The Hillcrest Wind Ensemble will present a St. Patrick’s Day concert at The Center on Saturday, March 17, at 7 p.m.

Under the baton of director John Winkelman, the Hillcrest Wind Ensemble will perform various Irish-themed works.

The Hillcrest Wind Ensemble is part of the San Diego’s Finest City Freedom Band, one of the longest-running GLBT bands in the nation. Both the Hillcrest Wind Ensemble and San Diego’s Finest City Freedom Band are official programs of The Center. Tickets for the St. Patrick’s Day concert are $10.

The Center is located at 3909 Centre St. For more information, call 619-692-2077 or visit www.thecentersd.org.

San Diego Pride announced that Cox Communications will be among its top sponsors for this year’s Pride celebration, scheduled for July 20-22.

The company received a top score on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) 2006 Corporate Equality Index and was recently named by Diversity, Inc. as one of the nation’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity.”

“We are fortunate to have Cox Communications recognize the importance of this event to the community, and we applaud them for understanding the value of inclusion and equal treatment of all people,” said Ron deHarte, executive director of Pride.

As a full-service provider of communications and entertainment services, Cox Communications is lauded for its diverse programming geared for people of all ages, interests and lifestyles, including here!, a gay television network available through On Demand.

In the HRC’s annual report card, Cox Communications scored 95 on a scale of 0 to 100, based on its anti-discriminatory employment practices, domestic-partner benefits, diversity training, transgender wellness programs and advertising practices. HRC urges consumers to make every effort to support companies with scores of 80-100.

For more information about San Diego Pride’s diversity outreach and corporate partnership opportunities, call 619-297-7683 or visit www.sdpride.org.

Daniel Tovar will be the new head coach and lead the team in the Women’s Professional Football League for 2007, announced Ann Bagala, So Cal Scorpions team owner.

In addition, Mark Ring, formerly the team’s sole multi-season offensive-line coach, will now be the Scorpions’ offensive coordinator. Ring was partially responsible for last season’s highest scoring offensive in franchise history.

New to the team’s offense will be Coach Simms Wooten. Wooten arrives with several years of semi-pro experience, including being named the San Diego Saints Offensive Player of the Year in 2001.

Returning to defense is David Mickens, the defensive-backs coach who coached Kalilah Lawson from a rookie into an All Pro selection in 2006. Also returning is Elfrieda Peggins, the linebacker coach who took a majority rookie linebacker crew and turned it into one of the league’s most successful linebacker units last season.

The team’s biggest announcement is the return of the organization’s most successful defensive coordinator to date, coach Nathan Benjamin. Benjamin’s defense allowed the fewest points scored in the regular season in 2005, beating league champions that year, the Dallas Diamonds.

The Scorpions have 23 returning veteran players this season including all of their 2006 WPFL All Pro players.

The team will be holding open tryouts on March 17 and 24 for any women interested in playing for the 2007 roster. Women interested in joining the team who are at least 18 years old can register on the team’s Web site. For more information, call 877-71-STING or visit www.socalscorpions.com.

The Center will host the fifth annual Women’s Lecture Series beginning Thursday, March 22, from7-8:30 p.m. at The Center.

“The Center’s Women’s Resource Center is honored to again host the Women’s Lecture Series,” said Lea Burgess-Carland, coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center. “Each year, this series brings in some of the nation’s most thoughtful researchers, teachers and scholars to discuss issues of importance to our diverse women’s community.”

The upcoming lecture topic, “Divine Gender: Understanding the Christian Right’s Opposition to Same-sex Marriage,” will be presented by Devon Smith.

For more information about the Women’s Lecture Series, contact Lea Burgess-Carland at 619-692-2077, ext. 111 or e-mail lburgess-carland@thecentersd.org.

The Journal of San Diego History is seeking contributions for a special issue on the history of GLBT San Diego. Articles might address the role of the military in the history of GLBT San Diego; the development of Hillcrest and other relevant neighborhoods; the response to the AIDS crisis; resistance to the Briggs Initiative; the history of San Diego Pride, The Center, San Diego Democratic Club, San Diego’s Metropolitan Community Church, Imperial Court de San Diego and the GLBT press; the role of bars, the border or tourism in shaping GLBT life in the city; and the ways race, ethnicity, class, nation or religion influence GLBT identities. The editors are also interested in any aspect of the history of sexuality in San Diego.

These topics are only suggestions, and submissions on other topics are also welcome.

Submissions do not have to be traditional research articles. The publication is also interested in photo essays, documents with short interpretive essays and interviews. All submissions will undergo a process of peer review.

The deadline for submissions is Jan. 1, 2008.

For more information, e-mail Colin Fisher at colinf@sandiego.edu.

The Oregon Bus Project is an innovative, youth-led, non-profit organization that is reshaping the political landscape for the next generation and redefining how people engage in politics.

Jefferson Smith, an up-and-coming political leader, will be speaking about the organization and his political future from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, March 18. Anyone interested in learning more about the project and how they can help make a difference in the political arena is invited to attend.

The event will take place at the home of Bruce M. Abrams, located at 3130 Second Ave. Brunch will be served and a donation of $30 per person or $50 per couple is requested.

For more information, visit www.busproject.org.

The Arc of San Diego will host its annual fund-raiser, Night at the Old Globe and the Prado, in Balboa Park on Friday, March 23.

As one of the largest fund-raising events of the year for The Arc of San Diego, patrons will be able to enjoy a reception at The Prado and a performance of Restoration Comedy.

Restoration Comedy is a romantic comedy that examines the push and pull of attraction and fidelity. Pulitzer Prize-finalist Amy Freed, author of the hit off-Broadway play The Beard of Avon, has written a big and bawdy romantic comedy that mines the wit, style and sexual intrigues of the late 17th century.

The Arc of San Diego is one of San Diego’s largest human-service agencies. Founded in 1951 by a determined group of people who felt they had to “do something” for children with mental retardation, Arc now serves more than 2,500 children and adults with disabilities throughout San Diego County.

Proceeds from this event will enhance vital services and quality programs for children and adults with disabilities and enable Arc to continue promoting social, economic and personal independence for those they serve.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a reception at The Prado in Balboa Park, followed by the performance at 8 p.m. at the Old Globe Theatre. Marc Bailey, Fox 6 morning news anchor, will be the master of ceremonies. Tickets are $150 per person.

For more information about the event and reservations, contact Jennifer Navarra or Rhonda Handy at 858-715-3780.

For more information about The Arc of San Diego, visit www.arc-sd.com.

The Ride4AIDS, a one-day HIV/AIDS benefit bike ride along San Diego’s scenic waterfront, will take place on Sunday, April 1.

Proceeds from the ride will go to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine’s AIDS Research Institute (ARI) and to Being Alive San Diego, a non-profit support and service organization for people living with HIV/AIDS.

The ride will be 10 to 50 miles in length and stretch along the San Diego coast, from Spanish Landing to Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma all the way to Torrey Pines near UCSD.

The 10-mile flat route will begin at 9 a.m. The 25-mile route will begin at 8 a.m. and will include the 10-mile route with the addition of a few hills. The 50-mile route will begin at 7 a.m. and will include mixed terrain.

Entry fees for the bike ride are $25 for 10 miles, $30 for 25 miles and $35 for 50 miles.

Participants will receive a ride T-shirt, ride support with aid stations, post-race refreshments including a beer garden courtesy of Sierra Nevada Beer and live entertainment at the finish. Prizes will be awarded to the riders who raise the most money for the event.

For more information, call 619-291-1400 or visit www.ride4aids.net.