It is particularly distressing to see a few residents marring the beauty of our Village by not adhering to the Village Codes, which help the community maintain the quality of life for everyone. Listed below are some of the laws which are frequently violated along with a brief description:

* Alarms: Alarm systems must be registered with the Police Department within ten days of installation. Users are responsible for all false alarms, for which penalties can be imposed.

* Alcoholic Beverages: Possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages in open containers on public property is prohibited.

* Animals: Dogs must be licensed. Owners are responsible for keeping dogs on a leash or on their property. Owners must remove dog waste from public streets.

* Door-to-Door Solicitation: Permits are required for door-to-door solicitation. Homeowners can file notices of objection at Village Hall requesting that their homes not be visited by salespeople or other solicitors.

* Garage Sales: Permits are required to hold a garage sale for a period of no more than three consecutive days, excluding Sundays and holidays.

* Noise: Power gardening, lawn maintenance and building construction equipment may not be operated between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

* Parking: Parking on the street during the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. is prohibited.

* Rubbish: Curbside placement of rubbish is not permitted prior to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.

* Sidewalks: Owners are responsible for maintaining and keeping clean the sidewalks and paths in front or abutting their property.

* Signs: There are several laws dealing with signs. Contact the Building Department for further information and questions.

* Snow and Ice Removal: Owners, lessees or occupants of homes are responsible to remove ice or snow from sidewalks and paths within 24 hours of the cessation of a storm.

* Trees: Permits are required for: (1) Planting of trees between curb line and property line of the street. (2) Removal of two or more trees.

* Water Conservation: Lawn sprinkling is permitted from April 16 to Nov. 30 during the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Properties with odd numbered addresses are permitted to sprinkle on odd numbered days and even numbered or those with no address can sprinkle on even numbered days.

If you observe a suspected violation, please call the Police Department at 742-9600. Your call will result in an investigation and, if necessary, an appearance ticket will be served which is answerable in the Village Justice Court, with a penalty of up to $250 per occurrence and/or 15 days imprisonment for violations. For emergencies only, dial 911.

With the summer storm and hurricane season upon us, Chief Richard Chiarello of the Fire Department asked that I share some important safety tips with you.

After a storm goes through, everyone likes to go out and survey the neighborhood to see what damage the storm has left behind.

One of the greatest dangers from summer storms is that of downed power lines. Always assume any downed line is still energized, and, therefore, deadly. Be extra careful of children playing around fallen trees and large limbs, as there is a danger of a power line being entwined in the branches. Also, if a large limb has fallen, there is usually the chance of more branches falling from the same tree.

If a power line falls across your car and you are in it, the safest action to take is to stay in your vehicle and wait for help to come.

We can all make these experiences a little more bearable if we take the following steps:

1. Every home should have flashlights, spare batteries and a battery operated radio (to listen to weather updates). Either set up an emergency storm kit or keep all of the items in the same place so that you can find them in the dark when you need them.

2. If you lose power, you should shut off and unplug all electronic equipment (televisions, stereos, VCR's, computers, etc.) so that if there is a power surge when the power is restored, the equipment won't be damaged.

With a little preparation, the summer storm season will pass with hopefully a minimum amount of inconvenience.