should take pride in what you do. Don't worry about the changes going on around you. Concentrate on what makes you happy, and strut your stuff AQUARIUS (Jan.

20-Feb. 19) Listen carefully, but don't bend to what someone else wants if it doesn't suit you. Make changes based on past experience Don't lead anyone on; be upfront and keep moving. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Avoid impulsive moves based on emotional or personal incidents.

Your focus should be on reaching your goals and turning whatever you do into a sweeping success. ARIES (March 21 -April 19) You'll be restless and emotional today. Don't feel pressured to react when you I MICH. i lamlflO 37 1 25" 19" ...1 UMU. Champaign 39M8 A vT Cairo 5 KY, CM13Wurelercjrcwd.com; Weather Underground AP NATIONAL OUTLOOK REGIONAL OUTLOOK OUTSIDE TODAY 42 24 Peoria 41' Springfield ill I na Effingham Hv 1fl tolw'i record high Today's record km 75(1902) 7(1986) TUESDAY'S HILO 92 at Yuma, AZ -1 at Aberdeen, SO NATIONAL TEMPERATURES City High Low Pre Otlk Anchorage 22 17 Cldy Atlanta 63 46 Clr Boston 38 35 i .08 Or Dallas-Ft Worth 53 48 Clr Denver 61 28 Cldy Detroit 35 24 .01 Ctr Honolulu 82 65 "Or Houston 72 53 Of Indianapolis 36 26 Or Kansas City 35 14 Or Las Vegas 78 55 Or Los Angeles 76 56 Or Miami Beach 85 74 Cldy Mpls-St Paul 28 12 Or Nashville 44 35 .02 Or New Orleans 72 53 Or New York City 39 35 .03 Clr Philadelphia 41 37 Or Phoenix 92 62 Clr St Louis 37 24 .06 Or Salt Lake City 67 36 Cldy San Diego 77 ,59 Or San Francisco 70 Ctr Seattle 30' tr .16 Ody Wasnington.D.C.

47 Or SLLoula 45' 1 19 MO. 0 Much of nation quiet and dry High pressure will bring quiet and dry conditions to most of the nation. There is a chance for scattered showers in areas of Florida, as well as the Northern Rockies. rue I IITtSI ATE rfl I lib uu iiviei i-l TAI IflWft POINT Check www.Jg-tc.combr the latest news and up-to-the-minute weather information for the area TODAY: Sunny, high In the lower 40s, southwest winds to 15 mph. TONIGHT Clear, low In the mid 20s.

FOUR-DAY Thursday Sunny SO34 Friday Mostly cloudy S238 Cloudy Showers Ram Snow.