Anyone else hate what thanksgiving has become? | Page 2 | The Compost Bin | Forums

looks like others are getting fined

After picking family over finances, Kevin Anderson says he's facing fines.

Anderson owns 10 locations of The Mac Store, some of which are located inside malls in the Pacific Northwest. At least two mall owners have threatened to levy fines if Anderson doesn't open his stores on Thanksgiving, he said Friday.

"Enough is enough. We're completely gobbling up Thanksgiving in the name of some additional commerce," Anderson said. "We're not going to participate."

Anderson wouldn't disclose what the fines could cost him, insisting the issue isn't about money. Mall managers in Olympia and in Eugene, OR, forewarned there could be monetary penalties if the shops didn't open next Thursday, Anderson said.

The general manager at Capital Mall in Olympia declined to be interviewed for this story, but said in an email that he wouldn't discuss agreements with individual stores because they are "private and confidential."

"Capital Mall never intended to fine the store at our location," general manager Kevin T. Johnston said, in an email.

Representatives at Valley River Center in Eugene, where Anderson said he continues to face the threat of fines, didn't respond to requests for comment Friday.

"I think that people are losing the connection with family time during holidays," said customer Jamie Nova, as she shopped at the Olympia mall. "To take that away and being threatened with a fine because you're not going to open your store? I think that's ridiculous."

Her husband echoed those remarks.

"America is based on a tradition. We're both retired military. For the people here not being able to be with their families because they have to work - I don't think that's very American," Edwards Nova said.

Anderson added that his employees support his decision to remain closed on the holiday.

"I don't care what (the fine) is. I don't care how much business we lose. Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving," he said. "Anytime you're going to put money ahead of morals, you got a problem and we're not doing that."

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