Last Sunday marked the graduation of Adelphi University's Class of 2000. My colleagues on the Village Board of Trustees and I join all of the residents of our village in extending congratulations to these outstanding young people. They have been a credit to our community and I am sure they will continue to reflect well on Garden City as Adelphi University's Alumni. We wish the Class of 2000 the very best and congratulate you on your many accomplishments and contributions.

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Garden City has once again been awarded the designation of Tree City USA.

This award, granted by the National Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with the US Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, recognizes communities which meet detailed, objective standards applied to trees on public property. These standards involve ongoing tree planting, maintenance and preservation of trees and the number of variety of trees planted per year in the community. Evaluations are made on the basis of four standards: a legally constituted municipal tree body, the adoption of tree ordinances, a comprehensive Community Forestry Program and the observance of Arbor Day.

On Monday, May 29, under the direction of the William Bradford Turner Post - American Legion, the annual Memorial Day observance in our village will commence with the memorial church services at 9 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Incarnation.

The traditional Memorial Day Parade will step off promptly at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Stewart and Cherry Valley Avenues. It will proceed north on Cherry Valley Avenue to Tenth Street, east on Tenth to Franklin Avenue, south on Franklin to Seventh Street, west on Seventh Street past the reviewing stand, which will be located just west of the library, and then on to the middle school where official ceremonies will take place. Residents are urged to honor the men and women who gave their lives for our country by attending these services.

Retail sales will be prohibited in the village on May 29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with certain exceptions. The village ordinance, which follows closely the state statute, provides that all trades, manufacturers, agricultural or technical employments, are prohibited, as well as all manners of public sale or offering for sale of any property on Memorial Day between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Exceptions are: restaurants, catering service, prepared items such as tobacco, bread, milk, eggs and so forth, service station products, medicines, delicatessen items and alcoholic beverages.

With the arrival of spring, it is great to see increased pedestrian activity along Seventh Street and New Hyde Park Road. It brings into focus just how great a place our business community is and raises expectations over how great our Franklin Avenue will be this summer when the construction has concluded, trees and shrubs planted and the street furniture and lamp posts installed.

Please show your support for our merchants and continue to shop in Garden City. Let the business owners know how they can better serve your needs. You will be pleasantly surprised with how quickly they will accommodate.