How many times have you read Newsday or any other newspaper and noticed a report of Mineola's good name mentioned in connection with some serious crime? How often have you watched News 12 or other television reports where Mineola's good name is mentioned in connection with some awful criminal? I see these reports all the time - and I don't like them.

The reason that these reports mention the name of our Village is that the arrests, arraignments, convictions and sentencing of all sorts of bad people take place in our Nassau County police headquarters and courthouses. But there's a misleading problem here: the police headquarters and courthouses are not in Mineola. They are actually in Garden City. In fact, none of the county buildings located south of Old Country Road are in Mineola; they are all in Garden City. Since the courthouses bear a 11501 Post Office zip code, however, they are always linked with our Village.

The result of all of the inaccurate reporting in the press about crimes and criminals is to diminish the good name of our Village. The impression is created by the media that the criminals "come from" Mineola. Associated Press by-lines mention our name. Announcers mention our name. It is typical to hear a reporter state that "A murderer was brought to justice today in Mineola" or "Live from Mineola...police today took into custody a man accused of stabbing his neighbor." However, when the fine-print is read or the details are heard, it is learned that the accused or convicted person came from somewhere else. But that municipality does not receive the press.

It is time for us to join together in order to protect and defend our good name. It is time for us to insist that the Nassau County government and court complex be removed from our Mineola zip code. I shall ask the Village Board to pass a resolution to accomplish this.