For the record, Sears, Roebuck and Co., located at 1111 Franklin Avenue in Garden City, is not closing its operations. Mayor Robert Lewis dispelled the rumor during last Thursday's Board of Trustees meeting. The company, however, is closing its Telemarketing Department, laying off 95 employees.

Trustee Peter Bee said a letter Sears, Roebuck and Co. sent Mayor Lewis Sept. 24 contributed to the rumor when it in fact stated, "Please be advised that due to a change in business circumstances, Sears, Roebuck and Co. will permanently cease its operations at 1111 Franklin Avenue in Garden City, NY 11530. As a result, all employees at that facility will be permanently laid off ... Please understand that the entire facility is closing, there is no union organization at the facility, and there are no applicable bumping or transfer rights."

The letter, which was provided pursuant to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, which requires employers to give official notice to certain government units or officials of a pending facility shutdown, went on to say, "We anticipate that the employment terminations will occur on or about Dec. 14, 2001. Based on the best information currently available to us, the closure will result in the permanent layoff of approximately 95 employees. The job titles, positions and numbers of laid-off employees in each classification are noted on the attached list."

Mayor Lewis noted the company has 18 such facilities around the country and is closing six of them. Sears, Roebuck and Co. officials told Mayor Lewis last week that the 95 employees will be put somewhere back in the company's corporate structure. "They said the entire facility is not closing. They are happy here in the village and would like the community to know they have no intention of closing the store, other than their telemarketing department," Lewis said.