Community Corner

Don't Forget to 'Spring Forward' on Sunday, It's Daylight Saving Time

Set your clocks one hour ahead before you hit the sheets Saturday night, Chesterfield Township and New Baltimore.

Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday, March 10, which means you'll want to remember to set your clocks one hour ahead before you go to bed Saturday night.

Yes, this means you'll lose an hour of sleep, but it also means you'll have the sun until 7 p.m. in Chesterfield Township and New Baltimore.

This year, Daylight Savings runs from March 10 until Nov. 3. The first day of Spring is Wednesday, March 20.

Find out what's happening in New Baltimore-Chesterfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Find out what's happening in New Baltimore-Chesterfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Benjamin Franklin has been credited with the idea of Daylight Saving Time, but Britain and Germany began using the concept in World War I to conserve energy, the Washington Post observes. The U.S. used Daylight Saving Time for a brief time during the war, but it didn't become widely accepted in the States until after the second World War.

In 1966, the Uniform Time Act outlined that clocks should be set forward on the last Sunday in April and set back the last Sunday in October.

That law was amended in 1986 to start daylight saving time on the first Sunday in April, though the new system wasn't implemented until 1987. The end date was not changed, however, and remained the last Sunday in October until 2006.

The time change will precede the first day of spring and the vernal equinox, which is set to take place at 7:02 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 20.

Change your clock, change your battery

Chesterfield Township Fire Chief Doug Charbonneau reminds residents that smoke detector batteries should be changed on Daylight Savings and at the same time clocks are set back in fall.

Regular checks on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are needed monthly as well, Charbonneau said Friday.

"It's important that everybody tests their smoke detectors once a month by pushing the button on them," he said, adding vacuum extensions should be used to clean dust and cobwebs from the detectors as well.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here