On Tuesday, May 18, the community came out and showed its support by voting YES for the 2004- 2005 School Budget.

I would like to thank our superintendent, board of education, central administrators, principals, the presidents of our PTAs, music parents, Booster Club and Mineola Teachers Association for all their effort in providing the information and support needed for a successful budget. To the parents and residents, I thank you for exercising your right to vote. Your YES vote shows the confidence you have in our children and our community.

The students of Mineola also deserve a great big thank you. Those students who were eligible to vote did and those who could not brought the word home to their parents, guardians and neighbors on the importance of a YES vote. Our students have been working for a YES vote all year long by their academic achievement. The success on the athletic field and services they give to others through clubs and civic associations has shown their commitment to excellence. Our schools have participated in wonderful theater productions and our Marching Band and Rockettes have brought Mineola pride to many other communities in parades and competitions.

Please check out your school calendars and join our students and their families as they participate in many events throughout the school year.

Mineola is more than the County Seat of Nassau. It is a community that believes in the future through good education, community involvement, civic responsibilities and family pride.

Wednesday night's village meeting should be a wake up call to Trustees Santosus, Fairgrieve and Cusato. The residents of our village packed the meeting hall, with standing room only, to send a message. We aren't going to take this anymore! The people spoke last night and I hope these board members were listening. The actions taken by these trustees to replace our village attorneys were not only unethical but in fact illegal.

Trustees Santosus, Fairgrieve and Cusato, you broke the law! You secretly met with another attorney and devised a plan to hire this same attorney as deputy village attorney as well as over a dozen other "specialty" attorneys to replace John Spellman's firm. All of this was done without the knowledge or consent of the mayor and deputy mayor. Shame on you!

You were elected to serve the residents of this village, not use us as pawns in your little game of "paybacks." We finally have a true open government and you insist on reverting back to your back room wheeling and dealing. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what you are doing. Members of the audience asked you over and over again to tell us what Mr. Spellman's firm has done wrong to justify bringing on another 15 or so attorneys to replace Mr. Spellman and his associates. You all stated that he has done nothing wrong. In recent months you were given the results of a fact finding committee stating that village monies were well spent on employing Mr. Spellman's firm. You praised this committee for their in depth research. Now we have you stating no wrongdoing by Mr. Spellman's firm and research results basically stating that we are getting a bargain. What is the problem? We have one of Long Island's leading law firms representing us at an affordable fee. If this proposed plan of yours is not a self-serving political maneuver then what is?

I will repeat the plea of the majority of residents attending Wednesday night's meeting. Please stop this insanity. Check your egos and personal agendas at the door and start working for us again. We need you all to work together. You all took an oath and we hold you accountable.