Craving Costco, Obamacare Reaction, Black Friday Alternatives: Best of the Blogs

Here are the latest posts from Woodbury Patch’s Local Voices.

Here are this week’s blog posts. If you're interested in joining our Local Voices roll, email kris.janisch@patch.com. Our most popular post of late was this blog about Costco from Craig Thorsen. Top 5 Things to Do After a Hurricane or Other Major Catastrophe Hits What to do in the event of a catastrophe like Hurricane Sandy. It is always good to be as prepared as possible! (Caleb Brunz) Juicing Experience: Day 28 Lookout, I may actually be in a bathing suit this year. lol (Rhonda Fitzgerald) Obamacare: Some Thoughts A quick and dirty response to recent Patch comments regarding Obamacare. (Thomas St Martin) Ken Burns on the Dust Bowl Ken Burns’ photo-documentary on The Dust Bowl, showing on PBS, has much food for thought. (Dick Bernard) …

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Angela's Angle

In Woodbury, a Countdown to ‘Black Thursday’?

I wish Holly and all other Black Friday shoppers the best. As for me, I’ll be sipping a glass of wine and clicking my way through an online shopping spree.

Retailers had a good thing going. But now, controversy has erupted over Black Friday sales beginning on Thursday.  Some die-hard Black Friday shoppers may need to modify their power-shopping strategies. I’ve only attempted the Black Friday ritual once or twice. So I asked Woodbury resident and traditional Black Friday shopper Holly Johnson to clue me in. Holly has been a Black Friday shopper for over 20 years. “It’s a fun tradition for my mom and me,” she says. “It’s just the two of us because shopping with too many people slows me down. I had to think about it when a friend asked if she could come along.” Holly laughs, then says, “One extra person might be OK.” Holly’s been reviewing emails from Target and Kohl’s, getting sneak peeks at …

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Kris Janisch

9:35 am on Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Any Black Friday experts out there? Add your tips here: http://patch.com/A-zDGp   more ›

Woodbury FD Responds To Kitchen Fire, Dog On Ice

It was an otherwise quiet holiday weekend, according to a fire department official.

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend was fairly quiet in the city, according to Mike Richardson, emergency services commander with the Woodbury Fire Department. A Wednesday evening kitchen fire broke out at a home on Hidden Meadow Road, but the homeowner was able to put the fire out with an extinguisher. There was some smoke and fire damage to the kitchen, Richardson said. On Thanksgiving, the fire department was called about a dog on the ice on Battle Creek Lake. Several nearby residents were outside watching, but authorities couldn’t find the dog, Richardson said. Firefighters went out on the lake in a boat and there was about an inch of ice in some areas, he said. It’s unclear if the dog managed to get off the lake or went under. Meanwhile…

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Black Friday Bets In Woodbury

Planning to get out early? There will be plenty of options on the day after Thanksgiving.

You’ve probably heard that some major retailers—including Target and Best Buy—will open at midnight for Black Friday. But there are several other options in the Woodbury area for those looking to get a jumpstart on holiday shopping lists. At Woodbury Lakes, six stores—Aeropostale, American Eagle, Buckle, Express, Gap and PacSun—will open at midnight. Others, including Banana Republic and The Children's Place, won’t be far behind, opening at 4 a.m. The outdoor mall will open completely at 7 a.m., said Laurie Mordorski, marketing director for Woodbury Lakes. Also, in front of Lakes Tavern and Grill on Friday, free donuts and hot cocoa (though you might not need it with the forecasted temperatures) will be given away to the first 1,000 …

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You Better Watch Out: Tips for Black Friday, Cyber Monday Shoppers

Don’t let the hype of "official" shopping days send common sense out the window.

Minnesota consumer advocates and state officials have two words for shoppers who can’t wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Caveat emptor. “For people trying to find holiday deals, Black Friday and Cyber Monday hold a lot of allure,” says Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Minnesota and North Dakota. “What we’re aiming to do is remind people to think ahead, make a budget, be aware of store policies—particularly return policies—and not get so focused on potential bargains [that] they fall victim to scams or fraudulent websites.” Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is traditionally known as the official kickoff of the holiday shopping season. The term Cyber Monday was coined in 2005 after online …

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Cold Temperatures, Hot Deals at Woodbury Lakes

Shoppers who braved the elements were rewarded with some great deals on Black Friday.

A mere three hours after Black Friday began, Chondra Carlson and her mother JoAnn Carlson were on the hunt. They left their River Falls, Wis., home at 3 a.m. for a trip to Woodbury on what's known as one of the year's biggest shopping days. Chondra and JoAnn joined hundreds of others at Woodbury Lakes, seeking hot deals in the cold morning air. It wasn't easy. First, a television they wanted to buy was sold out at the Woodbury Target (they later bought it at Wal-Mart), and they ran into some Black Friday drama at the Menard's store in Oakdale. A group of several young women barreled through the entrance of the store once the doors opened at 6 a.m., they said, knocking down a security guard trying to control the crowd. "Definitely the …

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