Nobody complains more than Hoosiers about changing their clocks. And there’s a valid reason – DST in Indiana’s Eastern Time Zone is painful! Just as we are beginning to be cheered by morning sunshine after coming out of a long, dark winter, Hoosiers in Indiana’s Eastern Time counties were plunged back into dark mornings on Sunday, March 10. It’s depressing! In contrast, Hoosiers in Indiana’s Central Time counties barely noticed the switch to DST because it will be daylight when most of them got out of bed this Sunday.
It wasn’t always this way. When time zones were established, Indiana was a Central Time state. Portions of Indiana were switched to the Eastern Time Zone in the 1960s to facilitate communications with financial centers and network television in New York. Today’s instantaneous information transfer through e-technology has negated “perceived” advantages of Eastern Time in Indiana. In the meantime, Eastern Time is causing many “inconveniences to commerce.” The demand for nationwide same-day delivery of specialized products and parts is forcing Indiana manufacturers to relocate to logistics hubs in the Central Time Zone. Eastern Time hubs can’t meet that demand. The 3-hour time difference with the West Coast is now a year-round inconvenience for direct communications and a deterrent to business interaction with Indiana. Late broadcast of nationally televised sports and cultural events is inconvenient for Hoosier audiences and reduces the viewership. Indiana is not taking advantage of its natural Central Time location.
At the same time, when it doesn’t get dark until around 10 p.m., Eastern Time has stolen the darkness from summer evenings. Darkness brings the magic to campfires, allows stars to be visible, brings focus to the music at summer concerts, and provides intimacy for evening chats. The late sunlight of Eastern Time is family-unfriendly when it comes to bedtime and July Fourth fireworks.
20,000 Hoosiers and 42 school districts have signed petitions and resolutions in support of restoring Indiana to its original, geographically correct Central Time Zone. The General Assembly is being asked to appoint a study committee to examine the consequences of Indiana’s split time zone designations and to evaluate their effects on Hoosiers. Time zone issues have never been vetted by our legislators. Hoosiers are saying that this discussion is overdue.
Susannah H. Dillon
Central Time Coalition president
Letters
PUBLIC FORUM: Eastern time defies common sense
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PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor tells residents of positive change
When the residents of Logansport elected me as their new mayor in November 2011, it was truly an honor.
Our city was battling back from a devastating loss of 1,500 jobs in five years, a recession that wasn’t letting up on the household income of our residents, a divided fire protection commitment in our county and an overall sense of loss in our community. -
PUBLIC FORUM: Say thank you during National Nurses Week
Having an unsuspected or immediate need for medical attention can be a traumatic event for just about any person. In our current healthcare system, there are entirely too many unknowns.
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PUBLIC FORUM: Thanks for making the baseball season happen
With spring and warmer weather (finally!), brings another baseball season. The board and managers/coaches at Logansport Youth Baseball have been extremely busy over the past two years renovating both our fields to provide a quality atmosphere for our players and fans who support our league.
- PUBLIC FORUM: We need more jobs in Indiana and nation
- PUBLIC FORUM: Lincoln Day dinner a big success for Republicans
- PUBLIC FORUM: Thanks for caring about downtown Logansport
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PUBLIC FORUM: Direction is the best option presented
Logansport is facing a serious problem with our current coal-fired generation plant. New EPA regulations will require millions of dollars to upgrade or shut down. The city and LMU have been exploring options to provide a solution to this looming problem.
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PUBLIC FORUM: 95 percent an inflated estimate
Who is going to protect us from higher electric rates in the future?
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PUBLIC FORUM: The reality of a new American Promise
Fracking. We’ve all heard the term lately. Fracking is the process whereby water and other chemicals are injected into the earth to cause underground rock formations to fracture, creating space for oil and natural gas to collect and be pumped to the service.
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PUBLIC FORUM: This is what you get with a right-to-work state
After reading about the new unemployment rates for Indiana, I just want to send my kudos to our Republican representatives.
- More Letters Headlines
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PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor tells residents of positive change
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