As always, life at The Center continues at a mad pace as we continually try to provide more and more activities for all community members. Check out a few of the samples below to see if anything catches your eye or view a much more complete listing at our amazing new website (visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link).

The Front & Center Club is a new social and cultural program at The Center. Front & Center produces and sponsors special events, particularly for folks too busy to arrange them for themselves! The club is free of charge and managed exclusively by email. The scope of events attended by the club will grow as our membership grows. To receive the e-announcements contact evaltierra@thecentersd.org or go to The Center’s website.

Below are a couple of the upcoming events:

A Day at the Races, Monday, Aug. 23

Join us at the Del Mar Racetrack. We reserved a Celebrity Suite for the Front and Center Club to enjoy a Day at the Races in style. Enjoy superb trackside viewing, access to the patio overlooking the saddling paddock, a delicious buffet, air conditioning and a great ambience! Leave work early and join us at 1:00 p.m.! Tickets $50. For tickets please call Zac Mikles at (619) 692-2077 ext. 246.

The Love of Three Oranges, Friday, Sept. 17

First of three delightful nights of theater for The Center’s Front and Center Club at The La Jolla Playhouse. This is a delicious comic adventure and fanciful love story rolled into one, directed by Nona Ciobanu, one of Eastern Europe ‘s hottest contemporary directors. Performance begins at 8:00 p.m. Pre-show reception begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets $39-46. For Tickets call (858) 550-1010 and mention the Front and Center Club.

More samplings for you:

The David Bohnett Cyber Center at The Center is a free computer lab available to all members of the community. The Cyber Center provides free basic classes, mentoring, Internet access and use of the Microsoft Office Suite. Low-cost advanced classes are also available.

On Wednesday, July 21, from 7:00-9:00 p.m., there will be an Excel XP class offered for $15. These classes are sponsored by the Gay & Lesbian Times. In addition, The Center is offering several free computer courses, including classes on resume basics and how to build your own webpage.

Current hours of operation are Monday through Friday 1:30-4:30 p.m.; in the evenings on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30-9:30 p.m.; Monday and Friday mornings from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 2:00-5:00 p.m. To sign up for classes, you may call The Center and speak with the front desk, or stop in during Cyber Center open hours and sign up with the lab monitor on duty. For more information, call Lindsay Sullivan, the Cyber Center coordinator, at (619) 692-2077 ext. 107.

An Evening with Lillian Faderman: On Thursday, July 15, at 7:00 p.m. at The Center, you are invited to a free special presentation and book signing by well-known and respected author and historian Lillian Faderman. Faderman’s works include Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers; To Believe in Women: What Lesbians Have Done for America – A History; and Naked in the Promised Land: A Memoir, which received the 2004 Lambda Literary Award for best LGBT Memoir/ Autobiography. This free event will help kick-off a new series of digital storytelling workshops designed to document LGBT stories.

Ballroom dancing: Have you always wanted to dance with a partner to the wonderful strains of a beautiful waltz? How about doing the fox trot, tango or rumba? Join us Saturday, July 24, at 12:00 noon for The Ballroom Dance Experience at The Center, where Rosemary Ward will be instruct us in International Latin and Standard styles. Cost is $10 per person at the door. Proceeds benefit The Center, and no partner is necessary. Come out and join us. It is easy, fun and the music is gorgeous! For more information, contact Summer Morse at smorse@thecentersd.org or (619) 692-2077 ext. 247.

Bisexual Forum now meets monthly at The Center. The forum is a discussion and support group for bisexuals and anyone interested in bisexuality. Open to everyone! Meetings take place on the second Tuesday of the month from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. at The Center.

Man2Man: a support group for gay and bisexual men facing the challenges of sex, love and life. Mondays 6:00-7:15 p.m. at Health Services building. Contact Michael Vigorito, MA, at (619) 260-6380, ext 110 for more information.

And finally, a couple of make-sure-to-save-the-dates:

AIDS Walk 2004 new date: Sunday, Sept. 26

There will be an AIDS Walk Activation kick-off party at the W Hotel Aug. 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Register for AIDS Walk now and get an invite to this great party. Visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link to register online.

Celebrating 31 years of connection, community, commitment and leadership, The Center’s Gala 2004 will be held at the Marriott Hotel and Marina, Saturday, Oct. 30. Save the date and purchase your tickets online now! Visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link. Ticket prices are $150 for regular and $300 for VIP; table prices are $1,500 and $3,000 respectively.