Storm hits the shore

Yet another storm has reminded us that northeast winters can be brutal. This latest blast began last Thursday afternoon in Nassau as rain, then heavy rain, and then as temperatures fell, morphed into snowflakes. Inch-by-stormy-inch, the snow piled up overnight to near a foot or so in western Nassau to somewhat less in mid- and eastern parts of the county.

With public and private schools closed, students got a day to play or stay cozy warm at home. But in Long Beach, at least, not only kids seemed happy with this latest blast of Old Man Winter. While most adults who went to work found it slow going, with highways well plowed but side streets difficult, depending on when they traveled, surfers headed out to sea and others did some cross-country skiing on the beach.