Salem Observer : rockingham Mall

Crowds pack Salem mall in ice storm aftermath

Salem Editor — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:38:00 GMT

Since many were without power or heat, shoppers from across the state flocked to the Mall at Rockingham Park to finish up their Christmas shopping and to escape dark, cold homes over the weekend.

“It’s a welcome distraction and it gives us an opportunity to tighten up some of the last-minute stuff,” said Leo Hudon, who by Saturday, Dec. 13, had been without power since Thursday’s ice storm. “We’re without heat .... It’s starting to get a little cold (in the house), but we’re fortunate compared to a lot of other people who have property damage and are without the conveniences that we have.”

With parking spots hard to come by, throngs of shoppers packed into retailers from one end of the two-story mall to the other, enjoying the warmth and the electricity.

“We came to get some heat, see some lights,” said Jeff Di- Russo, an occasional mall shopper from nearby Pelham, where much of the power remained out over the weekend. “It seems like there are more people. A lot more people are walking around, trying to keep warm and not think about the obvious.”

While the lights were on at the Mall at Rockingham Park two days after the ice storm, about half of Salem remained without power, prompting public safety officials to open a local shelter at the Salem High School for those seeking refuge from the cold and the dark.

Fire Marshal Jeffrey Emanuelson said the town’s emergency operations center had been operating since the storm ended, directing residents to the shelter with reverse 911 calls, portable message boards placed throughout the community and going door to door.

Neighboring communities did not fare much better. Hampstead resident Kathi Russman said she had come to the mall to put in an order for a generator at Sears.

“My house is freezing,” Russman said, though she expected to tough it out for another night before she could pick up her generator.

“It’s pretty cold, but we’ve got a fireplace and a grill,” she said.

Russman said she was surprised at the amount of shoppers at the mall, describing the retail mecca as “usually dead” and attributed the turnout to the holiday shopping season and because so many remained without power.

Though he had power, Manchester resident Donald Jasirdanies said the drive south to the mall was a “pretty hectic” one. Looking out over a gold-colored railing onto the first floor of the mall, he noted the unusual amount of shoppers, believing most of them to have sought out some shelter while they waited for the restoration of heat and electricity in their homes.

“They’re here,” he said. “I don’t know if they’ll spend or not, though.”

Salem shoppers rise early to get the best deals

Salem Editor — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:42:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Getting up well before the break of dawn to stand in line outside of a Kohl’s store is more about a family tradition than bargain deals or great savings for Ann Hill and her two daughters.

Resting outside of a clothing store at the Mall at Rockingham Park as her daughters continued to peruse the Black Friday sales just after 8 a.m on Nov. 28, Hill said she had not only been up and ready to shop at 3 a.m. but had waited in line for more than an hour at the register at Kohl’s, though buying items was not her main goal.

“It’s a tradition with my daughters,” she said. “I’m not a big shopper. It’s more an annual tradition with the kids and the sales.”

Michael Silva had already done the majority of his holiday shopping before Black Friday, but braved the long lines and thick crowds out of a marital obligation.

“Anything for the wife,” he said, waiting outside an Aeropostale clothing store with a full bag of purchases.

Searching for holiday gifts for his two children, ages 15 and 10, Antonio Cruz said the good deals and big sales had lured him out to the mall during the early morning hours.

“I’m going to spend more money today. I’m trying to help the economy,” he said, laughing. “This is the busiest I’ve ever seen it. I don’t know who is pulling whose leg on the economy.”

Lines began forming outside of major retailers like J.C. Penney and Sears around 3 a.m., according to Emily Hoang, director of mall marketing, and foot traffic had been high since the doors opened at 5 a.m. The mall’s Disney Store started doing business just as the day officially began, opening when the clock struck midnight with a line of shoppers ready and waiting.

“Our foot traffic has been pretty strong and steady,” Hoang said. “We gave out gift bags to the first customers and we ran out of goody bags in about 10 minutes.”

Paul and Tracy Jacques, out shopping for their children, said that between this year and last year, it seemed less people were out taking advantage of the Black Friday sales.

“We found a parking spot with no trouble,” Tracy said. “That tells you something.” The economic forecast had “absolutely” been on the Jacques’ mind before taking part in the Black Friday sales, but Paul said he and his wife had budgeted before doing holiday shopping even during better years.

“We’re on a budget every year, even when the economy is good,” he said. “You can’t overspend.”

For Hill, the mall did not seem as crowded as it had in past years during the annual traditional shopping trip with her daughters and said the economic downturn had played into her spending decisions as well.

“I won’t buy it unless it’s a really good sale,” she said.

Trapped at Salem mall

Salem Editor — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:27:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

A woman was trapped in an elevator for about half an hour when a transformer near the food court at the Rockingham Mall malfunctioned, causing electrical glitches. The woman, who left immediately after being rescued and was not identified, was not injured, said Salem Fire Marshal Jeffrey Emanuelson.

The mall was evacuated just after 5 p.m on Monday, Sept. 8, when Salem fire responded to the mall’s fire alarm. When firefighters arrived, there was a strong electrical odor in the Food Court area, accompanied by light smoke and flashing lights.

After the evacuation began, firefighters went to work with National Grid and the mall’s electrician to find the source of the problem.

The three-phase transformer responsible was on the west side of the mall, just outside the food court entrance.

“In high-demand electrical users, it’s the most efficient way to provide electricity,” said Emanuelson.

Emanuelson said the problem started because something happened that caused the transformer to get less power, and it was running on about two-thirds of the power it should have been getting. A motor helping to run the electricity burned out, and Emanuelson said it’s not clear whether the motor burning out caused the transformer to malfunction, or vice versa.

Power was lost in the food court and other stores on the second floor of the mall. About 25 percent of the mall’s second level was without power when customers were allowed back into the mall at around 7:30 p.m., Emanuelson said. National Grid and electricians were working on fixing the transformer immediately after the incident.

“It appears that everything is back to normal this morning. They were working on it all through the night,” said Emanuelson on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Mall security and management aided in evacuating the mall quickly. Salem police also helped with the evacuation and kept traffic flowing out of the mall afterwards.

“All the agencies worked well together, between police, fire, mall management and security, and National Grid to minimize the impact to the mall business and to bring it to a successful conclusion with no injuries,” Emanuelson said.