Entries by Jeff Westover

The Halifax Christmas Disaster of 1917

By B. Francis Morlan Editor’s Note: Every December the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia sends a Christmas tree to the City of Boston, Massachusetts. This story explains how that came about. December of 1917 was a time when the world was in transition. The horrors of World War I were known and the prospects of […]

Christmas Debate: Real or Artificial?

By Jeff Westover (Author bias: We use an artificial tree in our home every holiday season but we do so under protest. If I could, I would use a real tree. But our choice of tree has nothing to do with environmental consciousness. The simple fact is that we live in a desert and real […]

Christmas and Infectious Diseases

This week I attended the most bizarre pre-Christmas sales meeting of my 35+ year retail career. The hot topic? Christmas and Ebola. I kid you not. Tis the season, you see, for sales projections, big plans and visions of crowded aisles filled with shoppers looking to stuff stockings. Over the years I’ve been through it […]

I am Santa Claus Debuts on Blu-ray

Mick Foley’s pet project I am Santa Claus will be released on Blu-ray this holiday season. Virgil Films & Entertainment has announced the documentary arrives on Blu-ray on November 11th. But check the kids at the door — this ain’t your Daddy’s Santa documentary. Everyone thinks of Santa Claus as a magical figure without flaws, […]

Retailers Optimistic for Strong Christmas Sales

The National Retail Federation is predicting a robust 4 percent increase in Christmas sales for 2014. That would be an improvement over the disappointing 3 percent return reported for last year. “Retailers could see a welcome boost in holiday shopping, giving some companies the shot in the arm they need after a volatile first half […]

Santa Speaks 2014

As we start our trek into the Holiday Season, it is customary for Santa to sit down with a member of the media to discuss the issues of the day and the latest happenings at the North Pole. This Year, Santa sat down with Austin Ball of the Madison Gazette: Austin: Santa, I would like […]