A Treasure Coast Essay (2011-12-19)
FORT PIERCE, FL (wqcs) - Winter arrives at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday. It promises to be brutally cold and snowy in much of the U.S., just like last year. You'll recall that blizzards blasted the Northeast and Midwest. New York City had one of its snowiest winters on record. But forecasters predict that, except for the Panhandle, Florida's winter will be mild and dry. That's mostly good news. But if it's too dry, that could lead to another summer of drought. Let's hope it's just dry enough The usually balmy weather is one of the good things about winter on the Treasure Coast. What else? I asked my friends. They said outdoor activities made possible by the good weather - such as fishing, golf, tennis and kayaking. Cultural stuff - concerts, art exhibits, lectures. A good growing season for vegetables and flowers - petunias, pansies and other annuals. Of course, winter is when tourists and seasonal residents are here. That's good news for many businesses. But traffic backs up. Restaurants are crowded. It's hard to find a place to park. One year-round resident used just a few words to sum up the good and the bad about winter on the Treasure Coast. This is what he said: "The good -- lovely weather. The bad -- the additional people who show up here to enjoy the lovely weather." For 88.9 FM, this is Paul Janensch.
Treasure Coast Essayist Paul Janensch was a newspaper editor and taught journalism at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.
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