On Wednesday evening, Nov. 30, the Village of Farmingdale conducted the 17th annual holiday lighting of the Tricentennial Tree, a tradition which grew out of the Tricentennial of Settlement observance of 1987.

As coordinator of this event, I would like to thank the many individuals and groups who made this joyous ceremony possible.

* Mayor George Graf for his special role at this happy occasion.

* Deputy Mayor Joe Rachiele for sharing the "emcee" role with me so capably.

* Fred Zamparelle, DPW superintendent and his crew; their role was critical to the program! The tree and the gazebo are beautifully decorated for the season.

* The Village Hall office staff for their help.

* Dr. Roberta Gerold, superintendent of the Farmingdale Public Schools; Director of Fine Arts Rita Padden; Edward Kozlowski, choral director at Howitt Middle School and the talented youngsters of his sixth-grade chorus; Barbara Pandolfo, director of library/audio-visual services; and Jeffrey Pritzker, district AV technician who set up and manned the excellent public address system, another vital role!

* The Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society for funding the publicity ads and fliers.

* The Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce for presenting the South Shore Brass Ensemble again, a holiday gift to the community for all 17 years of the event. This ensemble always adds a special facet to the program.

* The Kiwanis Club of Farmingdale for providing refreshments as they have for so many years in the past. This is a most welcome service!

* And the many local residents who came out for this brief but joyous occasion at the beginning of a special time of year for all. Again, many thanks to all who made it possible. Happy Holidays!

Bill Johnston

Historian,

Village of Farmingdale