“Fall Back”
Tuesday November 7, 2023
From the messy desk of Amanda Eichstaedt…
Falling Back and Springing Forward
Do you recall some boruhaha about ending Daylight Saving Time a few years back? It is called the Sunshine Protection Act. It passed unanimously by a vote in the Senate. It is hung up in the House and has been relegated to committee.
I was unsure if we were falling back this year, but when I looked it up, there had been no resolution to the Sunshine Protection Act (I have some issues with this name – does the sun really need human protection? I think not.)
A pretty shot of some local daylight from below the Morgan Horse Ranch. photo: AE
The idea is to turn the clock forward in warmer weather, and then back again when it gets cooler out. This is to enhance time that folks can spend outdoors enjoying things while it is light out. But it’s pretty nice here year round… One of my friends says that her dogs do not adjust, they just stay on their own schedule year round, regardless of the chosen time by humans.
Another friend said that regardless of earning an “extra hour” when you fall back, they slept the exact same number of hours that they usually do. At least in the fall, if you screw up and don’t adjust your watch, you won’t be late…..just early.
There are documented health issues with adjusting our clocks in this way. Do we really need to mess with people’s circadian rhythms? I suggest we split the difference and settle things on the half hour and just stick with it. So now you know what KWMR’s Station Manager would suggest. Of course, I have not taken this to my awesome team at KWMR to get weigh in from the smart and thoughtful staff, nor have I consulted the programmers. So stand by!
Passages:
Joe and Mo Blumenthal at the KWMR Programmer gathering last month. photo: MJ/AT
Maureen Blumenthal: We were saddened and shocked to hear about the passing of Maureen Blumenthal, wife of KWMR Programmer Joe Blumenthal. Mo and Joe were a pair for the ages. I remember when I first started at KWMR, before Joe had retired and taken on his “A Cuppa Jo” and “The Jazz Groove” shows, he did some bicycling fundraisers for KWMR. But he did not do these alone. His trusty partner Mo was there the whole way. Driving the sag van, helping with the plans, and keeping an eye on Joe.
Mo made the best soup in the universe. It was a simple minestrone type soup, but I swear it was so infused with care and love that it would lift your spirits, boost your immune system, and make you smile.
Mo will be missed, and we will do our best to envelope Joe with care as a community. We can’t replace his beloved wife of over 60 years, but we can certainly do our very best. Our condolences to Joe and his family, and to all their extended friends.
David Mitchell: I cannot begin to write expressively or knowledgeably about the impact that Dave Mitchell’s work with the Point Reyes Light has done to shape and inform West Marin. Dave was a regular figure in Point Reyes Station, puffing on his pipe, holding conversations in front of Toby’s and staying current with his many friends and acquaintances. We send our condolences to his wife Lynn, former KWMR Board member. Consult print media for a more thorough obituary for this legendary journalist.
Alice Eckart: Alice Eckart passed away recently. I met Alice when I first moved to West Marin and got involved with the Inverness Garden Club. Alice was my mentor when I went through the Marin Master Gardener Program back in 2005. She was a wonderful mentor. She was kind and thoughtful and her perspective always enhanced anything where she was involved. Our condolences to her husband Chuck and her son Charlie.
Thank you so much for your support!
Amanda Eichstaedt
Station Manager/Executive Director
p.s. We are so very grateful for the support from the hundreds of donors that contributed during the Fall Pledge Drive. I have been reading Lorenzo Milam’s “Sex and Broadcasting,” and I can say that the sheer number of supporters of this station is a tribute to how KWMR serves the community. Thank you.