Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy - Luke 2

 ¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
 ²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
 ³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
 ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
 ⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
 ⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
 ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
 ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
 ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
 ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
 ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
 ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
 ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
 ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
 ¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
 ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
 ¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
 ¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

Greensboro artist featured at Tanger Outlets in Mebane.

Sculptures by Greensboro artist Scott Harris will be on permanent display at the $65 million Tanger Outlet Center that opened in Mebane.

Tanger officials commissioned Harris to create an aluminum lighthouse sculpture that rises 17 feet in front of the Gap Outlet. Harris also created a handcrafted aluminum sculpture near the Coach Factory outlet that represents the artist’s interpretation of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s flying machine from Kitty Hawk.

“These beautiful works of art are meant to reflect the strength and ingenuity that our great state of North Carolina stands for,” said Steven B. Tanger, president and CEO of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. in a statement. “The sculptures represent two of our state’s most recognizable images. We hope that our Tanger Outlet Center shoppers in Mebane will enjoy and be inspired by Scott Harris’ art for many years to come.”

Said Harris: “I truly enjoyed the opportunity to create two sculptures that so distinctly represent the state I call home.”

SOURCE: The Business Journal

Will California rains dampen Christmas sales?

At the Westfield Parkway in El Cajon, it looked more like the weekend than Monday as hundreds of shoppers headed to the mall despite the rain.

"School's out. All the kids are out. Rain never stops us from shopping -- ever," said shopper April Ziegler.

One JCPenney employee said the weather could be drawing more crowds to the malls rather than the holiday deals.

"When it rains, people come out... a lot more people come out shopping," said Robyn Galichon, the manager of JCPenney at Westfield Parkway.

Outdoor shopping centers did not appear to be hurting either. At the Las Americas Premium Outlets in San Ysidro, a break in the rain was a welcome sight, but shoppers said they were prepared either way.

Organized crime ring targets Banana Republics

The Mercury by Phil Ellingsworth Jr

The township police department is seeking the public’s assistance as it investigates individuals who stole clothing from the Philadelphia Premium Outlets Saturday afternoon and who may be linked to an organized retail theft crime ring.

Police Chief William J. Albany said Banana Republic’s loss prevention officers discovered the theft after noticing a number of clothing items were missing and went back through surveillance footage.

When the store’s officers reviewed the footage, they found three men placed numerous items of clothing into shopping bags while a store employee was distracted by a woman, Albany said.

In total, 55 pieces of clothing were taken, valued at $3,647, during Saturday’s theft.

The individuals seem to be a part of an organized crime ring that targets Banana Republic stores in outlets across the mid-Atlantic region, including in Tannersville, Pa., and northern New Jersey, Albany said.

God Bless Us Everyone

The Tanger Outlet Center in Mebane provided an economic boost at about the time Ace/Avant Concrete Construction needed it most. In fact, when Tanger officials broke ground for the massive shopping facility last year, the construction industry in the state was at its lowest point in recent history. The Mebane project was the largest of its kind in North Carolina in 2010, the Department of Commerce said earlier this year.
For Ace/Avant Concrete Construction, of Archdale, the contract it received from Tanger saved 10 to 15 jobs.

"It means many more families get to put food on the table," said Tracy Matson, president of Ace/ Avant. "It was wonderful timing to have that project."

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Festival Bay Mall in Orlando sold for $25 Million

Festival Bay Mall was taken over on Dec. 8 by a firm tied to the former owner of the neighboring Orlando Premium Outlets-International Drive — something real estate sources had been buzzing about for the last several months, as previously reported by Orlando Business Journal.

Baltimore, Md.-based FB Orlando Acquisition Co. LLC, an entity created Nov. 23, bought the 1.1 million-square-foot enclosed mall on International Drive for $25 million from BT Orlando LP, an entity related to Memphis, Tenn.-based Belz Enterprises Inc., Orange County records showed. David Lichtenstein, CEO of the former outlet center owner’s parent company The Lightstone Group, was listed as FB Orlando Acquisition Co.’s managing member, state records showed.

Officials from the new mall management company Paragon Outlets, a related entity of Lakewood, N.J.-based The Lightstone Group, were unavailable for comment by press time.

SOURCE: Orlando Business Journal