When we last left Clarissa Road, the Village of Mineola decided not to part with the street after residents vehemently opposed its sale. What turned nearby residents off was building developer Metro Centers' idea to construct a new shopping center complete with a supermarket.

After deciding against selling the road, Mineola Mayor John P. Colbert said the board would not consider any plan unless it was well received by the area residents.

Now, it looks like the residents of the area will get another chance to give input or suggestions on the property. At last Wednesday's meeting of the village board, a resident of Helen Road informed the board that he received an invitation to a meeting that is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 6:45 p.m. from Justin Gensel of Gensel's Furniture Gallery, one of the stores in the shopping center.

The purpose of the meeting is for the area residents to either hear a new proposal or exchange ideas about what to do with the shopping center, which is south of Clarissa Road and North of Jericho Turnpike, between Herricks Road and Beebe Road.

Members of the village board said they knew nothing of the meeting. Village attorney John Spellman said dialogue between residents and developers of the area is encouraged and such a meeting perhaps should have taken place prior to the April hearing on Clarissa Road when so many residents opposed the long-term plan for the site.

Spellman also said there is no pending application with regards to the shopping center or Clarissa Road. If and when there is one, the village would hold a public hearing again to get residential input.

Although an informational meeting with residents may be a good idea, the time the meeting is being held is suspect since it is taking place on the same date and time as the hearings the village has scheduled, said Trustee Jack Martins.

American Legion Post 349 Commander Sal Cataldo blamed lack of communication on the part of the village as the reason the veterans monument doesn't look the way he wanted it to.

According to Cataldo, he, along with Veterans of Foreign Wars Adolph Block Post 1305 Commander Manny Grilo and Village of Mineola Superintendent of Public Works Tom Rini formed a committee to redo the veterans monument in Memorial Park with new landscaping, pavement, benches and lights as well as a new plaque on the stone.

Cataldo said he left two messages for Rini who didn't return the calls. Meanwhile, according to Cataldo, the pavement around the monument was put down without him being consulted. The American Legion commander said the veterans wanted 15 five-point stars, a symbol of the military, imbedded in the pavement. In addition, two of the four flagpoles didn't have lights and there was no pavement around those flagpoles.

As a result, the pavement has to be torn up if the stars are going to be imbedded in the pavement as Cataldo described. The pavement being redone is going to cost additional money because of a lack of communication on the part of Rini, Cataldo charged.

Deputy Mayor Santosus defended Rini, pointing out that the village was trying to get the monument done in time for the rededication ceremony on Nov. 11. "Tom Rini does a good job for us. The reason the monument looks the way it does is because of Tom," Santosus said, adding that the monument looks beautiful.

Cataldo said he is not questioning the work, but the way in which the village went ahead with it without consulting the other members of the committee. Santosus said the village would make the monument as beautiful as the veterans want it.

As part of normal maintenance, each year after the summer months, the village has one water well disconnected and taken off line. This year, water well #5 in the northeast section of the village was disconnected.

While disconnected, it was found that the casing or screen at the bottom of the well had deteriorated and that gravel had begun to enter the system. The system will have to be dismantled and repaired at an estimated cost of $300,000. If the deterioration was not caught, the entire water system could have been seriously damaged. Trustee Jack Martins said it was a tribute to the water department that the damage to well #5 was caught before it became worse.

Mineola Fire Department Chief Mike DeStefano reminded residents to check their heating systems since it's the time of the year when residents are now using their heat. The chief reminded residents to make sure their burners are working properly.

* A resident noticed a county truck taking down political campaign signs on Jericho Turnpike. However, the workers were taking down the small signs, but not the larger ones.

* Bill Urianek pointed out the drilling continues to take place on the south side of Jericho Turnpike around Koeppel Ford. According to the village board, contamination was found on the Koeppel Ford property and the drilling is being done to determine how far the contamination has traveled.

Koeppel Ford is responsible for the cleanup of the site. The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is overseeing the cleanup. A remediation plan will eventually have to be submitted to the DEC.

* The MAA field house, which was recently designated as an historical landmark, is in need of a new roof. A bid came in for $60,000, which the village felt was too high so the job is going out to bid again.

* Bill Urianek said at this time next year, he won't be living in Mineola anymore because taxes are too high. Urianek said his village tax went up 6.5 percent, his school taxes went up 15 percent, the water rate went up 12 percent, the county tax is going up 19 percent and there is an increase in the town tax.

Urianek said the village helps set the school tax by not cracking down on illegal housing. Santosus said the village aggressively attacks illegal housing. Urianek disagreed.

Also, the Mineola Civic Association president complained that Mineola's facilities are being used by people who are not from Mineola.

He also complained that the sound system in village hall where the public meetings are held is terrible.

* A resident said that Enterprise Rent-a-Car is once again parking its cars on the sidewalk near Emory Road.

The resident also pointed out that a crossing guard must be present at all times to help children cross Jericho Turnpike. Sometimes, the crossing guard is only present in the morning.