I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi and the Glen Cove City Council for including me in their list of employees being honored for their service to the city.

Although I have come and gone three times during my 18 years in City Hall, I always felt a continuity and a sense of being welcomed back by old friends upon each return.

The employees I worked with became a part of my family. It was exciting to welcome new faces and watch them grow in their jobs. There was also the sadness of saying goodbye to those who retired or left for other endeavors.

One of those special employees whom I feel should have been mentioned at the ceremony is Anthony Contarino. Tony was an exceptional and highly valued employee who spent many years with the Glen Cove Sewer Department.

His was not what one would call a high-profile position, but it did require great knowledge, skill and the dedication to respond, even on the coldest nights, while the rest of us slept.

My thanks go out to Tony and to all of you with whom I have worked over the years and to those who continue to serve the residents of our great city.

Carolyn Willson