DEPARTMENT STORE DAY!

   MONDAY, OCTOBER 16TH., 2017
        DEPARTMENT STORE DAY!

    It's going to be a little harder to celebrate
this unusual "holiday" than it used to be!
    October 16th., after all, is "Department
Store Day." But Department Stores seem
to be a vanishing breed!
     When I was growing up in Hazleton
the Department Stores were the centers
of the Business District. And we had
several.
      The Leader Store and Deisroth's
were the two main Department Stores
although there were others including
the Bon Ton.
       The Leader was my favorite! It
had a Toy Department and it's the place
where Santa showed up every December
to listen to kid's Christmas wishes!
        It was also the first store to have
escalators! That was a pretty big deal
for a little kid. I'm sure I wasn't the only one
who rode to the top just to take a couple
steps backward to re-ride the last few
feet!
        The advent of Shopping Malls
did many of the old Department Stores
in. Not just in Hazleton!
         A few, like Boscov's, continue to
survive but few are actually located
"downtown these days. Most of them
compromised and moved into the
very mall that threatened them.
         Ironically it's now the malls that
are threatened!
         If you're fortunate enough to
have a local Department Store in
your community you might want to
celebrate there today.
         If you don't have anything you
need to buy at least stop in and ride
the escalator!
          Hope you find one and that all
your NEWS is good!