Pessimists Alert: We Lose an Hour's Sleep Springing Forward at 2AM Sunday

Get ready to move your clocks forward, Geneva. Find out when to make the switch—and why we do it.

Those are darned good questions, and we'll attempt to answer some of them here. You’ll want to think about going to bed early or sleeping in when Daylight Saving Time starts at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10. That means you’ll “spring ahead” and move your clocks forward one hour—and, unfortunately, lose that hour of sleep. The benefit is that we’ll get more sunlight later in the evening and it’s a pleasant sign that spring is just around the corner. (Spring 2013 officially starts on Wednesday, March 20, when you'll probably want to be at the candidates' forum co-sponsored by Geneva Patch.) Many electronic devices, like your cell phone and computer, automatically adjust when Daylight Savings Time begins or ends. So, why do we do this at 2 a.m., …

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End of the World? No, But March 10 Is a Good Time to 'Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks'

The Kane County Health Department says, hey, use Daylight Saving Time as a reminder to keep your emergency supplies on hand.

Paranoia or just good, common sense? A we head into spring and face the potential for severe weather, now is a good time to check your emergency supplies to ensure they are refreshed and ready to use if needed. Using the time change on Sunday, March 10, is a good way to remind ourselves to perform this task twice a year. Remember: “Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks.” The American Public Health Association recommends that all Americans have at least a three-day supply of food and water stored in their homes, with at least one gallon of water per person per day. Your stockpile should also contain flashlights, a manual can opener, a radio, batteries and copies of important documents. When considering what else to include in your supply kit, …

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Jeff Ward

An Ode to Daylight Savings Time

Don't try and tell me falling back isn't liberal conspiracy because I know differently.

Geneva! Please rally round my flag as we charge down the figurative hill in an emboldened attempt to throw off our temporal chains and rebel against the nefarious tyranny of “falling back.” They may take our alarm clocks, but they’ll never take our daylight. Or, if I were to put it a little less poetically, this sucks! If I wanted an extra hour of sleep, I’d just stay in bed a little longer. No clock touching necessary. Did I say this sucks? And it starts with the sad realization that I’d just trained this not-so-finely-honed 54-year-old H20 addled runner’s body to wait until 6 a.m. to pee. But now it’s back to hazarding a dark and cold bathroom at 5 in the morning. And I am not amused. Then there’s the punctual Australian cattle dog who …

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Don’t Forget … Set Your Clocks Back One Hour Tonight!

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday.

Geneva residents tonight will get that extra hour that we've been waiting for since we had to give up an hour in the spring. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, so folks are encouraged to turn their clocks back one hour before they go to bed tonight. As Daylight Saving Time comes to an end, the Kane County Health Department and Kane County Office of Emergency Management encourage residents to make sure their families are prepared for a possible emergency. A few simple steps, such as checking the batteries in smoke alarms, developing a family communications plan and putting an emergency kit together can go a long way toward keeping families safe. Information on preparing for emergencies can be found  at www.Kanehealth.com or www.…

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It's Time to Spring Forward—2 A.M. Sunday

The old adage is "spring forward, fall back." We lose an hour a sleep, but many say it's worth it for the warmer weather and longer days.