Mixed feelings on Black Friday shopping results

We have mixed feelings about today's "Black Friday" sales.

On one hand, they seem to be a lot more orderly than in years past, when near-riots broken out as the supply of bargains didn't keep up with the supply of shoppers.

On the other, that orderliness came at the expense of time shoppers and clerks had to spend with their families Thanksgiving evening.

Walmart announced that, nationally, it processed more than 10 million register transactions from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, and Walmart.com processed nearly 400 million page views on Thanksgiving day.

The company announced it was giving employees who worked on Thanksgiving a 25 percent discount on items they buy at Walmart on Dec. 5 and 6, and will put out $70 million in holiday pay.

Be that as it may, we plan -- and hope our readers do, too -- to shop at some of the small, local mom-and-pop stores that give the Christmas holiday its real flavor.

The Small Business Saturday event is designed to remind shoppers to support America's 28 million small businesses that creat two out of every three net new private sector jobs.

The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce is doing its part, welcoming Santa to McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport at 10 a.m. Saturday, courtesy Red Willow Aviation.

He's also inviting the public to check out his team, live reindeer, at the Keystone Business Center parking lot at Norris and F, from 3 to 6 p.m., courtesy McCook National Bank.

After that, help "Light Up the Bricks" at the High Plains Radio Christmas Lights Parade, set for 6 p.m.

Entries should line up at about 5:30 p.m. south of H and East First. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places based on Best Overall Entry.