The Daily Five: Schools, State Offices Closed, Travel Hazards, And Old Lyme Makes World News

1. Dense fog brought visibility down to practically zero starting at about rush hour yesterday and it didn't lift until 11 p.m. but today we're finally going to see some sunshine. Weather.com is predicting clear, sunny skies with a high of 42 degrees and a clear but cold night with temperatures dropping to 27 degrees.  

2. Today is Lincoln's Birthday, which is a state holiday in Connecticut. State government offices, including the Department of Motor Vehicles and the courts in New London are closed today. Most municipal employees don't get the day off but Lyme Town Hall will be closed in honor of the holiday.

3. Schools will be closed again today in East Lyme, Old Lyme and Lyme and all before and after school activities are canceled due to concerns about the school buses' ability to get to every stop because some roads still aren't clear.

At last night's East Lyme Board of Education, East Lyme School Superintendent James Lombardo said he'd like to put together a backup plan for the future that would include alternative pick-up and drop-off locations for when main roads are clear but smaller cul-de-sacs remain inaccessible to buses following a natural disaster.

Lombardo said that school maintenance employees worked 48 hours straight to clear the school driveways and parking lots of snow right down to the blacktop and that the schools themselves were prepared to open.   

4. East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme continue to work on clearing roads of snow and debris but drivers are asked to exercise caution and keep an eye out for hazards.

East Lyme is warning drivers on South Edgewood Road in Giants Neck to be careful because there are low hanging wires that tall vehicles such as SUVs may not be able to clear. Don't try to move the wires. If you see downed wires or other road hazards in East Lyme, call the East Lyme Dispatch Center at 860-739-3419. 

In Old Lyme, pay loaders, bucket loaders and town plow trucks continue to work in the areas of Coult Lane, Binney Road, Shore Road, and the entire area of Rogers Lake and Mile Creek. There is roadway flooding in low lying areas so be careful and if your street is still blocked by snow or flooding, contact the EOC Call Center at 860-598-0120.  

Roads are clear enough for East Lyme to resume curbside garbage pickup today. In Old Lyme, Shoreline Sanitation resumes garbage and recycling collection today on a "Monday-holiday schedule." 

5. Old Lyme made the national news on Sunday when the town was featured as part of ABC's World News's coverage of the storm. As the gist of the report was that half the town was without power, most of us didn't see it but you'll find it on ABC News' Web site with the report titled, "Rising Temperatures Add to Blizzard Woes—Life slowly returns to normal across Northeast following record breaking snow storm."

Now power has finally been restored to East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme, both the Red Cross Regional Emergency Shelter at East Lyme Middle School and the Respite Center at Lymes' Senior Center in Old Lyme are closed. The Senior Center will resume its usual activities and be operating at normal hours today.