This is our restaurant edition and when you can, I urge you all to patronize those restaurants that give back to the community.

Word is that the remaining three board members of San Diego LGBT Pride will be bringing about five to six new board members on and have been discussing this plan with some community leaders and past board members.

Almost 300 people showed up at last Sunday’s community town hall meeting, and 100 percent were in agreement that San Diego Pride must have an entirely new board, period. I believe this will happen, but then Pride must return to the basics: putting on our annual parade, rally and festival.

Only about three or four years ago, our hard working executive director of Pride was a woman who worked six months a year and was given a salary of only about $50,000. Her paid staff was about two people and the volunteers were, as usual, the backbone and organizers of Pride. Our Pride offices were open only half a year and everything worked out fine. Boy how things have changed with a board who has acted as if the Pride treasury was their own treasury box to spend like they wished with no community input. There are now about six paid Pride staffers with the executive director making $102,000 a year, plus bonuses and expenses.

Pride even hired two new paid staffers during this down economy and gave staffers $2,500 in bonuses who had worked only about a year! All the while other nonprofits are cutting staffs and reducing salaries. The Pride board bought a new office building costing one million with no community input. And the truth is we can’t sell the building now, so let’s move on.

I want to make it clear that I do not want to serve on a new Pride board. But as co-founder of the first 1974 Pride march, I will be giving my opinions and advice. The new board needs to do a formal and independent audit of the books and businesses processes and give full public disclosure on all expenses, bonus salaries of the board and staff.

I believe that two staff positions can be reduced (special events coordinator and development) but I also believe that Ken. St. Pierre and Jeff Redondo should be re-hired. They are both outstanding workers, but all these decisions are totally up to the new board.

While I support the continuing of the rainbow flag raising and Equality Torch Relay, which is not expensive at all, I strongly feel there is no need for a Walk for Equality, like AIDS Walk. Let’s return to the basics of putting on a community parade, rally and festival. Let’s lower ticket prices and booth fees, especially during this down economy, and let’s book some solid entertainment. Let’s stop running San Diego Pride like a big time business corporation/expo and spending community money like drunken sailors. And yes, let’s give back free admission to our active military personnel.

While the volunteers, board and staff are very important components of San Diego Pride, no one group or component of Pride owns it. The entire community owns pride and now its time you take it back and return it to the basics of a wonderful and unifying weekend. Thank you.

One of our community’s most popular personality’s and community activists is Big Mike, who always is there to lend a helping hand or support any cause, benefit or event. This coming Sunday, Jan. 17, at the world famous Caliph from 5-7 p.m. will be a birthday bash in honor of Big Mike hosted by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, future State Assemblymember Toni Atkins, City Councilmembers Todd Gloria and Carl DeMaio, City Commissioner Bruce Abrams, businessowners Sherman Mendoza and Brian Bazinet. You’re all invited and in lieu of gifts, Big Mike is requesting a donation to the Ben F. Dillingham Community Grant.

The recent tragic earthquake in Haiti and recent minor ones in Mexico and Northern California should remind us all that in California all predictions are that our state is destine to have major earthquake in the future. It’s not about if, but when. Are you ready for an earthquake, prepared? We should all have the basics stashed away somewhere in our homes: flash lights, candles, water, radio, batteries, nonperishable food and first aid kits. California could easily be hit with a 6 or 7 earthquake. For more information and where you can get a good emergency kit, visit the Red Cross’ Web site at www.redcross.org.

Coming up on Saturday, Jan 23 is the 38 annual Coronation of the Imperial Court de San Diego at the Birth North Park Theatre at 7 p.m. I don’t believe there are too many organizations in town that haven’t received financial support from the Imperial Court. Now, it’s time to show your appreciation by attending this event. The new emperor and empress are elected and crowned at the annual ceremony. You can get your tickets at the box office or by calling 619-254-6372.

One of the best known and dedicated volunteer/activists from the transsexual community is Brenda Watson, who we all love. And if you love Brenda, you love her child, beautiful Onyx, one of the smallest and most wonderful pet anyone could have. Brenda and Onyx are inseparable, but now Onyx is very ill and may not be with us too much longer. For many people, pets are more than just dogs and cats, they are cherished companions. Let all of us who know and care about Brenda Watson and Onyx reach out to her during these difficult times.

For more exciting, breaking news, gossip, politics and all the gay news that’s fit to print including Editor at Large Nicole Murray-Ramirez’s People Opinions & Politics, Associate Editor Aaron Heier’s Two Cents, Stephen Whitburn’s Politics Tracker, Stampp Corbin’s The Oracle and much more daily news and happenings, visit www.GLTNewsNow.com. Mark us in your favorites and stay informed daily!.