If you have a live Christmas tree or wreath to dispose of, please leave them at the curb on your regularly scheduled recycling collection day. They will be collected by the department of public works and offered to other agencies for beach erosion control or rendered at the village yard for use around trees and shrubs as mulch.

Please assist the village by removing tree stands from the discarded trees and cooperate with your neighbors by disposing of them only on the scheduled recycling collection days. This collection of trees will continue for the next several weeks.

Much to the credit of our village employees, I am pleased to report that 1999 exited and 2000 appeared without any problems or incidents within our municipal operations. I was impressed by how each department planned, tested, verified and staffed to be prepared for Y2K. Their efforts produced the desired results.

The village administrator and each of the department heads were on hand throughout the evening on New Year's Eve and into the early morning hours along with police, fire, recreation and department of public works personnel to assure an immediate response to a problem should it have arisen. Based upon periodic reports that I received, that evening, the village was a very quiet and safe place.

The board of trustees joins me in thanking each of our employees for their assistance leading up to Jan. 1 and also to those who spent their millennium New Year's Eve away from family and friends to attend to our safety and comfort.

On Tuesday, Jan. 18, each of the four property owner's associations will conduct its electors' meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to select and place in nomination candidates for trustees. The meeting is open to all qualified voters who reside in their respective section of the village.

The officers and directors of these associations deserve your assistance and cooperation. As your representatives, they must be able to communicate with you and know your views, problems and recommendations if they are to be fully effective. Please attend and participate in your associations' excellent quality of life that we enjoy in our community.

The respective meetings will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 18, at the following locations:

Eastern - Stewart School - 8 p.m.

Central - Garden City Library - 8 p.m.

Estates - Stratford School - 8 p.m.

Western - Homestead School - 8 p.m.

The village's solicitation law prohibits all unwanted commercial solicitations and distributions on all private residential property in the village and prohibits non-commercial solicitations and distributions on private property to the extent desired by the resident. This law was designed to protect residents from unwanted invasions of their privacy.

Any resident requesting not to be solicited should complete a notice of objection form at the village hall.