It is rather funny that when we are young we always want to have the right to do things such as vote, but as we get older we become less likely to take advantage of that right.

This coming Tuesday local residents will once again have an opportunity to cast their vote on local issues. Residents have a right not only to vote on the budget, but in the case of Island Trees residents, school board members. You have the opportunity to make yourselves heard.

How often can you honestly say that you can make a decision on how $30-$92 million is spent? Tuesday is your opportunity to do just that. At school board meetings residents get up and ask where their tax dollars are going and this is their opportunity to have at least a small say in that.

Take a few minutes on Tuesday and cast your vote for the local school budget and the school board candidates. This is your opportunity to make a difference. Whether you vote for or against the budget at least you will have made a statement.

The school vote is not the only way that residents can have their say. About 50 residents had their say last Monday at the meeting at Nassau Mall about Home Depot. Even though the lawyer for Home Depot and the mall only invited residents whose property adjoins that of the mall, those residents went out and spread the word as best they could. By doing this, they showed how much they care about their neighborhood and what happens to it. They took it upon themselves to make sure that as many people as possible knew what was going on.

After the Home Depot meeting a resident of Island Trees came up to me and asked what could be done about starting a civic association in Island Trees that would deal with issues such as the Home Depot moving into the neighborhood. I did not know the answer to this question, but I pass it along to you, the Island Trees residents, to consider. A civic association is just another way for local residents to have their say.

These may all seem like simple ideas, but when you put them all together they can bring about some major changes in the Levittown area. A community that works together and gets involved will get a lot more done then individuals who are afraid to speak out.

Susie Trenkle