Opinion: Spring has sprung?
Thursday. It can’t come soon enough. Officially, that’s the start of spring. Whether Mother Nature agrees, though, is anyone’s guess at this point. Early forecasts show that she will be good to us, but how much can we actually rely on forecasts?
Spring is what we all need. We need a nice stroll downtown, in the park or on the beach to reinvigorate us, to get us out of the doldrum into which winter plunged us. Winter this year has not just affected all of our moods, it has affected our bottom lines, too.
We’ll all most likely be paying more in taxes, in some way, at some level, for the extensive snow removal, pothole repairs and salt purchases.
Snow has affected local businesses as well, especially retail shops. Bad weather kept patrons inside from what seemed like October through now. The arrival of spring will hopefully turn that around, and quickly.
Snow kept our schoolchildren at home — which, at the time, they loved — but it will also keep them in school much longer into the summer. Who knows how that will affect summer travel plans? It looks like June 2014 might be scratched off from summer altogether.
Snow and biting cold has kept people in the mindset of “no end in sight,” and has prevented many from taking day trips to our state’s wonderful good-weather spots, or from planning future trips, as well.
In a little more than 60 days, the official start of the summer beach season will be here. Does that even sound right?
New Jersey relies heavily on tourism, especially at the Shore during the summer. Last summer was hurt by the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Will this summer be hurt by more bad weather?
Let’s hope not.
