At the board of trustees meeting Feb. 2, I commissioned the Public Information Committee to prepare an updated Village Facts for the St. Paul's property. The committee is chaired by Trustee Robert Rothschild, and also has Trustees Nicholas Episcopia and Donald Brudie as members. A chronology and updated findings will also be available on the village website when the committee has completed its work. Trustee Rothschild will update residents at the scheduled board of trustees' meetings. It is important that all village residents be provided the factual data for their review.

A reminder to residents that the following guidelines are to be used in the disposition of refuse in order to protect our employees:

1. Sharp objects, such as broken glass, sharp pieces of metal and knives should not be placed loosely in plastic or paper bags. Proper precaution should be taken, such as placing them in cardboard boxes tied with string or tape.

2. All hypodermic needles should be bent and the point blunted.

3. Dust from vacuum cleaners, barbecue pits and sandings from wooden floors should not be placed loosely in a trash barrel. They should be placed in a paper bag or plastic container for disposal.

4. Dangerous objects, such as acid, gasoline and explosives, should not be placed in garbage or rubbish. If you have any questions concerning the disposal of dangerous items, please call the Sanitation Department.

5. Do not overload containers. The maximum weight per container is 40 lbs. Overloading containers with heavy objects, such as broken concrete, has resulted in back injuries to our personnel.

Although it has been a mild winter to date, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some winter water facts and tips that were recently sent to me.

* Outside water faucets have a valve inside which can be shut off during winter months. Purchasing an insulated hose faucet cover will also help protect the valve from freezing.

* Frozen pipes can result in damage to your home, and repairs can be costly. If you have experienced freeze-up problems in the past, it is suggested that a faucet be allowed to flow with a steady drip, which will help prevent the recurrence of a freeze-up.

* To prevent pipes from freezing, you can insulate them and keep your thermostat set at no less than 60 degrees.