Freeze, thaw, freeze again — that is a Gaylord winter's real signature, and it falls hardest on pavement. Otsego Excavating & Paving LLC plows drives, aprons and parking areas across the county and treats the ice that forms wherever meltwater runs and then stops. They scrape down to the surface without chewing it up, keep piles off the edges where they would sit and soak, and salt the low spots that go glassy after dark. A lot cleared properly in January is a lot in better shape come April. That is the part people notice later, which is the best time to notice it.