A Truly Black Friday

The decline has been happening for years. Empty store fronts multiplying, huge vacant parking lots, non-existent crowds, but as of last year Century III Mall was still somewhere you could get some decent Black Friday shopping in.

Besides the only two anchor stores, JCPenny and Dick’s, there was still a Claire’s, Bath and Body Works, Bradley’s Books, FYE, Things Remembered and Victoria’s Secret. In addition, there was Cash In Culture - a vintage video game and toy store.

Yes, the throngs of people from Black Friday circa 1986 were no longer the norm, but younger shoppers weren’t around for that and didn’t know better. Older shoppers like myself, were happy to get some of the great deals and still be able to breathe.

But this year it was different. The anchor stores were open, but the mall didn’t open until 8 a.m. That wasn’t too bad. My family and I were able to do a couple laps around Penny’s, check out the sale items and get into the holiday spirit. But once the Red Sea parted and the steel doors opened, a sad reality was revealed.

First, the sounds of the seasons slipped into soft rock hits. While I love America every now and then, I was not in the mood to hear about a horse with no name. I wanted to hear about a reindeer called Rudolph. Then I noticed FYE was gone – empty – closed up. Claire’s also gone. Cash In Culture a thing of the past. Yes, Things Remembered was still there, which in my opinion is appropriate. Century III is a thing I remember and oh, what great memories.


I am pretty sure my first recollection of going to that spectacular mall was with my mom and my best friend, Amy, who was visiting from New Jersey. I was probably 9 maybe 10 and I remember the sights, the sounds - the excitement. It was like something out of this world and I loved being there.

The mall was so big! The multiple levels meant you couldn’t possibly take everything in, but we tried. One store that stood out for me was called Heaven.  The one image I took away from that place was naked Barbie type dolls that you could dress yourself. Again, appropriate the store was called Heaven because the mall was a celestial experience.

I also remember going Christmas shopping there as a teen. I had a wallet full of paper route tips and I was able to buy gifts for each of my family members on my own. My Catholic school chum, Melissa, and I spent the day at the mall, which appeared to have been decorated by one of Santa’s elves. We bought lots of gifts and I probably got my usual hot fudge sundae at the Dairy Queen. The only item I remember taking home that day was Billy Joel’s USSR concert album for my brother, purchased at National Record Mart. This album is currently in my possession. I wonder if he wants it back now that it could be worth a few dollars more than I paid for it?

Going to Century III Mall this past Black Friday was sad. I know that was it for us. It was nice that for the past couple of years my family and I took advantage of this withered gem and made some memories of our own. My two oldest children truly enjoyed going there and were able to appreciate what existed without having any idea of the majesty it once contained.

Who knows what is in store for the mall. I have heard different things from possible hotel to hospital space to entertainment complex. My only hope is that it becomes something that attracts people from all over like Century III Mall did. It was an amazing place and I am glad it was part of my childhood. Now for some reason I am hungry for a Cinnabon.

Can You Taste It?

The struggle is real. The longing is intense. The craving has been building for the past month and I am seriously counting the days until I am bloated with the afterthoughts of turkey, stuffing and four kinds of potatoes. Yes, I know...Pilgrims, Indians, harvest celebration, but the smells, tastes and beautiful sight of my family's Thanksgiving meal is something I am most grateful for.

It is weird, but for as much as I enjoy turkey dinner, I only partake maybe twice a year. I think subconsciously I feel if I have it more often I won't appreciate it when the special day in November arrives. Every family has their own traditions and recipes that have been handed down and I have to say as much as I love, and have eaten, an entire box of Stove Top  - I would walk a million miles for my mom's stuffing. Yes, she is one of those people who cook it inside the bird and I know some may find that gross, but I try not to think about the logistics.

I like the stuffing that sits on the outside of the turkey the best. The part that gets a little browner than the rest and has a little crunch to it. To this day, my brother and I hover over the turkey, hot and steaming - freshly snatched from the oven, waiting for my dad to cut up the meat. Dad will put the stuffing in a bowl and, with mouths watering, two grown adults vie for that first chunk. We inspect the pieces looking for the crunchiest, the yummiest piece in all of stuffing town. Then we argue about who got the best piece. Ahh, Thanksgiving.

I have come to really appreciate the holiday because I have spent time away from home. When my husband and I were living in Virginia, we tried to plan our vacation days around holidays so we could come back to PA. But, for our first Thanksgiving away, that was not possible. We had not earned enough time off at our jobs to make that happen. I was beside myself because I was homesick and those damn Hallmark commercials were tearing me up. That year my parents brought Thanksgiving to us. They drove eight hours through a dangerous wintry mix stocked up with everything, including the turkey, to make a fine meal. It was a special holiday and one that we will never forget.

Another Thanksgiving we will not forget is the one when I announced I was pregnant. Before we dug into the meal, we went around the table saying what we were thankful for. During my turn, I happened to mention I was thankful that in eight months I was going to be a mom. My announcement postponed the eating portion of the holiday as hugs and tears where in order. The baby, my first born, was the first of my parents' five grandchildren.

We have been living back home for 13 years now. It is nice to look forward to the holiday and know there isn't a long drive involved. It is nice to know that my parents still host the dinner and I can help out making various sides or desserts and yes, there will be the beloved Rhodes Rolls on the table. When I was younger, my cousin and I used to sit around, after everyone had eaten, and enjoy the leftover buffet of rolls. We would just enjoy each others' company and talk over a plate of buttery fluffiness. My oldest son carries on that tradition today with or without company.

The holiday has changed over the years and the guest list is different. Cousins grow up and have their own families, in-laws are involved and some loved ones are throwing rolls across the dining room table in Heaven (a little shout out to my Uncle Harold).

My favorite part of Thanksgiving now is dessert and not due to the fact that my mom is the Bubba Gump of pumpkin. (She makes pumpkin cake, pumpkin roll, pumpkin cookies and pumpkin pie.) It is because that is when the original Bish 5 is all together, in addition to spouses and kids. My sister and her family join us, coming from their earlier meal, and we all enjoy the sweet bounty of unlimited treats. And we then argue about whether or not we should be listening to Christmas music.

Thanksgiving does get downplayed by the terribly commercialized holiday it preceeds, but the simplicity of turkey day is something to savor, especially the little things that are the ingredients for a recipe of treasured memories. 

Dad mashing his famous mashed potatoes!

Extra, Extra

Something happened today that went under the radar to most people who are reading this blog post. Today the new format of The Valley Mirror newspaper hit the shelves. This may not seem like a big deal, but to some, it is. The paper has looked the same for more than 25 years. Today it is different.

A little history of the paper...The Valley Mirror began publication in 1981, serving the communities of Homestead, Lincoln Place, Munhall, West Homestead, West Mifflin, and Whitaker. In 1999, it merged with the Braddock Free Press, which served the communities of Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, East Pittsburgh, Forest Hills, North Braddock, Rankin, and Swissvale.

I've been working at The Valley Mirror for a little over three years. It was considered a tabloid style paper - a smaller, more compact size. This week we bumped up to a broadsheet style which added a few inches to its size and cut back our number of pages from 24 to 14. When you look at the papers side by side you can see the difference. It is real.

My editor had to make a tough choice. Change is always difficult and hard copy newspapers are not exactly a hot commodity these days. Plus, a large portion of our readership is of an older demographic, who have come to expect a particular product. We get calls from readers complaining when the Crossword Puzzle is omitted on a heavy news week.

At a time when many print papers are going by the wayside or switching to only digital editions it is truly remarkable that a paper like ours is still chugging along... and for a mere 50 cents a copy! When a new edition is put to bed each week - our barebones staff breathes a grateful sigh of relief. Another one on the books!

We do not have a website. We sometimes do Facebook. I often mail out papers or make personal deliveries when people featured in an article do not live near a store that carries our paper. We have a couple thousand subscribers, many of whom live out of state - people who have moved out of town but still want news from back home. It is refreshing that something like this still exists. We are a dinosaur in a 21 century world, just waiting for the asteroid to crash.

My parents still lament the loss of their Daily News. The McKeesport paper was shut down almost two years ago. It was a daily paper and it contained local news, obituaries and happy ads that kept people connected. There have been a few outlets that have tried to fill the gap, but it is not the same. The online sources are often overlooked by an older population that is not going on the interwebs for their news. (Although there are some Baby Boomers who are hip to the information highway. Good for them because that's the way this bus is heading.)

Last night my editor sent me a photo of what the new front page looks like. It was a wonderful sight to behold. The photos are bigger and brighter. The text is a little bigger. There is more of an information buffet on the front page and is was hard to look away. Again, a sigh of relief. Maybe it will be ok. Maybe our readers will like this new format and adapt as life often calls us to do. Maybe, just maybe, they'll continue to pluck down their 50 cents each week keeping our rag vital within the communities we represent.

Just a moment ago, the phone rang in the office. It was one of our loyal subscribers. She said she just left the grocery store and there was a bit of a frenzy near The Valley Mirror newspaper rack. People were excited and talking about how good the paper looked. She couldn't wait to get her copy in the mail. She said we should have done this a long time ago.

 Maybe, just maybe, there is a future in this newspaper business.

Out with the old in with the new and improved Valley Mirror