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SRQ DAILY Nov 25, 2014

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"We just want to make sure downtown is competitive with what's going on in and around the city."

- Ron Soto, Sarasota Downtown Merchants Association
 

[Retail]  Downtown Gets Dose of Holiday Cheer
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

With a shortened holiday season and new competition in the marketplace, there was still plenty of cheer as merchants in Downtown Sarasota prepared for the holiday season. A 16-foot tree with 9,000 lights came up in the retail area over the weekend, and holiday decorations are suddenly adorning streetlights.

"We just want to make sure downtown is competitive with what's going on in and around the city," said Ron Soto, chairman of the Sarasota Downtown Merchants Association. "We just want to make downtown look good."

The Downtown Improvement District is also chipping in $4,000 in decorations for the area, according to DID Operations Manager John Moran's most recent eReport on district activity.

That's on top of the $10,000 in new spending the merchants group budgeted this year, which goes to enhance an inventory of decorations and lights already in the association's from past years. Banner lights will soon adorn Palm and Lemon avenues and State Street, with decorative snowflakes and wreaths upon select blocks of Palm.

Coordinating everything in anticipation of the holiday season's official start later this week has been, Soto admits, a logistical nightmare but that goes with the territory. On Dec. 5, a major tree-lighting celebration will be hosted with Santa and Mrs. Claus greeting children and Mattison's running a cash bar for parents and other adults.

Of course, that tree remains smaller than the one in St. Armands Circle, where merchants are also trying to attract consumers during those critical retail weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

And that's not counting the push by retailers in the area malls. Westfield will host regular Christmas festivities in its Sarasota malls-Southgate and Sarasota Square-through the holiday season. And at the new $315-million The Mall at University Town Center, a mock ice palace themed after Disney's hit movie Frozen will stand through Christmas Eve.

And then there is the calendar. While that hits all retailers equally, Thanksgiving this year falls late, leaving a shortened retail season. But Soto is confident that won't reduce spending.

"I don't think that will make a difference in the end," he said. "People will be out shopping for Christmas." 

[Exec Move]  WUSF Public Media Names Fundraising Producer

WUSF Public Media announced Tracy Mitchell has joined the station as fundraising producer.  Mitchell will be responsible for overseeing the station’s year-round on-air fundraising and will guide communications aimed at encouraging the community to support public radio and television. With more than 10 years of experience in public media, Mitchell has served in development, membership and sales roles for stations in Indiana and Arizona. 

WUSF

[Exec Moves]  Radtke to Direct County Financial Management

Sarasota County officials extended a conditional offer of employment to a new director of the Office of Financial Management. The candidate, Kimberli Radtke, has spent the past eight years working as the county's operating budget manager. In that role, she oversaw an operating budget of more than $600 million, performing advanced analysis and providing fiscal guidance on the transfer and expenditure of county funds. She has served in a leadership position with a team that has received the Government Finance Officers Association's Distinguished Budget Award for 24 consecutive years. 

Sarasota County Government

[Exec Move]  NAFI Hires Insurance Coordinator

The National Association of Fire Investigators welcomed Paulette Braga as its new insurance program coordinator. Braga joined NAFI in October and will directly manage the agency’s new E&O insurance program that aims to deliver inclusive and affordable professional liability insurance to its members. Braga is a Bradenton resident who has extensive experience in the insurance industry in underwriting, marketing and managing multiple lines of business, such as package, automobile, umbrella and worker’s compensation. 

NAFI

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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