Time is the one thing that many of us wish we had more of, although in about a week’s, well, time we have two events that deal with the changing of time. Last Saturday was Leap Day, February 29, that one extra day in February that only happens every four years. As someone once put it if we didn’t add that one day every four years our calendars would eventually not making any sense. After a century our calendars would be off by 24 days.

There are some weeks, sometimes one day after another, where the phrase, “OK, what’s next?” seems vastly appropriate.

It’s not even March yet and there are already those sports gearing up for state tournaments. At least one, the State Dance Team Tournament, has already happened. The state tournament for girls hockey and gymnastics are going on over the next few days. In the next few weeks, there will be the tourneys for wrestling, boys hockey, adaptive floor hockey and girls and boys basketball.

This Tuesday, Feb. 18, New Prague area residents can provide input into what ambulance service will provide aid to the community and the region around town. This time of public comment will be held at New Prague City Hall at 6 p.m. Another option for those who wish to be heard, you can send comments to City Hall by way of emails or letters.
The council decided at its Monday, Feb. 3, meeting to request public comment on the issue. It will help decide whether the city should remain with North Memorial Health’s ambulance service or go with Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague.

This spring two long awaited scheduled projects will finally get started. For New Prague it will be the Main Street project, the reconstruction of the street, sidewalks and replacing of utilities underneath the street, some of which are nearly a century old. In Elko New Market it will be the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of their Main Street (Scott County Road 2) and Natchez Avenue (Scott County Road 91).

Last weekend was a reminder that it’s still definitely winter and we have a little more than two months left of snow, ice, cold temperatures and wind. If we’re lucky we won’t have a snowstorm in April, but you never know.

When I was growing up I would see this framed article in my grandparents’ house. It was a simple typed message with two pictures included. One was of President John F. Kennedy and the other was of my Uncle Cyril Fisher. I never was able to get to know my uncle. He had died in a car crash in his teens.

While the end of the year is still about a week away, many are making plans, or already have them in place, about how they will end the year and welcome the new one.
People reading this are likely still on Christmas vacation or just coming back from the time they spent with family and friends. For children, they’re busily playing with the latest toy or video game or perhaps glued to a new phone. For adults they are trying to figure out the instructions of that new electronic device or perhaps a piece of furniture.

Every so often in a yard or a window around this time of year, a person can see a sign that asks people to remember the reason for the season. And while we should remember why we are celebrating, we should also remember that one of the teachings of that little babe was helping others.

We’ve reached another Thanksgiving and I think for many of us there are always some memories of past Thanksgivings. There are likely two areas where those memories fall into — family and food.

He was kind of like New Prague’s own Sid Hartmann when it came to sports. His Sid Hartmann bobblehead graced his desk area. I don’t know that he had as many “close personal friends” as Sid, but I do know that he had a lot of friends, and even more people that recognized him when he was in our community, whether walking down Main Street or covering local sports. He loved his New Prague Trojans and was a proud St. John’s Johnnie.

As many of you know, The New Prague Times’ editor, Chuck Kajer, died unexpectedly last week. Chuck was at The Times for nine years and then left to work for Sun Newspapers in the Twin Cities metro area. Chuck eventually came back and he and I worked together for about 17 years. Our first meeting was before he came back to The Times. It was just before I came to work for the paper. I had had a job interview with The Times’ publisher Chuck Wann and a few days later I had an interview at Sun Newspapers.

This weekend, most of the United States will try to remember the old adage, “Spring forward, fall back.” as Daylight Saving Time comes to an end.
Twice each year, our internal clocks get rewired as we have to adjust to a slightly new sleep schedule. It’s going to get dark earlier in the evening and the sun will be coming up earlier in the morning as well.

If you spend any time driving rural roads this time of year, you know it’s harvest time.

Halloween is “creeping around the corner,” according to a press release that came across my email this week.
The holiday brings back a mixed variety of memories. My earliest Halloween memories are the costumes we had for trick-or-treating when I was young.

Last week’s snow brought attention to the fact that summer is definitely over. 
Still, it doesn’t mean that winter is here. Fall weather is here in full force, and the crisp morning and evening air, along with the crackling of leaves underfoot and colorful canvases on the trees makes it a time of year to celebrate.
There are plenty of activities to enjoy during the fall. This weekend, the Gopher State Railway Museum hosts its annual Pumpkin Train; Barten Pumpkins will be open the next two weekends, and many county, regional and state parks have fall programs.