Thanksgiving

OGDEN — The United Way’s turkey drive for Thanksgiving dinners was still 1,000 birds short of its goal Friday afternoon.

OGDEN — With only a week left before the big day, United Way of Northern Utah is in desperate need of Thanksgiving turkeys for local needy families.

Robert Hunter, director of United Way of Northern Utah, said the agency needs a total of 1,900 Thanksgiving turkeys by Saturday and currently has fewer than 100.

OGDEN — The public is invited to participate at 5 p.m. Nov. 18 in the annual Interfaith Works Thanksgiving Celebration to be held at Your Community Connection, 2261 Adams Ave. in Ogden.

Those who attend will have the chance to learn from a Jewish tradition for remembering to be thankful every day.

\David Castillo is close to reaching the elite levels of professional mixed martial arts. If Castillo, 16-4 and ranked 42nd in the world, defeats Justin Buchholz in Orem on Nov. 16 for the Showdown Lightweight MMA championship, a call from the UFC probably isn’t too far off.

However, Castillo’s got something else on his mind this month as well, he and his family are the energy behind a Wasatch Front-wide effort to provide Thanksgiving dinner to many needy families.

OGDEN — In America First Credit Union’s warehouse Friday morning, Ginette Bott cooed and cheered, saying things like, “Oh wow!” and “Look at all the peanut butter!” and “We love to see baby food!”

Bott, chief marketing officer for the Utah Food Bank, was making rounds picking up donated turkeys and other food for this year’s holiday food drive.

The credit union’s donation is a good start, she said as she pondered eight pallet loads of groceries and 268 turkeys she’d loaded up. But there’s a long way to go, Bott said.

If there's one thing I've never been shy about, it's getting a good deal when shopping.

My friends have often heard me say how my favorite jacket cost me 99 cents. Hearing myself, I've realized that, when I get a deal, I value

that item even more than if I'd paid full price.

SNOWBASIN -- While many shoppers arose well before the crack of dawn today to take advantage of Black Friday shopping deals, Marshall McGonegal and his friends opted for Black Thursday.

McGonegal, of Eden, was first in line to board the Needles Gondola at Snowbasin as it opened its lifts for the 2011-12 season -- his reward for arriving at the resort around 3:30 a.m. Thursday.