For those of us in the Midwest, it’s been a cold start to spring. Winter has held on a bit longer than usual, and it’s just a hunch but I think that’s part of the reason the economy is still in the doldrums. It seems people have been in a sort of hibernation, waiting for things to pick up.

For those of us in the Midwest, it’s been a cold start to spring. Winter has held on a bit longer than usual, and it’s just a hunch but I think that’s part of the reason the economy is still in the doldrums. It seems people have been in a sort of hibernation, waiting for things to pick up.

One unmistakable sign of spring is the opening of the major league baseball season, which (thank heaven!) started this week. Detroit’s home opener is April 10, and while the day is notorious for unspringlike weather, it’s also famous for raucous good cheer.

Like the hope that springs eternal at the start of every season for a baseball team, I know we all look forward to the economy perking up as well. Let’s pray the roofing industry and all commercial and residential building owners have a brighter than expected spring and summer this year. (One thing I know for sure is that the spectacular ice dams I saw in Michigan will surely leave some repair work behind.)

Let’s hope our home teams get off to a hot start this quarter. If not, as they used to say in Brooklyn, it’ll be another case of “Wait till next year.”