Summertime

Summer is here once again.

The columns of this newspaper have put a focus on summertime for as long at it has been in print. What the editors printed on Aug. 14, 1897, in the first issue, when it cost 5 cents on the newsstand, has relevance today as an historical record of the life and times of our community way back when — William McKinley was president and the gas-powered motor car was  becoming a commercial reality.

In that first edition, the editors chose to carry a front page story that warned of the ‘Perils of the Klondike’ faced by gold hunters rushing to Alaska, claiming they will face ‘almost sure death’ as a result of an impending reign of crime and starvation. But they also chose — a few columns over on the page —  to memorialize summertime with a lighter, celebratory entry, a poem about the season, entitled “Summer.”

Summer

Bird-song and sweet laughter, sound of water falling, hum of bee,

The air is full of music, and there comes soft cadence from the sea;

Sunshine, bloom and beauty, light and warmth of summer all around,

On my soul joy’s sun is shining, in my heart the love-notes sound.

—The London Lady

In this week’s edition, the editors are struck by the whimsy of a local writer who conveys the charms of the ordinary firefly — a summertime treat that typically appears in May, June and July.  “The Light Show,” by Clemens Loew of Salisbury, appears here. It’s our way, in today’s day and age, to acknowledge the mood that  can accompany this season.

Summertime is here, and it is a time not only for the quiet backyard moment at twilight, but also a time for the community to get outdoors to see and be seen, and participate in a seemingly endless number of events and summer activities. It’s a time for the community to come together — outdoors.

There’s even a catch-and-release firefly celebration at the Scoville Memorial Library in Salisbury on June 29. The Salisbury Association Land Trust will host a mushroom walk on July 1 on Sugar Hill in the Amesbury section of Salisbury. There is music everywhere, it seems. Music Mountain has a full summer concert series. There’s a  free concert featuring the Steve Dunn Band at Millerton’s Eddie Collins Park on July 8. The Sharon Playhouse has a stunning lineup this summer. There are  summer movie nights. The now-mega Falls Village Car Show will flood Main Street with vintage vehicles on July 9. A few days later, North Canaan will come alive with Railroad Days, celebrating its 59th year. Whether a weekender or a resident, bikers and hikers and boaters will find the roads and trails and waterways waiting. On Aug. 13, The Lakeville Journal will hold its own Community Fair on Academy Street in Salisbury.

In 1897, the editors of this newspaper thought enough of summertime to accord it a small tribute at the top of the front page. Today, the editors have taken a moment to recognize that they stand on the shoulders of those who came before. If over the years the generations of editors were able to keep this newspaper going for 126 years, we should take notice.

Summer is here once again.