The seventh annual Belmont Festival was held June 10 along Franklin Avenue and on Seventh Street in our village. Once again this event was enjoyed by thousands of fellow residents and visitors to our community.

This is truly a positive partnering event between the village and the New York Racing Association (NYRA). The parade was highlighted by the Garden City High School Marching Band, the third annual "Hats Off to Garden City" contest, the Garden City Police and Fire Department Color Guards, several antique cars, local area fire departments, including our very own department, 24 horse drill teams and several Garden City volunteer organizations, which included the GCAA and several local Girl and Boy Scouts.

One special addition to this year's festival was Alex's Lemonade Stand, which was managed by several Garden City High School students. The stand collected $1,570.66. This amount will be donated to benefit pediatric cancer research. I would like to especially thank those who contributed to this wonderful cause both by volunteering and contributing so generously.

A special thank you to the festival's two main sponsors, The Garden City Hotel and KeySpan. Additionally, a thank you to the village's Police Department, members of the Special Police and to our Department of Public Works for a wonderful effort in the cleanup.

June 11 was a beautiful day for the opening of the Garden City swimming pool. Kevin Ocker, chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Cultural and Recreational Affairs, and his team, were able to prepare our first rate pool for its 49th season opening day. I think that members will agree that the plantings are noteworthy. Congratulations to all! Any questions with regard to application forms/procedures, etc. should be directed to the Garden City Pool at 483-1714, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This Sunday, June 26, marks the graduation of the Garden City High School Class of 2005. On behalf of the village board of trustees and the residents, we extend our very best wishes and congratulations to the Class of 2005. They are an outstanding group of young people who are a credit to our community and I know that they will be ambassadors in their "homes away from home" during their college years. We urge them to keep listening and learning and to seek knowledge so that they can make a difference. Personally, I encourage them to stand up for the values that they have been wisely taught by their parents and others in our community and to believe that they have the courage if necessary to stand alone and be counted.

At the close of Adelphi University's 2004/2005 academic year, I want to acknowledge and compliment President Robert A. Scott on the many contributions that he and his administration have made during this past year. While Adelphi University has always been a hospitable neighbor, President Scott has made a special effort to not only attend village functions he has been invited to but to also open the Adelphi campus to the entire Garden City community. This has ranged from hosting an outstanding cultural lecture series, welcoming youth athletic teams onto their playing fields, providing a tour of the campus to village trustees as well as conducting a study on the needs of seniors in Garden City. I was pleased to have been asked to speak at their graduation ceremony and bring congratulations to the graduates, faculty and staff on behalf of the trustees.

On behalf of the board of trustees I look forward to continuing our relationship with Dr. Scott and to partnering with him by sharing resources that all sectors of the village can benefit from. We wish him a smooth and successful opening of the fall 2005/spring 2006 academic year.

Last week the Water Department mailed the 2004 Drinking Water Quality Report. This report demonstrates that our water is safe and meets all federal and state requirements. All results were excellent indicating that the village's corrosion control treatment program was effective in preventing the leaching of lead and copper from your home's plumbing into your drinking water.

During 2004, the village implemented a water conservation program in order to minimize unnecessary water use. I am pleased to announce that the interventions of this program resulted in an approximate five percent lower usage this past year.

Residents are encouraged to implement their own water conservation measures, such as retrofitting plumbing fixtures with flow restrictors, modifying automatic lawn sprinklers to include rain sensors, repairing leaks in the home, installing water conservation fixtures/appliances and maintaining a daily awareness of water conservation in their personal habits, including village lawn sprinkler regulations.

Sprinkling is permitted between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.; odd numbered addresses on odd numbered days of the month, even numbers on even numbered days of the month. Don't forget that the village trees along curbsides, especially those newly planted this past fall, require tender watering from residents. In addition to protecting our precious underground water supply, water conservation will produce a cost savings to the consumer in terms of both water and energy bills (hot water).