Spirit Halloween, an affiliate of Spencer Gifts, LLC of Egg Harbor, NJ, the largest seasonal Halloween retailer in North America, has opened its gates for the 2013 Halloween season in each of the 1,050 Spirit Halloween locations in the United States and Canada this year. Celebrating 30 years of business, Spirit Halloween continues to provide one-stop shopping for everything from top costumes and decorations to accessories and party goods.

Of the 1,050 stores this year, there are a total of 37 in Arizona, with 25 in the Phoenix metro area and 7 in and near Tucson; 5 other stores are spread out around the State. Spirit typically leases for 3-months, ideally from August to mid-November and do site selection from January thru August. Spirit can merchandise any space, but their preferred size is between 5,000 to 10,000 square-feet. However, no space is too large.

Shoppers get to experience the store’s award-winning, interactive displays – if they dare. When first entering a Spirit Halloween store, shoppers will laugh with fear from the Clown Train featuring the Thrashing Clown that shakes and eerily laughs while welcoming guests to the store. As shoppers continue to explore, they’ll also come across the Misfortune Teller, but shouldn’t expect to hear any good news from her! Additional customer-centric displays include Spirit Hallows Asylum – which features the Electrocuted Prisoner and Jumping Dog – and The Haunted Mansion which highlights the Pumpkin Nester and Gruesome Granny.

For shoppers who are looking to make their home the spookiest in the neighborhood, Spirit Halloween also offers an all new exclusive line of lawn decorations, Lawn Scares – which includes Zombie Flamingos, Zombie Cats, Zombie Gnomes, and Zombie Deer.

“For the past 30 years, we’ve led the way in Halloween trends and we’re excited to continue that tradition this year,” said Steven Silverstein, President and CEO, Spirit Halloween. “Halloween enthusiasts will find anything and everything needed for the long weekend of celebrations this year. Spirit Halloween offers the widest variety of costume options and best products in the market.”

As the authority on all things Halloween, Spirit is thrilled to announce the top 10 costume trends for the coming season. Superheroes, Disney characters and popular on-screen personalities reign supreme for 2013:

With Halloween falling on a Thursday this year, Spirit Halloween predicts a monster Hallo’weekend – enthusiasts will be able to celebrate for not just one night, but three! In addition to the huge selection of top costumes, for those looking to celebrate more than one night, Spirit offers a wide variety of accessories that you can mix and match for DIY costumes.

To locate a Spirit Halloween store in your area, visit www.SpiritHalloween.com. For exclusive discounts and the inside scoop on all things Halloween, “Like” us if you dare on Facebook www.Facebook.com/SpiritHalloween, follow us on Pinterest www.Pinterest.com/SpiritHalloween, follow us on Twitter @SpiritHalloween, and check us out on YouTube www.youtube.com/SpiritHalloweencom.

Cushman & Wakefield | Picor of Tucson invites offers from prospective buyers in an open bid process for the class-A landmark 82,942-square-foot office facility at 3300 East Sunrise Drive in Tucson. Before the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced plans to relocate its Tucson headquarters to Chicago, the firm had been retained to assist the sale of the property and its larger office management plan in Tucson and Chicago.

The Tucson facility has 7.14 acres that deliver some of the most scenic views to be found anyplace. With Sonoran Desert and City views from the base of the Catalinas, there are breathtaking panoramic mountain vistas from the site. The property was gifted by Pima County in 1990 to MDA when it first moved its national headquarter to Tucson from New York, not so much for the job creation it brought, but more for the prestige of having such an esteemed non-profit organization headquartered here.

According to Crain’s Chicago Business, MDA revenue for 2012 was $152 million, down from $157 million in 2011 and $171 million in 2010.

The relocation is intended to strengthen operational efficiency and effectiveness, engage new corporate partners and individual donors, and position it to better inform and influence policymakers. These changes will give the organization opportunities to enhance both income and mission outreach, MDA said in a release.

The main 67,020-square-foot, 2–story, curvilinear design building was completed in 1992, and a 15,922-square-foot LEED Silver building was added in 2010, creating a truly unique corporate office environment. The property boasts striking executive and private offices around a central cubical office area, conference rooms, auditorium, atrium entrance and gathering areas, complete with media studio, mail and print rooms, kitchen and break rooms, exercise and locker rooms, loading dock and other utility functions. It is very beautiful, very prestigious and move-in ready for most any corporate office.

When we caught up with Rick Kleiner, Principal at C&W Picor, we were told they are hopeful to find a user for the property, but it does lend itself to multiple tenants easily, with the two separate buildings and other possible reconfigurations of the main building. “Although everyone is saddened to lose MDA, this could actually be a good thing for Pima County,” said Kleiner, “a private company would bring some real estate taxes to the County coffers; MDA was tax exempt as a non-profit.”

A release states,  a majority of the current 110 national staff positions will remain in Tucson.  Kleiner told us he would be relocating about 75 MDA employees sometime early 2014 for the MDA Operations Center in Tucson. There will be no layoffs as part of the move, a MDA spokeswoman said. MDA employs about 1,000 people nationwide and will employ eventually 30-40 in the Chicago office.

The announcement drew praise from Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Chicago is a national leader in health care and medical research and is the perfect place for MDA to continue its great work in finding treatments and cures for neuromuscular diseases,” the mayor said in an announcement. “We look forward to working with MDA and supporting its growth here.”

Kleiner is already getting interest on the Tucson facility and expects it will attract many buyers because of its uniqueness and location.

The timeframe for the open bid process follows: Tours to be given from October 7-18 (or as arranged); offers due by October 31 for a Nov-Dec due diligence to allow time for a Jan 15th closing. Proceeds from the sale of the facility will be used to strengthen MDA’s financial position and support funding of its mission.

For more information, many more photos and terms and conditions of sale visit www.3300EastSunrise.com or contact Rick Kleiner at (520) 546-2745.

Tucsonans interested in a closer look at the aircraft inside Davis-Monthan Air Force Base’s iconic “Boneyard” but unable to visit during typical working hours can finally get a peek during a special Saturday tour. Created with working locals in mind, several tours on Aug. 31 will allow visitors a chance to see the fighter jets, cargo planes and more from the comfort of an air-conditioned bus that typically only runs during the week. Led by docents from the adjacent Pima Air & Space Museum, these tours often sell out, even though they’re normally offered during business hours only.

On the outskirts of the city of Tucson, Arizona, this airbase has become the last resting place for most of the US inventory of aircraft.   The B-52’s that were scraped as part of the START II treaty were dealt with here. Generations of aircraft have sit here in the sun, standing one final duty before succumbing to the breakers axe.

The Arizona climate means the aircraft don’t deteriorate very rapidly, and sealed in plastic they can be maintained, to some degree, for long periods. SR-71’s spent time here before being reactivated a few years ago. Of course the six or so that were resurrected are all back there again.

As the perimeter fence runs by public roads around all sides of the base, a significant number of aircraft can be seen. However, there is more land area to D-M that can’t easily be seen from outside fences, many aircraft sit well back and are hard to see. Don’t miss this opportunity Saturday, Aug 31.

Visit https://www.pimaair.org/ for a complete list of planes on display and more information on the Pima Air & Space Museum.