Time to change clocks — and watering habits

BEACON FILE PHOTO
Time to change the time — Setting the clock atop the Volusia County Historic Courthouse is the duty of Volusia County Facilities Maintenance Supervisor John Blakely. Will he climb the dome at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, to set the clock back an hour to Eastern Standard Time? “No,” Blakely said. He will do it first thing Monday morning, Nov. 2. The clock is operated with weights, similar to a cuckoo clock, he explained. It has a mechanism that lets Blakely remove pins and turn the clockwork to set the clock ahead. In the case of “falling back” off daylight saving time, Blakely said it is easier, but more time-consuming, to stop the pendulum and let the time adjust itself. That also makes it easier to keep the chimes synchronized.

By Pat Hatfield
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Oct 27, 2009 - 9:55:05am

Floridians used to “fall back” or set their clocks back an hour in October, to switch from daylight saving time to Eastern Standard Time. Then, the U.S. Congress passed a law extending daylight saving time by one month, beginning in 2007.

Now, daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March – three weeks earlier than before. Daylight saving time now ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November — a week later than before.

This year, we’ll revert to Eastern Standard Time at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. It will be time to set the clocks back an hour and get an extra hour of sleep.

Local fire departments recommend you use some of the extra time to change batteries in household smoke detectors. Doing this at the time change is one way to remember to do it.

The St. Johns River Water Management District also reminds everyone that when Eastern Standard Time begins, lawn and landscape irrigation is allowed only one day a week, instead of two.

“Lawns need much less water in the cooler months because of winter dormancy. To reflect this reduced need, lawn-watering will be limited to no more than one day per week until the return of daylight saving time,” Water Management District spokesman Ed Garland explained.

Homes with addresses that end in an odd number, or that have no addresses, may water only on Saturdays. Homes with addresses that end in an even number may water only on Sundays. Irrigation at businesses or other nonresidential locations is allowed only on Tuesdays.

Also, watering is allowed only before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m., year-round.

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

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