The Farmingdale Community Summit Council on Dec. 12 began placing the final touches on "Farmingdale Reads," a village-wide inaugural program aimed at promoting literacy.

Farmingdale Reads will take place throughout March at high school classrooms, the library, coffee shops and book stores. Residents will read To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that teaches acceptance and family respect in the segregated south. School District Superintendent Dr. Roberta Gerold -- who has set up the program - said the 1960 book is a perfect choice following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"I guess it's part of life and we need to move on," she said during the meeting. "To Kill a Mockingbird is appropriate."

Dr. Gerold decided to implement a literacy program following an August New York Times article that touted the success of a similar program in Chicago. She said Farmingdale should be proactive in promoting reading and said the event would be a "wondrous activity." But while literacy is vital, Farmingdale Reads will accomplish another important goal, the superintendent said.

"This is a great way to bring the community together," said Dr. Gerold. "This is a way to unite the community in a project."

The event will be finalized during a Jan. 9 Farmingdale Reads subcommittee meeting, said Dr. Gerold. For those who prefer to read books on tape, an option will be provided. Thirty-one different residents will each record a chapter from the book onto tape. Town Supervisor John Venditto and Dr. Gerold have already agreed to record chapters. Other politicians will be approached and any interested individuals are encouraged to participate. The tapes must be completed by March 1, said Tom Sabellico, summit chairman. Dr. Gerold said she chose March for Farmingdale Reads because it's a "quiet month" with few conflicting activities. She said she hoped the literacy program would become an annual event with a different book selected by the subcommittee each year. The Great Gatsby, an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel taking place in New York, is a possible future choice.

Promotions for the event will begin in January, said Dr. Gerold. The summit is looking for donations and sponsorships for the event. Donations starting at $75 and ascending to $250 will help pay for brochures, bookmarks and placemats designed by students and will promote a business or organization's name that will be distributed to area schools, restaurants and the library.

For more information about any aspect of the program, contact Dr. Gerold at 752-6510.