Now that the winter is nearly over, the Town of Hempstead is preparing for another year of STOP (Stop Throwing Out Pollutants) programs which will be brought to communities throughout the township.

The Town of Hempstead is an environmentally sensitive municipality and with our STOP Program we lead the way in recycling and the responsible disposal of hazardous household waste.

Our STOP program affords residents the opportunity to dispose of hazardous household wastes at convenient locations. By properly disposing of these hazardous wastes we are preventing them from entering the waste stream and harming our delicate ecosystem.

Among the many items found around the house that should not be thrown out with the regular garbage are: bleach, ammonia, antifreeze, pesticides (including "Weed-B-Gone" or Silvex 2, 4, 5-T), cleaning solvents, disinfectants, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, paint and paint thinners, photography and swimming pool chemicals, spot removers and small propane tanks.

It is now possible to properly dispose of many common household waste products by simply bringing them to a STOP program disposal site.

The schedule of STOP program disposal days is complete for 2002, with the next STOP day scheduled for Saturday, March 9 at Eisenhower Park, Field #3, located between Hempstead Turnpike and Merrick Avenue in East Meadow. All program hours are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Other STOP dates and locations are as follows:

LONG BEACH: Sunday, April 14 on Pine Street off National Boulevard.

SOUTH BELLMORE: Saturday, May 4 at the Newbridge Road Park garage, 2600 Newbridge Road.

BAY PARK-EAST ROCKAWAY: Sunday, June 9 in Bay Park, 1st Avenue.

LEVITTOWN: Saturday, July 20 at Market Lane Park garage.

UNIONDALE: Sunday, Aug. 18 at the Greenfield Cemetery garage, 650 Nassau Road. Use Milburn Avenue entrance.

SOUTH BELLMORE: Sunday, Sept. 15 at the Newbridge Road Park garage, 2600 Newbridge Road.

FRANKLIN SQUARE: Saturday, Oct. 5 at Rath Park, 849 Fenworth Blvd.

BALDWIN: Sunday, Nov. 17 at Baldwin Park garage, 3232 South Grand Avenue.

EAST MEADOW: Saturday, Dec. 14 at Eisenhower Park, Field #3, between Hempstead Turnpike and Merrick Avenue.

STOP, in conjunction with the Town's other "environmentally-friendly" programs, will make the Town of Hempstead an even better place for future generations.

For more information or to obtain written material on the Town of Hempstead's STOP program, call the Recycling section of the Department of Sanitation at (516) 378-2200.