Victory at last (Bob Arihood/ Neither More Nor Less)

After a see-sawing week of failed inspections, late-night cleanings, and repeated visits from the DOH, a-la-minute East Village photographer Bob Arihood reports that as of 3 p.m. this afternoon, beleaguered Avenue A institution Ray's Candy Store officially, legally, open for business.

Arihood writes: "Sometime between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Friday afternoon an inspector from the Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene lifted the closure order from Ray's Candy Store. Ray is 'legally' open for business. Now all Ray has to do is pay the thousands in fines."

No one answered when we called the store to confirm, hopefully because owner Ray Alvarez and the dedicated crew that's been helping him round-the-clock to clean up his store are toasting with a fine egg creme.