Warm winter adds to retailers' post-holiday blues

Unseasonably warm weather across the United States forced many retailers to offer deeper-than-usual discounts to clear out coats, sweaters and boots in January, pointing to tepid sales in the typically slow post-holiday month.

Analysts expect U.S. retailers to report a 2 percent rise in January same-store sales, compared with a year-earlier increase of 4.4 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

"In this economy, nobody is going to buy unless there is a need for it, and the weather says, 'You don't need it,'" said Scott Bernhardt, chief operating officer of Planalytics, which provides weather data for businesses.

"It's apparel that's hit the most," said Bernhardt, who expects outerwear sales to have dropped 20 to 30 percent in January.

Retailers from Target Corp to Saks Inc will report their January sales at stores open at least a year, on Wednesday and Thursday.

Consumers usually pull back on spending in the first month of the year, after a shopping binge in November and December. This January, the slowdown was exacerbated by warmer-than-usual temperatures, which encouraged retailers to offer steeper discounts to clear inventory.

"At many retailers, promotions kicked up from the 40 percent level in late December to as much as 60 to 70 percent off in January," Nomura analyst Paul Lejuez said.

January represents the smallest sales month of the year, and is mostly dedicated to clearance of carryover holiday goods, prompting many analysts to downplay the effect it will have on the consumer-driven U.S. economy.

"With weather still unfavorable and mall traffic weaker in January, we see retailers leaning on aggressive promotions to liquidate seasonal product," Goldman analyst Michelle Tan said.

Also, same-store sales reports capture only part of the retail economy. Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other major retailers such as Best Buy Co Inc and Amazon.com do not report monthly sales.

Deutsche Bank analyst Charles Grom said January only drives about 4 to 6 percent of annual sales. He is betting that warehouse club Costco Wholesale Corp and off-price chain Big Lots Inc will be among the winners.

"We believe the usual suspects at Costco - traffic, California, fresh foods, and International - continue to play out nicely," Grom said.

While many analysts expect Costco and luxury chain stores Nordstrom Inc and Saks Inc to have done well in January, they are not so optimistic about sales of middle-market chain Gap Inc and others that did not react fast enough to the changes in consumer behavior and the weather.It truly is one of our tallest and appears great all of the signature bank canada goose cheap jackets logo design.

"The retailer (Gap) struggles to retain customer attention amidst regular fashion and design misses, particularly in the key women's business," Wedbush analyst Betty Chen said.

One analyst provided a formula for success in January.

"The winners in January were the players who began the month in solid inventory position, used the first week to clear out goods and aggressively rolled out new Spring items early to catch warmer weather and fashion driven traffic," Brean Murray analyst Eric Beder said.

5 Street Styles In Fashion This Winter

Free Shipping on Orders of $100 or More. Shop the Official Site Today!

Street style fashion is the real fashion that gets tested on the roads. You see fashion models walk the ramp in clothes that are designed by the most creative of designers, but do you see women on the streets sporting whose clothes. Fat chance! All leading designers have launched their winter collections, but it is the winter fashion trends doing the rounds in colleges, offices and trains that makes the fashion scene vibrant.

A casual look that you can carry fashionably everyday is what most women want and for that there are some cool street style, but fashionable looks that are hot this season.

Street Styles That Are In Fashion For Winter:

1. The Muffler Look: Have you ever considered the wooly muffler your grandmother wears as a very chic fashion accessory. If the winter fashion trends of the season are heeded, then it is actually hot property now. The thicker and the woolier the muffcanada goose jacketsler, the more fashionable it is. Wrap it around twice on your neck and it goes with everything from t-shirt to halter top.

2. Black Stockings Or Slacks: As the temperatures are falling street style fashion for women has taken a wise turn. They has finally resisted showing off their long limbs and covered them in a sexy way with black stockings or slacks. Your street clothes on top of the slacks or stockings could be anything, but the ultra mini skirt is your best pick. That is how street fashion incorporates the practical aspect of fashion.

3. Long Belted Jackets: There was a time when long overcoats were considered bulky, ill fitting and shunned by fashion gurus but now you will see the skinniest of models sporting oversize overcoats tightened at the waist. This new drive towards long loose coats falling of the slender body and accentuating the tiny waist is a fresh winter fashion trend for the year.

4. Get Skinny Get Tight: While the tops are getting looser, the bottoms tend to sit tight on you. You will rarely see any street clothes for winter being worn with loose pants or what we previously called jump suits. Skinny jeans, leggings, tight leather or corduroy pants with loose sweaters is what you will see around.

5. Blazers: It is been a while since you saw women wear blazers with wide lapels; not since the 70, I think. Not the power suit Armani's of the corporates or Tuxedos for red carpets but now this is a semi casual look for women to sport colourful blazers cut to perfection for their hourglass bodies. The cut of the blazer makes it a 'women only' street clothing. You will see them wear it with leggings, slacks or even skinny jeans with a body hugging inner.

1,500 Warm Winter Coats Have Arrived

The Amity Teen Center Coats for Kids project is nearing a very satisfying conclusion. On Monday morning, 1,500 coats were delivered to the ATC by Joyce Van Lines, and by Tuesday morning volunteers, both teens and adults, had unpacked and sorted them so area social service organizations could begin to pick up their orders.

The coats were donated by Operation Warm at a cost of only 43-cents per jacket and the shipping was free, with thanks to Joyce Van Lines.canada goose jackets

The drive was so successful that the ATC is already planning for next year, with hopes of expanding even further.

Read more about the program, and be sure to watch the video so you know what they are planning for next!

Mild weather hurts local businesses

Local winter sports stores have been forced to emphasize different products for the mild temperatures, with fleeces flying off the shelves and down jackets going untouched.

"It's been the winter that never got started," said Jesse Haller, manager and guide at Middlebury Mountaineer.

The key to staying successful during this enigmatic winter, according to Haller, is diversifying.

"While we've seen a slowdown in all-around winter sales like skis and snowshoes, people are taking advantage of other aspects of our shop," he said. "There's definitely some silver lining there for us."

Haller said that hiking has taken the place of snowshoeing and where people used to skate, they are now fishing.

"We have a very active community and people are finding ways to get outside," he said.

On Merchants Row in downtown Middlebury, Skihaus has stayed afloat from preseason sales and loyal customers.

"Ski sales have been good because people came in anticipating that we'd have a winter like we had last year," said co-owner Barbara Nelson.

Nelson's business partner, Anna Boisvert, said that since the store orders its products a year in advance — next winter's jackets have already been ordered — it's impossible to hedge against a warm winter.

"You can't go with what you see outside," she said. "If you based your buying on what was happening at that exact moment you'd end up shooting yourself in the foot. You have to just have faith that we live in Vermont and eventually it will get cold here."

One person who isn't praying for a blizzard anytime soon is Dan Werner, director of operations for the town of Middlebury. The temperate weather has brought a welcomed respite for the town's operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

Werner, who has been in charge of the town's highway, water and sewer functions since 1999, said his road crews have used additional free time to get a jump on spring projects.

"We've been spending a fair amount of time tree trimming, which we wouldn't have time to do otherwise," he said. "The benefit to us is that we get to go outside and do some things we wouldn't otherwise have had the chance to do."

But it's not like the town is saving a lot of money because there has been less snow to clear, he said. His crews have been out on the roads laying down salt and sand after the numerous instances of rain followed by freezing temperatures, Werner said, which has added up.

And, on Friday with some snow forecast over the weekend, Werner cautioned that winter is still far from over.

"It's not over until it's over," he said. "Usually the heavier snow storms are in the later part of the winter."

Chuck Hobbs hopes Werner's predictions come to fruition. He owns Hobbs Property Services, an all-around property and construction management company in Bristol, and he depends on income he earns from snowplowing.

"I've only been out plowing three times this year," he said. "We do other property management but it's been really tough to adjust."

By the end of last January, Hobbs said he was thousands of dollars in the black. But this year, he hasn't made a dollar plowing and doubts he will be able to get out of the red by the end of the winter.

"It would have to snow every day in February to make up for the lost business," he said.Search for cheap canada goose in Jewellery for Lucknow.

Haller, the Middlebury Mountaineer manager, summed up the popular sentiment of many in Addison County as he looked toward February.

"We're eternal optimists and believe that at some point we're going to get snow and people are going to want to click back into winter mode."

Super Bowl week begins, ice and snow no-shows

Patriots coach Bill Belichick could leave his familiar hoodies in the hotel drawer. There was no need to bundle up for the start of only the fourth Super Bowl week in a northern city.

Ice and snow? Notable no-shows.

Fans threw open their jackets as they walked around downtown streets near Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday, hoping to get a glimpse of a celebrity in town for the game between New England and the New York Giants. Temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50s were forecast for the start of the week, well above normal.

The sunshine felt so good that it made for a joke or two.

"I know the way we're preparing and the way we've controlled the weather, which is hard to do," Colts owner Jim Irsay said, smiling. "But we've had certain techniques that were going to keep hidden, and I hope they hold."

Already, it's way better than Dallas.

Weather is a major concern when the title game goes north, but some of the biggest problems came down south last year. Snow and 100 hours of sub-freezing temperatures snarled traffic and led to injuries when an icy patch fell off the stadium roof and hit six workers.

Indianapolis watched and prepared.

"You can have anything in Indiana,Search for cheap canada goose in Jewellery for Lucknow." Super Bowl Host Committee spokeswoman Mel Raines said. "Our plan is intended for everything."

In its first three times at a northern exposure, the NFL's title game has experienced a little of everything.

The ground-breaking game came after the 1981 season in Detroit, a test of whether it would work outside the sunny climes of Florida, New Orleans, Texas and California. The week leading up to the game between the Bengals and 49ers included bursts of snow culminating in nasty conditions for game day.

Bored players passed the time that week by spinning their tires on the ice-covered hotel parking lot for fun.

"I think the biggest challenge was for guys not to get bored to tears," former Bengals offensive lineman Dave Lapham said. "We kind of felt cooped up, really. Guys talked about: What are we going to do? Ski? Ice skate? You could strap on skates and skate on the streets. There was nothing do to."

Traffic heading to the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., on game day got clogged by another burst of snow. Fans braved temperatures of 13 degrees and a wind chill of 21 below.

After that experience, there was talk that the league would never venture north again for a Super Bowl.

"I thought they'd stick to it, honestly," said Lapham, now a broadcaster for the Bengals. "But with the dynamic of people putting up more money for stadiums, they're going to reward communities."

Ten years later, the Bills and Redskins played for the title in Minneapolis, where the ground was covered with snow but the region handled it much more smoothly.

Then, the cold became a selling point for some Redskins players. Earnest Byner, Art Monk, Monte Coleman and Chip Lohmiller went ice fishing on Cedar Lake in 30-below wind chills. Byner caught a 4-inch perch using a wax worm.

The game returned to Detroit after the 2005 season and things went much more smoothly despite a little snow on game day, when the Steelers beat the Seahawks.

Last year's game in Dallas became an unexpected reminder of what can go wrong in winter, no matter where the location.

A snowstorm and 100 consecutive hours of subfreezing temperatures turned the Dallas area into an ice rink. Snow and ice fell from the roof of Cowboys Stadium, injuring six workers on the plaza below. Organizers had spread events around a 30-mile area to emphasize the regional support for the game, creating major travel problems when the weather went bad.

Indianapolis has done it differently.

Most of the Super Bowl events are clustered downtown, minimizing travel. Temporary structures for the Super Bowl festivities were fitted with wind gauges for safety. On Sunday, two tents at an NFL fan exhibit were closed for about an hour because of high winds.

The roof of Lucas Oil Stadium is designed to collect and melt any falling ice to prevent what happened in Dallas.

The city removed parking meters from high-traffic streets downtown so snow could be easily pushed away. Twenty-four snow removal trucks were on call for the game, four times the normal amount. The host committee recruited "Super Shoveler" volunteers to help clear sidewalks if it snowed.

In some ways, it's a warm-up act for the first true cold-weather title game. The 2014 Super Bowl will be co-hosted by New York and New Jersey, played outdoors instead of in a dome during the middle of winter.

Lake District rescue saves man with hypothermia

The importance of thermals and winter jackets may be emphasised by the increasingly cold weather and the danger it poses to those who go walking.

An example of the perils faced was provided at the weekend when the Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team was called out to help a man found collapsed and suffering from hypothermia at Three Tarns, between Bowfell and Crinkle Crags.

He was found by a group of five walkers at dusk on Saturday (January 28th), a discovery that may have saved the man's life as the rescue team were able to then get a helicopter to airlift the victim to hospital.

Avoiding hypothermia is primarily a matter of having warm, dry clothing, although walkers can also help themselves by sucking on boiled sweets, as the sugar can be very quickly turned into energy to maintain body temperature.

Other recent call-outs involving the Langdale Ambleside team included that of a woman who sustained a lower leg injury on January 16th when she slipped on wet grass.Search for cheap canada goose in Jewellery for Lucknow.

Fleecing Out the Cold

Most folks fall into two groups when it comes to the weather – those that hate the cold and those that hate the heat. I am definitely in the former. I can't stand to be cold. Being cold will get me off the water a lot quicker than being hot will be. I've found lots of ways to cool off in the summer but I don't find many ways to get warm in the winter save for putting on my layers of clothes. Which makes me feel like Ralphie's little brother in A Christmas Story wiggling around on his back trying to get up but failing to do so because he has so much clothing on his body.

Not to mention, fishing can be cumbersome with bulky clothing and parkas on to knock the cold off. You get your rod butts caught the sleeves, you get your line caught in bulky clasps and zippers and it makes fishing more frustrating that fishing in the extreme elements already can be.

We've all seen that thinner weather material like that made by North Face. Now there is a fully functional,Buying a canada goose parka from seller in another country. extremely warm and wind stopping piece designed just for fishermen. The Frabill Fleece jacket doesn't look like a piece that would be so warm because it doesn't have that bulk you're used to in warm fishing jackets.

The designers packed a bunch of features into this good looking a functional jacket. Starting with the collar, the zipper goes all the way up to form a very warm and protective neck and low face guard. Worn with the Frabill Fleece hat and you can keep all the cold air and spray from the lake off you while fishing or running down the lake in those cold winter months.

There are three pockets on the jacket – one on either side to keep your hands warm or hold your keys and one on the chest that is perfect for holding sunglasses or cell phones. The pockets are soft and seemed to dry quickly when used to store wet hands after handling fish and wet lures.

There is a draw string around the waist of the jacket that allows you to snug the fit around your waist to hold the elements at bay. We also like the longer cut in the back of the jacket to avoid that cool gentle breeze that often trickles down your backside as you bend over to work on tackle or unhook fish in the boat or as you race down the lake to the next spot on those cold mornings.

There is extra taslan nylon protective overlay on the shoulders, neck, elbows and sleeve cuffs to keep the wind and water out. When fully zipped, we were amazed how well it knocked the wind down and kept us warm. Most days this mild winter, we've just worn this fleece jacket with a hoodie and not needed any additional clothing this winter to cover our upper torso.

A Dupont Teflon fabric protector covers the fleece keeping it water and stain resistant. We love that we wear the jacket fishing and then just spray some febreeze on it and hang it up outside to air out and it seems to remove the odor nicely from the garment. I wear it everywhere now.

One last feature I like about the jacket is the vented arm pits. Each side of the jacket under the arms features a zipper that you can open to vent the jacket from underneath. That's a neat feature for those days when it seems to go back and forth between being cool on a boat ride but the sun warming you up and making it feel hotter than it really is.

The jacket is very lightweight as well, so you don't feel like your fishing all day with a 100 pounds of clothing on. Folks often don't realize why they are so much more tired in the winter when they fish. The body will expend more energy to stay warm and if anglers wear too much clothing, the extra weight of the garments will fatigue them faster.

So having wind stopping power in a light garment makes the Frabill Fleece jacket a must have for serious anglers. Wear it as a middle layer on very cold days or your single outer layer on the not-so-cold days.

Volunteers carry out 'Point-in-Time' homeless count in Hudson County

Each year on a night in January, several dozen volunteers in Hudson County don gloves, scarves, wool caps and warm jackets, and engage in a task some of them describe as looking for needles in haystacks.

As part of the statewide "Point-in-Time" homeless count, they search doorways, abandoned houses, parks, under bridges, and bus and train depots for people who live on the street.

The annual count is required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and helps the federal and state governments determine how to allocate funding for housing, substance abuse and mental health programs, organizers of the count said.

They know they won't find everyone who is living outdoors.

"We do our best," Randi Moore, program director with the Hudson County Division of Housing and Community Development, said Wednesday night before volunteers hit the streets in Jersey City. "The great feeling is that its an under-count of the need that is out there."

THEY'VE BEEN THERE

Samuel Clark, 45, and Jacqueline Clinton, 45, were both once homeless.
On Wednesday, they were two members of a four-person team fielded by the Hudson County Self-Help Center to help conduct the count.

After receiving instructions at the Jersey City Episcopal CDC's office on Summit Avenue with roughly 26 other volunteers, the four-person team set off in a van to find homeless people in the Jersey City's Bergen-Lafayette and Greenville neighborhoods.

Clinton said she became homeless after her mom died seven years ago. She said she became depressed, engaged in substance abuse, and shunned offers of help from her family. Wanting to be alone, she'd ride the PATH train between Journal Square in Jersey City and 33rd Street in Manhattan rather than go to a shelter, she said.

After three years of homelessness, Clinton landed a job selling newspapers for The Jersey Journal. She recently graduated from a training program as a mental health counselor.

"Nobody can say you can't do it," Clinton said. "I got a little side job and look where I am now."

Clark, who up until three years ago was homeless "by choice, " speculated that Wednesday's cold temperatures and an usually high number of patrol cars on the roads had driven more homeless people into hiding.

"It's cold. A lot of people aren't going to be out. There is no cover," he said, suggesting the group check under bridges near Liberty State Park. "They are not going to be where normal people would look. They got holes where they sleep. To you its far and out of the way. To them it's a safe spot."

I'M NOT HOMELESS

One 28-year-old man from North Carolina standing outside a bodega on Communipaw Avenue told the group he had been homeless for two months.It truly is one of our tallest and appears great all of the signature bank canada goose cheap jackets logo design.

As part of the routine the volunteers were asked the man if he wanted to go to a shelter, told him where he could find referral services, asked him several questions on a questionnaire, and offered him a sandwich and water.

The man accepted sandwich bag and water, but refused an offer for a ride in the van to St. Lucy's Shelter in Jersey City.

A 49-year-old Army veteran standing near a liquor store on Martin Luther King Drive denied he was homeless but agreed to answer the questions anyway.
"He will not tell you is homeless," Clark said. "In his mind he is not."

During their three-hour stint, the Clark/Clinton team encountered four homeless people, all of whom refused to go to a shelter. Clark and Clinton said when they were homeless, they felt safer on the streets.

THE COUNT CONTINUES ...

As part of the Wednesday's activities, the Hudson County Alliance to End Homelessness held "Project Homeless Connect" at the former YMCA at 654 Bergen Ave.

The roughly 500 homeless people showed up for the event were given food, clothing, dental and medical attention, and HIV/AIDs testing.

In Hoboken, Jaclyn Cherubini, director of the Hoboken Shelter, on Bloomfield Street said her team of six volunteers counted 174 people at the shelter and on the streets between 8:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. Seventeen of the people they encountered on the streets agreed to go to a shelter.

The Palisades Emergency Residence Corporation in Union City helped a total of 146 people, with food and shelter, according to shelter director Emory Edwards.
Last year fierce winter storm forced the count to be canceled. The 2010 homeless count tallied 1,779 people. Officials expect this year's tally to be completed in the next several weeks.

A Comforting Winter in Greece Amidst The Crisis

When home for the holidays, I initially welcome the onset of New York's holiday season, but as it progresses, I find myself packing my bags for Timbuktu. Christmas lights, goofy-looking Santa Clauses, and jeering reindeer envelop our neighborhood all too quickly. The family at the end of the block positions a blow-up snowman in their front yard, with a top hat that surpasses their house's second story. As you near the city, it only gets worse. Any pine tree you see, even the small potted pine plants on doorsteps, has been suffocated with lights, tinsel, and bows. Meanwhile, the bare-branched trees find themselves susceptible to onslaughts by ornaments and lanterns of all kinds. While every radio station blasts the same holiday songs on repeat, proud menorahs,Search for cheap canada goose in Jewellery for Lucknow. berry-ridden wreathes, and trumpeting angels beckon to shoppers from store windows. The season's materialistic overtones ooze from all that you see, tainting the buildings with a new claustrophobia.

As the economic crisis infects the city of Athens, it erodes commercialism from the holidays, leaving behind the season's raw spirit. The usual glamor and glitz of this time of year has dissipated in the face of severe salary cuts and skyrocketing taxes. Shopping streets have become eerie, given the widespread closings, and decorated store fronts are far and few between. But within this sorry state of affairs, the lone Christmas wreath coveys beauty and charm unlike any wreath in Rockefeller Center. The bells that jingle overhead as you push open the store door produce a sweeter tune than any Broadway musical.
With the ever-escalating cost of electricity, holiday lights have become scarce. In years past, it was not uncommon for building residents to join forces and fashion a Christmas tree made of green lights, or a massive star, that would span the entirety of the building facade. This year, even balconies decorated individually were in short supply. But then, the families that did manage to drape lights and tinsel from their balcony banisters made an impression unlike ever before. With Greeks refusing to allow the austerity measures to stifle the season's true beauty, Christmas decorations conveyed an unprecedented elegance and beauty.

In addition to the cost of electricity, the cost of heating has gone through the roof. As a result, many families have decided to stoke up their fireplaces, rather than grapple with the mounting gas bills. They spent the holidays around the fire, recovering a Christmas spirit that had evaporated from much of the modern world. Customs from bygone days were brushed off and reinstated. The traditional Christmas sailboat, for example, made a reappearance this year. Greeks used paper and wood to assemble boats, just like they had done for centuries in the island villages, decorating them with simple ornaments and colorful lanterns. Placing this timeless symbol of Greece in windows across Athens, people reminded each other of their culture's resourcefulness and resilience.

Despite crushing economic hardship, Athens overflowed with traditional Christmas treats, a tribute to the prevailing value of hospitality. Whether in a nail salon or a taverna, I found myself constantly being offered complimentary melomakarona, the honey-brandy cookies, and kourabiethes, the almond sugar cookies. In addition to the sweets, a variety of other delicacies turn up during the holiday season. The Christmas table is characterized by the Christopsomo, a sweet Christmas bread containing raisins, nuts, and spices, while the Vasilopita, a sweet bread harboring a good-luck coin, is the staple of the New Year's table. There are endless regional delicacies as well, like the kalitsounia kritis, sweet cheese pastries from Crete, the sesame baklava from Evros, and the walnut cake of the Ionian Islands known as karidopita.
Prior to spending this winter in Greece, my mind could not comprehend a Greek dinner table without staples like the horiatiki salata, or “village salad”, comprised mostly of tomatoes and cucumbers. How could a meal end without the summertime's juicy watermelon? Aside from the traditional Christmas sweets, Greece's winter cuisine is comprised of much more meat and much less fresh produce than that of the summer. In the summer, most dishes involve fresh vegetables, especially eggplant. In the winter, Greek cuisine is dominated by variations of stews and keftedes, or meatballs. The only vegetable that now abounds is cabbage, with a cabbage-carrot salad completing every meal. In fact, lahanodolmades, a dish involving meat wrapped in cabbage, is particularly common. Whereas in the summer much of the produce is served straight from the earth, winter produce –like greens and potatoes– must be boiled and prepared. Perhaps the lemon, salt, and olive oil trio is what unites summer with winter cuisine in Greece. Almost any dish, whether prepared in the sunlight or the shadows of the snow, can be seasoned with this simple, but magical, trifecta.

Another characterizing feature of Greek winter cuisine is the boiled fruit that produces glyko tou koutaliou (“spoon sweets”) and various marmalades. Though glyko tou koutaliou can be made with almost any fruit or nut, the most common varieties are probably cherry and grape. Generally, the process involves boiling the fruit, before adding sugar and lemon juice, to create a syrup-like substance that can be preserved and kept through the winter. Traditionally, this substance will be consumed by itself as a “sweet in a spoon” (as the term itself roughly translates to), but can also serve as the perfect topping for yoghurt or ice cream, or even an ice-cream-covered waffle.

As an American traversing a Greek laiki in the winter, much of the products seem to be make-believe. There are the especially durable fruits that can be found at almost any time of the year, like oranges and mandarins, but there are also strange, unfamiliar varieties that don't have equivalents in the States. There are fruits that appear to be cherry-sized nectarines and yellow-orange plums. There are vegetables that I have heard of before, like leeks, chard, and rutabaga, but had never seen in their fresh, unprocessed forms. There is an over-sized lumpy variety of pears that I recently discovered was kithoni, or quince. Though I once owned quince-scented lotion, I was not aware that quince was a fruit. Like much of the winter produce, you cannot eat quince raw. Instead, the Greeks serve it as glyko tou koutaliou, combined deliciously with vanilla ice cream.

Tavernas in the winter remind me more of ski lodges than what I had thought to be a traditional Greek eatery. There is no octopus hanging from the rafters, no outdoor seating, no beach in the background. Instead, there will probably be a cozy fire burning, and complimentary rakomelo (the Greek liquor tsipouro boiled with honey and spices) served at the end of the meal.

It is during the winter, in fact, that Athens comes alive. Once the cold weather sets in, the islands empty out and people congregate in the major cities, namely Athens and Thessaloniki. The winter season is arguably the best season for nightlife in Athens. The posh bars and clubs in the center flood with people, and the late-night souvlaki joints do their best business of the year. As the beaches and nightclubs along Paraliaki, the coastline just outside of Athens, board up, Athens' shops and cafés become the new haven for entertainment seekers.

Americans find it somewhat confusing, but mostly just downright odd, that the Greeks wish each other Kalo Himona!, or “Have a nice winter!” as they leave the beaches at the end of August. For the American study abroad student, short sleeves and flip flops remain part of the wardrobe until well into the fall. We have a way of clinging onto the summer for all that we are worth. The Greeks, on the other hand, welcome the end of the crushing airless heat, ushering in the winter season relievedly. They happily don their scarfs, hats, and down jackets and leave the coasts without looking back.

With the onset of colder weather, there is so much more that you can now do. Greece's mountainside allows for breathtaking hikes, along with trekking, biking, and mountain-climbing. You can find vantage points unlike anywhere else in the world. Greece's island getaways have historically overshadowed her beautiful ski resorts. Arachova, Kalavrita, Pelion, Delphi, and Epirus boast spectacular mountain refuges.
Still, there are the people that argue that the islands are the ideal place to spend the winter. Kea, the capital of the Cyclades, offers what many claim to be the world's best system of walking trails. The island climate remains temperate and tavernas feature outdoor seating throughout the winter months; however, without the influx of tourists, most shops, hotels, and eateries will drop their prices considerably. Moreover, it is the places frequented by the locals – the truly authentic stores and restaurants – that remain open through the winter.

Whether in the islands or on the mainland, January 6th, the Eastern Orthodox holiday of Epiphany, a holiday known in Greece as Phota, is one of the most fundamental components of the country's winter season. The holiday commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ and marks the beginning of the house blessings. A house blessing, one of the oldest practices of the Christian church, is a ritual intended to protect the inhabitants from misfortune, ridding the residence of evil. Accompanied by those who live in the house, the local parish priest will walk through every room, sprinkling holy water and praying for the occupants.

While the religious practice of house blessings is prevalent within Greek Orthodox communities across the globe, the custom of diving for the cross is unique to Greece. On January 6th, parishes in the islands, on the mainland, and across Athens will finish the church service on the shores of the nearest body of water. Traditionally, this Great Blessing of the Waters signified the end of the ban on sailing, cleansing the oceans of the kalikantzaroi - the goblins that would bring sailors to their ruins during the winter holidays. Standing on the shore, the leading priest will throw the cross into the cold waters and all the young men will dive in after it, striving to be the one who retrieves it.

The one who retrieves it is believed to have been granted good luck for the new year. In fact, much of the holiday traditions are centered around the idea of obtaining good fortune. The individual who receives the Vasilopita with a coin embedded in his slice is ushered into the new year with the promise of new-found luck. The first person to cross the threshold into the house on New Year's Day with the right foot is believed to bring good luck to the family. This year, the promise of good fortune carries more import than ever before.

All of Greece is fervently hoping for a fortunate year in 2012, and a spring with temperate, sweet weather.

Get chic and stylish this winter

CHANDIGARH: Having a fully equipped wardrobe may sound taxing for the pocket. So here are a few basic ideas which may suffice you. To start with, a basic pair of jeans and basic colors of tank tops like black, white, grey, blue sound good. Tank-tops can be layered under cardigans, jackets and long sleeved tops in winter. A basic cardigan that's chic and trendy is a must, colors like hot pink, purple, black are in vogue. To complete the look 1-2 pairs of casual flat will do. Simple yet chic but look excellent.

A good investment to make in winter is to own a pair of brown color long boots which could go with almost anything. Tights were huge this winter and will continue to be a hit into next winter. Black and grey color tights look classy and it's great choice to be made if you have curves at the right places to flaunt. To pep it up flaunt your boots with black color attire,Search for cheap canada goose in Jewellery for Lucknow. could be black tights with elegant black top.

For partying a pair of super flattering black tight jeans with bright red or navy blue color heels is a look to kill for. And if you want to smoothen out extra flab, a body shaper is a must for you anytime if you are wearing tight-fitted clothes.

A classic dress doesn't have to be necessarily black but definitely something which compliments your body, on the same time, comfortable to carry it off. Don't go see-thru, wearing too tight dresses. For those who live in areas where there is winter, team it up with a nice long coat. Wear sexy heels and walk right to add elegance to the look.

Gucci tries on Bohemian as Richmond rocks in Milan

From Gucci's Bohemian grunge to John Richmond's rock 'n' roll attitude and Etro's feathers, fashionistas were treated Monday to a reinterpretation of menswear classics for autumn-winter 2012.

Gucci designer Frida Giannini came up with “a vocabulary of intellectual luxury for new rebels" inspired by Austrian-born actor Helmut Berger, she said,canada goose jackets dubbing the result “Visconti Grunge" after Berger's director and partner Luchino Visconti.

The collection features oversized, destructured coats, sailor's jackets cinched in the back with big metal buttons, all in rich materials: velvet, British textiles and silk prints.

Short, close-fitting jackets make for a dynamic silhouette, with discreet embroidery or prints of roses and irises -- black on midnight blue, maroon on golden brown.

Injecting a rock element was a vintage leather jacket paired with biker boots, or for really tough guys, a black rapper-style coat of sheepskin and beaver.

Weekend accessories include riding boots zipped up the back, and velvet or varnished leather slippers for the evening.

Sober but intense hues dominate but make room for the occasional “decadent red and peacock green touches", Giannini says.

Mixing and matching is the thing: a heavy wool jacket wraps around a delicate silk vest worn over a bare torso for a sensual vibe.

Donatella Versace brought colour to the equation, whether in graffiti prints or tightly belted jackets in fluorescent pink, green and orange: perfect for night-time cycling.

Shoes, even dress shoes, came with green, blue or red coloured soles, a trend seen on other Milan catwalks this week.

Camouflage pants and hooded anoraks, gold charms pinned on jackets and headgear and a paratrooper's beret studded with Swarovski cristals leant a military air.

Those cristals also turned up on dinner jacket collars as well as gloves and shoes.

Where there was leather, it was black, adorned with little gold chains and studs for a biker look.

British designer John Richmond unveiled his own rapper coat, but a shorter version than Gucci's, striving for “elegance with rock 'n' roll attitude", but in earth tones: brown, grey, taupe and maroon.

The biker's jacket comes in a hound's tooth pattern, the parka is in super-soft wool and the hunting jacket is loaded with zippers.

De rigueur next winter will be Richmond's Pete Doherty-style hat or his wool cap in grey or white. The bomber jacket is in red and black checks with a leather yoke.

A military officer's jacket combines leather, lizard and hound's tooth, a mixing and matching of materials that is trending this season. Weekend suitcases will bulge with Richmond's oversized woollens.

By day, suits are understated plaids and stripes, but when night falls the rock 'n' roll mood returns, with black silk shirts and jackets printed with skeletons or skull-and-crossbone motifs sure to turn heads. A tuxedo trouser trimmed with sparkling braid completes the look.

Etro has a more mystical appeal with a collection titled “The Great Flight: From the Everyday to Myth."

The idea is to “melt the traditional elements of the masculine wardrobe ... like drinking a cup of hot chocolate under the covers", the programme explains.

Clearly in a party mood, Etro suggests sumptuous coloured feathers galore, for next winter's frills, ties, bags, shoes and hats.

For a night at the theatre, why not a grey frock coat with lemon yellow trim, accessorised with an ultra-light scarf floating over the shoulder?

Or turn on the brights with an orange-red jacket over an orange pullover and yellow and orange plaid trousers.

Etro's other colours -- blue, grey, emerald green -- are distilled on buckled wool, brocade, velvet, mohair, you name it.

On Tuesday, the king of Italian couturiers Giorgio Armani wraps up the week of shows along with Canadian duo Dsquared2.

Warm Winter Is Bad News for Retailers

As winter approached, retailers ordered clothes for cold weather, arranged their stores for cold weather and then just started hoping for cold weather.
Winter is here, but the cold weather by and large is not. Nationally, last month was one of the warmest Decembers on record, and so far January temperatures are above average,canada goose jackets according to Planalytics, a research firm that tracks weather's effect on businesses.

The relatively warm weather is erasing a lot of demand for winter hats, coats, and gloves — and making some retailers sweat the bottom line.

On Saturday, the outdoors store REI took the unusual step of making artificial snow in a Manhattan park, hoping to encourage people to buy snowshoes and winter jackets.

Home Depot has cut down on items like salt for de-icing, and many of its stores have replaced snow removal equipment with storage products in storefront displays.

Even drugstores are being affected because flu infections are down. The higher temperatures have "helped slow the incidents of flu compared to last year," Deborah Weinswig, an analyst for Citigroup, wrote in a note to clients. Walgreen's, for instance, has given 5.3 million flu shots this season, it said this month, compared with six million a year ago.

Though some winter resorts received a sprinkling of snow over the weekend, and Seattle is having a snowstorm, those pockets of cold have not provided much of a salve for retailers, who are running out of time to sell their winter inventory. In the ever-confusing retail calendar (the one where Christmas sales start in late October), spring begins on Feb. 1, leaving stores with just a few weeks to sell all their cold-weather gear.

Planalytics said that demand for boots in December was down about 20 percent from a year ago, according to its data, while demand for snow-removal gear declined 70 percent in the second week of January from that week last year.

Kevin Scott, senior vice president for merchandising services at Home Depot, said there has been an upside to the warmer weather — outdoor paint, outdoor lights and windows are selling well — but "we'll take a little more snow, I think, as anybody would."

Unlike merchandise pegged to Christmas or back-to-school shopping tied to the calendar, cold-weather gear is bought mostly when it is needed. And retail reports from December suggest relatively few people see the need.

For December, Kohl's had " sluggish sales in cold-weather categories." The discount chain Fred's said it was "affected significantly by unseasonably warm weather throughout the month" of December. Stage Stores reported "our cold weather initiative was not as successful as anticipated due to the negative impact from warm weather."

Bon-Ton reported that "cold-weather categories, which are highly profitable and represent approximately 25 percent of our business in December, were down midteens on a percentage basis." The TJX Companies, the parent of T. J. Maxx and Marshalls, decided to "clear cold weather apparel in this unseasonably warm winter."

Scott Jaeger, an analyst with the Leisure Trends Group, a market research firm, said that while overall sales in 2011 had risen 8 percent, sales of outdoor gear in December fell 2 percent from the previous December. "This year they can get outside and enjoy things without having to buy the insulated coat," he said of shoppers. "They didn't need hats and mittens. They didn't have to update the wardrobe or update the skis, because they were not necessarily going skiing. "

Some retailers are strategizing on how to make the best of the predicament.

"We're pushing things like cold-weather camping, mountaineering, trail running, as well as road cycling, mountain biking," said Jill Layfield, chief executive of Backcountry.com, an online retailer.

She said that after several winters of unpredictable temperatures, Backcountry had decided to bring in more all-weather sports items. Still, she said, she brought in lots of snow-sport items, because "premium selection, having it in stock, is critical to meeting the standards of service that our customers expect. We always bet big, then we adjust course."

This year, Ms. Layfield said, Backcountry was starting with offers of free shipping and "bounce back" offers (like a gift certificate when customers return to Backcountry) around winter gear, and soon would move to discounts. "The time we can break price, and the industry breaks price, is anywhere from early February to April, depending on the category," she said. "I think that will get moved up, if there's not a change here soon, by maybe a couple weeks."

On Saturday, REI spread artificial snow over a Manhattan park so passers-by could try cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The store also held an ice sculpture contest. Luckily, Saturday was one of the few days this winter that reached freezing in the city.

"We plan for a solid winter," said Tim Spangler, senior vice president for retail at REI. "We often joke that planners in our business are paid to be wrong: you either bought too little, because the winter overperforms, or you bought too much, because it's warm."

Mr. Spangler said possible solutions included "promotions, markdowns, moving inventory around to other parts of the country where it's selling quicker."

That last tactic is a little harder this year, he said. "I wish I could tell you there's one area in the country that's really, really cold and it would make sense to move everything there," he said. "Outside of Anchorage, Alaska, there's not."

Hot seat in a cold place

Only in Montreal do you find the principal owner of a sports franchise outdoors in a snowstorm answering questions about his team's star-crossed season.

Geoff Molson is from here. He knew what he was getting into when he bought the Canadiens.

And this is how we do Winter Classics in these parts.

As snowflakes fell on Hayward Park in LaSalle on Tuesday afternoon, Molson faced a scrum of television cameras and hockey reporters wielding microphones and soggy notebooks. The scion of a great Montreal family was wearing a Canadiens tuque, a Canada Goose jacket and the knowing smile of a man who fully expected to find himself on a hot seat in a cold place.

Molson and the attendant media mob were ostensibly at Hayward Park for the opening of a snazzy new outdoor hockey rink. The LaSalle facility is the fourth built by the Children's Foundation's Bleu Blanc Rouge, a program to encourage physical activity in the city's less advantaged neighbourhoods.

Before 50 local kids took to the new ice with David Desharnais and Raphael Diaz of the Canadiens, there were speeches by Molson, LaSalle borough mayor Manon Barbe and Daniel Boyer, secretary general of the Fédération des travailleurs du Québec (the trade union group is a sponsor of the outdoor rink program). Then Molson posed for a few photos before conducting his news conference.

The first questions weren't about the joys of outdoor hockey. And Molson didn't expect to do much skating.

"It's the first time I've been in front of the media since the decision to replace Jacques Martin," Molson said. "So no,canada goose parka I didn't think this would be a day off from hockey questions."

The owner acknowledged what every sentient Montreal hockey fan has known for a while: "This has been a disappointing season so far."

But Molson reaffirmed his support of interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth and general manager Pierre Gauthier. He said a thorough evaluation of team management will come at the end of the season.

"We're trying to stay focused on having a winning team," Molson said. "We're trying to turn things around."

Molson characterized the Canadiens' season to date as "soft, underperforming."

"If the second half is anything like the first half," he said, "it will be a disappointment for everybody."

He would not venture a prediction on his team's chances of making the playoffs.

"We have a half-season to play," Molson said. "We're still hoping to make it. You have to continue to believe you can make the playoffs . until you can't."

Molson said he had "learned a lot" from the firestorm that erupted after Martin was sacked and replaced by Cunneyworth, a unilingual anglophone. Molson underscored the point he made in an official statement issued two days after the Cunneyworth appointment.

"As a family that's been part of this community for 225 years, we certainly understand Quebec culture," Molson said. "There is no question that we support French and English. There is no question that we respect our fans and the culture of Quebec."

Molson said Gauthier has his support in the decisions the general manager has made this season, including the dismissal of Martin, the appointment of Cunneyworth and the trade that sent Michael Cammalleri to Calgary.

The owner said he does not attempt to micromanage the team's hockey decisions.

Molson would not venture a prediction on whether the Canadiens would be buyers or sellers at the February trade deadline.

"You have to hope for the best," he said. "As long as you don't give up too much of your long-term potential and you focus on the balance between getting there now and building for the future, then hopefully it'll pay off."

A year ago, Bleu Blanc Rouge opened a rink at Willibrord Park in Verdun.

Facilities had previously been built in the Villeray-Saint Michel-Park Extension and Montreal North boroughs. A fifth rink - state of the outdoor art, with 200-by-85-foot dimensions matching the Bell Centre - will open next year at Confederation Park in N.D.G.

LaSalle is a multi-ethnic neighbourhood with a substantial Italian-Canadian population. A demographic profile would also include La-Sallois of Scottish, Irish, East Indian, Chinese and Caribbean ancestry.

Former Canadiens from LaSalle include Réjean Houle (who took a spin with the kids on the new rink), Dollard St. Laurent and Jacques Lemaire.

I used to think of LaSalle as a working-and middle-class neighbourhood where everyone was making ends meet. Father John Walsh disabused me of that notion.

When I visited St. John Brébeuf Church to do a story on the Hope food bank a couple of years ago, Walsh said more than 30 per cent of LaSalle's 73,000 residents live below the poverty line. The borough has almost 4,000 single parent households, most led by women, living on less than $28,000 a year.

"Poverty is a problem that spurs other problems that become major problems," Walsh told me. "Families break up. Kids don't have money, and one of the problems in LaSalle is teenage gambling.

"I go over to the brasserie once in a while, and it's morning, people are having breakfast and they're already on the video slot machines. The teenagers borrow $10 and they're $20 down, then $30 down."

There are no such temptations at Hayward Park. Hockey will not solve all of society's problems, but a modern facility for healthy outdoor activities is a start.

Your Day 2 Round-Up of Milan Men's Fashion Week

At day two of Milan's men's fashion week, Tomas Meier showed off his knack for constructing that perfectly tailored leather jacket at Bottega Veneta's early morning show. Black and midnight blue reigned supreme at Emporio Armani's modern cool event, where models sauntered down the runway in luxury cloaks with fedoras, sleek modern leather coats, and impeccable silk suits. Ermanno Scervino was all about argyle, intricate and chunky knitwear, paired with simple gray and blue blazers.

When it comes to smart, luxurious dressing, Salvatore Ferragamo's creative director, Massimiliano Giornetti, continues to prove that he is one of the best. Precisely fitted wool double-breasted suits, subtly ombré polished shoes, elegant winter coats in auburn, ash, and a gray, had a classic yet sophisticated ease. A double-breasted gray Astrakhan coat and a pair of merlot-hued velvet dinner jackets with piping turned a few heads, for sure. The new Ferragamo man doesn't need to flaunt his affluence with flash. He's too busy to, anyway.

Vivienne Westwood (pictured, top) got political,canada goose parka with a David Attenborough-inspired collection called The Frozen Planet. "If our leaders would admit the fact of climate change and conduct their polices from that perspective, then we might have a chance. We have ten years at the most to stop it," Dame Westwood stated, in an urgent message on the global warming crisis. Models donned iced-over beards and hair wearing a range of plaid, strip and tartan wool suits, patchwork, bright colors, and asymmetrical tops in blue, forest greens, and heather. The label also announced that it has collaborated with sustainable tee-shirt manufacturer ANVIL, to create a limited edition of shirts for men's week, available on YOOX.com to support GreenUp!

But some of the top picks from the second day of shows came by way of footwear. From designers Cesare Paciotti to Alberto Moretti, and Swiss label Bally, all presented a variety of winners. Giuliano Fujiwara re-worked brogues boots in sturdy nubuck with rubber soles and colorful techno embellishments. Arfango's Alberto Moretti relied on high-glam and artisanal craftsmanship for his winter 2013 collection. A series of loafers and ankle boots were adorned with either Swarovski crystals,wholesale canada goose outlet velvet detailing, or metallic studs, which should give the intrepid dapper man some great evening options.

Last but not least was Cesare Paciotti's ever-growing shoe empire. After successfully launching the Steve McQueen-inspired Madison 380 NYC line, composed of understated classic options, the brand is expanding from suede to patent leather and shoes with a bit more edge. The best boots seen so far can be found here: Fur-lined industrial leather stivali, with Paciotti dagger insignia and exposed zippers and studs that were very of the moment, a bit indulgent, but rugged.

Military, Front and Center

Is it the bitter, battling winter following the Arab spring that has created a march of the military in men's fashion?
A soldierly influence was an undercurrent in the winter 2012 Milan season that closed Tuesday. The idea of smartening up and shaping up may be a response to Europe's gloomy economic situation.

But the drum beat of military styles is definitely present, with the rising designer Umit Benan devoting an entire collection to the dismantling of a boot camp and its army gear. With rear vision, the black leather storm trooper coats sent out by Raf Simons for Jil Sander earlier in the season now seem more comprehensible.

There was a moment Tuesday when a Giorgio Armani army walked the runway in velvet jackets topped off with berets and the pleated fatigue pants that dominated the show.
"I don't want it to be thought of as military," Giorgio Armani said backstage about his models' headgear. Instead, he said, the show was about softening the silhouette with the pants and with fabrics whose essence could be understood only by touch.

A double-breasted coat turned out to be knitted, while a tailored jacket was, in fact, in malleable jersey. Zippers were inserted in shirts and vests to create a sleek surface in tweedy materials. And what seemed like patterned ski sweaters were screen-printed.

The collection, with its mostly gray colors, was inspired by the Dolomites mountain range of northern Italy.

The clean, precise and systematic Armani style is so pervasive that it is evident in the new rooftop hotel the designer has opened, with an aerial view of Milan, on the floors above his Emporio store.

That absolute integrity of design — simplicity enriched with architectural precision and surface treatments — is what the designer stands for. And what his show defined. Nothing would have seemed really "new," as in a jarring note, to the impressive front row of actors and cinéastes. But there were enough ideas, especially the printed-on knit patterns, to refresh the Armani style.

Donatella Versace is on a roll — and her dynamic, colorful Versace men's wear show proved her new confidence in the brand's heritage.

"It is all thanks to H&M. I realize that what young people want is real Versace," the designer said backstage while greeting Milan's leading soccer players who were seated front row. She was referring to a collaboration with the fast fashion chain and her reworking of some iconic pieces.

In this upbeat show, each Versace characteristic seemed to be pushed to its extreme. There was denim with loads of silvered chains threaded across the fabric; eye-popping color, first in sunshine yellow and grass-green shades for fur collars, then blood orange appearing for a tailored coat.

Versace prints? There were joyous psychedelic patterns on military overalls, with that over-the top decoration calmed by rich,wholesale canada goose outlet but plain, velvet.canada goose parka

Sexual drive? A semi-transparent black lace shirt came out as the show tipped toward night and the vast Medusa Versace logo gleamed from the backdrop.

It was a show that returned the vibrancy to Versace that the brand needs to look ahead.

For the Turkish-born Umit Benan , war was not an undercurrent but the soul of his show.

Imagine a last day in camp after a battle truce, as the designer announced the theme to the audience. The "models," men picked off the street, went about their personal duties: One took a shower before getting dressed; another was given an arm tattoo on stage; a guy in camouflage pants did pushups; another had the same fabric — in fact, an abstract chevron — for his uniform and took charge behind a desk.

The clothes,authentic canada goose jackets as they walked the runway, were strong, martial but wearable, not just on a military parade. The silhouettes ranged from bulky to slender, while the belted jacket, a current trend, was executed with perfect proportions. A felted jacket, molded to the body, proved the designer's cutting skills.

Mild winter has brought some economic surprises

Out of a relatively balmy winter have sprung some economic surprises. People have more cash in their pockets because they aren't turning up the thermostat. Airlines don't have to de-ice planes or battle blizzards. And shoppers are finding great deals on coats and boots.

But there are also disappointments. Merchants are stuck with unsold shovels and snowblowers. Drugstores say customers aren't buying cold medicine or getting as many flu shots.

The weather has been so mild that at some hardware outlets, rakes are flying off the shelf, and grass seed is outselling ice-melting salt.

"I haven't seen this mix of sales since I can remember," said David Ziegler, whose family owns nine Ace Hardware stores in Northwest Chicago. "They're buying rakes ... just because it's warmer and people are not holed up."

This winter has been remarkably tame, especially in regions accustomed to a three-month tussle with freezing temperatures, snow, sleet and ice. In the Northeast, only four Decembers in the past 117 years have been warmer, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather feels especially gentle after two straight seasons of bitter cold and heavy snow. And it will take much more than Friday's relatively moderate snowstorm in the Midwest and Northeast to change that.

For Rocco A. Guadagna, it's been a lazy winter. He owns a lawn care and snow-removal company in Buffalo, N.Y. Because he charges an upfront fee for an entire season of plowing, he's getting paid even though he's hardly had to do any work.

Last year, his plows went out 42 times, more than usual. This year, he went out Friday for just the second time. But he doesn't think customers mind paying for something they barely use.

"Ninety percent, when they pay me, they say 'I hope I never see you,'" he said.

He's not the only one saving money. The weather and low natural gas prices have combined to push down home heating costs for the 51 percent of American households that use gas.

A typical bill this winter will be $700, a 3 percent drop from last year and the fourth straight year of declines, according to Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association.

Jim Cusick, a state employee in St. Paul,canada goose parka has been able to run his radiators less and catch up on an out-of-control home heating bill aggravated by the big, drafty old house where he lives with five of his six kids.

Because of last winter, Cusick said, he owed his utility more than $3,000 in back payments. As of this month, he said,moncler outerwear his negative balance is down to $650.

"It's a bummer for the kids. They miss the skating and stuff," Cusick said. "But if winter stays mild, life will be better."

Airlines are enjoying savings, too.wholesale canada goose outlet During storms, they often lose money because of refunds, delays and added costs for labor and expensive de-icing fluid.

United Continental Holdings Inc., the world's largest airline, said December snowstorms in 2010 hurt its fourth-quarter profit by $10 million and wiped out $25 million in revenue from fares and fees.

Not this season. There were about 7,000 flight cancellations in the U.S. in December,ralph lauren hoody down from 29,000 the year before, according to FlightStats. On-time performance improved to 79 percent, from 66 percent the year before.

The weather is a mixed bag for stores that offer outdoor gear. Henry Carter, co-owner of 9th Street Cycles, a bike store in Brooklyn, N.Y., said sales of winter equipment have been slow, but bike sales have been surprisingly brisk. And customers are riding more. So instead of the occasional cleaning or adjustment, the repair shop is busy will full tuneups .

"That's usually the stuff of summertime," he said.

For retailers, the weather has been a challenge and an opportunity. They want the weather to be cold, but not too cold. They hope for a few snowstorms that inspire people to buy coats and snowblowers, but not blizzards that keep shoppers inside for days.

So, while more people are out shopping now, they're not buying the bulky winter merchandise.

And since they can't sell it, stores have to discount it heavily, which eats away at profit.

Now, instead of clearing out what's left of the cold-weather stuff to make room for spring supplies, they have mounds of winter things for sale at rock-bottom prices.canada goose winter jackets

Coats are the biggest headache. They take up a lot of space, and they are expensive, so big markdowns hurt the bottom line more. Stores are discounting coats by 70 percent on average, and many are slashing prices on entire coat departments.

Drugstore operators Walgreen Co. and Rite Aid Corp. both said the warm weather has hurt sales of cough, cold and flu products compared with last year. They are also giving fewer flu shots and filling fewer prescriptions.

Walgreen administered about 5.3 million flu shots between August and December, down from 6 million over the same period in 2010. In December, prescriptions for cough, cold and flu treatments were down 1.5 percent at established stores.

The temperatures have even stifled good-natured winter humor.

Ellen Shubart, who volunteers for the Chicago Architecture Foundation, recently started guiding a tour of the city's underground walkway system downtown called "Warm Walk, Cool Architecture."

The jokes she devised about gloves, boots and hats have been falling flat.

"We planned it with the idea that it's going to be cold outside," she said.

Gucci has romance for Menswear Autumn/Winter 2012!

Atlanta fans of Gucci, the fashion house debuted its romantic Menswear Autumn/Winter 2012 fashion show as part of Milan Fashion Week on January 16, 2012 in Milan, Italy.

To put it in a nutshell, the Gucci Menswear Autumn/Winter 2012 collection is polished,authentic moncler coats romantic with its velvet jackets, satin touches and offers plenty of drama and ambience for the fall-winter season.

Gucci's color palette includes muted greens, burgundy and plum as well as all of the traditional muted colors favored by menswear.

Of particular note is their plum weskit shirt that pairs well with their well-tailored jacket as well as offering a print option in the collar.authentic moncler jackets womens It's sort of a scarf, shirt and waistcoat all rolled into one!

As far as their accessories go, the chunky doctor's bag as a utilitarian over-nighter is ever present throughout the collection and is offered in a number of colors and finishes.

This fall collection for 2012 should score many points for its wearability as well as its unusual touches that go the extra mile and add interest to an ensemble.
It's clear that Gucci wants men to look dignified yet show their romantic side.authentic north face jackets But most of all the collection keeps things very real – practical,wholesale canada goose outlet polished and on-trend with its choice of colors such as burgundy and plum!

The gorgeous pale peach satin jacket that featured under a taupe trench coat will also be a big hit with the ladies,canada goose parka fellas…

Take a look for yourselves in my slide show of the Gucci Menswear Autumn/Winter 2012 fashion show as part of Milan Fashion Week – you're going to love it!

Etro's man dreams of taking flight in feathered fashion for next winter

Designer Kean Etro employed feathers from tip of his fedora hats to the toe of his velvet slippers in the menswear collection previewed Monday, the third day of Milan Fashion Week.

Etro turned convention on its head, opening the show with evening wear, featuring such clever interpretations as tuxedo tails adorned with feathers. Jackets also appeared in velvet — a clear Milan trend for next winter — with feathered lapels.

As the collection moved into day wear, the use of feathers became even more bold. A jacket of golden and orange feathers evoked a sunrise. An eye-popping patchwork vest of pink, black and orange feathers could easily be worn beneath Joseph's amazing Technicolor dream coat. And a red tailcoat was feathered behind in orange, peacock blue and black.

Etro said the aims was for classical looks to take flight, calling the collection "a proposal for life, soaring high and seeing the every day as a celebration of beauty."

But the designer evoked Pegasus — not Icarus — in his show notes. Lest he fly too close to the sun and get burned,Search for cheap canada goose in Jewellery for Lucknow. Etro returned to Earth with some unfeathered and more traditional looks.

Etro also used brocade to create striking black and white outerwear, including a long cape with three-quarter length fringed sleeves. Sherling coats are clearly de rigeur for next winter, and Etro distinguished his with brocade or patchwork panels.

Like other designers, Etro is offering a broad range of outerwear, including trenches, down vests and a paisley-printed explorer jacket with multitudes of outer pockets.

The overall look was heavy on the tribal, with patterns inspired by Native Americans appeared on the backs of jackets.

Etro also made effective use of scarves, light and oversized, creating layered looks seen all over Milan runways. Fringed, scarves were worn under jackets. And in an unconventional look,The north facial area along with the Chilliwack Parka by way of canada goose sale cheap. a long scarf was tucked beneath a sweater stitched with feathers, to create the impression of a loin cloth, another tribal echo.,authentic canada goose jackets are available from selective retailers all across the world.

The show — which pulsated to such airborne classics as "Fly Like an Eagle," and "Volare" — ended with alternate Etro models wrapped in blankets bearing signature motifs, from an eagle, to paisley to an Aztec print.

A Fusion of Sporty and Formal

With a swing toward tailoring, sportswear is having to fight for its premium position. And designers are making a good job in this Milan men's wear season of blending the sporty and the sartorial.
"New York — it's my city," said Italo Zucchelli, the Italian-born designer at Calvin Klein who gave his winter 2012 show a downtown energy.

Although high-tech fabrics have been a driving force in Mr. Zucchelli's 21st-century take on men's fashion, this show was rooted in everyday sportswear — but that was upscale enough to add alligator sleeves to a wool bomber jacket and configure a mighty overcoat in mohair.

Unlike most Milan runways, the show did not focus on tailored suits, although a few skinny shapes drew the enthusiasm of the musician Joe Jonas, sitting front row. But after seeing the sartorial side of male dressing swamping Milan, it was good to have a reality check.

Mr. Zucchelli played with an oversized camel coat, with bold duffels and even with a nylon parka, patterned like a twinkling New York skyscape. But his focus on the modern man was as grounded as the thick-soled shoes.

"It's for the new gentleman — urbanites, after the explosion of jeans and sneakers," said Paul Surridge, the new designer at Z Zegna, speaking alternatively in his native English and fluent Italian learned through a fashion trajectory from Prada to Jil Sander.

The identifying detail of this "smarten-up!" collection was displayed on the backdrop: metallic copper that was used in zippers on parkas, on belt buckles and on a spiffy iPad case.Search for cheap canada goose in Jewellery for Lucknow. While the previous Z Zegna look had researched inventive fabrics to mix with classics, this show had some strong statements about silhouette: egg-shaped for coats, slim-line for suits and a taut vest recalling formal wear in the 1950s.

Mr. Surridge also played with masculine color, bringing blue, brown and green to the palette. A use of hoods with formal jackets was a smart hybrid approach. Yet there was a sense that he was — perhaps wisely — feeling his way. From this good starting point, he needs to define the line with more than copper as the Z Zegna accent.

With 9,000 miniature racing cars lined up on the floor of a palazzo and with sponsor patches on puffer jumpsuits, Moncler Gamme Bleu had come down from the mountains and on to the racetrack.

Previously,Shop popular stores to find moncler outerwear on sale. the embrace of different sports, from swimming through fencing,Men's ralph lauren hoody is the the necessary coat for any handsome man in both spring ang autumn . had been reinforced by the venue. This Formula One show was more workmanlike: a descriptive narration of the outfits, as in old fashioned couture shows.

What was lost in performance was gained in up-close detail. The designer Thom Browne has an exceptional ability to play with the Moncler down, this season with various detachable parts.

The problem is that with a copycat puffa jacket in every other Milan mark-down window,The north facial area along with the Chilliwack Parka by way of canada goose sale cheap. even with sharp tailored pieces, varied shorts,Do you need any sell canada goose winter jackets supply and demand information? trench coats and capes, how can Moncler move the concept as fast forward as a racing car?

Trussardi's leather heritage was taken back to the 1970s by the designer Umit Benan, who produced a cast of often hirsute characters toting bags. In their wide lapel suits, sporty leather jackets, fur-collared coats and cardigans, they looked like characters drawn from the fast-track crowd on the video screen backdrops.

Mr. Benan has a kooky signature that he melded with Trussardi leather pieces like gloves and tote bags. But whether a fashion style can be defined for this leather brand remains to be seen.

Bulgarian on Costa Concordia Tells about Harrowing Ordeal

People on the Costa Concordia cruise liner, which capsized off the coast of Tuscany in Italy Saturday, were pushing like animals, shouting, screaming and crying, according to Bulgarian Donka Todorova, who was among the passengers.

She says she managed to survive the icy cold waters due to her girlfriend, who had already been once in a similar ship incident.

"With her wee took off the high heels we were wearing for dinner, put our winter jackets on, took some lifejackets and went to the deck where we waited for an hour. I had only one small purse on me with my cell phone and my camera. Nothing else. Even my ID papers were back in the cabin. We were so scared that the thought to carry luggage never crossed our mind. We only wanted to survive. Then we boarded the lifeboat," Todorova,This is often not authentic moncler coats can be cool and even brilliant. who lives in Italy, said, cited by the Bulgarian "Standard" daily.

She embarked on the cruise with another 300 Italian hair stylists to take part in a seminar to improve their professional skills in haircuts, hair styling and applying make-up. The first lesson,If you want to buy jacket, authentic moncler jackets womens is the best choice. scheduled for Saturday, never materialized over the incident.

"This is my first and last time on a cruise. I hope they will reimburse us not only for the cost of the trip,,authentic north face jackets generally have a custom lanyard at the lace of collar, because everything I had was left behind – luggage, clothes, papers,canada goose jackets" Todorova pointed out, further saying that a large number of passengers were evacuated in high heels, gowns, and formal jackets.

The Bulgarian woman is already back in Civita, Italy, where she lives with her family. She received a large number of phone calls from friends and relatives, worrying about her, because in the ordeal her cell phone battery died, and she managed to only get in touch with the closest family members.The north facial area along with the Chilliwack Parka by way of canada goose sale cheap.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Varna-based company Komak, which had worked for years with the Italian Costa, informed that another 2-3 Bulgarian women were likely to have been working on the liner as maids. They have been sent there through a company from Ruse in 2007, before Bulgaria's joining of the EU. The company was later closed, but the Bulgarians stayed there and signed contracts directly with the Italian owners.

Milan Men's Operettas en avant-garde

It is, so we can now decide, a theatrical season. Prada has a lot of players invited chimney: Jamie Bell, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Emile Hirsch, Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, Alexandre and Victor Carril, and Garrett Hedlund.

The catwalk is a huge red carpet, and when the actors enter the scene (the popera Klaus Nomi), sounds enthusiastic applause from the audience. It's called: easy score.Our wholesale canada goose outlet generally gives all variations of lower price canada goose parka,This is a 100% authentic canada goose coat,we don't have anything that's 100 percent.

Miuccia Prada is often brilliant. But the collection for next summer brings nothing new to us, when. "A cinematic character study, in male archetypes and formal dress codes gesubverteerd be," says the press release in our foam seat.

We see: German (or, worse, Austria)-like coats, cummerbund, morning coats, tight trousers. It seems, on a cold, misty Sunday night, warmed up costs. Operetta Costumes! Before we won the war?

pure essence

At Bottega Veneta, the suits adorned with multicolor nylon cloth. Designer Tomas Maier put his boys in heels: wondering if that trend. The Emporio Armani show are quite a few long black cloaks (a duffel coat is 125 cm long). It is reduced to its essence Emporio collection, and in any case more modern than most brands currently spend.

Dark (black,Search for cheap canada goose in Jewellery for Lucknow. dark blue, burgundy far) is the Salvatore Ferragamo show, which is usually a less serious outlook on life.canada goose jacketsSale men canada goose parka for cheap 50% off online store for sale.

Daisy Lowe, human blob bring Rio's fashion week to a bizarre end

An It Girl and an orange spandex blob of writhing humanity capped Rio de Janeiro's five-day-long fashion week Saturday, lending a gimmicky end to the city's otherwise strong winter 2012 collections.

In a bid to create the kind of buzz its clothes themselves can't, streetwear label Auslander regularly invites celebrities to walk in its shows. But this season's special guest, British It Girl Daisy Lowe, left the crowd cold.

Though Lowe gave it the old college try, throwing her hips dramatically as she sauntered down the catwalk in what amounted to a one-piece swimsuit, the audience didn't seem to know or care who she was. (By contrast, the arrival of a Brazilian actress caused a near riot earlier.)

Without the kind of collective euphoria a good celebrity sighting can generate, the show fell flat. Many of the men's and women's pieces were the kind of casual urban fares you see on practically every sidewalk, and the ponchos, shawls, skirts and dresses made from mohair blankets looked nothing short of infernal, considering the 100 degree weather outside.

If you want people to concentrate on the clothes, the ideal fashion show backdrop is probably not a giant parachute in orange spandex with a dozen people squirming, thrashing and wiggling underneath it. But for experimental Rio-based label Oestudio, the clothes are clearly beside the point. It's all about putting on a unique show — and the writhing blob was ideally suited for the task.

The clothes included sweatshirts like cocoons, without any sleeves, cropped pants with one extra-wide palazzo leg and the other a narrow cigarette, and button-down shirts cinched at the waist with an extra pair of sleeves. (Perhaps those shorn from the sweatshirts?) The models — a refreshingly ethnically mixed cast that appeared to include nonprofessionals — swerved as they took to the catwalk to avoid being hit by the random fist, shoulder, knee or face that would sporadically poke out of the spandex.

In comparison with the Oestudio show,Buying a canada goose parka from seller in another country. everything else seemed a bit anticlimactic. But at Andrea Marques, it was definitely the good kind of anticlimactic.

The designer looked to the bourgeois styles of the 1970s, serving up the pleated A-line skirts and tie-front blouses in the lightest chiffon. Maxi-dresses with long sleeves and high collars didn't show an inch of skin, but the snake skin printed silk was suggestively see-through. Transparency is not an easy look for most women, but slap a lining onto Marques' dresses and feather-light shirts and you'd have yourself a fetching and wearable collection.

Giulia Borges' short, layered looks in black and white lace, tulle and chiffon were at once edgy and whisper-light. Despite looking like they'd weigh in at mere ounces, the short lace cocktail dresses — some worn with satin tuxedo jackets fitted with peplums and trailing tails — had a street-savvy toughness about them. Like gangster molls who just might be concealing a razor blade in their elegant French twist hairdo, Borges' lovely ladies were not to be messed with.

The narrative at Nica Kessler was less clear-cut. With maxi-dresses that had a vaguely ‘70s vibe mixed in with sweaterdresses that felt like ‘80s power dressing, Kessler's collection was all over the place.

Even the models looked a bit lost. They struggled to negotiate three mirrored podiums set awkwardly in the middle of the catwalk, and there were a few near-collisions. But then again it might have been the models' hair that was to blame: long strands were combed down over their faces, giving them a vaguely Cousin It-ish look.

Warm winter weather not all bad

Temperatures approached record highs in Bozeman on Saturday as the abnormally warm and snowless winter of 2011-2012 continued.

But for all the consternation it has caused, the warm winter is measured in more than just poor days on the mountain. Just ask those who were outside running, biking or otherwise enjoying the 50-degree weather.

Seventeen folks showed up for the Challenge Dr. Mike Tournament at the Headwaters Golf Course in Three Forks, decked out in baseball caps and light jackets to play 18 holes in a rare January tournament. The biggest challenge presented by the weather was wind,Buying a canada goose parka from seller in another country. said Helen Fouch, the course's pro shop manager.

The course has opened all but about five days this month and has attracted about 175 golfers, Fouch said.

"Last year we would've been closed at this time," Fouch said. "We've been open more days than we've been closed (this month)."

The course doesn't open unless the temperature reaches 35 degrees by 1 p.m. The greens remain closed to protect the grass, with the pins moved to trimmed spots near the greens. It costs $1 per hole to play for nonmembers, Fouch said.

The course will likely be closed for much of next week though, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Highs are expected to drop into the 20s and high teens for Monday through Wednesday as a cold front moves in before getting into the 40s Thursday and Friday as it passes, said Nick Langlieb, a meteorologist at the NWS Great Falls office. Some snow could dust the valley floor today and during the first half of the week, he said.

"Overall the (weather) pattern is going to become more active for this week, but the really cold push of air isn't going to stick around very long," Langlieb said.

The fewer cold and snowy days might translate into more road maintenance and paving projects in the first half of the summer, said John Van Delinder, superintendent of the city streets department. Hardly any overtime call-outs for snowplowing have been made so far this winter — about 10 overtime hours were worked last month, drastically down from the more than 100 extra hours typically worked in December, he said.

"We want the snow for Bozeman and the skiers. It's part of our heritage," Van Delinder said of the weather. "(But) it's definitely saving on wear and tear on equipment."

It's also saved about 1,000 tons of sand and the warm weather has prevented roads from the typical winter freeze-thaw pattern that creates potholes, he said.

With all those clear roads and paths — at least at lower elevations — runners have been able to get out and roam around, said Adam Behrendt, a trail runner and salesman at the Bozeman Running Company. He said the M, Foothills and Bear Trap Canyon trails are pretty clear and good running for anyone looking to strap on some jogging shoes and pad around.

Commentary: Still waiting for a good dose of winter

While leaving the Jacksonville High School parking lot on the first day back to school after Christmas break, I noticed something that was a little out of the ordinary.

After stepping out of the back doors, students seemed to immediately shed their layers of sweatshirts and jackets and then left in their cars with their windows rolled down and sunroofs open.

This is obviously nothing out of the ordinary, except that it was in the first week of January.

Unless you've been hibernating in your house all winter, you probably noticed the abnormally warm weather that we had early last week. Morgan County even experienced a record high temperature one day. And before Thursday, other than a few light flurries here and there, we have had no snow.

I noticed a surprising number of people still exercising outside, young children playing outside with their friends, couples taking walks, and even the long lines at almost every car wash in town.

While most of the people around me were getting excited because of this warm weather, I was not enjoying it.There are tons of canada goose jacket discount around nys. Usually the spring-like weather would be putting me in an upbeat mood and getting me excited for summer. Unfortunately, summer is five months away. The beautiful weather that we were experiencing makes me dread waiting that long for the laid-back and stress-free atmosphere that summer brings.

The good news came on Thursday; a student in my class posted a status on Facebook saying that Jacksonville was supposed to be receiving 1 to 2 inches of snow.

I got very excited but kept reminding myself that the weather in central Illinois is very unpredictable and that there is still a good chance that we wouldn't be getting any snow after all.

When I woke up Thursday morning I was ecstatic to see the white flurries falling from the sky and see the layer of white fluff covering the ground. I had hopes that it would be a grand snow.

Unfortunately, the snow that we got was minimal and I could not do any of the activities that I love. Every year, I look forward to building snowmen in my front yard, making snow angels, finding a big hill to sled on with my friends, and, of course, wishing for a snow day.

This is still the best time of the year to be snuggled up in my house with hot chocolate and reading a good book or watching a favorite movie with my family. With the warm weather, I felt guilty not being outside doing something productive.

I know that there is still plenty of time in the winter season left to get the snowfall that I am longing for, but I can't help but be impatient.

I can only hope that Mother Nature will be on my side and give us the true winter weather that I have been dying to see.

Area Outdoor Enthusiasts Making the Most out of Mild Winter

TWIN FALLS We've begged, pleaded and even offered sacrificial dances to Old Man Winter with one request: Please do not bogart the snow.

Two weeks into 2012 and and winter has yet to give up the goods. Snow machines sit idled in garages across southern Idaho; season ski passes adorn unworn jackets. And those new snowshoes Grandma sent you for Christmas? Well, it's the thought that counts.

So instead of hitting the not-yet-open slopes, Magic Valley folks are enjoying the outdoors in other ways. The Times-News caught up with a few to find out what they're up to:

Carlos Ortiz, 13,canada goose parka Twin Falls

Ortiz admits it takes a little persuading from the 'rents to get him into the great outdoors. But once there he enjoys it. "When it's warm enough you can always mess around. There's always soccer, and I like shooting baskets."

Randy Towell, 45, Twin Falls

Towell's favorite pastime involves his half-dozen remote-controlled, miniature airplanes. High winds keep him grounded in the summer, so he's relishing the opportunity to break out his planes and fly in good weather.

"There have been some really nice calm days with no wind this winter, and that's a good time to get out and fly. I've been out three times," Towell said. He was working the toggle switches on the remote for his HobbyZone Piper Cub, which reached speeds over 55 mph while soaring high above Twin Falls.

Gael Flores, 19, Twin Falls
Not one to get out in chilly weather, Flores is enjoying this winter's downright balminess by using the Centennial Trail system in Twin Falls. "I like to walk, and they have a really nice trail here."

Mackensie Griffith, 20, Jerome

A lack of snow wouldn't really get Griffith down, but the avid duck hunter said the lack of snowfall and cold weather disrupted migratory bird schedules. That left the College of Southern Idaho student looking for something else to do.

"I'm a big hunter and so is my dad. It's something we do together but haven't gotten to do this year, so we're signing up for the (Sportsmen's Warehouse) Coyote Challenge," Griffith said. "That should be a lot of fun."

Darcy Baler, 19,wholesale canada goose outlet Twin Falls

The lack of snow doesn't have Baler down at all. In fact, she couldn't be happier; the warm days provide the perfect backdrop for riding her four-wheeler, and dry terrain means her rig won't get stuck. "We love to go riding, and this winter there has been plenty of opportunity for it."

Jackets lead Wells Fargo Cup standings

Roanoke Rapids High School is off to a good start in its quest for a third consecutive Wells Fargo Conference Cup championship as the best overall athletic program in the Northern Carolina 2-A Conference.

During the fall athletic season, Roanoke Rapids won the conference championship in women's tennis and shared league titles in football and men's soccer. The Yellow Jackets also piled up points with second place finishes in men's and women's cross country. Roanoke Rapids finished with a league-leading 40 points during the fall campaign.

"We were consistent," Roanoke Rapids athletic director Tim Bennett said. "Our footcanada goose parkaball and soccer programs had to come back from early setbacks to win shares of the conference championship. We were first or second in every sport but one, and volleyball showed improvement throughout the season and ended up in the middle of the pack. We had a total of 179 student athletes participate during the fall season."

A conference championship is worth eight points. Second place is worth seven points. The scoring continues all the way to eighth place, which is worth one point.

Corinth Holders and Franklinton head into the winter season tied for second place with 34 points each. Corinth Holders swept the cross country titles. Franklinton didn't have a conference championship but was near the top of the standings in most sports. Bunn edged North Johnston for fourth place, 31.5 to 31. Louisburg (16.5), Warren County (13.5) and Northwest Halifax (9.5) finished sixth through eighth respectively.

Though conference action in the winter athletic season is still early, Bunn appears ready to make a move with its basketball programs in the running to sweep the men's and women's titles. Corinth Holders appears to have a chance at challenging for the NCC lead through the winter standings with its swimming, wrestling and men's basketball programs, creating a three-way chase for the Conference Cup Championship during the spring athletic season.

"No question it will come down to the spring season," Bennett said. "It appears we will finish well in men's and women's swimming. We'll have to see where our basketball and wrestling teams finish up. It's still early in the conference season. We have 146 student athletes participating in sports during the winter athletic season."

KIPP heads local schools in the Wells Fargo Conference Cup in the Tar Roanoke Athletic Conference through the fall season.authentic canada goose jackets

The third place Panthers won the conference in men's cross country, placed second in women's cross country and finished the fall campaign with 160 points.

North Edgecombe edged Gates County,wholesale canada goose outlet 205-200, for the top spot with league titles in football and women's cross country.

Southeast Halifax and Northampton East are tied for fourth with 130 points each. Northampton West, 85 points, and Weldon, 55 points round out the fall standings.

With basketball highlighting the winter season, Northampton West appears to be in position to make a move in the standings, with both basketball teams in the hunt for conference titles.