Approximately 50 members of the Chaminade High School community, including students, faculty and alumni members plan to improve Mineola Memorial Park by planting foliage and cleaning up the basin area in the park.

Currently, a fence separates the village park from the recharge basin that provides storm water drainage for part of the village. The basin is the property of Nassau County.

The Chaminade volunteers plan to clean any trash from inside or outside the basin, weed and prune inside the basin, especially along the fence line, plant additional vines and ivy along the interior fence line, plant daylilies, junipers, ornamental grass and shrubbery along the exterior perimeter of the fence and make plant perennials in cut-outs underneath two Mineola Memorial Park signs.

The project is part of the school's Emmaus Apostolic Program, a schoolwide effort which seeks to engage students in service to the church, school and community.

"Since we live right across the street, I'm always looking for things for the guys to do. I walk through here a lot at night and I've always thought this was something we could make look a little better," said Chaminade Brother Peter Heiskell.

Chaminade got permission from the village to do any cleaning and planting in the park, up along the fence outside of the basin, and permission from the county to do any cleaning inside the basin.

"It brings us closer to the community," said one Chaminade student about the project.

The volunteers are planning on spending the entire day on Saturday, Oct. 26 on the project and welcome any help from community members, although the Chaminade High School volunteers are prepared to do all of the labor. One thing they are seeking, however, is donations.

Venezia Garden Center in Mineola is providing the plants at cost. Chaminade is seeking donations to pay the costs of the plants. How much they receive will determine how great of an area around the basin they will spruce up with foliage.

Anyone interested in making a donation for the planting, can make a check payable to "Chaminade High School Plant Fund" and mail it to Chaminade High School, 340 Jackson Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501-2441. For more information, contact Brother Heiskell at 742-5555 ext. 435.