I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere and most heartfelt congratulations to our Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, the Nassau County Police 7th Precinct P.O.P. Unit, the YES Community Counseling Center, the Massapequa School District, and the many volunteers who dedicated their expertise and resources in an effort to create our first Summer Youth Park Program at Marjorie Post Park in Massapequa.

The community and its youth rely on its leaders' vision to make available to its residents valuable programs such as this to generate community spirit. This year's Summer Youth Park Program was a success due to the outstanding efforts of those behind the scenes and I wish to express my gratitude to each one of them.

I was pleased to be able to play a minor role in this program by securing grant monies to help fund a program that benefited children, their families and the community. However, as always, it is the committed individuals involved who really make it happen. A very special thank you to Jamie Bogenshutz, executive director for YES Community Counseling Center and Mark Wenzel, assistant director of YES, Lieutenant Karl Schoepp, Inspector Joan Yale, Police Officers Robert Hoehn and Margaret Brunoforte for their relentless effort to make this a reality. It is my hope that the Summer Youth Park Program will thrive and flourish and become an annual part of our summer activities in the Town of Oyster Bay in the years to come.