DO WE NEED A SUMMER VACATION? Wouldn’t that have been a nice student essay in high school. But it was never the title of part of a writing exercise in my school days. Probably still isn’t an acceptable topic for a final exam now. What if students like me said what we really thought?

Imagine how the topic could serve as an important teaching tool. Kids could consider climate change, workers’ rights, public health and the role of unions (historical and present), not to mention the impact of pandemics on society, and thoughts on romance, ice cream, fashion, music, sports and kind of, you know, like, everything. (Did I mention romance?)

So even though we don’t have the benefit of what’s really on kids’ minds, we do have the duty to remind our readers that we strongly believe in the benefits of time off. And the way we express our belief in the importance in summer vacations is to publish a “double issue” this time of year and then return two weeks later to our regular weekly schedule.

Put another way, this is print Issue No. 31-32. It is being published August 4, 2022. It will remain on newsstands exactly as you see it today for two weeks. The next paper, No. 33, will be delivered to newsstands and the U.S. Postal Service on August 18, 2022.

If something really important comes up, we’ll try to get it online at www.columbiapaper.com

We’ve scheduled the paper this way for years but every year there are a few readers who miss our alerts on the schedule changes (we do a similar double issue at the end of the year). We apologize to these readers in advance, but frankly, we need a brief change of scenery or at least a break in the schedule. We hope you’ll take a break too.

Ryan for Congress

THERE’S A SPECIAL ELECTION August 23 (plus early voting). It will be to choose who will get to fill out the congressional term of Antonio Delgado, who resigned to take the post of lieutenant governor. The term lasts only about 4 months, but it’s a critical time. The two candidates are Republican Marcus Molinaro and Democrat Pat Ryan.

All voters registered to vote in Columbia Country are eligible to vote.

Both candidates are county executives, Mr. Molinaro in Dutchess County and Mr. Ryan in Ulster County. Both have deep roots in their communities. Regardless of which one wins this seat, I expect to see them in a rematch in the November General Election.

In any other times this would be a difficult choice. But with climate change now stalking us every day and the threat to women’s health growing all around the nation, Pat Ryan is the only logical choice.

I urge you to select Pat Ryan in the August 23 Special Election.