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The Bloomfield Center Alliance (BCA) recently announced the winners of its third annual Holiday Window Design Contest. The competition gives local businesses the opportunity to participate in a friendly competition and, collectively, help make downtown Bloomfield that much more festive for visitors and shoppers. A total of fourteen different businesses signed up to compete in two categories Judges Choice and Peoples Choice. A panel of three local residents/stakeholders picked the floral design/wedding event planner The Ritz Walton Collection (73 Washington Street) as winner in the Judges Choice category, while BCA Facebook followers who viewed posted pictures and liked their favorite window displays helped pick the Peoples Choice winner - Arlenes Bridal Salon (606 Bloomfield Avenue). Two businesses were also acknowledged with honorable mentions, including the womens clothing store Easy Pickins (566 Bloomfield Avenue) and taxi company Black and White Taxi (570 Bloomfield Avenue). Here is what the owners/managers of the various recognized businesses said about their participation in this year's competition:

• Maritza Walton, owner of The Ritz-Walton Collection - Decorating my window meant so much to me as a first time business owner with a brick and mortar storefront for several reasons. First, it solidified that I am actually a business owner with a responsibility for my store front to be presentable to the neighborhood. Secondly, to be able to assist with the beautification of the neighborhood, while contributing to the spirit of Christmas was awesome!
• Stephanie Tirado, manager of Easy Pickins - We are so happy to be part of this growing downtown. We change our window every month, but my team and I took it up a notch in December to be part of the window competition. We were grateful to have received the honorable mention as we take pride in our windows.
• Gus Staikos, owner of Bloomfield Black & White Taxi I love being a part of the Bloomfield Center community the past 21 years. We decorate the window year round for our customers in the waiting room and passers-by. The staff has received lots of compliments on the windows throughout the years. The BCA thanks both the business owners/managers who agreed to participate this year and those from the community who helped determine the winners. Close to 500 votes were submitted by dozens of people through Facebook to pick the

Peoples Choice winner, while Councilwoman Sarah Cruz, Planning Director Bonnie Flynn, and Bloomfield resident Immacula Papillon served as the competitions enthusiastic judges. For more information on this and other Bloomfield Center news and announcements, please visit the BCA website or follow it on Facebook.