In areas of the village where there are no curbs, some residents have placed large painted rocks onto the area where their lawn meets the shoulder of the road, presumably as a means of discouraging vehicles from parking on their lawns. This practice creates a potential hazard and is illegal as the placement of the rocks is often within the incorporated village's right-of-way, which, in most cases extends 10 feet on either side of the roadway. Were a vehicle, bicycle, etc. to come in contact with the rock and damage or injury to occur, the incorporated village would be liable. Seasonal activities such as snow plowing is also made more dangerous because of the fact that the rocks are obscured by the mounded snow and could be hit and projected into the air by a village snow plow with serious consequences. Numerous complaints have been received at village hall by concerned residents.

The police department has inventoried properties within the village where rocks have been placed within the incorporated village's right-of-way. Letters will be sent to property owners in the near future directing them to have these removed within 10 days of receipt of the letter. In the interest of safety, I urge residents to cooperate with the village in this regard.

With just a few weeks before the end of the summer, it is still important to keep up your guard against mosquitoes and the viruses they carry. According to the Nassau County Board of Health, five additional mosquito pools have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) in Nassau County. Twelve mosquito pools and two birds have tested positive for WNV and one horse has tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Although no humans have tested positive for WNV in Nassau County, residents should still take precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Although the disease is rare in humans, when someone does get infected, EEE is a life-threatening illness.

The Nassau County Departments of Health and Public Works are conducting mosquito control efforts by inspecting breeding sites and, when necessary, applying larvicide. Mosquito surveillance will continue at 42 trap sites located throughout the county and will be increased in those areas where virus activity has been reported.

The risk of serious illness from mosquito-borne disease is real. Although many mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk and when the air is calm, others will feed any time of day. Outdoor workers should protect themselves by using a repellent containing DEET and wearing a hat, socks and loose fitting long pants and long sleeves to limit the amount of exposed skin.

To reduce the number of mosquitoes around your property, eliminate standing water in the yard, make sure all windows and doors have screens and that all screens are in good repair.

In addition avoid areas with high mosquito populations. Replace outdoor lights with yellow "bug" lights. Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use and change water in birdbaths twice a week.

Our local law requires dog owners to leash their pets and to clean up after them in public areas. These areas include median strips, curbs, gutters, park areas, streets, etc.

Regulations require that dog waste be placed with the rubbish for curbside collection on Wednesdays and be containerized or placed in a plastic bag that is properly secured. It must not be placed in storm drains for obvious health reasons.

Please be considerate of those village employees who are working to keep our community beautiful by cleaning up after your dog and by properly disposing of the waste.