We can’t deny it; summer is winding down

It’s already August 15 so it looks like we can’t deny it. Summer, at least as far as vacations are concerned, is coming to an end.

Last weekend the Kasson Festival in the Park drew a big crowd. But, aside from a couple of county fairs in the area such as the Steele County Fair which is going on this week, and the State Fair, which starts next Thursday, the festival was the last big weekend event of the summer.

That’s not to say that there are no community events coming up. Marigold Days is coming up the weekend after Labor Day and later in September Kasson will be having its Oktoberfest. And Mantorville has an event in October.

But I think most of us can agree that for all practical purposes, summer ends on Labor Day. By the week after Labor Day kids will be going back to the classroom and Friday nights will see high school football take center stagealong with soccer, cross-country and volleyball. In fact, those teams will be seeing action even before Labor Day.

So, assuming Labor Day is the end of summer, now is definitely the time to enjoy those last few days before the routine of the school year and work return.

Many people, especially those involved in politics, claim that voters do not really begin to pay attention to elections until after Labor Day.

That seems to be the case. I’m writing this on this past Tuesday, which just happens to be Minnesota Primary Day. I live in a township that has a small voting base but when I went to the polls late morning I was voter #14. I suspect the 13 people who voted before me also included those who were working at the polling place.

Granted, there were not a lot of races in our immediate area, mainly people who were challenging the party-selected candidates for the U.S. Senate seat. Tuesday was also the last day people could file to run for a city or school board office. Final numbers of candidates would not be known until the 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline, but early filing information did not seem to show people racing to get their names on the ballot.

Hopefully interest in the November election will pick up once the “official” campaign season begins.

Locally one would hope there will be plenty of interest. There are city council and school board positions on the ballot in every town and district. One would expect a big turnout in the Byron School District as the board has approved placing a levy referendum before the voters. That referendum would provide an additional $800 per student per year for ten years. The money, of course, would be raised through property taxes.

No doubt we will be hearing more about that referendum in the coming months.

It also seems like the presidential race is seeing increased enthusiasm in the weeks since President Biden announced he would withdraw from the race. Among Democrats, at least, there is increased excitement and energy with the candidacy of Vice President Harris for president and her selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice-presidential candidate.

Let’s hope this new interest in the presidential race continues right up to election day on behalf of both parties.