NORTHVILLIANS,

In 1898 and 1978, Ice & Snowstorms similar to this past week swept across Michigan. At our house, we got power back on Sunday afternoon. This week, the DPW Team have been working almost every given hour to pick up limbs broken off from the 50-year event, and our Fire and Police first-responders have been ensuring the safety of all Northvillians.

Now it’s time to move on, and that includes our clocks! This week, we will look at this time of year through the ages when we go on Daylight Saving Time (DST) and why we do this.  

Again, I thank all in the community for reaching out to others this past week in an effort to help your neighbors through these trying times.

Some background on Daylight Saving Time:

• It was enacted to conserve energy during WWI (back then, the Northville area was #2 in economics in the state of Michigan).
• Additionally, DST was designed to ensure people have more usable hours of sleep.
• About 70 countries observe DST. And we have all learned the words… Spring forward and Fall back.
• Ben Franklin proposed that folks in Paris (where he lived at one time) wake up at dawn instead of using a clock. He believed they could conserve fuel that way (DST early thoughts).
• Germany was the first country to use daylight saving time in 1916 during WWI.
• DST in the US started in 1918 (the year my mother was born) and has been fairly consistent since 1966. After WWI, it was discontinued in the US but was resurrected in WWII by Pres. Franklin Roosevelt.
• From 1945 to 1966, some States observed DST but not all. Today, all states but Hawaii and Arizona are on Daylight Saving Time.

• Snowmen sculptures on display in downtown Northville through the winter… enjoy!
   
• The Great White Buffalo Brewing Company is now open – stop by some time and sample Northville-made beers (101 W. Main). LINK
   
• Seniors – It’s party time again! at the Community Center, it’s time to gear up for the annual St. Patty’s Day Senior extravaganza on Wed, March 15^th, 11-1 PM. Register online at Northvilleparksandrec.org or call 248 349 0203. LINK
   
• Pi Day, Tuesday, March 14th, 3-6pm, Mill Race Village – Pick up a whole pie to take home or buy a slice and enjoy it in the Village! 
   
• The Northville Art House presents “Young Artist Art Fair”, 3/18, 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. LINK

Let's look at some significant daylight events and activities...

Right Here in Northville:

1918 – According to The Record, local observance of the new DST law necessitated doing away with the school’s half-hour opening time, so everyone opened on the hour across Michigan. However, in Northville, the Dubuar Company and the Schools were allowed to maintain a half-hour schedule (factories commenced work at 4:30 AM and Schools at 8:30 AM, but banking hours were mandated 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM) according to Mayor Coldren’s Northville proclamation.

1948 – Up to this time, the observance of DST locally was inconsistent.  But this year, the Northville Village committed to follow along with Detroit and the metro area in changing to Daylight Saving Time.

1967 – A litany of mail was sent to our officials in Lansing, offering strong opinions on DST… it was a controversy.

1973 – The Record wrote that DST would happen in the state of Michigan at the end of April: ”We’ll go on Daylight Saving Time with most of the rest of the nation... in case you forgot, Michigan voters made that decision last November (1972) to reverse a previous decision (against DST) four years earlier.”

So, get your sleep this week because you will lose an hour in the early morning of Sunday, March 12th @ 2:00 AM.  Remember, we Spring Forward Saturday night.

Enjoy your week and thank you again for assisting your fellow Northvillians through two of the worst storms we have seen in 50 years, back-to-back.
 
Keep that Northville Faith!