This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
With our Legislature poised to pick on daylight saving time again, I hope the people of Utah will think long and hard about the ramifications of doing away with DST.
Most of the people I associate with are opposed to DST. When I question them, they admit it is because they don't like the "switch" or having to fix all their clocks.
Most also admit they do like the extra light at the end of the day. Last year on June 3, the sunrise was at 5:58 a.m. MDT. Do we really want the sun beaming in our windows at 4:58 a.m. when most of us are trying to sleep? That's what switching to standard time will get you.
The sunset that same day was at 8:54 p.m. MDT. Do you really want it to pack in your summer activities at 7:54 p.m.? What will you do then, go to bed so you can get up at 4:58 the next morning to enjoy the sunrise and start your day?
If you don't like the "switch," then let's just keep DST all year long.
Please don't use the tired argument that (sob) "children have to go to school in the dark." Switching back to standard time only delays that by a few weeks anyway, so if you really care that much, change the time when school starts. It would probably be better for the students anyway.
Richard Bigler
South Weber