In a Jan. 4 ceremony at Town Hall, the Hempstead Town supervisor, clerk and three council members were inducted into office.

Republican incumbents Supervisor Kate Murray, clerk Mark Bonilla and council members Gary Hudes (6th Councilmanic District), Anthony Santino (4th Councilmanic District) and Democratic Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby (1st Councilmanic District) were sworn in by the person of their choice.

Murray, a Levittown native and the first woman elected supervisor of America's largest township, was inducted for her second term. She focused her remarks on the accomplishments of her administration and her vision for the future.

"We are aggressively drawing upon the best of our past and are focused on the promise of our future as we continue to flourish as America's most desirable township in which to live," Murray said. "We are committed to preserving the suburban character of our neighborhoods while we embrace balanced growth to accommodate young families and seniors who want to live here and enjoy everything that Hempstead has to offer."

Murray touted an extensive $40 million multi-year parks improvement program which will continue in 2006.

"Neighbors young and old are enjoying new and refurbished tennis and basketball courts, renovated swimming pools, new playing fields, state-of-the-art playgrounds and interactive spray pools," she said.

At the core of Murray's vision for younger generations is the environment. Expanding a new preserve in Lido Beach, pursuing wind energy at Point Lookout and the continuation of the Alternate Energy Town Vehicle Program and SPLASH, a group dedicated to keeping waterways clean earned top billing during this portion of the supervisor's speech.

"What makes many of the aforementioned efforts attractive beyond their environmental benefits is the fact that several of our initiatives were undertaken with the benefit of state grants," Murray stated.

In addition to serving as the chief executive officer of town government, the supervisor presides at all town board meetings, directing the legislative and administrative functions of that body. The supervisor also oversees the day-to-day operations of a municipal government of 24 departments, employing just over 2,000 people, and providing services to some 760,000 residents. As the chief financial officer of the township, the supervisor is responsible for the creation and the implementation of a town budget.

A special component of the induction ceremony was a video presentation featuring some town highlights. Supervisor Murray honored town resident and filmmaker Matthew Makar and his brother Daniel for bringing national acclaim to one of the town's most meaningful programs, ANCHOR (Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps through Organized Recreation). The ANCHOR program, of which Daniel is a participant, provides social and recreational opportunities for mentally and physically challenged residents of the town.

Another inductee, Bellmore resident Mark Bonilla, was re-elected to his town clerk position. Bonilla, who made history by becoming the first Hispanic elected to a town-wide position, is currently serving his second term. After thanking voters for re-electing him, Bonilla offered a motivating speech to the crowd.

"I was once working on a school project with my son, Jared and I noticed the word 'American'," Bonilla began. "The last four letters spell 'ICAN'. I believe this is an implicit promise that America gives to everyone - that you can do or be anything you want as long as you believe in yourself and work hard."

The Town Clerk's Office maintains town board records and publishes notices of public hearings. It records town ordinances, local laws, personnel actions, petitions, proofs of publication, annual budgets, assessment rolls, fiscal reports, notices of liens, subpoena and court actions, bond and note registers, zoning ordinances and maps. As town registrar, the office keeps birth and death records; issues birth, death and fetal certificates, and burial permits; conducts genealogical searches and issues licenses and permits. The office processes applications for rezoning, public garages, modification of restrictive covenants, gasoline storage tanks, and GSS ordinances. The clerk is also the custodian of town records dating back to 1644 and maintains an inactive records center and historical archive.

Councilman Gary Hudes was also inducted after being re-elected in the November 2005 election. Council members are responsible for adopting the annual budget, adopting and amending the town code and the building zone ordinances, adopting all traffic regulations, and hearing applications for changes of zone and special exceptions to zoning codes. First elected five-and-a-half years ago, Hudes said his goal is the same today as it was then.

"To bring my business experience and my compassion for people to the position of councilman," Hudes explained.

Hudes, a Levittown resident, also owns a jewelry store in Bellmore. He said he treats the people he represents like customers, rather than constituents.

"Each day we strive to make the face of government more customer friendly," Hudes said. "I've often shown up at the doorstep of many a resident on Saturday or Sunday afternoons to discuss their community concerns firsthand."

Hudes has continued his hands-on governing by developing a program called Gary-on-the-Go.

"Using our Mobile Town Hall, I meet one-on-one with community residents, near their homes to discuss personal concerns," Hudes explained.

As with Murray, environmental concerns are among Hudes' top priorities. He said he has personally delivered almost 5,000 recycling bins to residents in his district, which includes Levittown, East Meadow and portions of Plainedge, Bethpage, North Wantagh, North Bellmore, North Merrick and Salisbury.

Enhancing the "suburban quality of life" is another one of Hudes' goals. Citing these goals are accomplished by a team of people, Hudes said he was "honored" to have his friend Kate Murray swear him in.

In the four years ahead, Hudes said he will continue to work toward even more housing for senior citizens and for young people just starting out.

"We must keep these vital members of our community here, in the Town of Hempstead," Hudes said.

Hudes thanked his staff and family for their sacrifices and assistance and closed with a quote from the Dalai Lama; "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."