Many will be enjoying a long holiday starting today as part of the Labor Day weekend. A real nice four-days off stretch to mark what many folks consider summer’s end.

Labor Day once marked the end of traditional summer including back-to-school and the start of fall sports such as high school football. But not so much any longer. Schools have been in session, local swimming pools are closed for the season and school sports are well underway.

Autumn is coming soon. With it comes the gorgeous colors of changing leaves, chills in the morning and evening airs, checks of our home heating systems, tired corn stalks leaning against each other and the Halloween/Octoberfests seasons.

But for now enjoy your weekend. Let’s hope the great weather lingers –especially with the Canfield Fair here again.

Many of us are working this holiday weekend including Labor Day. Some don’t mind, some don’t have a choice. Thanks to all of you.

On Labor Day we must not forget the importance of using the day to recognize the dedication displayed by area workers and appreciate the meaningful jobs that they do. We must recognize the efforts of past workers — our now retired seniors — who forged our nation into the finest in the history of mankind.

Labor Day was enacted as a federal holiday to be celebrated the first Monday in September by Congress on June 28, 1894. Federal legislators approved the Labor Day holiday only after earlier proposals were made on some statewide levels. One suggestion had come from Peter J. McGuire, a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, to set aside a day for a “general holiday for the laboring classes” to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”

Our country is always changing and 2025 is a different kind of Labor Day. Our economy is constantly challenged. Inflation is part of everyday conversations. Of course, too, we always have politicians with all the answers harping in our ears. Most of whom have no idea what they are talking about. But don’t you dare tell them or their acolytes that. And who isn’t sick of the word “tariff?”

The critical importance of workers in every walk of life cannot be more evident then now. Locally owned mom-and-pop shops and the workers they employed have been swallowed up by big retailers. It seems some –not all of our youth, mind you –are void of the giddy up-and-go that the young of yesteryears possessed, honing an iron-hard work ethic that was carried throughout their adults lives. There is too much entitlement and not enough sweat equity mindset. Some of that COVID money from five years ago –not all of it, mind you but some –went to the underserving who took advantage of an overwhelmed government handout system without any watchdogging in place. Thus, the laziest got even lazier. Many still are.

It seems blanket government handouts are part of the problem as much as a solution. Why work if you are getting more money not to? A reality is that “free” government money will never disappear. If government assistance provides for the legitimately needy, then certainly do so. But it is time for so many undeserving to quit feeding at the government trough. Whatever happened to the meaning of “work ethic” and “self pride” for so many who would prefer to essentially be paid not to work? At some point it has to end, right? Right!?

The upcoming holiday shopping season will be crucial to the economic health of our entire nation. Many employers are still begging for workers, offering hourly rates you never would have imagined for, say, fast-food workers. Many businesses are offering incentives and even sign-on bonuses.

But in many, many instances throughout our area, we know that dedicated, hard-working employees are doing what they can to keep those businesses open and operating, even when the number of workers falls well below the ideal situation. Countless dedicated workers graciously have agreed to juggle more responsibilities, take on additional hours or shifts and generally take on more tasks than should be required.

Without a doubt, those good workers here and nationwide keep businesses humming and profitable. So if your Labor Day includes a trip to a local retailer for some shopping or for eating out, we urge you to recognize the workers ringing you out, or the servers bringing your food or the clerks waiting on you. Leave a nice tip if they deserve it.

While Labor Day always was intended to honor these workers, the challenges of 2025 clearly makes workers and the jobs they do every single day — including no holidays off — even more deserving of appreciation.

So, let’s continue to be mindful of some difficulties facing understaffed businesses. Give their workers your patience. Let them know that we appreciate and respect that they are there, contributing to society and to the businesses that employ them.

Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day stretch. Enjoy your family. Enjoy a round of golf. Enjoy a good snooze or half-dozen. Enjoy a good, grilled steak. Enjoy the fair. Enjoy Ohio State beat Texas. And for those supporting the workers of your community newspapers, thank you very much.