• Times-Union business editor Jennifer Merrett recently left the paper. She’s working as a special projects editor at Money Magazine in New York now.
• Over at the Barnett Building, which the Kuhn Companies is renovating, Prudential Network Realty is handling the residential leasing end of the development. The Trammell Crow Company is taking care of the office and retail side.
• To raise funds for United Way, a City Planning and Development Department employee, Lisa Ransom, has created a contest for city government employees called the “2006 Fat Off.” The rules are simple: Each participating employee was weighed in early October. Then, the group weighed in each Monday at the same time to see if they had gained or lost pounds. For each pound lost, the employee gave $1 to the pot. For each gained? $2.
• Ever wonder why there are seldom any Salvation Army “bell ringers” at the Publix in Riverside at the corner of Riverside Avenue and Margaret Street? You might see a red kettle once in a while, but you won’t hear the familiar bells. According to Salvation Army spokesperson Melanie Love, it’s because of the grocery store’s close proximity to residences in neighboring condos and homes. “Kettle income is negligible when there’s no bell ringing,” said Love. “When a volunteer expresses a willingness to man the kettle there without a bell, we gladly take them.”
The new Downtown This Week is out and reviews the Main Library’s first year and its great effect on the Downtown community. The magazine is free and available all over Downtown.