The Village Board of Trustees and I extend to all residents of the village a Happy New Year, one blessed with good health, much happiness and well-being for all of our families.

The second half of village taxes, which were due and payable on Dec. 1, are normally subject to penalty if payment is not made within a 30-day grace period. This year due to the holiday schedule payments received after Jan. 1 will be subject to penalty. Please return the "second half" bill stub with your payment made payable to the Incorporated Village of Garden City.

The deadline for applications for veterans tax exemptions was Dec. 31. Applications can no longer be accepted.

Residents are reminded that there is only one board of trustees meeting in January. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the board will be Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008 at 8 p.m. at the Village Hall.

If you have a live Christmas tree or wreath to dispose of, please leave them at the curb on your regularly scheduled recycling collection day. They will be collected by the Department of Public Works and offered to other agencies for beach erosion control or rendered at the Village Yard for use around trees and shrubs as mulch.

Please assist the village by removing tree stands from the discarded trees and cooperate with your neighbors by disposing of them only on the scheduled recycling collection days. This collection of trees will continue for the next several weeks. We can only hope that the weather, in particular the snow, holds out until all trees and wreaths are collected.

If you have an artificial Christmas tree, please call the Sanitation Department for a "Special Pickup" at 465-4031 or 465-4032.

I would like to remind you that the Board of Trustees will be conducting work sessions to review the proposed 2008/09 Operating/Capital Budgets on:

Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008 7 p.m. (Operating Budget/Work Session)

Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008 8:30 a.m. (Operating Budget/Work Session)

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 7 p.m. (Public Presentation of Capital and Preliminary Operating Budgets at the Garden City Library)

Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008 7 p.m. (Budget Study Session)

Saturday, March 1, 2008 8:30 a.m. (Budget Study Session)

These sessions are currently scheduled to be held in the Board Room at Village Hall, 351 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, New York unless otherwise noted above. With the exception of the Feb. 14 session, these sessions are conducted in public but will not provide for public participation.

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas produced by incomplete combustion of fuel. It is colorless, odorless and tasteless. About 10,000 people are affected by carbon monoxide poisoning each year in the United States and of those, hundreds die annually.

Our Fire Department would like to offer a few simple tips that help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Have a qualified service technician check your home's gas or oil heating system and gas appliances annually.

• Have all fuel-burning appliances and furnaces, including fireplaces installed by professionals.

• Check your chimneys, flues and vents annually for blockages, corrosion and loose connections.

• Use gas and kerosene space heaters only in well-ventilated rooms.

• Do not use them overnight or in a room while you are sleeping.

• Don't use a charcoal grill or hibachi inside a home or a closed garage,

• Never run a car in a closed or attached garage.

• Install an alarm-sounding carbon monoxide detector in the hallway near every separate sleeping area. Check that it meets the most recent requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Commission

• Look for UL Certification marking on the package.

If you need any further information or have any questions regarding this topic, please feel free to contact the fire department at 746-1301 and they will be happy to assist you.