The Leader-Herald/Bill Trojan
Aimee Ricciardi, owner, Country Cupboard in Johnstown, makes a few adjustments on a colorful winter display at the store on Monday.

Some think the holiday season is in danger of being a difficult one, while others see this year as a potential respite from previously difficult winters. But regardless of one’s opinion on the holiday shopping season, business owners and officials say they hope local businesses are able to stay afloat throughout Christmas and New Year’s in the midst of a challenging recession. “I think everyone’s a little nervous,” Fulton County Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Wally Hart said. “We’re certainly hopeful. We’re going to do our part as a chamber to direct as many people as possible to our stores and to our location.” ShopperTrak, a retail research firm, predicted that total holiday sales will rise 1.6 percent compared with a year ago. And a recent survey from the state Retail Council said 58 percent of business-owning respondents anticipate their 2009 holiday season sales will be the same or better than their 2008 holiday season sales.