(Editor's Note: the following letter is from the Victor Gansham, P.E. of the New York State Department of Transportation to Larry Berke.)

"Your letter of May 24 to Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray regarding the unkempt plantings and weeds along the median of Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown was forwarded to my office for a reply.

Please be advised that the New York State Department of Transportation has established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Levittown Chamber of Commerce (LCC) for the maintenance of the medians on Hempstead Turnpike from the Wantagh State Parkway to the Bethpage State Parkway. Under this MOU, the LCC will remove litter and maintain the plantings.

By copy of this correspondence and a copy of your letter, we are notifying the Levittown Chamber of Commerce of your request. If you have any other concerns on this issue, please contact M. McCormic of LCC at 731-7600.

I trust this information is helpful in response to your letter. Thank you for your understanding and continued cooperation in transportation-related matters."

Victor Gansham, P.E.

Resident Engineer

Three weeks ago you printed my letter to Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray referring to the poor condition of the medians along Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown.

I want to thank Supervisor Murray for passing it on to the New York State Department of Transportation. Consequently I received the letter above from the state and want to commend the Levittown Chamber of Commerce for their commitment to "remove litter and maintain the plantings."

Larry Berke