Not many people have had the impact on the youth of our community as did Lew McNeece. His teaching and tutoring helped hundreds and thousands of young students improve their performance for decades. And he did it with a smile and intensity. We lost a great asset of Floral Park when Lew died of cancer in November. Lew left a great family behind in his wife, Joanne and three wonderful daughters: Kristin, Susanne, and Jackie. What a terrific idea by his many friends to build a scholarship fund in his memory and to help even more Floral Park and Bellerose students. With the plans by Lew's friends to present a scholarship to the four Floral Park schools, a very ambitious goal, the friends will need the help of many friends and neighbors to join the fund-raising party. The cocktail party to establish The Friends of Lew McNeece Scholarship Fund will be held on Sunday, May 7, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Trinity Restaurant. Please mark your calendar to join in this celebration of Lew's life and help contribute to continuing his legacy of helping students. While the board of trustees normally meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month, the next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 22 due to village elections that will be held on Tuesday, March 21. The front fence has been replaced at the recreation center this past week and the change dramatically impacts the look. The wrought iron-like fence came in at a price similar to chain link but is more aesthetically pleasing. My compliments to the recreation committee for reviewing the various options and making the ultimate selection of the fence. Meanwhile, the new tennis courts will be finished this month and the lines will be installed on the Har-Tru courts. The first four Jericho Turnpike businesses to be included in Operation Downtown have been identified and bids are due at the Nassau County Community Development office this Tuesday. The storefronts and signs on the businesses will be changed to varying degrees to begin the rehabilitation of the street between Depan Avenue and Plainfield Avenue. The businesses are: Ray Block, Ciro's, Twin Park Delicatessen, and New Fortunate Chinese Restaurant. The drawing of the vision of the street will be published in the next Village Items. Please join in welcoming Antonio Hurtado, a local resident, who just opened Atelier on Woodbine Court. The store is a mix of men's and women's clothing and accessories, with some great leather products in the mix. Stop in and welcome Antonio. He also owns the shoemaker store next door.