Representative Don Humason



SPRING AHEAD FALL BACK By Representative Don Humason, Jr. November 3, 2007 By now you might be aware that we are living on borrowed time (or at least on borrowed light). But that’s about to end (for the time being) this Sunday. What am I talking about? Daylight Savings Time. According to a memo from the Commonwealth’s Information Technology Division President George Bush signed the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 on August 8, 2005 which amended the United States Uniform Time Act of 1966 by changing the start and end dates of daylight savings time. Those changes took effect this year, in 2007. Prior to this law change, we used to set our clocks ahead by one hour on the first Sunday in April. Starting this year we did it earlier, on the 2nd Sunday of March. That gave us nearly three more weeks of longer days and more daylight in the spring. Prior to this law change, we used to turn our clocks back one hour on the last Sunday in October. Starting this year we will turn our clocks back by one hour on the first Sunday in November, Sunday, November 4 at 2:00 AM. This “extra” week of longer days and more daylight was beneficial to trick or treaters on Halloween, afternoon commuters, and people like me who like to get outside and do some yard work when we get home from work. It also helped with our energy costs by allowing us to keep our lights off later into the evening. I’m glad that Congress and President Bush passed this law giving us all more daylight. I’ll be sad to see it go. But I’m an optimist and I always like to look on the positive side. When we fall back this weekend we will all get that cherished hour of extra sleep! The clock change will help folks like me who commute to and from Boston. In the morning, when I head east, the sun will no longer be directly in my face. When I drive home at the end of the day, heading west, the sun will no longer be directly in my face. This will help with the sun-glare traffic jams caused every year in the spring and fall. There are other reasons to be happy in Massachusetts. We all know about the Boston Red Sox sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the World Series. I was in Boston Tuesday for a meeting with Dr. Brian Sutton from the Emergency Department at Noble Hospital. Afterwards I walked outside to watch the Red Sox’ Rolling Victory Rally. There is a huge banner hanging from the facade of the Massachusetts State House high atop Beacon Hill congratulating the Red Sox on their victory. We had a similar banner in 2004. It’s getting to be a welcome and familiar sight. All of Red Sox Nation should enjoy these heady days while we have them. The State House was also the scene of a Hollywood movie set this week. Thanks to legislation we passed recently that I supported wholeheartedly creating incentives for the motion picture industry to come here to film more and more movies are being made in Massachusetts. Hollywood movie crews and the vast amount of money they bring in to our economy, directly and indirectly, are becoming almost as common in this state as New England Patriot wins. By the way, the movie being filmed at the state capitol this week was the sequel to The Pink Panther, starring Steve Martin and Andy Garcia. Other movies that have been filmed in Boston include The Departed, Mystic River, Amistad, Good Will Hunting, and What’s the Worst that could Happen? I wanted to thank Westfield State College Interim President Barry Maloney for making the trip down to Boston this Thursday. The Higher Education Committee, of which I am a member, in conjunction with the Bonding and Long Term Debt Committee, met to hold a public hearing on the Governor’s Higher Education capitol bond bill. I’ll close with a simple reminder that next Tuesday is Election Day. It’s your government. Please exercise your constitutional right and duty to vote. Thank you. * * * Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us
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SPRING AHEAD FALL BACK

By Representative Don Humason, Jr.

November 3, 2007

By now you might be aware that we are living on borrowed time (or at least on borrowed light). But that’s about to end (for the time being) this Sunday.

What am I talking about? Daylight Savings Time.

According to a memo from the Commonwealth’s Information Technology Division President George Bush signed the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 on August 8, 2005 which amended the United States Uniform Time Act of 1966 by changing the start and end dates of daylight savings time. Those changes took effect this year, in 2007.

Prior to this law change, we used to set our clocks ahead by one hour on the first Sunday in April. Starting this year we did it earlier, on the 2nd Sunday of March. That gave us nearly three more weeks of longer days and more daylight in the spring.
Prior to this law change, we used to turn our clocks back one hour on the last Sunday in October. Starting this year we will turn our clocks back by one hour on the first Sunday in November, Sunday, November 4 at 2:00 AM.

This “extra” week of longer days and more daylight was beneficial to trick or treaters on Halloween, afternoon commuters, and people like me who like to get outside and do some yard work when we get home from work. It also helped with our energy costs by allowing us to keep our lights off later into the evening.

I’m glad that Congress and President Bush passed this law giving us all more daylight. I’ll be sad to see it go.

But I’m an optimist and I always like to look on the positive side. When we fall back this weekend we will all get that cherished hour of extra sleep!

The clock change will help folks like me who commute to and from Boston. In the morning, when I head east, the sun will no longer be directly in my face. When I drive home at the end of the day, heading west, the sun will no longer be directly in my face. This will help with the sun-glare traffic jams caused every year in the spring and fall.

There are other reasons to be happy in Massachusetts. We all know about the Boston Red Sox sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the World Series. I was in Boston Tuesday for a meeting with Dr. Brian Sutton from the Emergency Department at Noble Hospital. Afterwards I walked outside to watch the Red Sox’ Rolling Victory Rally.

There is a huge banner hanging from the facade of the Massachusetts State House high atop Beacon Hill congratulating the Red Sox on their victory. We had a similar banner in 2004. It’s getting to be a welcome and familiar sight. All of Red Sox Nation should enjoy these heady days while we have them.

The State House was also the scene of a Hollywood movie set this week. Thanks to legislation we passed recently that I supported wholeheartedly creating incentives for the motion picture industry to come here to film more and more movies are being made in Massachusetts.

Hollywood movie crews and the vast amount of money they bring in to our economy, directly and indirectly, are becoming almost as common in this state as New England Patriot wins.

By the way, the movie being filmed at the state capitol this week was the sequel to The Pink Panther, starring Steve Martin and Andy Garcia. Other movies that have been filmed in Boston include The Departed, Mystic River, Amistad, Good Will Hunting, and What’s the Worst that could Happen?

I wanted to thank Westfield State College Interim President Barry Maloney for making the trip down to Boston this Thursday. The Higher Education Committee, of which I am a member, in conjunction with the Bonding and Long Term Debt Committee, met to hold a public hearing on the Governor’s Higher Education capitol bond bill.

I’ll close with a simple reminder that next Tuesday is Election Day. It’s your government. Please exercise your constitutional right and duty to vote. Thank you.

* * *

Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group