SOHO PRESENTS HISTORIC HOME TOUR WEEKEND APRIL 13-14

Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) will host their annual Historic Home Tour Weekend April 13 and 14, where participants can get an inside look at five historic Mission Hills homes that feature architectural styles dating from 1914 to 1949. In addition to the early 20th-century Mission Hills home tour on April 14, the nonprofit has organized bicycle and walking tours, as well as an arts and crafts embroidery workshop on April 13. The bicycle tours start at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., and the walking tours are at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. All tours are 90 minutes and leave from Powers Plumbing, located at 1705 Lewis St. Organizers said there will be no trolley service this year as the homes are all in one area. “Highlighted are many early architects … including Joel L. Brown, William Templeton Johnson, Frank Mead and Richard Requa, and Alexander Schreiber,” they said. Tickets for each tour cost $15. The workshop, also April 13, will be led by Natalie Richards and held at the Marston House, 3525 Seventh Ave. Cost is $95 for SOHO members and $105 for guests. For the five-mansion home tour April 14, the self-guided event will show off home interiors and includes sites by Morris Irvin, Requa and John Lloyd Wright. “Mission Hills is one of our great San Diego neighborhoods where a prolific number of works by locally and nationally significant architects can all be found in one geographic area,” organizers said. The tours run 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. A program with maps and background information will be included with each ticket purchase, which range from $30 – $50, depending on date of purchase. There are several locations for ticket purchase and pickup. For full ticket information visit sohosandiego.org or call 619-297-9327.

DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE, MEDIA CENTER

Designed to “unleash toe world of San Diego’s urban centre via the world wide web,” according to a press release, Downtown San Diego Partnership just launched a new website for Downtown, located at downtownsandiego.org. Special features include photos of Downtown neighborhoods along with maps, information on how to establish, build and do business Downtown, an event calendar with Downtown events, parking options, and a “Find a Happy Hour” function. The programs managed by the Downtown Partnership are also covered, including the Clean & Safe program, homeless issues and milestones, Business Improvement District news and more. “We are proud to deliver an interactive, one-stop hub that encompasses all that Downtown San Diego has to offer,” said Kris Michell, President/CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership in the press release. “It’s designed to be user-friendly for everyone from our baby-boomer generation to our born-mobile generations—and everyone in between.”  Emic Media, Inc. and Jacob Tyler Brand Consultants designed the new website with consumer and business needs both in mind. “Building a website today is not like it was ten years ago or even two years ago,” said Lisé Markham, President/Founder of Emic Media, Inc. “Creating content that gets to the point in our mobile device world and in an entertaining way, along with highly stylized visual elements, is challenging. The Downtown San Diego Partnership team knew their vision and that made the process exciting.”  A new interactive parking app will be released later in the year. For more information about Downtown San Diego, contact Staci Ingnell at 619-234-0201 or visit the website.

Announced Monday, March 25, The Old Globe Theatre will make available a special hour-long production of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” to San Diego County middle and high schools. One aspect of the theater’s education programs designed to “enrich the lives of San Diego students,” organizers said in the announcement that the production is part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Shakespeare for a New Generation initiative. The Old Globe is one of 42 professional theater companies selected for the national program, which is in its 10th year. “Twelfth Night” will tour from April 22 through May 17. Cost for the schools is $500 for one performance and $400 for a second performance at the same school on the same day. Organizers are asking those interested in booking a visit to their school to contact them at [email protected].

RELATIONSHIP WORKSHOPS FOR GAY, TRANS AND BISEXUAL MEN

Psychotherapist and writer Michael Kimmel is partnering with the California Men’s Gathering to offer a two-part workshop titled, “Monogamy or Open Relationship?” that addresses monogamous relationships within the gay, bisexual and transgender men community. “Here in California, same-sex couples had the ability to get married and hope to have it again. But let’s not assume that everyone in the LGBT world wants to get married,” Kimmel said in a release. For some people, the marriage question is secondary to this question: … Do we believe we can be happy with only one person for the rest of our lives?” The workshops occur April 10 and 12 at The LGBT Center, 3909 Centre St. Cost is $15 at the door for each night, or $25 for both. Participants can attend either or both workshops. For more information contact Kimmel at [email protected] or 619-955-3311.

 GOLDEN HILL FARMERS MARKET TO HOST ‘GO LOCAL’ EVENT

Organized by Brian’s Farmers’ Markets, the Golden Hill Certified Farmers Market will host a Go Local Day at the Market on Saturday, April 6 from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Organizers are inviting the community for the free events that will include cooking demos, hot food vendors and local, fresh produce. Families are especially encouraged to attend, as they will also be providing face painting, balloon artists, inflatable bouncy toys and free prize drawings. To help with the go local theme, KPBS will be at the market with a “pop-up” garden and to discuss their upcoming nature and gardening TV series “A Growing Passion.” The local show has been in production since January at locations throughout the region. It is scheduled to be a weekly show focusing on gardening, horticulture and agriculture, and is hosted by Nan Sterman. It is set to air in May. “There are so many ways that San Diego grows and so many wonderful stories to tell,” Sterman said in a press release. “I’m sure viewers will be amazed and inspired to discover what is going on right under noses. Our goal is to tell these stories in ways that help viewers to gain the skills they need to go out and ‘grow’ themselves.” Located on B Street between 27th and 28th streets, the Golden Hill Market is open each Saturday.

REP. SUSAN DAVID SUPPORTS MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE 

Along with 131 of her colleagues in the United States House of Representatives, Congressmember Susan Davis introduced legislation to give minimum-wage workers an increase in pay. The Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010) would increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over three years, increase the wage for workers who rely on tips for income and tie future annual increases to the inflation rate. “Earning minimum wage salary should not mean living in poverty or struggling to pay the bills,” Davis said in a press release. “A minimum wage increase would enhance the economic security of our families by putting more money in the pockets of those who need it most. Let’s honor and respect our hard work minimum-wage earners by giving them a much-deserved raised.” Also in the release, representatives from Davis’ office said the federal minimum wage has not kept up with cost of living increases over the last four years, leading some individuals to rely on government aid. Since the minimum wage was established in 1938 at 25 cents an hour, it has been increased 22 times, with the last increase occurring in 2009. Currently the federal minimum is $7.25 per hour for non-tipped employees. In California, the current minimum wage is $8.00 per hour.

PLAN APPROVED FOR TOURISM MARKETING DISTRICT

The San Diego City Council approved a resolution to move forward with an operating agreement with the Tourism Marketing District (TMD). The Council directed the City attorney, mayor, and Council president to work together with the TMD to prepare the necessary agreement to effectuate a first amendment to the operating agreement between the City and the TMD. The amendment will settle the language that was disputed by the Mayor and the TMD and will be considered by the City Council mid-April. “San Diego is well served by today’s action,” Council President Todd Gloria said in a press release. “I am proud that City leaders and the tourism industry were able to come together for the good of our region.” The Council’s action directed the mayor to sign an operating agreement with the TMD, which has been unable to perform its duties attracting visitors in the highly competitive tourism industry. Gloria stressed the importance of the TMD and the need to move forward. “More promotion of San Diego equals more services for San Diegans,” Gloria said. “This Council has worked hard to compromise with Mayor Filner and the TMD to come up with a solution that will protect our general fund and provide certainty to the tourism industry. We will continue to collaborate on amendments if necessary.” The City’s general fund is generated mainly through transient occupancy tax generated when visitors come to San Diego. The fund pays for services such as fire-rescue, police and libraries. Around 160,000 jobs in the region depend on tourism.

STRONG COMMUNTIY SUPPORT OF NEW LIBRARY DEMONSTRATED

More than 2,000 bricks have been sold at the halfway point of the San Diego Library Foundation’s “Buy-A-Brick” campaign. “We stand behind the philosophy that just as bricks are the foundation of buildings, libraries are the foundation of knowledge,” said Mel Katz, chairman of the San Diego Public Library Foundation in a press release. “The strong community support of our brick campaign and other facility naming opportunities has been wonderful,” he said. “The new Central Library is the hub of our 35-branch system, and San Diegans from all communities have demonstrated their personal commitment to our library system. As people have seen the library taking shape, we have received increased interest from prospective donors.” More than $500,000 has been generated so far through the campaign. Bricks range in price from $150 to $1,000 and are engraved with personal messages from community members and will be displayed at the new San Diego Public Library. Additional naming opportunities are available for study rooms, computer workstations, auditorium chairs and Garden Courtyard tables and chairs ranging in price from $2,500 to $25,000. For more information visit supportmylibrary.org.

PHIL’S BBQ TO SERVE FAN FAVORITES AT PETCO PARK

Phil’s BBQ will open a new location on opening day inside the stadium in the Park at the Park, next to the Showley Bros. Candy Factory building. Padres fans will have access to three favorites ­­– the Broham (pulled pork) sandwich, El Toro (tri-tip) sandwich and baby back ribs, all with a side of Phil’s coleslaw. “We’ve loved working with the Padres on a variety of events over the past few years, so becoming the official BBQ of the San Diego Padres is a great honor for our restaurant,” Phil’s BBQ owner Phil Pace said in a press release. “We’re looking forward to the chance to build a long-standing partnership with the Padres organization and their fans.” Phil’s BBQ will also be hosting the Fifth Annual Phil’s BBQ at the Ballpark on June 24. The large-scale tailgate party is their biggest charity event and will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters’ military mentoring program, Operation Bigs, where 100 percent of ticket sales go directly into the program. For more information on Phil’s BBQ and Operation Bigs visit philsbbq.net or sdbigs.org/philsbigbbq.

SELF-HELP LEGAL CLINIC FOR VETERANS OPENS DOWNTOWN

The Thomas Jefferson School of Law, located at 495 11th Ave., Downtown, has opened a “self-help” legal clinic to support military veterans with their legal needs. Assistance will be offered from 6 – 8 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month and provided by local volunteer lawyers working alongside TJSL students. The clinic will be open on the third Wednesday of every month from 6 – 8 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 619-961-4369. Each appointment will include a half-hour consultation. Things such as document assistance and review, computer access and additional resources to assist with moving forward on a case will be offered, but no full or ongoing representation. “San Diego is home to more recently returned veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan than any other city in the country,” said Professor Steve Berenson, the clinic’s director in a press release. “Many of them are grappling with a variety of legal issues without the assistance of counsel. The new clinic is designed to provide as much help as possible to these struggling veterans to represent themselves successfully in their legal matters. The clinic will also provide an additional opportunity to students at TJSL to get hands on legal practice experience, work with established volunteer lawyers, and serve the San Diego community.”