The Wichita Eagle, Kan., What's New Column.

By Carrie Rengers, The Wichita Eagle, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Nov. 21--Bruce Cook, the general manager of the Newton Factory Outlet Stores, has been fired.

"I'm being positive," says Cook, 58. "There's no sour grapes. . . . But the one thing I do really feel (is) I accomplished what I set out to do."

He says the outlet mall's occupancy rate was in the 70 percent range when he took the job 21 months ago. It's now almost 90 percent.

Cook was fired by Steve Martens, whose commercial development firm has taken over managing the mall.

"I just don't comment on personnel matters," Martens says.

No one with …