In November, La Jolla Village Merchants Association elected new officers, discussed Village valet service and announced closure of its visitor center; and it heard about the upcoming Holiday Festival of Lights Competition and the ongoing Sparkle & Shine cleanup campaign. Claude-Anthony (CA) Marengo was re-elected association president for a third, and final, consecutive term. James Niebling was elected vice-president. The group’s new secretary is Claudette Berwin, and Paul Burke is the treasurer. Board member Michael Dorvillier pointed out that much more could be done with valet service, including finding ways to make it a fundraiser. “It seems to me we’re missing out on an opportunity for revenues,” Dorvillier said, adding, “There is a parking problem in La Jolla. Why not take advantage of that with valet spots in commercial areas like Girard and Prospect?” New association trustee Ike Fazzio pointed out that valet parking “could be a bargaining chip” for merchants, especially restaurateurs, to leverage their businesses. Association executive director Sheila Fortune noted that the group will seek to outdo its performance on last year’s inaugural Holiday Festival of Lights Competition. “We’ll do the same festival as we did last year, encouraging merchants to dress up their offices, hotels and storefronts,” she said. “At the end of this, we’ll give out trophies in different categories, and we’ll do that at a big event.” The competition will run Nov. 25 through Jan. 1. Entrants will be judged by an independent panel reviewing decorations the week of Dec. 28. Winners in each category will receive a Holiday Spirit Award.?Judged categories will include best small and large restaurant, best art gallery, best hotel/motel, best small and large retail storefront, best business office and best Instagram “like” category, #LaJollaHolidaySpirit2015. All entrants must be active association members current with their business license taxes, and they must submit a valid entry form to [email protected]. Board member Nancy Warwick said last year’s Sparkle & Shine Village cleanup campaign was so successful that the group is going to do it on an ongoing basis. “Last year, the Sparkle & Shine campaign raised $74,000 from residences and businesses paying to have their names put on (promotional) banners,” Warwick said, noting the nonprofit La Jolla Town Foundation has been collecting and holding tax-deductible funds raised in the community clean-up effort. Warwick noted money raised in the campaign “cannot be used for any expenses other than sidewalk clean-up.” She added that names displayed on the banners are not restricted to a person’s family name or business. “A person may choose instead to put on their banner(s) the name of a favorite school, a sports team, a nonprofit organization (i.e., La Jolla Community Foundation), a book club, or list multiple names, such as a group of neighbors, et cetera,” Warwick said. Fortune noted that the La Jolla Visitor Center officially closed Oct. 30. A grant that had funded the center’s operational budget for fiscal year 2014-15 ended in June, necessitating the center’s closure.