Senator Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. is urging all Nassau County residents to take advantage of valuable school property tax savings by signing up for New York State's STAR Program.

Úquot;Since it was implemented in 1997, the STAR program has saved New York State homeowners over $11.6 billion,Úquot; Fuschillo said. Úquot;I urge anyone who is not already enrolled in this program to take advantage of these valuable tax savings. No one should ever have to pay more than their fair share.Úquot;

The STAR program works in two parts:

* Basic STAR is available to all New Yorkers who own and live in their own home, condominium or cooperative apartment, regardless or income level or age.

* Enhanced STAR is available to senior citizen (aged 65 and older) property owners whose annual adjusted gross income level is under $63,750. If the property is owned by a husband and wife, or by siblings, only one of them must be at least 65 years old to qualify for this exemption.

Residents who already receive the Basic STAR exemption or who participate in the Enhanced STAR Income Verification Program do not need to refile.

For more information about the STAR program, please call Senator Fuschillo's office at 546-4100. To obtain an application for either the Basic or Enhanced STAR program, or to find out about additional tax exemptions, please contact the Nassau County Assessor's office at 571-5100 or visit their office at 240 Old Country Road in Mineola. Applications must be filed between Sept. 1, 2004 and Jan. 2, 2005.

Senator Fuschillo, chairman of the New York State Senate Consumer Protection Committee, is reminding residents to register for the Úquot;Do Not CallÚquot; Registry.

Úquot;The 'Do Not Call' Registry provides residents with protection from unwanted telemarketing phone calls and helps them improve their level of privacy,Úquot; said Fuschillo, who authored the legislation which created the registry. Úquot;According to the New York State Consumer Protection Board, the 'Do Not Call' Registry has prevented over 500 million sales calls from coming into New York's households since its inception in 2000. I encourage anyone who is not already registered to sign up for the registry and receive the comprehensive protections from telemarketing phone calls available.Úquot;

The law requires telemarketers to search the registry every three months and remove registered phone numbers from their call lists. Telemarketing companies who violate the law face fines of up to $11,000 per infraction.

To register for the Úquot;Do Not CallÚquot; Registry, log onto www.donotcall.gov or call the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-888-382-1222 from the telephone you wish to register. Once a phone number is registered, telemarketers will have up to three months to remove it from their calling lists. Registrations are valid for five years.

Anybody with questions regarding the Úquot;Do Not CallÚquot; Registry may call Senator Fuschillo's office at 546-4100.