Friday, December 22

The village offices will be closing at noon on Friday, Dec. 22, in observance of Christmas Eve, however there will be regular garbage collection on this day.

Monday, December 25

The village offices will be closed on Monday Dec. 25, and there will be no garbage collection on this day. The holiday schedule for this week is:

If your garbage is normally collected on Monday and Thursday, it will be collected on Tuesday, Dec. 26, and Thursday, Dec. 28.

If your garbage is normally collected on Tuesday and Friday, it will be collected on Wednesday, Dec. 27, and Friday, Dec. 29.

Recycling, rubbish and newspaper collections will be on regular days.

The "We Are Mineola" program was started four years ago by the Mineola Chamber of Commerce with the realization that what makes Mineola the special place that it is - are its people.

This year, the Chamber, as it has in the past honored "... people that care, make things happen, and seem to have an unending zest for life..."

This year's honorees truly embody these attributes. They are: Adelino Amaral, Joseph P. Cavanaugh, Elizabeth A.J. Conlon, Artie Epstein, Diane Haller, Susan Levison, Gary Mazur and Joseph Rizza.

Thank you for all your contributions to our village and being the very special people you are.

The flu and a cold are both viral infections. A cold is a minor viral infection and the flu is usually more severe, with higher fevers and aches and pains.

To minimize your chances of getting the flu or to lessen the severity of the flu you may wish to consider the following:

Wash your hands frequently to reduce the risk of getting a cold or the flu.

Avoid second hand cigarette smoke.

Get enough sleep, keep stress levels low and drink lots of water.

Mineola Youth and Family Services presently offers an after-school program at the Village Community Center on Mondays and Fridays from 3 - 6 p.m. On Mondays, youth have an opportunity to do their homework. From - 6 p.m., the youth are able to engage in leisure activities such as board games, movies, sports. On Fridays, leisure activities are also offered and arts and crafts is included. What a fun way to start the weekend!

The after-school program provides youth an opportunity to socialize with other children in a safe, structured and fun environment. There is no charge for this program. Mineola Youth invites all youth in the fourth - eighth grade to participate in the activities. For further information or to register your child, please contact Suzanne Skaflestad, at 742-1715. Please note that for the month of December, the program will not be held on Fridays, however, it will resume in January. On Monday, Dec. 25, the program is also canceled for Christmas.

Three Village employees who combined have 93 years of service are retiring. These gentlemen, Bill Howard, Harry Sapp and John Morris will be missed. We all wish them well in their retirement. I would greatly appreciate your help in "locating" the oldest tree in our village. Please contact the Clerk's office at 746-0750 with your suggestions. Thank you.