Times are a-changing

As March stampedes to a close, it brings about more change across the wider Franklin and North Waikato areas.

We’ve had changes across the board, from new developments (like the newly announced steel manufacturing plant in North Waikato and a new supermarket for Paerata Rise), to the never-ending roadworks cropping up on various parts of our state highways and across most of our towns and villages, to the raft of retirement announcements from our politicians.

And let’s not talk about the ongoing pain at the fuel pump.

Daylight saving time is also due to end in a week, which means an extra hour of sleep for many (probably not me, because our kids are young).

Daylight saving time ends every year at 3am on the first Sunday in April, so this year it ends at 3am on Sunday, April 5.

Remember, that means clocks go back for the winter, from 3am to 2am.

And with the “Mondayisation” of public holidays, this year we will see Anzac services held on Saturday, April 25, but a public holiday observed on Monday, April 27.

For me personally, this is my last From the Editor column. I will be moving into a new role that works with my part-time hours while the editor position moves to a full-time one as we grow the Franklin Times. Rest assured, we will continue to run our regular features, and you’ll still be reading my byline within these pages and on our website. Our incoming editor, Jon Rawlinson, will be a familiar face to many, and I’m sure he’s raring to get back into the swing of things.

In the meantime, keep your chin up in these busy times, and good luck to all of you tackling the upcoming school holidays. Keep an eye on the What’s On section of our website as events are regularly added as our readers send them through to us.

And have a wonderful Easter break!