Reminder

Village offices will be closed on Wednesday, Feb. 12, in observance of Lincoln's Birthday however, there will be regular garbage collection.

Nassau County "Reassessments"

If you intend to "challenge" the new county valuation you must do so no later than March 3.

The recent letter from the Nassau County Department of Assessments stated: "Should I challenge my assessment if I own a private home and think the market value estimate is too high?" The answer is yes. It is further suggested that you would be well served to review sales of similar houses in your neighborhood to determine what your house would sell for if you put it on the market.

Another potential resource to assist you in determing whether you should "challenge" your new assessment is www.mynassauproperty.com. Review how many square feet your home has and it's amenities (number of bathrooms etc.) to assure yourself that the information that Nassau County used in "reassessing" your home is accurate.

This website will also allow you to determine what other similar properties in your area are assessed at which is both helpful and at times enlightening.

Should you own a condominium, although you may challenge your taxes individually, as a general rule you should contact the management company to ascertain if it is going to file on behalf of all the condo owners.

A cooperative's challenge usually lies within the purview of the co-op's Board of Directors.

If you would like more information or forms the following will be of assistance:

1. Download forms and get additional information by going to www.co.nassau.ny.us.

2. Contact the Assessment Review Commission by e-mail at ARC@mail.co.nassau.ny.us and or call the Department of Assessment, 571-2391 during business hours with your questions as to how to complete the "Application for Correction."

If you do not have a computer the staff at the library would be pleased to assist you in downloading the forms.

If you are still undecided as to what to do the Nassau County Bar Association has many programs which could be of assistance. Some examples of the programs are: Speakers Bureau, Public Education Seminars, Senior Citizen Free Legal Consultations, Attorney Referrals.

The Bar Association is located at 15th and West Streets. The website is www.nassaubar.org/community-programs. cfm and the telephone number is 747-4070.

Senior Citizen Health Care Hotline

The Senior Citizen's Hotline is 1-800-342-9871. You can obtain information about Health Care Proxies, Medicare and other senior health matters.

In addition, non-participating doctors according to the Senior Citizen Resource Guide physician's in New York State that do not accept Medicare assignment cannot charge more than 5 percent above the Medicare-approved amount for the covered service. The 5 percent limit however, does not apply to home or office visits.

Helpful Hints

The Long Island Water Conference has the following suggestions to protect your pipes from freezing:

Insulate pipes in attics, garages, crawl spaces, pantries and other unheated areas.

Turn off outdoor spigots from inside the heated building and never completely shut off the heat when you are going on a vacation.

President's Day Feb. 17

Village offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 17, in observance of President's Day. There will be, however regular garbage collection.

Mineola Days Gone By

The Postmaster of Mineola in 1867 was George J. Dougherty and the population of the entire town of North Hempstead in 1865 was 5,335.