The Hillcrest Town Council will hold its monthly meeting at the Joyce Beers Community Center Tuesday, March 13, at 6:30 p.m.

The town council’s mission statement is “to provide a voice and enhance the quality of life for Hillcrest renters and homeowners and to support actions that benefit our neighborhood.” All residents, homeowners and renters, are encouraged to attend the monthly meeting of the newly formed neighborhood group to voice their concerns.

At last month’s meeting, the group identified four major issues it will initially tackle: the Hillcrest Centennial events, crime, development and litter/graffiti.

At the upcoming meeting, the group will continue to share concerns and discuss possible solutions for issues that face the Hillcrest area. The first half-hour will be dedicated to the Hillcrest Neighborhood Watch, followed by the general HTC meeting.

The Joyce Beers Community Center is located at 1220 Cleveland Ave., in the Uptown Shopping Center next to Trader Joe’s. For more information about the Hillcrest Town Council, call 619-260-1929 or visit www.hillquest.com.

As part of the Women’s Empowerment Series at The Center, Jamie Fleming, a certified financial planner and retirement advisor, will lead the Women Building Wealth Series. The multi-session series of workshops will begin at The Center on Thursday, March 15, at 6:30 p.m. and will continue for the next four Thursdays.

Participants will learn about the psychology of money, preparing a plan of action and pitfalls to avoid on the road to building wealth.

The multi-session format will give participants the opportunity to implement what they learn in the workshop, then return for feedback from the workshop leader. Every woman, regardless of her current circumstances, is encouraged to attend this empowering event.

This workshop is regularly $500, but a special arranged price for the Women’s Resource Center will be a donation of $15-$75, based on a self-reported sliding scale. This donation includes all four sessions. All proceeds from the workshops will benefit programs at The Center. Refreshments and workshop materials are included. Prior registration is suggested as space is limited.

For more information or to register, contact Lea Burgess-Carland at 619-692-2077, ext. 111 or e-mail lea@thecentersd.org.

The Media Arts Center San Diego will host the 2007 San Diego Latino Film Festival (SDLFF) through March 18 at the UltraStar Cinemas at the Hazard Center in Mission Valley.

The internationally recognized film festival is the longest-running Latino festival in Southern California, with more than 185 films from Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Spain and the United States. More than 25,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival.

Attending filmmakers and fans will have the opportunity to view more than 185 films, including Cansada de Besar Sapos (Mexico), Family Law (Argentina), Wood & Stock (Brazil) and Tortilla Heaven (U.S.). In addition, as part of SDLFF’s Guest Director series, Chilean legend Miguel Littin, who directed La Ultima Luna and El Chacal de Nahuel Toro, will curate a series of movie classics that influenced his career.

This year’s SDLFF program includes more opportunities for the public to share the spotlight. More than 100 guest filmmakers and actors will be on site, and Concerts @ the Fest will round out each evening.

“This is a great opportunity for local audiences to see films presented at other major festivals like Cannes, Sundance, San Sebastian and Toronto, as well as many of Latin America’s Oscar contenders,” said Ethan van Thillo, the festival founder and director. “We are also very proud to announce our unique growth into a truly bi-national Latino film festival with our Borders on Film program offering in Tijuana from March 16 to 18 at CineMark Minarete in Zona Rio.”

On Sunday, March 11, Cine Gay and FilmOut San Diego will co-present La Buena Voz at 7:30 p.m. It will be followed by a Cine Gay celebration with special guest Biel Duran at The Brass Rail in Hillcrest at 9:30 p.m.

Tickets prices range from $7 to $9 for film screenings and $5 to $30 for concerts and galas. The UltraStar Cinemas is located at 7510 Hazard Center Drive.

For more information and the film festival schedule, call 619-230-1938 or visit www.sdlatinofilm.com.

The third annual Los Angeles Open tennis tournament is now accepting applications for the April 6-8 event to be held at the Burbank Tennis Center.

Los Angeles Open III kicks off with an opening Draw Party on Thursday, April 5. A tournament banquet will be held on Saturday, April 7. Match play will conclude on Sunday, April 8. The public is invited to attend all matches free of charge.

Los Angeles Open III is open to both men and women players of all playing levels. A mixed-doubles division is also slated to be played.

The tournament is sponsored by the Los Angeles Tennis Association (LATA), the largest gay and lesbian tennis club in the United States. Tournament participants need not be a member of LATA or any other tennis organization to qualify for play.

Tennis players may register for the tournament on the LATA Web site. Registration closes Friday, March 9. Last year, 252 players from across the United States, Canada and Europe played in the Open II tournament.

For additional information, including tournament brochures and application form, please visit www.lataweb.com.

Stephen Whitburn, elected president of the San Diego Democratic Club (SDDC) for three consecutive terms, completed his final year at the club’s February general membership meeting. Whitburn’s tenure was marked by rapid growth and community involvement for the SDDC, which advocates in particular for GLBT equality.

The SDDC is the largest Democratic club in San Diego County and was one of the first political entities to advocate equal rights. The SDDC has also lent its support to numerous underrepresented and progressive organizations and causes.

During Whitburn’s stewardship, the SDDC achieved a 30 percent increase in revenues and finished each of his three terms in sound financial condition.

The financial growth enabled the SDDC to open it’s first-ever campaign office last year. Prior to the November election, office volunteers mailed more than 22,000 SDDC Voter Guides, the most in the club’s 31-year history. With phone banks and as a coordinating center for precinct walking, the office was a hub for contacting thousands of registered voters throughout the county of San Diego.

During Whitburn’s tenure, he led the SDDC through an unprecedented number of local elections. In addition to the four regular primary and general elections in 2004 and 2006, there were six special elections for vacated City Council, mayoral and congressional seats.

“The club is fortunate to have had Stephen at the helm during these busy election years,” said Bill Collins, SDDC board member. “He is fair and open, and he ensured that everyone had a say in the club’s decisions.”

Through Whitburn’s leadership, the SDDC increased its presence at community events, which directly resulted in the registration of a record 2,000 voters. The organization also added a billboard advertising campaign to promote its priority candidates.

The SDDC also worked to increase involvement by young people and people of color during Whitburn’s terms as president. The club created a youth caucus, which gave rise to a local chapter of Stonewall Young Democrats. The club also created a diversity caucus. In January, SDDC was recognized for its support of Ebony Pride San Diego, an organization providing visibility to the black GLBT community.

“It really has been a privilege to serve as president of the San Diego Democratic Club,” Whitburn said. “The club has a terrific board, an intelligent and engaged membership, and strong support from the LGBT community. It is easy to succeed when you have the strength of our community at your side.”

The San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross will team up to host the 16th annual “CPR Saturday” at the San Diego Concourse on Saturday, March 10, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event is open to anyone who is interested in learning life-saving techniques, and all participants successfully completing the course will receive certification at no cost.

Classes are available in both English and Spanish, and will begin every hour starting at 7 a.m. The courses will last for three hours, and participants should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the session. Comfortable clothing should be worn.

The Concourse is located at 202 C St.

For more information, call 858-309-1275 or visit www.sdarc.org.

Mama’s Kitchen, the local non-profit organization which prepares and delivers meals for people with HIV/AIDS, is pleased to announce that Melinda Balkom has joined the staff as the new director of development and communications. She will be responsible for overseeing all fund raising efforts as well as public relations and marketing.

Balkom has worked in the non-profit field in San Diego for more than two decades. She brings an impressive and diverse background of experience to this position. She received her certification in fund raising from the University of California, Irvine in 1995. Balkom has a long history of fund-raising experience with past positions that include development associate at the Zoological Society of San Diego, grant writer at San Diego Hospice, development director at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and capital campaign director at the San Diego Children’s Museum.