And not a bad winter storm, at that, one with the good grace to arrive during the school Presidents Week vacation. Friday dawned with a surprising several inches of snow on the ground. (The forecast had not predicted that much, or that early.) Shoveling the driveway wasn’t difficult as the snowfall wasn’t a heavy one. The main streets and sidewalks were cleared Friday and, despite the freezing temperature, there’s no glaze on the surface (at least, not on the areas I visited this a.m.).

A kayaker was out on the harbor; conditions were good, as  there was no wind or ice.

The snow and slush did complicate picture-taking this a.m.; I  rely on marks on the sidewalk and dock surface to position the tripod each week, but this morning most of those were covered by snow.

The price of oil in trading hit another high this week (over $100), just in time for the delivery to my fuel tank. The price on the delivery ticket appears to be $3.449 a gallon; at the beginning of the season it was $3.299. Luckily, we’ve had a fairly mild season.

In the news: Skipper’s is closed for renovation. The Observer reports that the owners will be recovering the seats, refinishing the paneling and woodwork, installing marble tabletops and installing new bathrooms. Reopening is scheduled for Thursday; the owners say they plan to host a 30th anniversary party in the fall.

At Copenhagen Bakery, customers can cast their unofficial votes for two trustees -- and get a free cookie in return. (Real voting occurs at Village Hall March 18.) This year’s candidates have identified their parties as  the Beacon Party, the Truth and Reason Party, the Harbor Party and the Citizen’s Party.

The Observer also reports that residents on Bayview have petitioned the village board about a code violation at the home of one of their neighbors, the Murphys, who are operating a real estate office (with five employees) there. The area is zoned for residential only. The Murphys may have applied for a variance that would essentially legalize the operation; Mayor Doll and Trustee Kehoe are quoted saying they’ve been told such an application has been made, though neighbors said they were unable to find out if that was actually the case.

Newsday continues to report on developments re: school district attorneys who, though they are employed by law firms,  manage to contract for benefits (including a state pension) from the districts they’re assigned to. The practice, first reported to involve a lawyer formerly with Ingerman Smith, is now reported to involve several districts.