The MTA/Long Island Rail Road has advised that they will rehabilitate the Nassau Boulevard crossing with preparation work beginning Saturday, July 9. The rehabilitation of the crossing will take place during the weekends of July 16 and July 23. Nassau Boulevard will be closed for 24 hours from 8 a.m. Saturday, through 8 a.m. Sunday both weekends. The Track Department will return on July 25, 26 and 27 to do blacktopping at the crossing but a full road closure will not be necessary.

While work is in progress, the Long Island Rail Road and MTA Police will be on hand for road and pedestrian traffic.

The Village of Garden City continues to invest a great deal of time and money to keep our central business district attractive and clean to make it appealing to our residents and to encourage people to shop in Garden City. While the shop and business proprietors are required to keep the front and rear of their properties clean and swept, the village supplements these efforts by having personnel remove paper and debris and to operate a sidewalk sweeper throughout the business district several times each week. The streets and parking fields are swept once a week and the sanitation department collects refuse and garbage within the business district seven days each week.

In consideration of your neighbors, merchants and community, I ask that everyone do their part to keep our business district as attractive as it can be by returning shopping carts to their respective stores, using the street trash containers for refuse and by properly disposing of cigarette butts so that they don't collect in the flower beds and in the gutter.

Residents in the Village of Garden City are very fortunate to have a vital business community comprised of merchants who are committed to serve our many needs from their shops and restaurants along Franklin Avenue, Seventh Street and New Hyde Park Road. I urge you to continue to patronize these local businesses throughout the year. Also, while you are in the stores take a minute to comment to the merchant on selection and quality and compliment them on their attention to positive customer service.

Once again, compliments are due to the recreation department for arranging the 2005 season's outstanding concert series at the Village Gazebo, located on the Village Green at the corner of Stewart and Hilton Avenues. This week's program is scheduled for Thursday, July 14, and will feature Time Was - high quality vocal harmony singing classics of the past.

The program will begin at 7:15 and admission is free. Please bring your lawn chair or blanket 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 call the Recreation Program Line (742-5888) with questions pertaining to the concert.

The Long Island Blood Services, in conjunction with the employees at Garden City Village Hall, will hold a blood drive Tuesday, July 26, between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. in the second floor meeting room of the Fire Department headquarters building on Stewart Avenue. The need for blood has again reached a critical level so please consider donating. For more information, or to schedule an appointment to donate blood, contact Ronni Sylvia of the Human Resources Department at Garden City Village Hall (465-4171 or 465-4170). Did you know that over 800 units of blood are needed each and every day of the year to meet the needs of patients in Long Island's 43+ hospitals?