Down With Thanksgiving Shopping! Maybe.

Is the retail encroachment into Thanksgiving day worth fighting?

I’ve been known to be a party pooper, a real Debbie downer (sorry Debbie) when it comes to certain kinds of indulgences. Keep this in mind if you keep reading. Black Friday. Fine. After a day of gastronomic excess, we launch into a season of consumer spending that many of us will regret well into 2013. But a Black Friday that begins on Thanksgiving Thursday is just too much, or is it?  The argument was succinctly made by P.C. Richard & Son (on Facebook, of course) that retailers who chose to open their doors on Thanksgiving “show no respect to their employees and families, and are in total disrespect of family values in America.”  I’m inclined to agree, though the invocation of “family values” is questionable now that the phrase has been …

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History of Black Friday: 5 Things You Need to Know

You might be surprised of the modern use of the term.

1. The modern use of the term "Black Friday" originated in Philadelphia in 1966, according to several published reports, including Time magazine. It was a term Philadelphia Police used to describe mobs of shoppers and gridlocked downtown traffic the day after Thanksgiving. 2. Around 1980, Black Friday came to be known as the day retailers ended the red ink of sales losses and moved into the black ink of profit, according to Mother Jones magazine. 3. The original use of the term dates back to the Sept. 24, 1864, stock-market panic triggered by plunging gold prices. 4. Black Friday has only recently become the busiest shopping day of the year. Between 1991 to 2001 it didn't rank in the top five. The Saturday before Christmas ranked as No. 1…

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Chris Christie Visiting Thanksgiving Dinner Distribution at Toms River Lowe's

First Lady joining effort at 10:45 a.m. today

Gov. Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie will arrive at Lowe's on Hooper Avenue at 10:45 a.m. this morning during the distribution of Thanksgiving dinners. The event is part of the Season of Service, but is the first time Christie visited Toms River since the storm ravaged the area, though he has been to Seaside Park and places nearby to see the devastation. The Season of Service is a volunteer initiative encouraged by the Christie administration,  to use the end of the year as a time to give back. Aidan McManus, an 8 year-old from Burlington County, began using his own money and time to give back and feed the homeless of the area. The Christies were inspired by McManus to create the Season of Service, urging everyone to  …

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Calvin

9:37 am on Thursday, November 22, 2012

Christie knows all about corruption in NJ, after all he is a lawyer and once was once the attorney general in the state of New Jersey. He does try. He just does not realize and EXPECT the scope and corruptions in NJ schools. Take it from me being I am a minority.   more ›

Hurricane Sandy

Lowe's Providing Free Meals for Thanksgiving

Communities affected by recent storms to receive extra help

With the holiday season getting underway Lowe's has announced that they will be providing free meals to local residents affected by Hurricane Sandy. The company announced that 35 of its stores in New York and New Jersey will be providing more than 22 thousand complete Thanksgiving dinners. The dinners include a fresh roasted turkey or ham, mashed potatoes and gravy along with sweet corn and rolls. Table Talk Pies of Worcester, Mass. also donated more than 43 thousand pies for the meals. In addition to the 500 meals each store will distribute the company also said that all employees of the store will also get a free meal, "as a thank you for their dedication before, during and after the storm," a press release from the company said.  The …

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ShopRite Lowers Spending Threshold to Get Free Turkeys

It used to be $400. But because of Hurricane Sandy, all you have to do is spend $300 by November 22, and you can get a free turkey for your holiday table.

It's all to help people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. ShopRite has lowered the amount shoppers must spend in order to qualify for a free Thanksgiving turkey, according to Supermarket News.  The traditional ShopRite turkeyfest happens once a year. During that time, shoppers who spend a certain amount of money can pick up a free turkey for their Thanksgiving table. This year, the supermarket recognizes that people who were affected by the recent hurricane probably didn't have food shopping on their minds - especially with areas of central New Jersey not having electricity, in some cases, for more than a week. The free turkey threshold was $400. ShopRite has changed that to $300, Supermarket News reports. The promotion, which runs from …

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Kudos

Restaurants, Charities Providing Free Thanksgiving Dinners

No one needs to go hungry on Thanksgiving, thanks to efforts of many volunteers and donors in Toms River

No one should be alone or hungry this holiday. Volunteers said that's the idea behind efforts that will bring a Thanksgiving meal to several hundred people in the Toms River area this week, with special events filled with food and camaraderie, too. Organizers to several Thanksgiving dinner events said they were driven to provide an option for individuals and families who otherwise couldn't afford it, or who had no where to go. In Toms River, several organizations and businesses offer complimentary meals for individuals and families. There's a Thanksgiving Eve meal starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Salvation Army, 1738 Route 37 E. (westbound side). Nancy McCorry, community outreach manager, said the meal takes the place of the …

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Football

Toms River Thanksgiving Football Rivalries, By the Numbers

Turkey Day rivalries of East and North, and there's South and Lakewood

  We’ve got some longstanding football rivalries that play out on Thanksgiving, here in Toms River. Of course, East will play North, and South will play Lakewood. This year’s games are both at 11 a.m. Thursday. South's Indians are away at Lakewood's Piners. And the Mariners are heading to Raider Way.   Here’s a look at the games’ histories, with some key figures about the annual tradition.   The records: Toms River East vs. Toms River North - Toms River East leads series, 15-12-1. Toms River South vs. Lakewood - Toms River South leads series, 49-35-4. Source: All Shore Media   Last year’s outcome: East and North: TR North took out the Raiders with a dominant home win, 24-6. South and Lakewood: With Warren Wolf as the head coach, the Piners…

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Vinny Varvaro

11:44 am on Wednesday, November 23, 2011

I am an East grad, but growing up, we used to go to the TRN-Brick games every Thanksgiving until East was built. They were good games and a decent rivalry.   more ›