Congratulations and a sincere word of thanks are due to the chamber for hosting the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Franklin Avenue. Also a special thanks to the chamber's Festival Committee for the extraordinary effort that they expended to make the annual festival and street fair the success that it was.

As we move into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, I encourage all residents to continue to shop in our Village. Our merchants along Seventh Street, Franklin Avenue and New Hyde Park Road have quality merchandise which is only exceeded by their willingness to accommodate their customers.

The week of Oct. 25 through Oct. 29 has been designated as School Board Recognition Week in New York State. On behalf of the residents of Garden City, I commend and thank the members of our School Board for their dedicated service to the youth of our Village.

An excellent public education system is vital to the quality of life for any community. The Garden City Public School District has received the extraordinary recognition by both the Federal and State governments on having had each of its schools designated as a "School of Excellence." Clearly, the ladies and gentlemen who serve on our School Board deserve our recognition for these achievements as well as our appreciation for the countless hours of service to public education.

As a reminder, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 result in two consecutive odd days. All residents with automatic sprinklers should remember to reset their clocks at this time to comply with the Village's lawn watering regulations. As a further reminder, the last day for lawn sprinkling is Nov. 30.