Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the summer of 2020. Welcome to the season of renewal, of great beauty, of inspiration from small wonders. Welcome to the waters and woods of this beautiful region and welcome to the pages of Summertime in the Belgrades.

Every summer our greetings include the saying that the more things change for us the more they remain the same. For the summer of 2020 some routines, traditions, outings and gatherings are in a state of change; many that we love aren't.

Spring didn't let us down. This year the lead-in to summer started up, balked, and restarted — several times — the same as usual, and that was comforting. Dandelion greens appeared at the end of March. The greening of lawns, fields and parks began at the end of April. In between there were two snowstorms and a blizzard, electricity outages, damaging winds, flooding and mud and a mass population transition to working, studying, playing, remaining at home to avert the new coronavirus pandemic.

Human signs of summer didn't changed. Armed with new caution but nonetheless celebrating the outdoors, walkers, bicyclers and dogs pulling owners paraded along roadsides. Shorefront properties were visited and spruced up, hiking trails were extra, extra popular and local businesses, those family and mom-and-pop and summer-only stores and shops that hold together the seasonal economy, came to life as always with shutters loosened and seasonal-workers-wanted signs up.

New this year, flags and banners touted take out, pick up, delivery. The 18-hour day, the 7-day week, the summer-long-and-still-smiling work season would begin, catering to a sidewalk society if necessary.

The first issue of Summertime in the Belgrades is often greeted with, "Now we know summer is here," and it is.

Our columnists, our comprehensive coverage of news, history and life among the lakes, the woods, the waterways and the villages and towns, and our reporting on events — updated, changed, postponed, rescheduled — will fill every issue.

Also filling every issue will be many reminders that the big event in the Belgrades and beyond is the beauty of the natural setting and the beckoning of the great outdoors.

We cannot overlook the fact that the global world and our Belgrades world are living with a lifestyle-changing pandemic, but we can look over the many wholesome, family-oriented and near to Nature ways we can live through it — including bringing Summertime in the Belgrades to you.

Welcome to summer!

The Summertime in the Belgrades staff:
Esther, Michael, Gregor, Corey, and Ethan

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