SAN DIEGO (AP) – Napoleon A. Jones Jr., San Diego’s second black federal judge who ruled that the Boy Scouts were a religious group and couldn’t lease city land, has died. He was 69.

Jones’ wife says he died Saturday at his home in northern San Diego County after a long battle with prostate cancer.

In 2003, Jones found that San Diego acted improperly in leasing land to the Boy Scouts, an organization that bars gay leaders and requires members to swear an oath to God. Jones found that the leases violated the separation of church and state.

The ruling is under appeal.

Jones was appointed to the federal court in 1994 and was the city’s second black federal judge. The first, Earl Gilliam, died in 2001.

Jones is survived by his wife, a daughter and two grandsons

The San Diego Rescue Mission (SDRM) will serve a Christmas meal to more than 1,300 homeless men, women and children on Saturday, Dec. 20 from 2-5 p.m. More than 100 volunteers will help distribute hot meals and personal necessities to those in need.

SDRM has been feeding homeless through the annual event since 1955. This year’s Christmas banquet will offer live entertainment, caroling, toiletry gift bags and toys for children. Volunteers expect to serve over 1,300 dinners, which is equivalent to more than 900 pounds of ham, 250 pounds of green beans and 200 pounds of candied yams.

The SDRM is one of the largest comprehensive rehabilitation centers for the homeless in California. Focusing on long-term treatment, the mission houses hundreds of men, women and children and provides shelter, food, counseling, treatment and work therapy. The San Diego Rescue Mission is located at 120 Elm St. in Bankers Hill. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.sdrescue.org. To sponsor a hot Christmas meal for 20 people for just $34.80, visit www.sdrescue.org or call 619-687-3720.

In honor of AIDS Awareness Month, local tattoo artist Marc Bennett is donating 25 percent of proceeds from purchasing a red ribbon tattoo at Propaganda Tattoo on Saturday, Dec. 19. The special tattoo costs $80 and Bennett will donate $20 to Mama’s Kitchen for each purchase.

Mama’s Kitchen delivers three nutritional meals a day, seven days a week at no charge to men, women and children living with AIDS or cancer. Additionally, Mama’s Kitchen provides pantry services (Mama’s Pantry) to people affected by AIDS. Through these services, Mama’s Kitchen are able to provide food, compassion and hope to over 1,500 people annually living throughout San Diego County.

For more information about Propaganda Tattoo and Bennett’s special tattoo donation offer, visit www.propagandatattoo.com or call 858-337-7264.

Being caught Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is a rough Christmas gift. This holiday season Yellow Cab urges the citizens of San Diego to drink responsibly. They are reminding everyone that no matter what your holiday festivities don’t get behind the wheel if you have been drinking.

Your life will change forever if you are caught driving while under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, if someone else is injured or pays the ultimate price for negligence and is killed, the consequences are devastating for not only the person convicted, but the loved ones of everyone involved.

Instead San Diego residents are urged to call for a ride or walk home. By doing so, you will ensure that 2010 will be a wonderful year and the folks at Yellow Cab want to share it with you – but not in jail!

If you have been drinking this holiday season and are in need of a ride, Yellow Cab can be reached at 619/858/760-444-4444.

College Area resident Christianna Connell was among 130 attendees from the nation’s business community invited to offer solutions for job growth at a Dec. 3 White House job summit that was headed by President Barak Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

Connell, who heads up future-ink a small web design and Internet marketing firm based in Mission Hills, was selected to attend the summit through a lead she received from the Greater San Diego Business Association (GSDBA) of which she is a member. The GSDBA ranks as the second largest gay and lesbian supportive chamber in the country.

Through GSDBA, Connell was informed that the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in Washington was looking for businesses that had experienced economic growth in the past six months. Having enjoyed a 27 percent increase in revenues this year, Connell’s application to attend the summit was accepted.

The five-hour event, held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House compound, included mayors, CEOs and entrepreneurs from throughout the country. Connell was the only attendee from San Diego.

Both President Obama and Vice President Biden spoke at the summit. Obama also took comments and questions from the attendees, who were split into “breakout” groups to offer their opinions on ways to stimulate the job market. Connell’s subgroup was headed by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke along with Christina Romer, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, which provides the President with timely economic analyses.

In addition to expressing her dismay over rising health care premiums, Connell offered her support of the jobs tax credit “because it doesn’t just address businesses that are foundering, but it will help businesses that are doing well to hire more people,” Connell said.

Connell said that the leaders at the summit displayed genuine eagerness “to get good input from people running businesses.” It also gave her, “a lot of hope that the policies that come out of the summit will be helpful to all small businesses and job growth.”