We want to express our sincere thanks to Mayor John P. Colbert and the honorable members of the village board of the Village of Mineola, especially Trustee Jack Martins, for their untiring efforts to protect the interests, safety and concerns of the residents of Mineola.

The telecommunication industry, represented by Omnipoint, is demanding our village permit the installation of six additional sets of RF cellular phone antennas (radio frequency electromagnetic and radiation emitting) on the Maple Place antenna. There are approximately 24 RF antennas presently emitting radiation into the immediate area.

Maple Place is not an industrial area. It is not surrounded by open fields or highways. It is a residential area where children live and play. It is an area where residents sit on their porches, walk their pets, jog for exercise or just walk for the enjoyment of walking through their neighborhood.

Maple Place was not an area planned for a 200-foot, barbed-wired surrounded tower, housing radio frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF) antennas, emitting powerful frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF), which area classified as possible human carcinogens by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences panel.

The industry continuously relates that the Telecommunication Act of 1996 gives them the right to place their (RF) antennas any place they feel is necessary. They claim Maple Place is a necessity. The village board responded by asserting their authority to regulate the placement of antennas through local law. Trustee Martins eloquently and professionally confronted the industry's pressure group, and illustrated that Omnipoint's data presentation was falsely misleading and their safety and need analysis was grossly inaccurate.

After complex chart illustrations of areas of Mineola that they consider "unreliable," Omnipoint agreed that there are numerous other areas of Mineola that are not covered by the additional antennas. Mineola is approximately two and a half square miles. We are surrounded by (RF) radiation emitting antennas. Where does this lunacy stop?

On December 4, 2002, the Village of Mineola will render its decision. Please attend this meeting. Your presence will illustrate to the industry and the village board that we want to live in a safe and secure environment.

We, the residents of Mineola, chose the environment we desired to raise our families in. Don't let the high pressured, unscrupulous salesmanship force this unneeded, quality of life affecting environment upon us.

Please attend the December 4 village board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Mineola Village Hall, 155 Washington Avenue.

Grace and Walter V. Crosby

Loretta and Martin Dawber

Maple Place Committee of Concerned Residents