I take great pride in recognizing and congratulating the members of our Mineola Fire Department receiving Medals of Valor for their heroic efforts at a Mineola house fire on Dec. 23, 1999. These men will be honored at a formal ceremony in April hosted by the Nassau County Fire Commission. The men receiving this prestigious award are: Rob Connolly, Mark Danielson, James Luning, John M. Kessler, Brian Santosus, Mark Valentino, Chris Franz, Thomas Behan and George Rowe.

Nassau Crime Stoppers need your help. Here's how Crime Stoppers works. You call the toll free number: 1-800-244-TIPS. You'll get a code number. If your information leads to an arrest, we'll give you a second code number and the address of a bank where you can collect your cash reward of up to $1000.

It's that simple, that easy, that anonymous. You'll be doing something good for the neighborhood and something good for yourself.

The Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs offers full-day seminars to help Nassau County residents who are contemplating retirement prepare for the changes, choices and challenges which lie ahead. These seminars explore the psychological, physical, financial and legal aspects of retirement and provide the information necessary to make informed decisions regarding the future. Workshops, led by professionals in their respective fields, may include: Financial Planning, Health Promotion, Caregiving, Housing, Social Security, Leisure and Legal Issues. To be added to the mailing list for upcoming seminars please call 572-0800.

Friday, March 10 - Library Movie @ Community Center - 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Friday, March 10 - Community Center Gym Youth Indoor Soccer - 7 ­ 9 p.m.

Saturday March 11 - Village Voter Registration @ Community Center - 9 a.m. ­ 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 11 - Community Center Adult Open Volleyball - 7 ­ 9 p.m.

Accidents in the home are a major cause of injury for people of all ages, especially for our senior citizens. To help assist our residents, the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs has prepared an informational brochure on home safety tips.

" I am pleased to make this information available to the residents of my Legislative District," said County Legislator Richard Nicolello. "I urge residents to call my office at 571-6209, to receive a copy of this excellent brochure.

Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that affects women as they age. Pain, loss of height and spinal deformities are characteristics of the condition, which can lead to disability. Men and women can learn the latest information about osteoporosis by attending Winthrop-University Hospital free "Perspectives in Health" lecture, "Bone up on Osteoporosis: New Trends in Prevention and Treatment" on Tuesday, March 21.

The program will be held at the Winthrop Conference center, located at 101 Mineola Boulevard in Mineola. It will begin with registration at 6:30 p.m., followed by the presentation at 7 p.m.

Jane Moore, RN, BSN, CCRC, clinical research coordinator at Winthrop's Osteoporosis Research, Diagnosis and Treatment Center, will provide the latest information about the prevention and treatment of the disease. Her presentation will include an explanation of the benefits of diet, medication, and weight-bearing exercise. A question and answer period will follow.

"Perspectives in Health" is coordinated by the Nurse Specialist Group, and is part of Winthrop's Institute for Family Care. Admission is free, but seating is limited. Pre-registration is required. Please call 663-8300 to reserve your place.