Microwaves have become fixtures in our kitchen and when used correctly are very handy. However, you should not boil water alone in the microwave and this is especially so if the cup is very new.

What happens is that the water heats up faster than bubbles can form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat that has been built up, the water does not boil and continues to heat up well past its boiling point.

If the cup containing the water is even slightly jarred or bumped, the water in the cup could "blow up" on to your hand or even your face.

The reason is that the jarring is enough of a "shock" to cause the "bubbles" to rapidly form and expel the hot water.

The Mineola Fair will be held on Saturday, May 19, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you are interested in participating as a vendor, nonprofit organization or business organization please contact the Mineola Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 62, Mineola, NY 11501, or call Teri Ranfone at 746-0919. There is a shortage of blood and there will be a Blood Drive on April 29 at the Community Center between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

I am please to announce that our Village will be hosting gardening programs for our residents. All of these programs will be presented by Master Gardeners.

The first program will be on April 5, at the Community Center at 12:30 p.m. Mary Mertz will discuss "Spring Gardening Basics."

Subsequent presentations will be: Annuals by Patricia Speciner, Minor Bulbs by Mary and Harry Van Allen, Integrated Pest Management by C. Reissert.

The dates and times of these programs will appear in future columns. I would like to thank Trustee Conlon for spearheading these programs.

Village Offices will be closed on Friday, April 13, in observance of Good Friday; however there will be regular garbage collection.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has data which indicates that more than 50 percent of child safety seats are installed incorrectly.

Parents and grandparents can learn more about child passenger safety by attending Winthrop-University Hospital's free "Child Passenger Safety Workshop" on Tuesday, April 17, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. This workshop will be held at Winthrop's Community Outreach Center, located at 101 Mineola Boulevard.

Judy Jax, RN, trauma coordinator at Winthrop, will provide information on choosing and using car seats and safety belts for children.

In addition, air bag safety will be discussed. Admission is free, but seating is limited. Please call 1-877-559-KIDS to make reservations.

On Oct. 4, 2000, Governor Pataki signed into law provisions that amend the personal income tax treatment of contributions and withdrawals made under the College Choice Tuition Savings Program.

This legislation provides that:

- Married couples who file joint returns are now allowed to deduct, for New York State Income Tax purposes, up to a total of $10,000 in contributions made to one or more accounts owned by either spouse, regardless of which spouse made the contributions.

- Withdrawals made due to the death or disability of the beneficiary of the account are now exempt from New York State Income Tax.

Since this legislation was pending when the 2000 personal income tax forms and instructions were printed, the College Choice Tuition Savings Program addition and subtraction modifications found in the 2000 instructions for Forms IT-201 and IT-203 do not reflect the changes made by the legislation.

If you have any questions about this change or any other New York State income tax concerns, please call 1-800-CALL-TAX.

Monday, April 2 Organization Night 7 p.m.

Friday, April 6 Youth Basketball 7-9 p.m.

Saturday, April 7 Adult Basketball 7-9 p.m.

Friday, April 13 Youth Soccer 7-9 p.m.

Saturday, April 14 Adult Volleyball 7-9 p.m.

Friday, April 20 Youth Kickball 7-9 p.m.

Saturday, April 21 Adult Basketball 7-9 p.m.

Friday, April 27 Youth Wiffleball 7-9 p.m.

Saturday, April 28 Adult Volleyball 7-9 p.m.

It is once again time to prepare for the warm weather and register for your Mineola Leisure Passes. Beginning on Saturday, April 7, we will expand our registration hours to seven days a week. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The registration deadline is May 15. If you would like to make an appointment or have any other questions regarding Leisure Pass registration, please call 746-2326.