Business
    Christmas wishes

    Christmas wishes

    Local retailers are gearing up for the busiest time of the year with optimism, despite difficult economic times.
    The Christmas season is key for most retailers. The day after Thanksgiving is nicknamed "Black Friday" because it puts some retailers in the black. That is to say, it's when they start earning a profit for the year.
    "You hope for the best time of year in the last quarter," said Leslie Keys Cassady, owner of Audie Mescal clothing store in Tuscumbia. "November and December are important for retailers."
    She said the Christmas-shopping season seems to lengthen every year.…