Friday, June 28 marks the graduation of the Garden City High School Class of 2002. 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 during their years at the high school and will continue to reflect well on Garden City as our ambassadors in their homes away from home during their college years. We wish the Class of 2002 the very best and congratulate them on their many accomplishments and contributions. We urge them to keep learning, keep listening and to seek knowledge so that they can make a difference. As Adelphi University's 2002 academic year draws to a close, I want to acknowledge and compliment Robert Scott, president, on the many contributions that he and his administration have made during the past year. While Adelphi University has always been a hospitable neighbor, President Scott has made a special effort to open the Adelphi campus to the entire Garden City community. This has ranged from hosting an outstanding cultural lecture series to welcoming youth athletic teams onto their playing fields. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Mr. Scott and compliment him on an outstanding year.

The Garden City Recreation Department has done another fine job in arranging this season's concert series at the Village Gazebo, located on the village green at the corner of Stewart and Hilton Avenues. The opening program, scheduled for Thursday, June 27, will feature Libby and Company - cool jazz for a warm summer night.

The programs will begin at 7:15 and admission is free. Please bring your family, lawn chairs or blankets, a picnic dinner and enjoy a very pleasant evening. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be held at the Cultural and Performing Arts Center at Cluett Hall at St. Paul's. Please contact the recreation program line (742-5888) with questions pertaining to the concert.

There will be no garbage and recycling pickup on Thursday, July 4. The western half of the village (west of Rockaway Avenue) will have garbage pickup on Monday and Friday and the eastern half of the village (east of Rockaway Avenue) will have garbage pickup on Tuesday and Saturday. There will be rubbish pickup on Wednesday for the entire village. Residents scheduled for recycling on July 4 are asked to put their recyclables out on Thursday, July 11. All other recycling days remain the same.

The village has sent out reminder notices to all residents who have in-ground sprinklers that the certifications of their annual backflow prevention units are due.

Please take a minute to schedule an appointment with a certified backflow prevention assembly tester who is certified by the Nassau County Department of Health. If the test discloses that the assembly is not operating satisfactorily, please have the necessary repairs made and the assembly re-tested by a certified tester. On completion of a test showing that the assembly is operating satisfactorily, the certified tester should complete a Test and Maintenance Report Form and forward to Village Hall, Department of Public Works. An untested backflow device is considered a potential hazard to the residents of the village.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to call Steven Bayard at 465-4012.