At the Thanksgiving holiday I feel that it is appropriate to pause for a few minutes and to reflect upon those things that we may take for granted and how fortunate we are to live in this wonderful community. In doing so I quickly acknowledge the many employees of the Police, Fire and Public Works Departments who worked around the clock on Thanksgiving to assure the safety and comfort of our families. I also want to acknowledge the members of the Volunteer Fire Department who remained ready to leave their home to come to our aid. We thank each of these fine people for the sacrifice they make in leaving their families during this holiday to attend to the welfare of our residents.

On Sunday, Dec. 2, the Garden City Chamber of Commerce will sponsor its 47th annual village tree lighting ceremony beginning promptly at 3:30 p.m. on the Village Green (corner of Stewart and Hilton Avenues).

This year's program will feature the Garden City High School Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Robert Ludwig, Tom Wagner and the Village Music Makers, with vocalists Mark Barbatsuly and Alexa Grant. Please bring your entire family to welcome Santa and the holiday season. Please note that Stewart Avenue, between Franklin and Hilton Avenues, will be closed from 3-4:45 p.m.

Garden City's Tree Management Program is used as a model by many universities. Under our program, village street and park trees are inspected annually. Those trees, which are in questionable condition, are monitored during both the growing and dormant seasons and, if necessary, treatment is performed. Only when in the judgment of our trained arborist, Michael Didyk, that a tree is dead, dying or hazardous, is it marked for removal.

Residents who wish to have a street tree planted by the village are encouraged to write to the Director of Public Works, Robert Mangan, with their request prior to Dec. 15 We will make every effort to accommodate your request.

As the temperature dips, it is difficult to focus on lawn sprinkling; however, I would like to remind residents that the last day for lawn sprinkling is Nov. 30. The board of trustees joins me in expressing appreciation for the cooperation exhibited by residents in water conservation this past year.