The annual meeting of the Strathmore Village and South Strathmore Civic Associations was held Wednesday evening, Nov. 2 at Munsey Park School. Featured speakers from the Town of North Hempstead included Councilman Wayne Wink and Commissioner Gil Anderson, Department of Public Works. Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman and Deputy Commissioner of Planning, Cecelia Ward were also scheduled to attend but were detained at another speaking engagement. Representatives from the 6th Precinct Sergeant Stephanoff and Officer Chuchill spoke about the recent home invasions and burglaries in Manhasset and surrounding communities.

Councilman Wink began the evening with an overview of the town's new 311 phone number which is designed to handle all non-emergency inquiries to the town. The new system will act as a clearinghouse for all issues and concerns. Callers will receive a reference number when they call so they can follow up on the issue until resolved. Operators will be responsible for forwarding the inquiry or request for services to the appropriate department within the town government.

The "visioning" process for Plandome Rd. was also discussed. This program will involve getting input from civic leaders, residents and merchants. The goal of the program is to come up with suggestions and proposals to improve the appearance and functionality of this important thoroughfare. A meeting will be scheduled for early December to review the outcomes of this process and present it to the Manhasset community.

Attention then turned to discussion of issues that have been raised in the past by the civic associations. Commissioner Gil Anderson discussed the plans for traffic improvement at The Gate. Plans have been developed, approved and should be implemented during March of 2006. Additional questions were raised regarding signage on Northern Boulevard at The Gate and on Searingtown Road at Harrow Lane. Written requests from the Strathmore Village Civic Association have been forwarded to the NYS Department of Transportation (Northern Boulevard) and Nassau County (Searingtown Road) the jurisdictions responsible for these roads and requests for traffic studies have been put on file.

A brief discussion was then held on the various zoning and code enforcement issues. It was noted that the town has hired additional code enforcement officers and developed a schedule that provides coverage on the weekends.

Councilman Wink then confirmed that the property at the site of the old Village Bath Club at The Gate had indeed been sold and a plan had been filed with the Town

of North Hempstead to build four homes on the site. The reaction to this news was generally positive; however the community will seek to review the plans before breathing a sigh of relief.

The second half of the evening was devoted to the issue of home invasions and burglaries. Sergeant Stephanoff started with an update on the home invasions. There have been four in Queens, nine in Nassau and four in Suffolk County. They believe they are all the work of the same group. To date the invaders have sought to intimidate the homeowners but have not harmed anyone. They focus on jewelry, currency and laptops. He stated that these have been crimes of opportunity. In each instance either a window or door had been left open. The invasions generally occurred between 11 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. Details were limited so the ongoing investigation would not be compromised.

Officer Chuchill then spoke about the burglaries that have taken place and what homeowners can do to protect their homes. A pamphlet was distributed that outlined steps homeowners should take to make their property less inviting to burglars. He emphasized that all residents should be on the lookout for suspicious activity of any kind and report it immediately by calling 911. When calling about a suspicious vehicle, it is important to try and remember specific details such as the make and model of the car, color and license plate. For suspicious individuals, make note of the clothing they are wearing, their height, hair color, etc. Further, homeowners who will be away for a period of time should call the precinct and let them know so police can monitor the home during their absence. Overall, the officers did a good job of providing important information and responding to questions from the audience.

The next meeting for the Strathmore Village Civic Association Board of Governors will be held Dec. 1. Also the South Strathmore Civic Association will have a holiday cocktail party at Manhasset Bay Yacht Club in December.