Tonight’s going to be a long night. Literally.

It’s the Winter Solstice, which, as my friend Omi eloquently reminded me, “is when, because of the earth’s tilt, our hemisphere is leaning farthest away from the sun. It is the time of year when the day is the shortest and the sun has its lowest arc in the sky. The Winter’s Solstice also promises the gradual return of the sun after a prolonged period of darkness. Many cultures believe it is the time for introspection, reverence, and reflection — letting go of the past and celebrating this quiet dark time in hopes for the slow and steady return of the sun (abundance of the future). The Winter’s Solstice demonstrates that every ending is a new beginning and the promise of life is renewed.”

Nice, huh? Please take some time during this intense time of year to slow down and reflect on how you show up in the world, and to envision some kind of new beginning — whether personal, political or both.

And on that note… Alice Walker said “Activism is my rent for living on this planet.”

Traction is here to help us all make rent. Here are a few suggestions to consider as part of your new beginning:

1) Get more involved with Traction. There are many ways to put your skills and interests to good use – stay tuned for specific volunteer opportunities, or write us now if you’re ready to get started!

2) Go green by buying renewable energy from your utility company. Learn more by reading Tyler’s post about Green Power.

3) Commit to write a letter to the editor in the next six months. Ask us for tips.

4) Join a non-profit board or civic committee. We posted about some Durham opportunities here.

5) Contribute to a local progressive non-profit. There’s no shortage of good organizations. We recommend… Traction! Your contributions are now tax-deductible! Go here to learn how. Gracias!

Whatever kind of new beginning you envision, let us know about it by posting a comment below.

Happy Holidays, and we’ll be in touch.

– Lanya and the Traction Crew

P.S. Thanks, Omi, for the holiday inspiration and for doing more than your part to cover the rent all year round!

Are you aware of how easy it is to reduce your environmental impact while living in the Triangle area?

One quick step is to opt for supporting green power (wind, solar, etc.) from your local electric company. Duke Energy allows you to buy 100kwatt hour blocks for $4/block per month at this link. This option allows for more use of green power generators by your utility company in the increments that you purchase.

For many of us, that means that for less than $10/month, more than 50% of our energy use will be supported by green power, dramatically reducing the amount of CO2 that we pump into the environment. More info is provided here. If you aren’t with Duke Energy, check out NC Green Power to see if your utility company provides this option.

Options for “going green” are becoming more and more accessible! Now it just takes a few dollars a month and few clicks on the internet. I know I’m out of excuses - what’s yours?

Want to do more? Check out Climate Crisis to estimate your environmental impact in terms of tons of CO2/year using their take action calculator. You’ll find many suggestions for other lifestyle changes.

Do you care about environmental affairs? housing? development and sprawl? city/county appearance? human relations? public transportation? government effectiveness? Of course you do.

It may be time to up your TQ (Tractivism Quotient) and join a civic committee…

Serving on a local board is super educational, and for those of you who might one day run for office (yes, YOU), there’s no better way to get your feet wet. Sure, it can be frustrating, but the good outweighs the bad. Feel free to ask me or other Tractivists who serve on civic boards. Best perk: instant legitimacy when you tell others to quit bitching and start doing.

Durhamites: check out this info-packed email from City Councilman Mike Woodard.
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If you are interested in making Durham city government better and can devote a few hours a month to that effort, please consider applying to one of the boards, committees, or commissions that advise city and county government. There are a number of openings now. Some of these groups carry a lot of weight in terms of policy, while others help advise the staff and administration on important day-to-day operations. If you have special skills or a particular interest in one of these groups, visit the City’s website for more information and for steps on applying.

Mike Woodard
Durham City Council

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Due to a resignation, there is currently one (1) vacancy on the CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE with the term to expire on June 30, 2009. This committee works to facilitate citizen participation in the planning and implementation of the Durham Community Development Block Grant Program for housing.

Due to a term expiring, there will be one (1) vacancy on the DURHAM AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY for an ALTERNATE MEMBER. The term will expire March 1, 2010. The appointments to the Authority will be made to ensure that the interests of various segments of the community including, but not limited to the following, are adequately represented on the Authority: Elderly, Disabled, Youth, Regular Bus Riders, Business, Employers, and Neighborhood Organizations.

Due to a resignation, there is currently one (1) vacancy on the DURHAM PLANNING COMMISSION to represent DISTRICT 3. The term will expire on June 30, 2008. The Planning Commission is a fourteen (14) member advisory board made up of residents appointed by the County Commissioners and City Council. The Commission reviews recommended plans, policies and reports of the professional planning staff and makes recommendations concerning them to the governing bodies on planning policy and planning implementation actions, including rezoning and zoning Ordinance changes.

Due to a resignation, there is currently one (1) vacancy on the DURHAM CITY-COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS BOARD to represent Biological Sciences. (more…)

2006 has been a great year, and Traction’s gift to our community is an afternoon / evening of fun at our annual throw-down this Saturday starting at 5pm:

RSVP now:
evite.com/app/publicUrl/festivus@gettraction.org/festivus2006

We’ll have some nibbles for you and a free drink for everyone. Even better, you’ll get
- fun-making with other local progressives
- incredible holiday shopping values in our silent (and live) auction
- fabulous prizes
- the satisfaction of supporting a great cause

All for the low, low price of a suggested $5-10 donation!

New Festivities for 2006:
- a photo booth
- a crafty-crafts booth
- a feats of strength area where you can compete for fabulous prizes in hula-hooping, arm-wrestling, DDR, or lightning rounds of Boggle
- maybe even have a psychic who’ll tell your New Year’s fortune…

Can you think of a more subversive way to partake in the holiday spirit?

The Festivus auction has something for everyone, including…
an ipod nano, chocolate, babysitting, petsitting, an autographed copy of Obama’s new book, (more…)