Daylight saving? Like it or not, it’s upon us again

If you haven’t done so, it’s time to set your clock ahead one hour. At 2 a.m. this morning, time changed in Alaska and most of the nation.

While some people take this as just a semi-annual annoyance, other Alaskans get fighting mad about it.

They have a friend in HB19. Sponsored by Rep. Anna Fairclough, R-Eagle River, and Rep. Cathy Munoz, R-Juneau, the bill is aimed at eliminating Daylight Saving Time here.

Another bill, House Joint Resolution 20, also sponsored by Rep. Fairclough along with Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, calls for the repeal of federal daylight saving time.

The House bill likely will face opposition from many quarters, but at least it’s a realistic shot at change.

The joint resolution is just spitting in the wind.

If you want Daylight Saving Time eliminated in the state, contact the representatives as well as your own in your region. It’s not unheard of for a state to not participate. Arizona doesn’t, and an ally farther west, Hawaii doesn’t participate. They seem to be getting along without following the crowd. Also, among other places, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa don’t change their clocks every six months.

In Alaska, at this time of year, it means you will get more sun in the morning, but your drive home from work will be dark again. Of course, as we move into our long days, it really doesn’t mean anything.

Then next fall, the argument starts over again.

Time zones were set up to make the nation and world work in fairly reasonable unison. That should be enough. Especially in Alaska where the sun doesn’t come up and go down as it does in Washington, D.C.

And with so much work being done via electronic devices these days, being an hour off for six months of the year doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Check your batteries

Public safety people advise changing batteries in smoke and CO detectors today. They say it also helps to clean them with a soft dusting brush or a vacuum attachment, and spraying canned air toward the detectors from about two feet away. The National Fire Protection Association says 90 percent of American homes are equipped with smoke alarms but more than 50 percent of them are not in working condition. The approximate lifespan of an alarm is 7 to 10 years.

Make sure your alarms are working. Someone you love may depend on them.