The San Diego Men’s Chorus kicks off its fall 2007 season with two “Meet the Chorus” events on Monday, Aug. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 9. Both events will begin at 7 p.m. and will take place at All Saints’ Episcopal Church located at the corner of Sixth and Pennsylvania Avenues in Hillcrest.

“We’re welcoming new and returning singers to this family of men who love to sing, and who do it very well,” said Jerry R. Foust, artistic director. “We’re in our 23rd season of entertaining the community, and the next few months promise to be fun, educational and personally rewarding.”

Board of Directors President Don Palmer added, “This is a very exciting time for the SDMC. Over the past year, we’ve performed with hilarious comedian ANT, the San Diego Women’s Drum Circle, the San Diego Chorus of the Sweet Adelines, and Nichelle Nichols of Star Trek fame, not to mention our historic voyage aboard RSVP’s Mexican Riviera cruise last fall. Our next season promises to be just as exciting, as we collaborate with the Grammy-nominated Westwind Brass, and plan for our trip to Miami in July 2008.”

The “Meet the Chorus” reception is an opportunity for community members to get to know the chorus members, and learn about the group’s mission , expectations and culture, said Randy Arnayro, membership chair. “We’ll start with a wine and cheese reception, then Artistic Director Jerry Foust will introduce the upcoming holiday concert, ‘Sassy! Classy! Brassy!’ followed by special entertainment by the men of the chorus,” he said.

Audition appointments are available immediately after the reception for those who feel they’re a good match. Prospective members are not required to bring a prepared piece – just the ability to match pitch, learn and sing-back melodic lines, along with a positive attitude.

The SDMC was founded in 1985 and is a member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA). It is the original gay men’s choral ensemble in San Diego. For more information or to attend either of the receptions or the audition, please contact Randy Arnayro at 619-218-0772 or email him at joinus@sdmc.org.

The San Diego LGBT Community Center (The Center) has announced that the September LGBT Community Coalition Breakfast will feature U.S. Representative Susan Davis. The LGBT Community Coalition Breakfast will take place on Friday, Sept. 21 from 7:30-9 a.m. at The Center, 3909 Centre St.

Congressmember Davis will provide an “Update from Washington,” including information on Congressional efforts on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the federal hate crimes bill.

Davis represents California’s 53rd Congressional District, and has earned a reputation as a bipartisan consensus builder. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee and is chair of its Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Davis also sits on the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Administration Committee. She has spent her time in Congress focusing on issues of defense, education, election reform, the environment, health care and veteran’s affairs.

Davis has a 100 percent lifetime voting record with the Human Rights Campaign. She is a co-sponsor of legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” end workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, allow Americans to sponsor their domestic partner for immigration purposes and create federal protections for victims of hate crimes based on sexual orientation. For many years, she has participated in numerous San Diego LGBT community events, including Pride, The Center’s Gala and AIDS Walk San Diego.

She obtained her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California at Berkley and her master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina. San Diego residents since 1972, Davis and her husband, Steve, are the parents of two sons and have two grandchildren.

The Community Coalition Breakfast takes place the third Friday of each month. Its mission is to bring together fair-minded individuals to network, educate and discuss diverse issues of concern to LGBT and allied neighbors and citizens of San Diego. A full breakfast is available for a $10 donation; coffee and tea are complimentary. RSVPs are not required. ASL interpretation will be provided upon request, and must be sent to Jenn Jones at jjones@thecentersd.org at least seven working days before the event.

The LGBT Community Coalition Breakfast is sponsored by Wells Fargo, the Gay & Lesbian Times and San Diego LGBT Pride.

The San Diego Women’s Chorus (SDWC) invites women of all ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations and skill levels to come and sing with their group. Dynamic, energetic people who are not interested in singing are also being sought to support the group by volunteering their knowledge, experience, and time.

Rehearsals for the fall season start on Sunday, Aug. 19 at 4 p.m. at the University Christian Church, located at 3900 Cleveland Ave., near the Hillcrest DMV and post office. All who wish to sing with the SDWC or be a part of the group’s volunteer auxillary, the Accents, should join the group at their first rehearsal.

Membership information is available on the group’s Web site.

SDWC has an incredibly exciting 2007-2008 season planned. The highlight of the year will be SDWC’s participation in the GALA Choruses Festival to be held in Miami in July 2008. This event will bring together hundreds of GLBT-identified choruses and ensembles from around the world for a week of amazing music, friendship and fun. The GALA Festival only happens every four years, so the chorus says that this is the perfect time to join and participate in this event.

During 2007-2008, SDWC will also produce a winter/holiday concert, a late spring show, and participate in a variety of community performances throughout San Diego County.

More information is available online at www.sdwc.org, by e-mailing info@ sdwc.org or by calling the SDWC line at 619-291-FEMM.

Passes to the 2007 San Diego Film Festival (SDFF), to be held Sept. 27-30, are on sale now. Film fans are encouraged to purchase their passes now to take advantage of early price discounts valid through Aug. 31. The SDFF film line-up will be announced Sept. 1.

There are four types of passes to choose from including a VIP Pass for $250, a Festival Pass for $99, a new Day Pass for $49, and a Screening Pass for $50. Each level includes varying degrees of film, party, and special event access.

The 2007 San Diego Film Festival will take place at various venues throughout Downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. To purchase tickets, passes, or for more information, visit the festival’s Web site at www.sdff.org.

The North Park Community Association is currently accepting nominations for the annual Renaissance Awards. This award gives neighbors the opportunity to honor members of the community for working to better the neighborhood through property improvement.

The eight categories of the Renaissance Awards this year are Best Landscaping, Best Residential Improvement, Best Commercial Improvement, Best Multi-Unit Improvement, Best Historic Improvement, Best Upscale Restaurant, Best Family Restaurant, and Best Overall Community Enhancement. The deadline for nominations is September 15. Questions and nominations can be submitted to Michelle Brown at the North Park Community Association via e-mail at mbrowngraser@sbcglobal.net.

The second annual “Life is a Banquet” senior resource fair will be held at the San Diego LGBT Community Center on Saturday, Aug. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free event will provide men and women ages 50 and older with access to educational workshops and a diverse array of community resources. All participants will be provided with a continental breakfast and light lunch. Contact David VanGilder at 619-692-2077, ext. 205 or by e-mail at dvangilder@thecentersd.org for more information.

Fund-raising efforts have begun for the annual AIDS Walk San Diego, which will be held Sept. 30. This year’s walk is one week earlier than the traditional first Sunday in October. More than 90 teams have been formed, and a number of individual walkers/fund-raisers have launched efforts to collect donations for the event, which raises money for local HIV/AIDS service agencies. Pre-walk fund-raisers have been planned, including “One World Dinner and Drag Show” at Lips on Sunday, Aug. 26, at 7:30 p.m. This show will include drag performances and dinner. Tickets are available online now at www.aicdi.us. More information about AIDS Walk San Diego and walk registration is available online at www.aidswalk.org.

On Saturday, Sept. 29, hundreds of participants will walk at Lake Murray for the first annual Walk Their Walk 12-mile walk-a-thon. Walk Their Walk is an opportunity for residents to make a difference in the global community by participating in a call to action for social justice. Walk their Walk volunteer organizers partnered with World Vision to start a grassroots nonprofit walk-a-thon to raise money for children living in Zambia, Africa. The children in Zambia are estimated to be orphaned at the rate of one every 14 seconds as a result of HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty. The walk-a-thon represents the 12-mile walk that children in Zambia endure daily for things we often take for granted. The event’s goal is to raise needed funds to make schools and fresh water accessible for all children living in Zambia.

Walk Their Walk walk-a-thon will begin at 7:45 a.m. Participant check-in will begin at 7 and organized stretching activities will begin at 7:15. Participants will enjoy live entertainment and festivities before and after the walk. Registration is free. For more information about Walk Their Walk walk-a-thon, visit www.walktheirwalk.com or contact Kathryn Leeke at 619-300-9924.