Desperate for some summer

Precisely 20 years ago, this newspaper published its first article from a man with an impressive weather scrapbook and an even better weather-vane brain.

His name is Cliff Harris, and he has been a mainstay on Monday's weather page for years now.

Weather - pardon us - whether or not you appreciate Cliff's prognosticational batting average or his interpretations of root causes of climatic phenomena, we believe we have a proposal that will unite everybody in this community, striking a common ground that has until now been ripped asunder by political, religious, educational and athletic dissent.

Cliff, dang it, we're ready for summer.

All of us.

We know, we know. "I'm in sales, not production!" you always say. Well, you're the closest thing to a conduit with the weather gods we've got, so you'll have to do.

Serve up some summer please.

The Ironmen are worried that unless Lake Coeur d'Alene warms up, their toes and fingers won't accompany them across the finish line in a couple of weeks.

The kids are worried that just as the school year ends, they'll have to haul out their winter clothing again.

And the merchants are worried that without those blue skies and bodies bedecking the beaches, business will bottom out when it should be booming.

So there. We know how you feel about climate change, Cliff. Some of us agree with you, and some of us don't.

But one thing we all agree with is this locally cold, wet weather has gotta go. Please, facilitate some climate change we can all embrace. Turn up the heat.