With the holiday season approaching, residents in the Village of Garden City are very fortunate in having a vital business community comprised of merchants who are committed to serve us from their shops along Franklin Avenue, Seventh Street and New Hyde Park Road. I urge each of you to continue to patronize these local businesses for the holiday and throughout the year.

You will be pleased with their selection and quality, as well as their attention to customer service.

Please be aware that leaves, grass clippings, similar garden refuse, dirt and stones should be placed in approved rubbish containers, except that leaves may be placed on the street during periods prescribed in the months of October and November for leaf collection by the Village leaf removal equipment.

Recently, the Department of Public Works began collecting leaves in the Western section on a street-by-street basis and is proceeding easterly on its 150 mile route on a two-week basis. Leaves which are collected are taken to the Village Yard and recycled into mulch.

If you have any questions concerning the leaf collection schedule, please call the Garden City Village Yard at 485-7540 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

I have been asked by the Director of Public Works, Robert J. Mangan, to call residents attention to the fact that at this time of year the Village experiences sewer backups resulting from a build-up of household grease. Please cooperate with the Village by disposing of your cooking oil and grease by pouring them into a can and once solidified, placing them into the trash to be picked up by the Sanitation Department. Apparently, a number of residents pour this material directly into their household drain lines, causing the problem.

Hot liquid grease and oil drain well out of the house line, however, once it reaches the street line, it cools and solidifies on the pipe walls, eventually causing a blockage. Once this blockage occurs, the sewer backs up into the lowest house line, forcing sewage material to flow up into the basement waste fixtures, (i.e., sink, showers, etc.) The results are extremely unpleasant and the restoration costs are high.

Restaurants are also asked to continue to have their grease traps regularly serviced and the grease removed by licensed haulers.

If you experience a sewer blockage, please call the Department of Public Works at 465-4021 before calling for a plumber, as the blockage may not be in your houseline. The end result could be a substantial savings to you, the homeowner.

The Town of Hempstead Sanitation Department will conduct its monthly S.T.O.P. (Stop Throwing Out Pollutants) program on Saturday, Nov. 18. The program will be held at The Baldwin Park Garage, 3232 South Grand Avenue in Baldwin. The hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Under the S.T.O.P. program, residents are able to take polluting materials to the facility and have them disposed of by a registered professional disposal company, free of charge. The facility will not accept the following materials: ammunition, explosives, radioactives, infectious waste and gas cylinders and barbecue tanks.