I would like to advise that the next regularly scheduled meeting Thursday, Feb. 1, has been rescheduled to Thursday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. in the Garden City Library. That evening will begin at 7 p.m. at the library with a public presentation of the capital and preliminary operating budgets. I would like to remind you that the board of trustees will be conducting work sessions to review the proposed 2007/08 Operating/Capital Budgets on:

Thursday	Jan. 25	7 p.m.	(Operating Budget/Work Session)
Saturday	Jan. 27	8:30 a.m.	(Operating Budget/Work Session)
Thursday	Feb. 8	7 p.m.	(Public Presentation of Capital and Preliminary Operating Budgets at the Garden City Library)
Saturday	March 3	8:30 a.m.	(Budget Study Session)
Thursday	March 8	7 p.m.	(Budget Study Session)

These sessions are currently scheduled to be held in the Board Room at Village Hall, 351 Stewart Avenue, Garden City unless otherwise noted above.

There are many things that make Garden City such an appealing place to live and work. One of these is our viable and welcoming business districts with their fine restaurants, unique shops and regional stores.

Many residents consider shopping and dining in our business districts as "experience shopping" because they meet friends and neighbors along the way and have an opportunity to interact with them. This is in stark contrast to frantically dashing through the crowds in the mall or the big box retailers.

I encourage residents to make a conscious effort to choose Garden City as the place to shop and dine. Customer service, selection and quality are outstanding. While shopping or dining let the merchant know that you appreciate them and all that they offer.

Garden City's Tree Management Program is used as a model by many universities. Under our program, village street and park trees are inspected annually. Those trees in questionable condition are monitored during both the growing and dormant seasons and, if necessary, treatment is performed. Only when in the judgment of our trained arborist, Michael Didyk, a tree is dead, dying or hazardous, is it marked for removal.

Residents who wish to have a street tree planted by the village are encouraged to write to the director of Public Works, Robert J. Mangan, P.E., with their request prior to Feb. 15. We will make every effort to accommodate your request.

The village's solicitation law prohibits all unwanted commercial solicitations and distributions on all private residential property in the village and prohibits non-commercial solicitations and distributions on private property to the extent desired by the resident. This law was designed to protect residents from unwanted invasions of their privacy.

Any resident requesting not to be solicited should complete a "Notice of Objection" form at the Village Hall. Presently, the board has authorized certain groups to solicit door-to-door in the village. As of this writing the only group that is soliciting is the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, which has a permit through Feb. 28.

The Fire Department has asked that residents be reminded that smoke detectors are required in all residences.

Smoke detectors come in an assortment of models, including types that can be plugged in wall outlets or directly in a home's electrical system and others that are battery operated. While all are worthwhile, residents are cautioned to purchase only those detectors that have been approved by testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratory (U.L.). These devices can be purchased from hardware and department stores.

For minimum protection, a smoke detector should be installed outside of each bedroom or sleeping area with at least one detector on every level of your home. For maximum protection, sleep with doors closed and install a detector in each bedroom or sleeping area.

It is essential that smoke detectors be installed, tested and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. In the event that you have any questions with regard to the selection or placement of a smoke detector, feel free to contact the Garden City Fire Department at 746-1301 as they will be pleased to assist you.