Glendale Galleria

A smiling, pink-nosed Easter Bunny sat on a chair and waved to children as they approached him. Children made their way inside the white-picket fence surrounding the bunny's Gazebo Garden — across from JCPenney — at the Glendale Galleria, to have their pictures taken with him. The Easter Bunny will be available for photos at the Galleria today. Dozens of children and their parents, including Julie Yen and her 3-year-old son, Ethan, stood in line, waiting for their turn to take pictures.

DOWNTOWN GLENDALE — More than a dozen picketers demonstrated outside the Glendale Galleria on Friday to protest what they say are unfair labor practices endorsed by the owner of the mall. The protest came after the Service Employees International Union, which represents 1.9 million workers across the country, filed a complaint Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging unfair labor practices against General Growth Properties Inc., which owns the Galleria.

DOWNTOWN — Piles of once neatly folded and stacked sweaters were strewn about the ground in wrinkled clumps at Mervyn’s department store early Friday morning, signs of a pre-dawn shopping rush that had thousands of consumers sifting for holiday bargains. With Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday already fading from memory, area retailers were banking on hopes that consumers were ready to jump headlong into the gift-giving winter season. And to coax buyers out of their food-induced slumber before the sun rose, some Glendale Galleria stores offered hundreds of “doorbusters” and one-day-only discounts starting as early as midnight.

Holiday shoppers looking for entertainment while they search for the perfect present may want to head to the Glendale Galleria this season where they can be serenaded by Santa Claus. Along with hearing what children want for Christmas and posing for photos with them, singing Santa Mark Greer Thompson also dishes out holiday ballads from the Santa set in the court in front of JCPenney. "Not only do retailers have fantastic specials and deals, we also have Southern California's only singing Santa Claus," said Galleria Marketing Director Janet LaFevre.

GLENDALE ? Fernando Valenzuela never forgot about the fanfare that swept the Los Angeles area 25 years ago. The former Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher was the main topic of conversation among the media and the fans who flocked to Dodger Stadium to see him bedevil opposing batters. His eyes rolled upward while delivering one of his patented screwballs, and Los Angeles, particularly the Hispanic population, got caught up in "Fernandomania" as he helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series against the New York Yankees.

Developer Rick Caruso expanded his Glendale retail empire Wednesday with the announcement that he has purchased the Nordstrom site at the Glendale Galleria and will move the high-end retailer to the Americana at Brand in 2013. Caruso also sent a letter to the chief executive of Galleria owner General Growth Properties, asking to meet about a revamp of Galleria II, the portion of the 200-plus-store mall marred by the long-empty Mervyns site at Brand Boulevard and Broadway. In the letter, Caruso said Galleria II “has suffered from significant vacancy and lack of foot traffic” and that the two parties “should work together to stop this trend.” While General Growth Properties does own the Galleria, the anchor stores typically are owned by their tenants, and that was the case with the Nordstrom property.

Irma Lemus GLENDALE GALLERIA -- Scary ghosts and goblins are invited to Glendale Galleria's Halloween Costume Contest and Halloween Boo-Bash. The costume contest will held 2 p.m. Sunday at The Zone, on the upper level of the mall. The contest is geared for young people 8 to 18, also known as Generation Y, said Annette Bethers, senior marketing director for the Glendale Galleria. Tickets to Knott's Scary Farm, mall gift certificates and KISS-FM (102.

The following incidents were taken from police reports. Glendale Galleria: A Sun Valley woman was arrested Thursday on suspicion of shoplifting $30 worth of jewelry from Mervyn's. Glendale Galleria: A 19-year-old Los Angeles man and two 17-year-old Los Angeles boys were arrested Thursday on suspicion of shoplifting $155 worth of clothing from J.C. Penney. 500 block of Hill Drive: A 24-year-old Glendale man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of hitting a woman in the mouth.

Gary Moskowitz SOUTHWEST GLENDALE -- The JC Penney court at the Glendale Galleria will be the place for prom fashions Saturday. "Seventeen's Prom Style" will begin at 1 p.m. and is open to the public. The event will be in the JC Penney court of the Glendale Galleria, 2148 Glendale Galleria. The event will begin with local teens modeling the newest designs in prom dresses, tuxedos and accessories for those who attend. Prom attire will be provided by Windsor Fashions, Jessica McClintock, JC Penney and Macy's.

Local children visiting the Glendale Galleria this month will get a taste of the holiday spirit when they visit Santa's Nestle Toll House Holiday Bake Shoppe. Animated woodland bakers in Santa's kitchen prepare Nestle Toll House cookies as one little creature accidentally falls into a vat of dough and turns up on a conveyor belt among cookie "rejects." Children who stop by the holiday bakery have a chance to meet Santa, who surprises each child with a chocolate-chip cookie.