The clocks have been set one hour forward, and many Coloradans are enjoying that extra hour of sunshine during the evening hours, but not everyone likes the idea of changing their clocks each spring and fall. Elbert County News caught up with six Elbert County residents at the Democratic county assembly who had mixed views on the topic of daylight saving time.
“No, I am not looking forward to it,” said Josh Conaughty, owner of Access Granted Printing. “Either way it goes, forward or backward, it always screws me up.”
Conaughty said that the biannual change affects him for at least a week, and the worst part about it is losing the hour of sleep each spring when the clocks are set forward.
Joni Miller of Simla looks forward to lighter evenings.
“It seems like I have more time at night. I just like having the sun out at 7,” she said. “I like it in the spring and hate it in the fall.”
Miller said that given the choice she would favor remaining on daylight saving time year-round.
Though he does enjoy having the sun out later in the summer evenings, Tim Gaffigan looks forward to setting his clocks back in the fall for that extra hour to sleep in.
When asked if he would support Colorado staying on daylight saving time year round, he said, “I don’t know if I would support it or not; I haven’t given it much thought. I hope we come up with more important things to vote on.”
Anne Donovan Heneghan from northwest Elbert County likes it lighter later and tends to be more active when the sun is still up in the evenings.
“I feel like I have a day when I come home from work,” she said. “I still have time when I come home from work to do things.”
Heneghan takes advantage of her “day” to handle chores around the house and to garden.
Alan Krenek says that it can be inconvenient to make the switch each spring and fall, but he does like the change.
“Yes, I appreciate the time change; it gives me more time in the evening. It makes the days seem longer,” he said. “My wife in particular doesn’t like driving home in the dark. It doesn’t fix leaving for work in the dark, but it does make the evening more pleasant.”
“Not at all!” said Leslie Anderson of Elizabeth. “It throws me off for weeks. My pets aren’t getting fed on time. My husband and I aren’t eating on the same schedule. We are thrown off for weeks.”
A night owl by nature, Anderson would prefer that Colorado pick a time and stick with it.
“I’m OK with it being the early one or the late one. Even as a night owl, at least with the early one I can adjust to a certain time waking up.”
