NEW YEAR’S EVE VIGIL FOR PEACE . . . Peace activists will vigil at the Federal Building, 15th and O Streets in Lincoln, Wednesday evening, December 31, 2008, from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402-499-6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

FIRST NIGHT LIGHTS VIGIL FOR PEACE . . . There will be a New Year’s Day candlelight vigil for peace on Thursday, January 1, 2009, 5:00 to 6:00pm, on the corner of 33rd and O Streets at Woods Park in Lincoln. Everyone is invited to begin 2009 with Hope. Vigil for Peace in Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Sudan, Congo, India, Pakistan, Somalia and throughout the world in the New Year. E-mail David Orr, david [at] fmclincoln [dot] org for more information.

CLARIFICATION OF THOUGHT ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION. . . Nonviolent conflict resolution in the Middle East will be the topic of a Community Discussion on Friday, January 2, 2009, 7:00pm, at the Omaha Catholic Worker House, 1104 North 24th Street, in Omaha. (Parking in back of the 2 houses, and on Indiana Ave.) Sr. Marian Klosterman will present her personal story about the experience of working with Iraqi refugees in Amman, Jordan for the last three months. Hot soup, coffee and tea will be provided. For more information contact Jerry Ebner: E-mail cwomaha [at] gmail [dot]com or phone 402.502.5887.

NEW YEAR’S WINTER WALKABOUT . . . Saturday, January 3, 2009, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center is offering a chance to learn about winter wildlife and explore remote parts of the prairie in two guided tours with staff. The prairie preserve is 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln–following Southwest 98th Street south out of Denton for three miles. To register for either tour, 10:00am to noon, or 1:00 to 3:00pm, or for more information, phone 402.797.2301.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! E Glecklichs Nej Johr! Goyosa Añada Benién! Nava Varsha Aasamsakal! Bon An Gnôf! Blian Nua Faoi Mhaise Duit! Kung Ho Hsin Hsi! Naway Kaal De Umbarak Shaa! Zbozhowne Nowe Leto! Es Guets Neus Johr! Asuggas Asa’di! Yvää Uutta Vootta! Ni Ti Yuun! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative.

WINTER SOLSTICE . . . Sunday, December 21, 2008, 7:04AM EST marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Celebrations of this seasonal passage are traditional in many cultures.

HANUKKAH . . . In 2008, the festival of Hanukkah begins at sundown on Sunday, December 21.  Hanukkah is an eight-day holiday celebrating Jewish national survival and religious freedom.

CHRISTMAS IN PALESTINE . . . As people celebrate Christmas, and Bethlehem is mentioned in countless Nativity plays and sermons around the world, there is tremendous suffering in that city. Surrounded by illegal Israeli settlements, Bethlehem lies captive to abusive Apartheid policies of occupation. There is no freedom of movement–there are checkpoints, curfews and constant invasions by the military. In this season of joy and goodwill to our fellow human beings, please remember the struggle for human rights, freedom and justice in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

CHRISTMAS EVE PEACE VIGIL . . . Peace activists will vigil at the Federal Building, 15th and O Streets in Lincoln, Wednesday evening from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Vigil for Peace in Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Sudan, Congo, India, Somalia and throughout the world. Contact Mark at 402-499-6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information. Click here for an update on weekly peace vigils published in the December 19, 2008 Lincoln Journal Star.

CHRISTMAS . . . Thursday, December 25, 2008.

ANNUAL PEACE VIGIL: FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS RETREAT, WITNESS AND LINE CROSSING . . . The Des Moines and Omaha Catholic Worker communities offer an opportunity to deepen the Christmas observance by examining parallels between King Herod’s first-century killing of innocent children in Bethlehem and acts currently being committed by a Global US Military presence and Offutt’s Nuclear and Space Commands. The Feast of the Holy Innocents Retreat, Witness and Line Crossing begins Friday, December 26, 2008, 7:00pm, at St. John’s Church on the Creighton University campus, 2500 California Plaza, in Omaha. The retreat will end on Sunday, December 28, with a 10:00am Mass at St. John’s, followed by a Witness and Line Crossing at Offutt Air Force Base.  For more information contact Frank Cordaro, The Phil Berrigan Catholic Worker House: phone 515.282.4781, or e-mail frank [dot] cordaro [at] gmail [dot] com.

KWANZAA . . . Kwanzaa, a celebration of family, community and culture, begins on Friday, December 26, 2008 and continues through January 1, 2009. The 2008 Theme is “Repairing and Renewing the World.”

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Boas Festas! Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan! Glædelig Jul! Hyvää Joulua! Joyeux Noël! Froehliche Weihnachten! Shub Naya Baras! Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah! Buone Feste Natalizie! Shinnen omedeto! Sung Tan Chuk Ha! Merry Keshmish! Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia! Boas Festas! Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom! God Jul! Chung Mung Giang Sinh! Cestitamo Bozic! Happy Solstice!
We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative.

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . During winter months, every Monday from noon to 1:00pm, supporters of abolition in Nebraska vigil inside the State Capitol Building by the information desk on the ground floor, Lincoln. Join them for a few minutes, or the hour. For more information, contact Fran Kaye, fkaye1949 [at] yahoo [dot] com, or Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, 402.477.7787.

NOTE:  The public information meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday, December 9, 2008 to discuss the Former Nebraska Ordnance Plant Superfund site near Mead, has been postponed because of the anticipated winter storm.  The meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, December 16, 7:00pm, at the VFW Hall, 102 S. 24th Street in Ashland, Nebraska.
PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING ON GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION . . . Nebraska Senator Don Preister will host a meeting in cooperation with the Restoration Advisory Board for Former Ordnance Plan Superfund site near Mead, Nebraska. Toxic groundwater contamination at Mead may be pulled into Omaha’s drinking water. The open meeting agenda includes a presentation on Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment including recent site-related findings, and public comments. Persons who reside within two miles of the contamination may sign up to have residential water supplies tested, free of charge, at the meeting. To carpool from Omaha, phone Mark Welsch, 402.558.0463. For more information, e-mail Melissa Konecky, melissakonecky [at] yahoo [dot] com, or phone 402.624.5580.

CENTRAL NEBRASKA PEACEWORKERS VIGIL . . . Greens and Central Nebraska Peaceworkers will vigil for peace on Wednesday, December 10, 2008, from 5:00 to 6:00pm at Webb and State Streets in Grand Island, Nebraska. Peace signs will be available, or bring your own.

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Join weekly peace vigils at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets in Lincoln, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402-499-6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

GLOBAL WRITE-A-THON . . . There will be an Amnesty International letter writing party on Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 7:00 to 9:00pm, at Jones Coffee, 11th Street between G and H, in Lincoln. Join the human rights awareness effort for a short time, or the entire two hours. For more information, e-mail Matt Gregory, phylas [at] hotmail [dot] com or phone 402.570.7840.

WACHISKA AUDUBON HOLIDAY POTLUCK . . . Joel Sartore, Nebraska’s renowned National Geographic photojournalist, will be featured speaker at the 2008 Wachiska Audubon Holiday Potluck, Thursday, December 11, 2008, starting 6:15pm at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 3825 Wildbriar Lane, Lincoln. Sartore will speak on his work photographing and documenting the global decline of endangered species. The church is located one block north of 40th & Old Cheney Road in south Lincoln. EveryOne is invited to bring a favorite dish (and table service) to this free annual event.

A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION . . . “Is health care reform within our reach?” is the topic of discussion at a community conversation on Monday, December 15, 2008, 7:00pm, at the UN-L Student Union, 14th & R Streets, in Lincoln. Questions such as Why is reform critical to our national economy and health care? and What potential solutions might be pursued? will be addressed by a panel including Dr. Richard O’Brien, Creighton University; Jennifer Carter, Nebraska Appleseed; Jon Bailey, the Center for Rural Affairs; and Dr. Thomas Tonniges, Medical Director, Boys Town Pediatrics. Free and open to the public. For more information e-mail Jennifer Piatt, jpiatt [at] neappleseed [dot] org or phone 402.438.8853, extension 114.

HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE . . . Clocktower Merchants in Lincoln are working with the People’s City Mission to prepare 2,000 holiday meals. They will match all food donations, which are being accepted until December 15, 2008. Non-perishable items needed include instant mashed potatoes, stuffing, cans of cranberry, cans of pumpkin, pie crust (boxes, packages), and canned vegetables. Drop off items at Edward Jones, Lott Chiropractic, or Fernando’s Salon in the 70th & A Street Clocktower Shopping Center.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS‘ LUNCH AND LEARN . . . Thursday, December 18, 2008, Ed Zimmer, the City of Lincoln’s Historic Preservation Planner, will speak about religious and ethnic diversity at the LWV Lunch and Learn event, 12:00 noon on the 20th floor of the US Bank Building, 13th & M Streets. “Lincoln in Black and White: Our Community’s Early Diversity,” is open to the public. Reservations are required by noon, Monday, December 15. E-mail the LWV office, lwv-ne [at] inebraska [dot] com, or phone 402.475.1411. Include your name, contact information (phone or e-mail), and number of reservations requested.

We are not the alternative; we are the imperative.