On Nov. 29, Trustee Tom Tweedy and I attended the Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals hearing for an application of Plain-N-Fancy Shows, Inc. for a special exception to use part of premises as an open-air flea market adjacent to Floral Park/Bellerose School. Following Floral Park/Bellerose School Superintendent Dr. Lynn Pombonyo's well-prepared remarks in opposition to the use as well as questions from Dr. Pombonyo and School Board President David Fowler to the applicant, its attorney and experts, I spoke about the village's concerns.

After my testimony, both Rosaleen Shea, trustee of the Village of Bellerose, and Floral Park Trustee Tom Tweedy concluded the hearing with their remarks in opposition to the application. The Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals, which has exclusive jurisdiction over this matter, reserved decision. They will review all the testimony and evidence given in this public hearing before rendering a decision. As of this writing, no decision, either for or against, has been made by the Board of Appeals.

The spirit of Christmas is truly alive here in Floral Park. The Floral Park Fire Department's "Operation Wounded Warrior" is in full swing to collect and deliver Christmas care package items to members of the United States military who have been wounded in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and are recovering from these wounds at Camp LeJune in North Carolina and the United States Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Not only is the Floral Park Fire Department involved in this mission of mercy but a host of fire departments that includes the entire First Battalion is also involved. That is why I was elated to learn from Floral Park Fire Chief Joseph O'Grady that Channel 12 had arrived to film fire trucks being unloaded with care boxes at Centennial Hall. The packages will later be driven to North Carolina.

I was gratified that the news media was there to cover such an auspicious event that goes right to the heart of public service from the finest public servants of all, the men and women who serve in our volunteer fire departments. Chief O'Grady has informed me that care packages and donations will be accepted as late as Wednesday, Dec. 11.

On Friday evening, along with Deputy Mayor Kevin Greene, Trustee Tom Tweedy and Village Justice Douglas Hayden, I attended the Annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony sponsored by the Floral Park Junior Woman's Club.

Weather conditions for the scheduled outdoor event in Memorial Park were not promising. All day, a gray sky obliterated the sunlight and by early evening, a spatter of rain dampened everything but spirits that flowered in the joy of the season. With heavy rain forecast and gusts of wind up to 60 mph predicted, the Floral Park Junior Woman's Club wisely decided to err on the side of caution and bring the ceremony into Memorial Hall.

The logistics of such a move can be nightmarish, but President Ann Marie Palmieri, with a powerful assist from Lynn Smith, was up to the task. Everything unfolded without a hitch. Although our Christmas tree was much smaller, the countdown to the lighting was delivered with no less gusto and when lit, the humble little tree awakened and, twinkling anew, soared to majestic heights of glory in the eyes of an appreciative and heartfelt audience.

The holiday spirit was humming in neighboring Stewart Manor, sponsored by the Covert Avenue Chamber of Commerce. There I joined Stewart Manor Mayor Joe Troiano, Floral Park Village Justice Douglas Hayden and special guest, Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray. Horse-drawn carriage rides and special sales and promotions along Covert Avenue truly added to the festive occasion.

One should not, however, require a public event to capture the spirit of the season since one can be touched just as profoundly in smaller and more intimate surroundings, which is why I was flattered when I received an invitation from Dan and Janis Leudsdorff to join them and their neighbors for their annual lighting ceremony.

The small block that Dan and Janis live on, situated between Raff and Landau Avenues, is one in which over the years I've been fortunate to make many friends. As a Republican committeeman still in my teens, I would be invited into the house of Judge Backiel, a local legend, who would gently gesture to Mrs. Backiel to read the names of the proposed candidates on the nominating petitions. The old judge was legally blind and I appeared to him as a shadow, a silhouette cut out in a mass of darkness, as he would describe it to me. But his mind was robust and his recall long and precise as he regaled me with stories of old that served to entertain and educate. Interestingly, Dan and Janis' house was built on a portion of the Backiel property.

While the judge and others I've known have moved or passed on, new young couples mingled with some older residents, making Oak Street an interesting mix, and vibrancy that adds up to a true feeling of neighborliness. When I arrived at a little before 7 p.m., it was already quite dark as neighbors clustered around Dan and Janis' front lawn. As the winter solstice approaches, the day darkens early in the season of light.

A biting chill in the air informed me that I had not invested in heavy enough clothing, but a lone, lit black stove in the driveway, its flames snaking through the crevices, lured me and a few shivering others to its tantalizing warmth. Then a countdown, a lifting of a switch and suddenly, all were bathed in a perimeter of light.

After several weeks of meticulous planning, Dan had orchestrated things beautifully. A merry-go-round twirled happily as an oversized Santa waved merrily from the front stoop. A medley of other seasonal accoutrements decorated the landscape as a model locomotive wound its way about, adding a taste of old-fashioned charm to the festivities.

At the center, situated majestically on the front lawn, was the manger, poignantly depicting the Nativity scene. Simple and touching in its reminder that amid all the glamour and commercialism, the season's true meaning is as undying as the light from the stars above.

Some hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and Janis' scrumptiously baked butter cookies added more delight to a very joyful evening. Children ran about with a wonder that never fails to rekindle the child within the adult who has stodgily become too accustomed to the miracles, small and large, that greets them everyday.

Then, almost spontaneously, we gathered together for a group picture to memorialize the moment. It's quite a shot, really, a canvass of life, a snapshot of togetherness that I choose to see as a microcosm of our village and our country. We were of different religious faiths, our backgrounds varied and some of us probably see the world very differently. But transcending these differences is not only the idea but the need for human fraternity binding us tightly and so wonderfully expressed in a photograph taken on a chilly December evening on a street evoking dusty old memories and youthful dreams yet to come.