I was fortunate enough to make the trip back to Saratoga from my family's gathering early this morning, before the roads became choked with holiday travelers. I had a little snow and slush to deal with on the roads -- and it was enough to send a black SUV into an 18-wheeler on the thruway in the neighborhood of exit 15, even at the early-morning hour that I drove through.

So, I hope this post finds everyone back from Thanksgiving well-rested, and safe.

As I write, it's snowing outside the newsroom windows, and I can't help but notice that I've not yet seen any DPW plows out spreading sand or salt (or a mixture thereof).

There is some concern, aired at recent council meetings that this will be a long, cold, and snowy winter, and although the council agreed to slide DPW an additional $120,000 at their last budget meeting last week, there is still a Grand Canyon-sized hole in the DPW budget, which could force the department to stretch things like ice-fighting commodities thinner than they are accustomed to doing.

While this is doubtless an unavoidable symptom of the time we're living in, I thought I would just take this opportunity -- the first appreciable snowfall in the city -- to make a plea: please drive and walk safe out there. I sincerly hope that I don't come back to the office in the morning to find a pile of police press releases about traffic accidents...