Most Nassau County residents know Mineola as the county seat. However, in this summer of 2001, Mineola will also be known as the home of the New York State Little League Championships.

Beginning Saturday, July 28, four 11-12-year-old teams from New York will compete for the honor of being called state championships and the chance to move on in a tournament that's ultimate destination is Williamsport, PA - the home of Little League baseball where dreams are either realized or dashed.

For the Village of Mineola, being a stop on the path to Williamsport is an honor, although it has taken a lot of work to prepare for the state championship, which will be held at Field #1 of the Mineola Little League Fields, located on Willis Avenue and Second Street and kickoff with an opening ceremony on Saturday at 10 a.m.

The village's department of public works has been busy getting the complex ready to accommodate a large number of visitors as well as making sure the field is in top shape. "I know Mineola will be able to say with pride that the games were held here," said Mayor John P. Colbert.

Although a lot of effort was put into hosting the state little league championships, perhaps no one has been as busy as Ken Weiss of the Mineola Athletic Association (MAA). Weiss has been working diligently to put together plans for the weekend and his efforts as well as the efforts of many volunteers began when Mineola was awarded the state championships.

Just the way countries are awarded the Olympic games, Mineola was awarded the tournament. Since it is Disrtict 29's turn to host the tournament and Minoela, along with many other Nassa Communities, is a member of District 29, the MAA volunteers its community. The choice was approved by both the Village of Mineola and the state.

In 1961, Mineola hosted a state Little League championship so this year's event will not be a first in Mineola. However, the hundreds associated with the event are excited to see some of the best players in the state compete for a chance to play in the Little League World Series. "It ought to be a fun time and it's just an exciting thing to see, being an ex-Little League manager," said Mayor Colbert.

Village Trustee Linda Fairgrieve, who is the board's liaison to the MAA, spoke of the tournament and the high quality play that will continue to be displayed in Mineola.

"The MAA Little League is proud to host the state championship series. It is a fitting end to a successful season," said MAA Little League president Steve Siwinski.

The tournament will feature four teams comprised of 11 and 12-year-olds who will compete in a double elimination tournament. As of press time, the four teams that would compete are not yet known. However, one would be representing Long Island; one would be representing the New York City area and there will be a representative from northeast New York and a representative from northwest New York. The team from Long Island, however, will not be Mineola since the MAA's team lost in the District 29 double elimination tournament, despite posting a 5-2 record.

The schedule for the weekend has two of the four teams playing at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday morning, July 28 (Game 1). The other two teams will meet after that game, at 1:45 p.m. (Game 2). The losers of the first two games will play on Sunday at 1 p.m. (Game 3) while the winners of Saturday's games will be at 3:30 p.m. (Game 4). On Monday, the winner of the third game will play the loser of the fourth (Game 5) at 6:30 p.m. and then on Tuesday, the winner of games four and five will play for the championship at 6:30 p.m.

The team that emerges from Mineola victorious will go on to the Eastern Region Finals in Bristol, Connecticut. The team that emerges from that final will go on to the Little League World Series in Williamsport.

Weiss has been busy with preparations such as finding a hotel for the players and their parents to stay. He reserved 30 to 35 rooms at the Coliseum Motor Inn in East Meadow. Weiss has also been coordinating activities such as a Long Island Ducks game the players will go to on Saturday. Shirts were also made up to give to each of the players who will also receive commemorative baseballs. The MAA has also gotten some corporate sponsors as well as cooperation from the Village of Mineola. "The village did a lot of work and I give them a lot of credit," Weiss said.

Weiss said he wanted to thank all of the volunteers and the sponsors for making the event possible. Also, village workers, under the direction of department of public works superintendent Tom Rini and assistant superintendent Ron Ciesinski, have been repairing the MAA field house and making sure the field adheres to official Little League regulations.

Last year, the state championships were held in Staten Island, where Weiss estimates there were 350 to 400 spectators. In order to accommodate a large number of people, additional stands were put in as well as portable bathroom facilities. Since there are two fields at the complex, field #1 will be used for the games and field #2 will be used for the teams to practice.

Since parking could be tight, the Corpus Christi School has granted the MAA permission to use their parking lot, which is located near the complex.

The Mineola Auxiliary Police will be on hand to coordinate parking and the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps will be standing by in case of an emergency.

On Saturday, after all of the preparations have been completed, it's time to play ball as Mineola will witness the spectacle of a Little League state championship in its backyard. "It should be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it," Weiss said.

Saturday, July 28	10 a.m.	Opening Ceremonies
			10:45 a.m.	Game 1
			1:45 p.m.	Game 2
Sunday, July 29	1 p.m.	Game 3
			3:30 p.m.	Game 4
Monday, July 30	6:30 p.m.	Game 5
Tuesday, July 31	6:30 p.m.	Championship Game
Wed., August 1	6:30 p.m.	Championship Game