Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 2

Sandy victims cheered by NYC 's Thanksgiving parade hu 1 i I 7 EY HAYS Associated Press NEW YORK Victims of Superstorm Sandy in New York and elsewhere in the Northeast were comforted Thursday by kinder weather, free holiday meals and for some front row seats to the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade "It means a lot," said Karen Panetta, of the hard-hit Broad Channel section of Queens, as she sat in a special viewing section set aside for New Yorkers displaced by the storm. "We're thankful to be here and actually be a family and to feel like life's a little normal today," she said. The popular Macy's parade, attended by more than 3 million people and watched by 50 million on TV, included such giant balloons as Elf on a Shelf and Papa Smurf, a new version of Hello Kitty, Buzz Lightyear, Sailor Mickey Mouse and the PilLsbury Doughboy. Real-life stars included singer Carly Rae Jepsen and Rachel Crow of "The Factor." The young, and the young at heart, were delighted by the sight and sound of marching bands, performers and, of course, the giant balloons. The sunny weather quickly surpassed 50 degrees.

Alan Batt and his 11-year-old twins, Kyto and Elina, took in the parade at the end of the route, well away from the crowd and seemingly too far away for a good view. But they had an advantage: Two tall stepladders they hauled over from their apartment eight blocks away one for each twin. "We're New Yorkers," the 65-year-old Batt said. "We know what we're doing." With the height advantage, "I get to see everything!" Kyto said. At nearby Greeley Square, social worker Lowell Her-schberger, 40, of Brooklyn, sought in vain to tear his sons, 8-year-old Logan and 6-year-old iiam, from a foosball table set up in the tiny park as the bal- V-" t-i 9- the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade In New York on Thursday.

1 1 1 1 I 1 1 I A i.l VAVr Charles Syfces; Associated Press area church. "This storm not only impacted us, it impacted a lot of our friends, our community, our psyche," Alvarez said shortly before his family headed out for their meal. "We could have had our usual dinner here at home, but this year it felt like we should be with others who are experiencing the same concerns we are We made it through this devastating storm, and that's something to Chicago attorney Sam Adam Jr. also has said he'd be interested. Adam is a recognizable face and name, having represented Blagojevich in his first trial in 2010, when the former governor was convicted on one count and the jury deadlocked on the remaining counts.

Adam also vas R. Kelly's lawyer when the singer was acquitted on child pornography charges. Jackson's brother, Jonathan Jackson, and his wife Sandi Jackson who currently serves as an alderman representing a part of the district also have been mentioned, though neither has commented on a possible run. run mj i i i Enjoyour when he returned for Thanksgiving. "To come back and see the boardwalk all devastated like it is, it's like going to Manhattan and finding Times Square gone," he said.

George Alvarez, whose Toms River, N.J., home suffered moderate damage when Sandy hit the coast, said his family usually does "the traditional big dinner" on Thanksgiving. But this year, they chose to attend a community dinner held at an that together." State Sen. Tbi Hutchinson said she is weighing a bid. So is former U.S. Rep.

Debbie Halvorson, who represented another district in Congress for one term before losing reelection in 2010. Halvorson was Jackson's first credible challenger in years when she ran a spirited campaign against him in the March primary. "It looks like a lot of egos are jockeying for positions right now," Halvorson said. "I'm the only one who had the nerve to run against him. They need someone who is going to step in from day one." hi I wg I aajaWdWaMMBMiaBaTaaMaaMaMiaa faCIFT CARDS AVAILABLE IRpdpenuhlp here 2nd Fabulous Offered IN distribution of 26,500 meals at 30 sites in neighborhoods affected by Sandy, and other organizations also were pitching in.

The disaster zones on Staten Island were flooded this time with food and volunteers from Glen Rock, N.J. organized using social media. "We had three carloads of food," said volunteer Beth Fernandez. "The whole town of Glen Rock pitched in. It's really cool.

It's my best, my favorite Thanksgiving ever." But retailers say they are giving shoppers what they want. Dave Tbvar, a Wal-Mart spokesman, said that the discounter learned from shoppers that they want to start shopping right after Thanksgiving dinner. Then, they want to have time to go to bed before they wake up to head back out to the stores. Still, Tovar said that Wal-Mart works to accommodate its workers' requests for different working hours. "We spent a lot of time talking to them, trying to figure outwhen would be the best tinieTor our events," he said.

Kathee Tesija, Target's executive vice president of merchandising, said Target's 9 p.m. opening struck "a perfect balance" for its customers. When asked whether it's faced any criticism from Target employees, she noted that the chain also works with workers -to accommodate their But, ultimately the company serves the customer. SHOP AT HOME SERVICE Custom Blinds Shades Installation Available Julie Dale Eveland (217)234-3190 LAFAYETTE INTIRIOR FASHIONS' HunlcrDouglas 13 -----H jta. The Sailor Mickey balloon floats In loons crept by on the near horizon.

"Hey, guys there's Charlie Brown," he said, pointing at the old standby balloon. The boys didn't look up. "I guess they're over it," the father said with a shrug. Mayor Michael Bloomberg was reflective Thursday as he praised police, firefighters, armed services personnel, sanitation workers and volunteers involved in the storm response His office was coordinating the group of retail workers called Retail Action Project planned protests in the Manhattan borough of New York City on Thanksgiving in front of several stores, including AnnTaylor, Forever 21 and others that are opening at midnight on Black Friday and earlier. "It shows that the companies are not valuing their workers.

They're looking to their workers to squeeze out more profits," said Carrie Gleason, director of Retail Action Project. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has been one of the biggest targets of protests against holiday hours. Many of the company's stores are open 24 hours, but the company is offering early bird specials that once were reserved for Black Friday at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving instead. The issue is part of a broader campaign against the com-pany's treatment of workers that's being Waged by a union- backed group called OUR Wal-mart, which includes former and current workers.

The group is staging demonstrations and walkouts at hundreds of stores on Black Friday. Mary Pat Tifft, a Wal-Mart employee in Kenosha, who is a member of OUR Wal-mart, started an online petition on signon.org that has about 34,000 signatures. "This Thanksgiving, while millions of families plan to spend quality time with their loved ones, Wal-Mart associates have been told we will be stocking shelves and preparing sales starting at 8 p.m.," she wrote on the site Mattoon Moose -1212 Broadway Sunday November 25th 9am-3pm 1 rJITES Cm Hontssssery mutmaiiM 235-3137 '1 mrn Hero it Holiday Buffet most evenings in December On Long Island, the Long Beach nonprofit Surf For All hosted a Thanksgiving event that fed 1,200 people Carol Gross, 72, a Long Beach native, said she went to volunteer but was turned away because of a surplus of helpers. "A lot of people like me, old-timers, we've never seen anything like this horror," she said, recalling the destruction. Gross' brother, Jerry, who moved to Arizona in the 1960s, was stunned by what he saw REPLACE From page AI began in June.

Longtime Chicago political strategist Thorn Serafin said that makes Rush's doom-and-gloom prediction of a split field leading to a tea party victory highly unlikely. Serafin said that because of the truncated election process, candidates who already are in office, are organized, and have shown they can raise money have the advantage. Those include longtime Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale, whose ward is in the district, and Alderman Will Burns, a former state representative. "There's little doubt based on the district's history that a Democrat will be elected here," Serafin said. "The big question is who can" organize and 'show me' they're the real deal? It's much simpler for someone who has been in the game for some time to put Weekly Specials New Potato Bar Steak Seafood Chicken Salad Bar Lunch 11-2 Mon-Ffl Steak House One Entree I (ns! il.d n.lfi tptuji)) Offer Good For Dlne-ln WlthThitAd thru 1210,7012 Lifeline maftarty.

mm tutu pnce includes window sandaid installation, 23 Yesrs Experience Satisfied Customers Vkiadews Installed Mogger's Pub Restaurant in Tern Haute A FRIDAY From page A2 Federation, an industry trade group, estimates that overall sales in November and December will rise 4.1 percent this year to $586.1 billion, or about flat with last year's growth. But the online part of that is expected to rise 15 percent to $68.4 billion, according to Forrester Research. As a result, brick-and-mor-tar retailers are trying everything they can to lure consumers into stores by making shopping as easy as possible. In addition to expanding their hours into Thanksgiving, many are offering free layaways and shipping, matching the cheaper prices of online rivals and updating their mobile shopping apps with more information. "Every retailer wants to Deal everyone else, said L.

Britt Beemer, chairman of America Kcsearcn uroup, a research firm based in Charleston, S.C. "Shoppers love it." Indeed, there were 11 shoppers in a four-tent encamp- ment outside a Best Buy store near Ann Arbor, Mich. The purpose of their wait? A $179 40-inch Toshiba LCD television is worth missing Thanksgiving Jl I uiniier ai nome. Jackie Berg, 26, of Ann Arbor, arrived first with her stepson and a friend Wednesday afternoon, seeking three of the televisions. The deal makes the TVs $240 less than their normal price, so Berg says that she'll save more than $700 It's her first time camping out for the specials, and she's not sure she will do it again.

Relatives will bring her some holiday dinner, but she'll miss eating her dad's stuffing right as he cooks it. "We'll miss the actual being there with family, but we'll have the rest of the weekend for that," she said. While shoppers took advantage of the Thanksgiving deals, some workers were expected to protest the Turkey Day hours. In fact, a New York-based union-backed A Luncfi FISH FRIES cn CCD Dinner TC0 rUCH WALLEYE "0 0(1 4 LEU 1 ANY DOLLAR AMOUNT at SuMm Sfftilhou fl i 1 I 1 i $g00 00 for White Vinyl Double Hung Replacement WINDOWS i i Wow Pec While They Last ihmm mm ti-o'ttf 1lChiriiitMAvi-HaSaoa-4Hz2 USE OUR FAST FRIENDLY DRIVF Kim Sledja Jeffery Sledgs Owners Oottoon 217-259951 nn ntn'tnn nu nu nn.i a.