SNOW-BOUND: It’s been a long time coming,...

SNOW-BOUND: It’s been a long time coming, but there’s finally snow on the cross-country trails around Frazier Park. Jill Curtis, manager of Frazier Ski & Pack, says there’s about a foot on the ground, thanks to a storm Sunday night. . . . Bring warm clothing, Curtis warns. Temperatures are getting up to only about 30. Chains are also necessary. “In the mountains, you never know what will happen.” . . For those who want to ski farther afield, several local ski clubs offer trips to destinations as far away as Canada (F15).

BOOKING IT: Bookstores continue to offer more than just a place to shop: There’s cappuccino, speakers and general camaraderie (F1A). At Borders, one of the county’s newest and largest book emporiums, speakers have included Nikita Khrushchev’s son, self-styled fashion czar Mr. Blackwell and outspoken conservative Dennis Prager. . . . Prager has been the most popular speaker, said Borders’ Scott Varley. “We had 200-plus for him. And we had around 250 of his books, and we sold them all that night.”

DOUBLE THREAT: Four people have died in Los Angeles County this month from meningitis-related illness linked to what one health official calls the worst flu season in years. No meningitis cases have been reported to Ventura County’s Department of Public Health, but epidemiologist Marilyn Billimek agrees that the flu season here is worse than usual. . . . Billimek is also worried about a case of measles reported in Newbury Park. Although the county had 70 cases last year--even more than Los Angeles--”we do not expect to see them. We don’t want them.”