For the third time in a row, this time of year I am writing a column about summer time.
Don Estep is the editor of the News Journal.
Why now? Because just a few weeks ago school children were finally waiting at school bus stops with little daylight.
Then comes mid-March and these youngsters have to wait in the dark. President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act in 2005, which postponed daylight saving time from last April to mid-March. Shame! It came into force in 2007. Was it really necessary and why so early?
Previously, daylight saving time began on the first Sunday in April and lasted until the last October.
Most Americans prefer Standard Time. That’s what poll you see after. I personally prefer the standard time. Both opinions of the time have advantages and disadvantages.
First of all, I hate jumping forward. Did you know that this can be a health risk? Some people take up to six weeks to adjust. Currently we only have standard time for 120 days, or a third of the year.
Do not believe the myths about farmers or saving electricity or several others. It is probably safer to shop late with daylight saving time and it is also safer to drive. But it’s also healthier not to change the time, and you now know that there is little difference in energy savings.
But do we really have to change our clocks? Senator Marco Rubio is pushing for a bill to extend summer time all year round. What? In winter, there wouldn’t be daylight until 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. It died on the committee last year, but he’s back on it. Well this is a Floridan for you. I want to highlight it in the dark and keep it waiting for a school bus.
The whole idea of summer time was developed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784. The DST Act came in 1918. There are now 15 states that observe it year round. There are some nations that do not change the time and that are creating confusion around the world.
But here is the main reason why we should have standard time. It gets dark earlier and you can spot light defects. That’s right, light bugs.
When I was a kid there was nothing but standard time. Many of my favorite memories take place in the street under the street lamp after dark.
We played “Kick the Can”, “Lost Trail, Barbarie”, “Hide and Seek” and a variety of other games that kids of this age would never imagine because of this thing, um, the phone or the I-Pad.
But better than that were the gatherings on the porch of family and friends. The dark atmosphere was great. We listened to the older people and told stories and laughed and laughed and had a good time. Oh, you can do that in daylight too, but it’s hotter and the atmosphere isn’t the same.
With summer time now, when it gets dark in summer, it is almost time to go to bed. Children have very little time to experience what we enjoyed most as teenagers.
But obviously, summer time is liked by many and those who get the deal will keep it that way. It can benefit their golf game or give them more time to mow the grass. I dont know.
But I know that. If you were to take care of kids standing in the dark waiting for a school bus, you’d change the timing to April 1st like it used to be.
OK. I am a sore loser. I woke up at 4:30 this morning. I couldn’t go to sleep because I take grandchildren to school and the thought of oversleeping means I get very little sleep. I started this adventure three years ago and until then I wasn’t sure how this would affect the schoolchildren. I’ll adjust like so many others, but I still don’t like it.
And another suggestion to the Corbin City Schools. The starting times are so tight and the schools so far apart that it is difficult for parents of different ages to form the circle. Just a suggestion. And one more suggestion. Let the older students go inside first. It is more difficult for the little one to get up in the morning.
There you have it, my third annual complaint about daylight saving time. Since our elected leaders in Washington are not experiencing the dark and light situation as we are, I doubt this topic will ever come to their minds, with the exception of Rubio. He’s got a game of golf he’d like to quit!
One last point about schools. I don’t like giving taxpayer money to private schools, $ 25 million and especially in north Ky.
But I understand the business that is necessary when trading in Frankfurt.
