I imagine that headline already has a few people thinking, “How dare you!” or “Bite your tongue!” The fact still remains we received snow on Tuesday and the temperatures in the area have been in the 30s for the last few days. Which is in fahrenheit, if it was celsius it would be around -1 degree.

When October rolls around each year, most people’s thoughts go to Halloween, a time for costumes, jack o’lanterns, Trick or Treat, candy and for some adults decorations and their own parties. Of course there are a few thoughts about leaves falling to the ground. But the month is also one where several groups over the years have worked to make people aware of an assortment of causes.

The time has come again, another turn of the seasons as we see summer begin to fade away and fall arrive with a burst of colors. The leaves on trees are turning a bright red, yellow or orange. Some trees are just getting hints of those autumn colors with more green standing out, others give a hint of that change and then seem to don their fall wardrobe the next day. In the fields where there is still corn, the stalks are either a yellow or a gold. The grass that was a dark green a few weeks ago is now turning a lighter shade as it prepares for the slumber of winter.

While the United State general election, Tuesday. Nov. 3, is still more than one month away, people do have the option to do early voting, which opens this Friday, Sept. 18. The option for early voting in Minnesota runs until Monday, Nov. 2, although dates and hours may vary based on where you live in the state.

As we all know this entire year has been one where we’ve had to make changes and see people get creative due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve especially been seeing how the pandemic has been affecting sports. For the professional sports it’s meant stadiums of very few if any fans. High school sports has been vastly different.

There have been many changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many activities that several creative spirits have decided to put their own spin on. There have been parades for birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Recently people have been holding their own versions of the State Fair. There have been games and food patterned after the ones their families would find at the annual “Great Minnesota Get Together.” For those who miss their annual snacks from the State Fair there was the recent parade at the fairgrounds where orders of snacks were brought out to their vehicles.

In an about a week students at New Prague Area Schools will be going back to school, although it will be different from past years. Instead of one big day where school faculty, from teachers to principals, are out greeting young students or where middle school and high school students are trying to find their lockers, it will be two days. While those scenes may play out still there will be changes in the way of masks and social distancing. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020- 2021 school year will be one that is going to be vastly different.

This week marks the beginning of my 21st year at The New Prague Times and it’s definitely not how I imagined it would be.
Talking with Tony Buthe with the New Prague Area Schools and Chuck Kajer’s name came up. His death is still something that’s hard to accept. It’s been a year of learning all of the things he would take care of. Last week’s Back to School section was one aspect. There have been and will be other sections that we have to plan for where Chuck usually took the lead. You’re still missed my friend.

Are you serious? Are you really considering not to mask, even when it’s been mandated in Minnesota? I know it’s not the most comfortable, but I don’t find tight jeans or bathing suits very comfortable either, so I avoid them when possible.

One of the recent positive news items that has been popping up lately is the comet Neowise. It was discovered earlier this year and apparently there are only a few more days left for people to be able to see it this month. After that, the next time the comet is scheduled to come near Earth is 6,800 years from now. A person has a better chance to see Halley’s Comet, which will next show up in 2061. I could be here for that, it will only be seven years before my 100th birthday.

There are people who are slowly moving back to normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic, others have been moving more quickly and some never made any changes at all. Personally I think I’ve been all over the map.

It is now that other season in Minnesota, road construction. After several weeks of waiting, the Main Street 2020 project is now underway. Currently the work is on the west end of Main Street near the intersection with Highway 21. This is a project that the city, working with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, has been planning for over several years. Like any street project this is one that is going to require patience and some compromise to get through.

The Bob Dylan song “The Times They Are a-Changin’” is one that seems very appropriate over the last few months.
Dylan’s song was released in 1964, another time of changes, social unrest, racial tension, protests, and an ongoing war. There was even an influenza pandemic, but that came near the end of the decade in 1968.
For many people today, like then, life seems to be a roller coaster. Just when things seem to be settling down, here comes another crest to ride through.

Even though technically summer doesn’t officially start until June 20, nothing says its summer than temperatures in the high 80s or low 90s with lots of humidity.

So much has changed in the world in the last few weeks.
We’re entering unchartered territory in this fight against COVID-19.
Everyone at Suel Printing Company's newspapers (Montgomery Messenger, The New Prague Times, Waterville Lake Region Life and Elysian Enterprise) remains dedicated to providing you with a high-quality newspaper with consistent news coverage and delivery.
That said, we’re doing what we can with the resources we have to keep ourselves, our families, and our sources healthy.

There’s the old saying about March that if it comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb, or vice versa. So far March has been more like a lamb with temperatures in a pleasant range and little to no snow. If the saying holds true we could have some snowstorms later this month, but we will see.