Are You Considering Buying Your First Home?

The Nassau Bar Association invites the public to attend a free presentation entitled "Buying Your First Home." This presentation will address the following questions:

1. What should I look for when buying a house?

2. How will I know how much I can afford to pay?

3. How do I select a good real estate broker?

4. What is the function of a mortgage broker?

The presentation will be on Tuesday, May 15, at 7 p.m. at the Nassau Bar Association, 15th and West Streets, Mineola.

Residents with in ground sprinkler systems are reminded that their water line must have a backflow prevention valve installed directly after the water meter.

This is required to help prevent contamination of the public water supply.

Backflow is a condition whereby substances from the lawn surface could be drawn into the water supply from the sprinkler heads. A backflow prevention valve eliminates that hazard.

Any questions regarding this and other backflow issues can be directed to the water department at 746-0751.

Any lawn watering must conform to the Nassau County regulations which were adopted by the Village of Mineola. These rules are:

1. Odd Numbered addresses --- water on Odd Numbered days

2. Even Numbered addresses--- water on Even Numbered days

No watering between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and one of the major causes of disability in the United States today. Yet, prevention and early treatment can minimize risk and improve the quality of life for survivors. In recognition of May- National Stroke Awareness Month, Winthrop University Hospital will present a free program, "Call to Action: Stroke Awareness" on Tuesday, May 22.

The program is appropriate for those interested in learning about stroke prevention, as well as those who have suffered a stroke. It will be held at the Winthrop Community Outreach center, located at 101 Mineola Blvd. in Mineola. It will begin with registration at 6:30 p.m., followed by the lecture at 7 p.m.

Neurologist Elzbieta Wirkowski, MD, Director of Cerebral Vascular Disorders, will give an overview of stroke, as well as discuss how to identify and reduce your risk factors. Linda Radler, MPA, PT, Director of Physical Therapy at Winthrop, together with the Physical Therapy Department staff members, will discuss the phases of rehabilitation from hospital to home, as well as explain the roles of various therapies.

"Call to Action" is part of the "What's Happening at Winthrop" lecture series. Admission is free but seating is limited. For information and to make a reservation, please call 663-8305.

Please advise your landscaping entity that our laws prohibit the operation of any power or manual lawn mowers or other gardening equipment between the hours of 8 p.m.-8 a.m.

In addition, it is illegal for the landscaper to scatter lawn clippings or other related garden waste onto any of our streets. They are to remove all lawn clippings and dispose of them at their own cost.

Your child is about to graduate and they are looking for a job. The federal government employs more than 2.7 million workers and has historically hired an average of 300,000 new employees each year. Please do not put your "old" propane tanks out in the garbage for the sanitation department to pick up. These tanks should be discarded by bringing them to the propane dealer that "fills" your new tank.

Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has available for its residential customers an Energy Wise Catalog. You may order up to 10 light bulbs and up to four fixtures/lamps per residential account, per calendar year.
The savings, per LIPA, is as follows;
Incandescent	Energy Efficient	Projected Savings
50-60 w	14/15 w	$44-57
60-75 w	18/20 w	$50-72
75-90 w	22/24 w	$66-83
100 w	29 w	$91
100-120 w	30 w	$88-113

(savings based on 10,000 hour bulb lifetime, at 12.6 cents per kwh)

The catalog is not limited to light bulbs. It has information on lighting fixtures, table lamps, exterior fixtures, security lighting, showerheads and solar powered "patio lights" and much more. This program expires on Sept. 30. You can view the Energywise catalog online @ www.lipower.org

The 2001 edition of Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents lists the variety of federal benefits available to veterans and their dependents. You can access this booklet on the web at www.va.gov/hottopic/ or you may wish to contact your congressional representative.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its website (www.fda.gov) has a list of "...tips to consumers who buy health products online." Some of the 'tips" are:

* Don't buy from sites that offer to prescribe a prescription drug for the first time without a physical exam, sell a prescription drug without a prescription, or sell drugs not approved by FDA.

* Don't do business with sites that have no access to a registered pharmacist to answer questions.

* Avoid sites that do not identify with whom you are dealing and do not provide a US address and phone number to contact if there is a problem.

At times children have problems learning in school. Although it may be suspected that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the cause (ADHD), this may not be the case. Parents can learn about ADHD and other learning problems by attending Winthrop-University Hospital's Parenting Today lecture, "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder What It Is...What It Isn't on Wednesday, May 16. The program will begin with registration and refreshments at 6:30 p.m. followed by the lecture at 7 p.m. It will be held at the Winthrop Community Outreach Center, located at 101 Mineola Blvd. in Mineola.

Ronald Marino, DO, associate Chairman of Pediatrics and Director of General Pediatrics at Winthrop, will address diagnosing and treating children with ADHD, as well as other learning problems. Dr. Marino is a behavioral pediatrician with more than 20 years experience in working with local school systems. He has given numerous lectures and interviews on ADHD. An open discussion about what can and can't be expected from drug treatment will be included.

Please call 1-877-559-KIDS to make a reservation.