Great autumn has people, new and old, talking

A phone call came in early this week hoping the Frontiersman could settle an argument: Is this fall one of the best ever, or is it an occurrence that once was the norm?

We set a reporter on the mission to find out and his findings are found on the front page. Whether that will settle the dispute between the two men, one referred to as something similar to “an old geezer.”

There’s no getting around the fact that this has been a wonderful autumn. Even with the occasional rain, the leaves stayed tough and the temperatures have rarely dipped below freezing.

Farmers are enjoying a longer season, commuters have yet to face ice or snow on the highways and we’re still mowing our lawns.

Some people are even hoping this year will be one of those without big dumps of snow.

That seems a little much. It is Alaska, and snow should be part of our culture, not to mention necessary to fill streams and lakes, cut down on wildfires, and generally refresh the place for when spring comes.

It also hides all the trash along the roads.

Besides that, it seems Alaska, at least in Southcentral, looks its best when the mountains have their winter coat on, and the trees catch clumps of snow in their branches.

Of course winter has its challenges, so here’s hoping people have taken advantage of this lull before the storm to get their firewood in, their furnaces checked and chimneys swept.

This is also a good time to think about people who will do without during the harsh times ahead.

Families down on their luck will need coats and mittens for the children. They will need food, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are many places around the Valley — churches, pantries and stores — that are collecting canned goods.

Homelessness is on the rise, and while they might not be on the streets panhandling, they are out there living in churches, couch surfing among friends and relatives.

So, while the cold is held at bay, and we enjoy the banter about whether this is a normal fall, think about others who will need help when the inevitable arrives.

Check on the senior citizen next door occasionally. Offer a ride to someone who is homebound. Drop off a food basket to a family you know could use it. Those gestures and others will make it a warmer winter for all.