On Jan. 28, The Center will host a meeting for registered domestic partners to discuss tax developments affecting 2007 tax returns. The session, led by local tax attorneys Gregg St. Cyr and Larry Conway, will be held at 6 p.m. at The Center.

The discussion will include the new filing requirements California places on registered domestic partners to file as “married” couples. It will also discuss how the state’s domestic partnership law affects income, gift, estate and property taxes.

The Center is located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest.

To RSVP for the meeting, contact The Center’s public affairs and community organizing coordinator Caroline Dessert at 619-692-2077, ext. 111 or cdessert@thecentersd.org.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego (GMCSD) continues its 16th anniversary season of Singing Out with an open rehearsal on Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 8:30-9 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to hear the Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego.

GMCSD begins rehearsals for its fun-filled “Heart & Soul: Music of the 50s” spring concert – featuring special guest star Kaye Ballard. The show will be performed April 12-13 at the Garfield Theatre in La Jolla. The Gay Men’s Chorus recently wrapped up its busy holiday season with a pair of performances of “Bells & Brass.” The Chorus is also looking forward to participating in, as well as performing at, the 8th International GALA Choruses Festival in Miami in July.

For more information about the Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego, call 619-57-GMCSD, email info@gmcsd.com, or visit www.gmcsd.com.

The Center will host an information night for transgender voters on Saturday, Jan. 19, from 7-9 p.m.

Caroline Dessert will speak briefly about obstacles members of the transgender community encounter when voting, and how to overcome them. The Center is also encouraging transgender people to vote at The Center, or register to vote by mail. The reception will be held in the auditorium and will feature a transgender empowerment exhibit. Refreshments and voter registration materials will be provided.

For more information about this event, contact Dessert at 619-692-2077, ext. 111 or e-mail cdessert@thecentersd.org. Additional voting resources are available on The Center’s Web site at http://www.thecentersd.org/policy5.php.

Jenn Jones, The Center’s director of development, will leave The Center in January. Jones has accepted a job as vice-president for client services for O’Brien, McConnell & Pearson, a political fund-raising and communications consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

“We knew we would only be able to hold onto Jenn for so long,” said Dr. Delores A. Jacobs, chief executive officer of The Center. “While we will miss Jenn and all she has brought to The Center, we are also delighted for her to have this incredible, historic opportunity to return to one of her great loves: politics. We thank her for all of her hard work, tremendous dedication and commitment to our community. Our nation’s capital will be lucky to have her back.”

“This has been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made in quite some time,” Jones said. “From my first day at The Center, this community was welcoming, supportive and generous not only in my capacity as director of development, but also to me and my life partner Meghan. The San Diego LGBT Center is a very special place, and I feel privileged to have worked with such wonderfully generous community members as well as the exceptionally talented and professional Center staff.”

Alumni and friends of San Diego State University are invited to attend an informational mixer for the newly formed Aztec LGBT Alumni Chapter on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at the Bamboo Lounge. The group is being formed to serve as a professional and social networking organization for GLBT alumni of SDSU.

The founding board members of the group have submitted an application to become an official chapter of the San Diego State University Alumni Association and expect to receive recognition after Jan. 24. A staff representative from the Alumni Association will be present to explain the chapter program, encourage people to join the association and answer questions.

The mixer will be hosted from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Bamboo Lounge located at 1475 University Ave. in Hillcrest. For more information, e-mail Rob Rankin at sdsu.lgbt.alumni@gmail.com

The Hillcrest Clean T.E.A.M. and the Hillcrest Town Council will host another community cleanup on Saturday, Jan. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Founded in November 2005, the Hillcrest Clean T.E.A.M. committed to clean the streets of the neighborhood every first and third Sunday in 2006. The group successfully completed that goal, and now hosts quarterly clean-ups.

A dumpster, furnished by Allied Waste, will be located in the parking lot of Numbers at 3811 Park Blvd. for neighbors to discard large items, although refrigerators, paint, oil and electronics will not be accepted.

Those interested in volunteering should meet at The Egyptian on Park Boulevard, south of University Avenue. Brooms and supplies will be available for volunteers.

Visit www.hillquest.com for more information.

Members of San Diego’s various leather organizations are gearing up to attend the Leather Leadership Conference (LLC) XII April 11-13 in San Francisco. This year’s conference will focus on the word “arouse.”

The San Francisco leather community will welcome SM/leather/fetish leaders and future leaders from San Diego and throughout the country.

The conference includes professional quality programs, and interactive workshops and presentations that will arouse, teach and help strengthen people’s skills to serve their community. Workshops will be available for new and veteran leaders. Speakers and specific workshops will be announced soon.

Interested participants are encouraged to register by Feb. 28 for discounted registration rates. More information is available online at www.leatherleadership.org.

The January LGBT Community Coalition Breakfast will feature Lt. Carolyn Kendrick, the San Diego Police Department’s GLBT community liaison. The breakfast will take place on Friday, Jan. 18 from 7:30-9 a.m. at The Center.

Lt. Kendrick will discuss community empowerment in the areas of safety and crime prevention and reporting. She will also discuss hate incidents and hate crimes, as well as community safety concerns in the Hillcrest and North Park areas and how community members can work together to build a stronger, safer community.

A San Diego native, Kendrick began her tenure with the SDPD in 1979. Her patrol experience includes narcotics, the motorcycle tactical unit, as well as investigative experience in the gang, criminal intelligence and homicide units.

She was promoted to sergeant in 1995 and worked in internal affairs and the neighborhood-policing unit. She was promoted to lieutenant in 2001. Her assignments ranged from watch commander, vice unit, child abuse and sex crimes. She was recently selected by the chief’s office as the LGBT community liaison to replace Lt. Margy Schaufelberger, following Schaufelberger’s retirement.

The Community Coalition Breakfast takes place on the third Friday of each month. Its mission is to bring together fair-minded individuals to network, educate and discuss the diverse issues of concern to GLBT 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 Caroline Dessert at cdessert@thecentersd.org at least seven working days before the event. The Center is located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest.

The Center’s Marriage Equality and Education Project will host “Freedom to Marry Engagements” to discuss groundbreaking research and new ways to open hearts and minds about the freedom to marry. The next engagements are set for Tuesday, Jan. 15 and Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. at The Center.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the “Let California Ring” campaign and hear about current freedom to marry volunteer activities. For more information, or to RSVP for an engagement, contact Kristi Shaw at 619-692-2077, ext. 206 or at kshaw@thecentersd.org. The Center is located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest.

County poll workers needed

During every election, the Registrar of Voters needs poll workers to help staff polling places throughout San Diego County. Workers are paid from $75 to $150 depending on their assignment and an additional $15 for workers who are bilingual in Filipino, Spanish or Vietnamese.

Additionally, the county has a number of special programs available aimed at recruiting poll workers from various groups. Community-based organizations can arrange for their members to serve as poll workers, donating their stipends to their organization; businesses can supply poll workers as a corporate community service effort; and high school and college students along with county and state employees have special programs for poll workers in these groups.

For more information, or to sign up to be a poll worker, call 858-565-5800.