Publisher’s Letter: What’s So Special About March?

March provides us with many reasons to celebrate. For one, it’s Women’s History Month honoring the role of women throughout the ages who contributed (for the most part, unacknowledged) so much to society. It may surprise you to read that in 1869 in the Wyoming Territory women were granted suffrage. On September 6, 1870, Louisa Ann Swain of Laramie, Wyoming became the first woman to cast a vote in a general election while the Nineteenth Amendment granting nationwide women’s suffrage did not become part of the U.S. Constitution for another 50 years — August 18, 1920.

And then, of course, there’s Spring Break celebrated by college students all over the United States. It can be a riot of fun unless you combine drinking or indulging in other substances and then getting behind the wheel — each year there’s an uptick of traffic accidents, some of them deadly.

Another point to celebrate is that March not only provided us with a return to Daylight Savings time on March 8 but on March 20, with the arrival of the Vernal Equinox, the sun shines on the equator to give us a near 50/50 split of day and night. I don’t know about you but more daylight tends to put a spring in my step — it seems so hopeful of the summer to come and all the great outdoor events that come with it.

But weather-wise, March can be tricky so don’t put your heavy gear and high boots away just yet. One wonders if we are in for another surprise blizzard this year as happened last March 13-14, 2019 that the Weather Service called a “Bomb Blizzard” for its high winds and low pressure. By the time this newspaper hits the newsstands, we’ll know if history repeated itself. But then again, what’s more variable than the weather. So perhaps this year, Spring will proceed as most of us would hope. Last year’s weather sure made folks in the Ski Industry happy — it was an unusually long and profitable ski season.

For some of our readers who may party-hardy once in a while, you might want to celebrate Felix Hoffman who on March 6, 1899 discovered Aspirin and its ability to relieve pain. And where would we be if on March 3, 1847 Alexander Graham Bell hadn’t invented the working telephone (we’d all be better letter writers, for sure).

But all kidding aside, there are plenty of reasons to be glad in this month of March. Take a look at our calendar at calendar.northfortynews.com and get out there and enjoy the many great events happening this month.

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Blaine Howerton