The expressions on the faces of the children of our village who attended the Halloween Party spoke volumes about how much they enjoyed themselves on Friday night.

The youngsters dressed in their costumes were a sight to behold.

In an attempt to make this event even better than it has been in the past, this year we added a Hay Ride and Castle Bounce.

Young and not so young enjoyed the Hay Ride and the energy of our children was evident when they enthusiastically utilized the Castle Bounce facility.

On Saturday, we had a Pancake Breakfast for our seniors and their grandchildren. The attendance was overwhelming.

There are many, many people who I want to thank for all their efforts to make both of these events the high success they were.

One of the things that makes Mineola the great community it is are the volunteers, the people whogive of their time and talents not only for these events, but for all the volunteer activities that exist in our Village.

In next week's column I will list all those individuals who did so much to make both of these events so successful.

In this week's column I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Halloween Sponsors whose contributions help to minimize the costs of these events.

In previous columns, I have suggested that you "Shop Locally." The business community supports us in so many ways and our patronage of their businesses is the best way of saying thank you.

To our elected officials, residents and friends, thank you.

The sponsors are:

Senator Michael Balboni

Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell

County Legislator Richard Nicollelo

Village Attorney John Spellman

Michael Vessa of East Williston

Joe Lahey of Mineola

Jack and Candi Maia of Mineola

Mary and Martin O'Donnell of Mineola

Alba D'Agostino Bakery

Bakers of All Nations of Mineola

Donohue's Funeral Home of Westbury

Dunkin Donuts of Garden City Park

Entenmanns of Mineola

Friendly of Mineola

Knights of Columbus Council #2502

King Kullen of Mineola

McDonald's of Mineola

Mineola Portuguese Center

Mineola Garden City Rotary Club

Pathmark of Garden City Park

Pepperidge Farm Thrift Store

Portugalia Bakery

Western Beef of Mineola

Vito's Bakery

County Seat Kiwanis

Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps

Mineola Auxiliary Police Department

Mineola Historical Society

Mineola Athletic Association

Mineola Fire Department

Mineola Electrical Board

Boy Scout Troop 45

Ex-Chief Richard Kotowski was recently presented with the Town of Hempstead Firematic Award. Chief Kotowski joined our fire department on Oct. 15, 1971, as a member of Company #2. Through the years, Chief Kotowski has served the Department on many committees and as a delegate to several firematic organizations. Currently, his activities include serving on the fire house restoration committee and vice president of the Nassau County Chief's Association.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the Chief's Office and members of our fine Fire Department, I congratulate Ex-Chief Kotowski on a job well done.

County Clerk Karen Murphy Offers Copies of Deeds for STAR Assistance

The deadline for filing your STAR Application is Dec. 31 which is fast approaching.

A copy of your recorded deed is one of the items that should accompany your application. If you do not have a copy of your deed, County Clerk Karen Murphy has prepared an instruction sheet if you want to search the County Clerk's records yourself to obtain a copy of your deed. Copies of the instruction sheet are available at Room 110 of the main hallway at 240 Old Country Road in Mineola. If you are pressed for time you can obtain a copy of the instructions by writing to: Office of the Nassau County Clerk, 240 Old Country Road, Room 110, Mineola, New York 11501. Please include a self-addressed postage paid envelope with your request. Another alternative is to order a copy of your deed from the Clerk's Office. Such written requests should include the following information:

1) Name of property owner

2) Address of the property

3) Liber and Page (if you have this) where the deed is recorded

4) Section, block and lot of your home (Tax Bill has this information)

5) Self-addressed postage paid envelope

6) Appropriate fee

The deadline for written requests is Dec. 1.

The County Clerk's fees to obtain a copy of your deed yourself, the cost of copying the deed is 25 cents per page; if you order a copy of your deed by mail and know your liber and page where your deed is filed the cost is $4 or if you do not know the liber and page, the fee is $7.

Personal checks are acceptable for all mail requests.

Help for Those Who Are College Bound

The following website are indeed helpful for those who are college bound.

www.studentservices.com

Scholarship and Financial Aid Information

www.ed.gov/offices/ope/express.html

FAFSA form electronic registration

www.collegeboard.org

Online SAT registration, test dates and college search engine

www.hesc.state.ny.us/tapapp.html.

TAP application

www.usnews.com

College Applications.

You may access these websites at our library.