Briefs

+ Illness causes
candidate to end run
Rasheen Davis, a Democrat who was vying for the County Commission seat held by Commissioner Nora Patterson, announced she has dropped out of the race.

Davis was diagnosed with breast cancer and began aggressive treatment last week.

Patterson still faces Siesta Key architect Mark Smith in the Republican primary.

Democrat Mark Hawkins Sr. will face the winner of that race.

+ Consultant looks at sign placement
The consultant the city hired to create a wayfinding system began a three-day visit Jan. 13.

The company, Merje, will travel city streets to analyze the placement of more than 350 road signs, pedestrian signs, parking-lot location signs and directional kiosks that the city wants to install.

On its last day in town, Merje will hold a closing meeting to discuss its findings. It will take place at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, in Room 112, at City Hall, 1565 First St.

The wayfinding project is expected to cost $1.4 million. Less than $900,000 is currently funded. The city plans to erect the downtown-area signs, while it waits for the rest of the funds to install signs citywide.

+ Real-estate sales take off in December
The Sarasota real-estate market saw in December its highest number of sales in nearly three years.

The 648 transactions were the most since March 2007.

In addition, sales of single-family homes and condos last month were 12% higher than November and 52% higher than December 2008.

+ Meetings
& Agendas
• Downtown Improvement District — 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, Room 112, City Hall, 1565 First St., Sarasota
• City Commission — 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St., Sarasota
• Arlington Park Neighborhood Association — 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 19, Waldemere fire station, 2070 Waldemere St., Sarasota