When the Williamsport Guardian went on hiatus some months ago, I thought my column-writing days were over. I’d written one nearly every month, but when it stopped publishing during the run-up to the election, I said to myself, “Well, that was fun,” but prepared myself for whatever was to come next.

For those of you who missed me, I’m back.

Here’s my take on the state of politics in 2009: We’ve only just begun! In 2008, we were given little-to-no chance to make the kinds of changes that came our way. Now, in this new political season, it’s important to keep up the momentum and start making more waves, more change . . . this time, from the bottom up.

The contests now being carried out are some of the most important we face--after all, the judge you fail to vote for today may be the judge that seals your fate tomorrow! The township supervisor you don’t vote for may be the one we all needed to keep our beautiful valley from being overrun by unchecked developers. The city councilperson whose name you miss when going to the polls may be the one who would have, had he or she been elected, attracted that new company that we so desperately need in our area to provide us with desperately needed job opportunities.

It’s up to us to protect our environment, and that includes protecting the stewards of our land, the local farmers and ranchers. Buying produce locally drastically reduces our individual and collective carbon footprint, reducing demand for fossil fuels. Which would you prefer, a garden or a strip mine?

It comes down to cases, folks. If we let those who want to dig up, drill for, pump out, or otherwise remove our environment in search of more go-juice and -gas, it’s our own fault. I’ve never seen an oil or gas well I could fall in love with, but I never fail to marvel at the woods around my home. Please buy your produce locally, if at all possible.