In love in Mission Hills
By Dixie Hall, Mission Hills BID President and DixiePops Owner
By the time you read this, it is likely you have already returned to your favorite restaurant to sit down and legally eat outside, or had your hair or nails done in a real salon or been able to attend outdoor church services again. After seven weeks of closures, restaurants, museums, theaters and other businesses can resume outdoor operations under state guidance. Hair salons, barbershops, nail salons and tattoo parlors can open indoors. Hotels and other lodging can open to tourists visiting San Diego. Whew!
Like many of you, I live, work, and relax in our unique Mission Hills neighborhood. Did you know there are nearly 500 businesses located throughout Mission Hills Business Improvement District?
Residents of Mission Hills can find almost everything they need without leaving the neighborhood. This has been especially convenient during the COVID pandemic when everyone has been focused on staying close to home. In addition, Mission Hills is fortunate to have storefronts that offer great options for special occasion shopping when you want something different than what you can find at the mall.
Speaking of special occasion shopping, a February column always includes Valentine’s Day and a reminder to tell the ones you love how much they mean to you with a little something from the neighborhood.
Flowers, chocolates or maybe a gift certificate from one of our many businesses are perfect ways to complete the Valentine celebration and at the same time support Mission Hills’ small businesses. You can also never go wrong with a celebratory lunch or dinner. Nearly all of our Mission Hills restaurants will be offering Valentine’s Day meal specials. Keep in mind that with the recent re-opening for outdoor dining, advance outdoor reservations ought to be made as soon as possible and place your take-out dinner order well in advance too. And remember to also show love to your animals with a Valentine’s treat.
So, while Valentine’s Day is a favorite February holiday, don’t forget the other days of celebration – which, while they might not involve a gift, can be celebrated with a meal out. For example, thanks to the combined birthdays of Washington and Lincoln, we have President’s Day on February 12.
Have you ever wondered about lesser known holidays, such as National Freedom Day on February 1? This day honors the signing of a resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Abraham Lincoln signed the document that outlawed slavery on February 1, 1865. Although this resolution was ratified by the states later, it was the very first step to make all people, regardless of their origin and color of skin, free.
How about National Bubble Gum Day on February 5, started in 2006 by children’s book author Ruth Spiro? Bubble Gum Day has become a sweet success for kids of all ages and has also been used as a fundraising tool.
One of my all-time favorite holidays is National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day on February 6. This holiday was started by Florence Rappaport in Rochester, New York on a cold winter morning in the 1960s as a way to entertain her six children. It is now celebrated internationally and I think Mission Hills is a perfect location to do so, rain or shine!
I would like to report on the BID board’s January Strategic Planning Workshop. This workshop is an annual retreat where the board of directors huddle and discuss plans for the coming year. Outcomes are then action items at our board of directors’ meeting.
The BID is focused on rapid response and long-term solutions to help address the needs of concerned business owners with the growing presence of homeless individuals and escalating illegal behavior of these individuals which impedes the flow of customers into business establishments. The BID is planning a multi-community forum on homelessness impacting businesses. Plans are underway following discussions with the County, City and non-profit service providers. Look for announcements on social media.
The BID is also planning bi-monthly series of speakers on topics of interest to small business owners. The series will be lively and informative sessions and worth business owner’s valuable time to attend. They will also be a great way to meet and network with the other small business owners in Mission Hills.
And, the BID is actively looking for wall space for murals. The projects will range from temporary to permanent installations, and from local to nationally recognized artists. If you have a wall in mind, please let the BID know at MissionHillsBID@gmail.com.
To the BID board of directors, Daniel Geddis, Team D&B at One Mission Realty; Sarah Church Mattia, Pizza e Birra; Rocky Rockhill, Coldwell Banker West; Audrey Patterson, Patterson Engineering, Inc.; and Jesse Zmuda, Backbone Floral and Vintage, my personal thank you for your continuing commitment of time and talent. I promise you, 2021 is going to be a much better year than 2020.
If you love the Mission Hills business neighborhood and have ideas and time to help promote it, the Mission Hills BID needs you. Don’t be shy – you might also meet some new friends – I know I have. For the most up-to-date information and news on what’s happening in Mission Hills, visit our website at MissionHillsBID.com.
Category: Business, Local News, Nonprofit
