The Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) of New York State rarely receives any applause from the public. Even though we know that roads have to be resurfaced, widened or bridges rebuilt, we resent the inconvenience that the construction causes. This year we have seen major disruption at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and the Cross Island Parkway and on the Whitestone Bridge. We better be prepared for worse conditions when the widening of the Long Island Expressway takes place in our area. What we have seen so far is a shocking demolition of very old trees (see article on page three), some of which is incomprehensible to the layman. Why, for example, have they taken the trees down at the Northern State Shelter Rock Road exit? As far as the public has been told, Northern State is not part of the LIE expansion. It seems in this corner that the D.O.T. has, at best, a communication problem. The letter in today's Manhasset Press from Mr. Frangas is an example. When he asked D.O.T. officials why the speed limit on Port Washington Boulevard couldn't be lowered, he was told that people don't pay any attention to posted speed limits! The D.O.T. response to questions about the removal of the trees seems, if not so irrational, to be at best inadequate. As we said above, we realize that road work has to be done and we are the beneficiaries of it when it is well done and that the D.O.T. has made many improvements in recent years. The trip to the end of the Expressway is very much more pleasant than it was a few years ago due to improvements in entrance/exits and the widening of the road. The electronic signs that inform us of road conditions are a great step in the right direction and we love E-Z Pass. Still, it would help if we could have confidence that the agency knows what it's doing when it does a wholesale removal of trees. Communication with the public would help.

On a different but related matter, we have had calls from local people who are seriously inconvenienced by gardeners who blow dead leaves, soil and other debris into the street. Driving along Park Avenue one can be blinded by the clouds of dust emanating from the leaf blowers. People are complaining about allergies and red eyes resulting from the same cause. Leaf blowers are leaf blowers, not dust busters. Please tell your landscaper or gardener to be a little more considerate.