The Director of Public Works, Robert J. Mangan, has asked me to make residents aware of the fact that from time to time, the village experiences an increased number of 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 garbage to be picked up by the Sanitation Department. Apparently, a number of residents have been pouring 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 your 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 465-4003 before calling for a plumber, as the blockage may not be in your house line. The end result could be substantial savings to you, the homeowner.

Residents are again reminded of the "Yield for Pedestrian in Crosswalk" signs at the three mid-block crosswalks on Seventh Street between Franklin and Hilton Avenues. State Vehicle and Traffic Law states that motorists must yield to pedestrians who are crossing a roadway within the striped crosswalks. A motorist seeing a pedestrian entering the crosswalk must stop and permit the pedestrian to cross the street. Cars approaching the stopped vehicle from the rear are not permitted to pass.

The Garden City Police Department has been instructed to vigorously enforce these regulations and your cooperation when driving on Seventh Street will help to make these crosswalks safer for pedestrians. A word of caution, however, to the pedestrian - do not place undue reliance on the signs or the crosswalks, even though the law requires yielding the right-of-way - they may not do so!

In previous years, Garden City has been recognized as a community with the best Pedestrian Safety Record. With safety in mind, I caution pedestrians to utilize the signal push buttons when crossing at major intersections. The system is designed to extend the light phase once the button is pressed to allow the pedestrian sufficient time to cross safely.

It is important that parents stress this safety precaution with their children, as a major portion of them cross main intersections daily en route to and from school.