This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information -- is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of December.

The ARRL Amateur Radio Legal Defense and Assistance Committee has voted to contribute $5000 toward the costs of a lawsuit against the City of Palmdale, California. The city has proposed a highly restrictive antenna ordinance.

With snow and ice impacting all parts of the Pacific Northwest in late December, local ARES® groups assisted served agencies, including local Emergency Operations Centers.

In Nevada, a major winter storm brought hurricane force winds that damaged sensitive electronic weather equipment. SKYWARN spotters stepped in to provide real-time weather data via Amateur Radio.

In New England, ARES units responded in the wake of a severe ice storm that knocked out power to nearly 400,000 households in Massachusetts alone.

Those who submitted a November Sweepstakes log with more than 100 contacts qualify for a Sweepstakes Participation pin, and if you submitted a log with a Clean Sweep, you qualify for a Clean Sweep coffee mug.

Welcome! Membership Manager Diane Petrilli, KB1RNF, has joined the ARRL Headquarters staff in Newington.

The following operations have been approved for DXCC credit: Wake Island -- WA2YUN/KH9 (for operations commencing 2007); Willis Island -- VK9DWX (2008) and Andaman and Nicobar Island -- VU4RG (2008).

J.M. Rowe, N5XFW, of Hot Springs, has been appointed as the new ARRL Arkansas Section Manager.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce -- the congressional committee that oversees the Federal Communications Commission -- released a majority staff report that confirms a number of allegations against FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.

These online course sessions begin Friday, January 16: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2; Antenna Modeling, and Radio Frequency Propagation.

Thanks to the generosity of FlexRadio Systems, W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, now boasts the newest in software-defined radio (SDR) -- a FLEX 5000A.

The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for December is Larry Coyle, K1QW, for his article "A Modular Receiver for Exploring the LF/VLF Bands."

The February issue of QST and the January/February issues of NCJ and QEX have been released to the printer. The January installment of CONTACT! for media professionals has been posted.

On the Air: The ARRL 160 Meter Contest was December 6-7 and the 10 Meter Contest was December 13-15. Next up, the ARRL RTTY Roundup is January 3-4, Kids Day is January 4 and the January VHF Sweepstakes is January 17-18.

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