As I write this on Sunday morning, our community is under siege by Mother Nature who ended her tease of spring with the caprice that is her wont and blanketed our little village under an endless carpet of white. The flurries, at first, fell softly but its velocity accumulated perilously as arctic winds swept the snowfall into drifts that came to resemble small snowcapped mountains. What had begun innocently enough now possessed all the ferocity of a full-blown blizzard.

Snowstorms are galvanic in that they trigger a full emergency response from the village. The Public Works Department, a small mechanized army, dispatched an armada of plows, payloaders, bombardiers and men armed with shovels and snow blowers to do battle with the infuriated elements. Our dedicated fire department was on standby in our firehouses and the police did a superb job of moving vehicles off the street so man and machine could do their jobs.

The storm was an awesome spectacle and I congratulate all the village employees who cleared our streets, village parking lots and shoveled the sidewalks around our facilities. It was treacherous going for a while but our workforce came through with flying colors. A niagara of snowflakes can wreak havoc with civilization so it's important to keep one's cool and composure in taking its measure.

I remember a story about Hempstead's then presiding supervisor, Fran Purcell, who faced a similar snowstorm. Plows had broken down, streets were still unplowed and the hotline was ringing off the hook. An emergency meeting was held at Town Hall and the town council members fidgeted nervously as they peered out the windows watching the snow amass outside.

The sunny Fran Purcell, always cheerful, always optimistic, looked at the worried faces before him, smiled gently and said: "Relax - snow melts." Good advice when facing the storms of nature or the storms of life - everything passes.

I remembered this anecdote when sometime after dusk I traipsed out into the twilight to survey the majesty of nature. There is nothing I think as beautiful as the aftermath of a snowfall whose serenity belies the storm that created it. Out in the night air the angry skies were now subdued and its immeasurable span hovered above with an almost tranquil stillness. The howling wind had mellowed into a mere whisper and the streets, sheltered by the whitest embankments seemed neatly plowed as the shimmering snow glistened under the moonlight that shined through the inky darkness to illuminate the earth. It was a picture that filled me with piety and peace.

Finances permeate every aspect of municipal government. It's the reason why your village board spends an enormous amount of time and effort in preparing a village budget. Presently all departments have submitted their budget requests for the 2006/2007 fiscal year. Along with mandatory and necessary cost items, the departments have also indicated their requests for equipment and proposed new endeavors. We have begun our review of the preliminary budget and will evaluate very carefully departmental requests and make necessary adjustments where appropriate.

Assessor Gay Taffel has completed the Tentative Assessment Roll containing the figures that will be used to calculate taxes for 2006-2007. Several properties that were formerly exempt have been restored to the taxable property lists. Major new construction of commercial and residential buildings, as well as many home extension projects, has increased the taxable value of the village. In the past, we have experienced decreases in the overall taxable value due to being assaulted by large certiorari settlements. These settlements seem to be evaporating, which are a welcomed development and one that encourages a brighter fiscal outlook.

Our village has received criminal complaints from some of our North End residents of perpetrators entering their parked cars and removing personal belongings. There was no forced entry since these cars were left in their driveways with their doors unlocked. An investigation is under way.

I want to caution our residents that although we live in a secure, safe and overwhelmingly law-abiding community, leaving your car doors unlocked is an invitation to those looking for mischief. It is, I agree, an unhappy commentary that there are those who willfully rob but we don't have to make their job easier by practically opening our doors for them. As the old saying goes, "An ounce of precaution is worth a pound of gold." Please keep your doors locked.

This past weekend Deputy Mayor Kevin Greene, Trustees Tom Tweedy and Jim Rhatigan and I joined Floral Park Chamber of Commerce President Terry Whalen to welcome the spirit of enterprise in our village by recognizing businesses that have recently become part of the fabric of our community. These greetings will be a practice we will follow on a regular basis. Opening a new business can be a monumental challenge and it is a sign of real progress that the chamber and local government have joined hands in showing our support in helping those entrepreneurs who wish to invest in our community.

Trustees Tom Tweedy and Jim Rhatigan have said it best: "Doing business in Floral Park is good business!"

Today, across the United States not only in major cities and slums but also in small towns and suburbs kids are experimenting with drugs. Floral Park is no exception. Many of these kids will become addicts; some will die. The Substance Education Council has been created to make a difference in the fight against the scourge of alcohol and drug abuse.

While it is impossible to overestimate the dangers of adolescent drug addiction this Council firmly believes that strong parental leadership that partners with our educators, clergy, law enforcement and the adolescents themselves will result in dividends of prevention as well as intervention when a problem exists. While the Council will address and provide assistance to drug and alcohol abuse at every level of society it will place an emphasis on reaching out to the maturing segment of our community.

Growing up can be a very difficult and painful experience. Many may rhapsodize about the magic of their childhood but there are but few who will not cringe at the memory of their adolescence. These formative years are when human nature is most vulnerable to insidious influences. Primary among them is substance abuse, which is a major factor in the three leading causes of teen death: accidents, homicide and suicide. Behavior that evolves into substance use disorders is complex, involving, as do most troubling behaviors, an interaction of psychological, emotional and environmental factors. Science informs us that during puberty the brain undergoes a major reorganization so that when this mix of factors is fused with the natural risk taking and adolescent angst we clearly have a situation where young people are in jeopardy.

While it is a cruel irony of nature that when the brain is most vulnerable is the very time that children are most likely to experiment with drugs, the good news is that biology is not destiny. Human nature harnesses spiritual resources, that when combined with parents and caring adults who are actively involved will have a strong, positive and enduring influence on the lives of young people.

In light of the above, I've asked our local school administration officials to become members of our Substance Abuse Council, to share their insights and through their unique experiences of working with young people, to develop strategies to decrease alcohol and drug abuse. All have graciously agreed and under the aegis of Chairperson Terry Whalen and Trustee Tom Tweedy, a meeting was held at our Recreation Center to begin this important work.

Part of the education process will involve our schools working with 4 Village Studios Director Jim Greene, who will be working with Floral Park Memorial Principal Kathy Sotille and high school students to produce Public Service Announcements and other programs that will use the tools of education and information in its crusade to bring awareness to our community on this profound affliction.

I was greatly saddened to learn of the passing of former Floral Park mayor Harry Dwyer, who held that office in the early 1970s. Mayor Dwyer also served in the New York State Assembly and as 1st Deputy County Executive to Fran Purcell. Upon learning of his death this past Saturday evening I ordered all flags on village property lowered to half-mast in somber acknowledgment that we are a community aggrieved. In my next mayor's message I will reflect on the life and career of one of Floral Park's most distinguished public servants.