Local

Saturday December 21 at 7 pm
First Unitarian Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road, Columbus 43214

On the darkest day of the year when daylight will be at its lowest ebb, join me and my musical friends for an uplifting concert that looks ahead to the new year, its emerging sunlight, and its potential for joy and progress.

I’ll sing popular songs from the 1940’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and beyond that represent our hopes, dreams, and prayers for 2025. They’ll be songs that symbolize positive values of peace, community, gratitude, love, courage, justice, friendship, activism, and struggle. These are songs linked to a wide variety of folks –- Mama Cass, Pete Seeger, the Byrds, the Beatles, James Taylor, Carol King, Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong, and Judy Garland.

Fellow musicians Joanne Blum and Joe Lambert will add beautiful vocal harmonies, and Ann Fisher will add soothing counterpoints with her flute.

The reflective evening will also feature wise sayings about darkness and light. And the concert in the darkened sanctuary will be bathed in the glow of dozens of candles. Expect a couple fun surprises too.

Once again, the Ohio legislature has gifted the oil and gas industry with an amendment stuffed into an unrelated bill during its last committee hearing of the lame duck session with no public notice or chance to comment -- this time extending leases to frack our public lands up to eight long years. And once again, Gov. Mike DeWine has signed such a bill against the wishes of Ohio citizens, of whom 98% commenting on fracking Salt Fork State Park were opposed.

Ohioans do not want to see our beloved state parks and wildlife areas turned into industrial zones by out-of-state corporations, ruining our beautiful natural spaces for oil and gas profits. We do not want to see our freshwater sold for one-third of one cent per gallon to the oil and gas industry, turned into toxic and radioactive waste by fracking, removed from the water cycle forever, and injected into wastewater wells where it can easily migrate.

In an ongoing struggle for free speech, a dedicated coalition of Ohioans from across the state have worked diligently to defeat legislation that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism and ties it to heightened criminal penalties. Lawmakers attached the same provisions to multiple bills in a deceptive legislative bundling maneuver to fast-track controversial measures by contributing to ‘Christmas Tree’ bills during the lame duck session. Wednesday night December 18 marked the end of the 135th General Assembly and advocates remain energized and committed to protecting First Amendment rights in 2025. 

Dr. Bob Fitrakis and Dan-o Dougan discuss a variety of holiday songs: gratitude songs from Thanksgiving by ZZTop, William DeVaughn, and Sly Stone; Christmas-oriented songs like Father Christmas, Christmas in Prison, River, and Run, Rudolph, Run; and more!

Listen live at 11pm December 20 and 27 streaming at wgrn.org or on the radio at 91.9FM
and
Mondays at 2pm streaming December 23 and 30 at wcrsfm.org or on the radio at 92.7 or 98.3FM

Archived on Mixcloud here

Once upon a time during the winter solstice, the Friends of Serpent Mound, a group of supporters who donated time and labor to the site’s upkeep, were allowed to light up and honor Serpent Mound with sand bagged votives (pictured above). The winter solstice, of course, is the shortest day of the year and thus the longest night of the year.

This event – that some called the “Lighting of the Serpent” – drew more people to this marvel of ancient times than all the other days of the year and all combined at its peak. Fascinating is how the Serpent’s spiraled tail aligns with the winter solstice sunrise while its head aligns with the summer solstice sunset.

Congress appears ready to include much-needed disaster recovery aid for Hurricane Helene survivors in a government funding bill on the floor this week. But according to reports we heard this afternoon, House Speaker Mike Johnson is considering delaying the disaster aid until next year, due to pressure from billionaire Elon Musk and some Republican lawmakers. 

Survivors of Helene don't have time for political games in DC! Some people affected by the hurricane still don’t have adequate housing or heat, and devastating economic impacts continue to ripple through the area. Federal action now could help save many devastated Appalachian communities from total collapse.

We need your help IN TWO WAYS tonight to remind Congress that Appalachian communities need disaster aid NOW.

Please contact your legislators, either by email or making a call and leaving a message on their switchboard.

In 2014, the Central Ohio Worker Center (COWC) was formed to help build a stronger Central Ohio for low wage and immigrant workers. As we wrap up 2024, the list of accomplishments and contributions are numerous. Ten years of May Day Celebrations have taken place, each year the event has grown and transformed into what it is today: a celebration and resource fair featuring dancing, local unions, legal support, delicious food, government agencies, kids activities including a huge book give-away from our friends at the Ohio Federation of Teachers, other non profits, and community. In 2024, 300 people came through the doors to help celebrate workers. Supporting the passage of the Wage Theft Ordinance has been one of the biggest accomplishments the center has seen. With years of advocacy, the ordinance passed in September 2020. It is one of the strongest municipal wage theft ordinances in the country.

In a bold yet peaceful demonstration of civic engagement, a group of determined Ohioans gathered Tuesday in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse to take action against the proposed amendment to H.B. 315. This amendment, which incorporates the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism, has sparked widespread concern over its potential impact on free speech and the First Amendment.

The sit-in was carefully planned as a way to both garner media attention and directly address legislators. Sitting in a circle beneath the grand dome of the Statehouse, participants passed out call scripts and worked together to make phone calls and write emails to their representatives. This unique form of advocacy transformed the Rotunda into a hub of collective action, with citizens uniting their voices in the very space where decisions are made.

As representatives walked by, participants continued to make calls and send emails, ensuring their presence and concerns were impossible to ignore. This wasn’t just a call for attention—it was a clear message to lawmakers: “We’re here, we’re engaged, and we demand to be heard.”

Today, the RISE Together Innovation Institute expressed deep concern over Governor Mike DeWine’s proposal to reintroduce work requirements for Medicaid recipients in Ohio. This policy threatens to undermine the health and economic stability of thousands of Franklin County residents who are already struggling to make ends meet. 

“All of us should have the healthcare we need when we get sick,” said Danielle Sydnor, CEO of RISE Together Innovation Institute. “Governor DeWine’s proposal will take away healthcare from thousands of people who are already struggling to make ends meet. Instead of expanding opportunity and making sure people are healthy, this policy will make it harder for people to get the healthcare they need.” 

Potential Harms to Franklin County Residents 

Residents will lose healthcare coverage: In 2019, the Commonwealth Fund estimated between 121,000 and 163,000 adults in Ohio could lose Medicaid coverage in Ohio due to Medicaid work requirements.1 That number is likely higher today since more adults without dependents are participating in Medicaid.  

What: From the Darkness to the Light – A Solstice Concert
When: Saturday, December 21, 7:00 PM
Where: First Unitarian Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road, Columbus, OH
Cost: Free (donations welcomed; proceeds support Food Rescue of Columbus)

On Saturday, December 21st, as the winter solstice brings us the darkest day of the year, a special event will light up hearts and minds with music, reflection, and community spirit. Hosted at the First Unitarian Church (93 W. Weisheimer Rd., Columbus) at 7:00 PM, From the Darkness to the Light is an uplifting concert in the spirit of Simply Living’s values of connection, peace, and sustainability.