The MTA has informed Mayor Jack M. Martins that it plans on conducting work during the night on the Roslyn Road Grade Cross Elimination project. However, the mayor objected, concerned of what the noise from the work would mean to area residents.

The start of the project is right around the block as it is scheduled to begin in early 2005. The project involves shifting the grade crossing to the west, depressing Roslyn Road and elevating the tracks so that the need to stop for an oncoming train would be eliminated.

The project is a complex one and involves the state taking some property such as the Allied building and the Kozy Shack property, which is occupied by New York Ravioli. However, proponents of the project believe it will create safer conditions with improved traffic circulation.

The project, which is expected to take approximately 18 months, is also expected to give the village a new parking field at Roslyn Road and Second Street for 70 vehicles and one on Second Street just east of Main Street for 100 vehicles.

It may prove to be a difficult time for residents of the adjacent Birchwood Court apartment complex and other residents of the area especially since the mayor was informed that the MTA plans to conduct work during the night that involves pounding steel forms into the ground.

Mayor Martins objected to work being conducted during the night. The mayor planned to meet with the vice president of the Long Island Rail Road to review the schedule for the work.

The work is planned for the nighttime since work has to be conducted on both tracks. However, Mayor Martins would prefer that work not take place at night so area residents are impacted as little as possible by the project. The mayor said he believes that buses should be arranged by the railroad, taking passengers from the Carle Place station to the Merillon Avenue station and vice versa, thereby bypassing Mineola so that work can take place at reasonable hours.

Jason Napolitano and his father Ralph Napolitano appeared before the village board to ask for the board's permission to hold a fund-raiser walk in Mineola next September.

In 1993, two weeks shy of his 14th birthday, Jason was diagnosed with leukemia. Understandably, it turned his family upside down. But Jason was able to beat the disease and now 25 years old is completely cured.

The Napolitano family wanted to do something to help children who have been diagnosed with cancer and have formed a foundation called "Jay's World."

Through fund-raisers such as its 3-on-3 basketball tournament, the foundation has raised $1.1 million for children with cancer. In addition, the foundation has awarded scholarships to those students who have battled cancer.

Jason was treated at North Shore University Hospital, but since his doctor, Mark Weinblatt has transferred to Winthrop University Hospital the foundation has therefore been raising money to benefit Winthrop.

Some of the foundation's contributions to Winthrop include a $50,000 donation to the Cancer Center for Kids in 2001 for a state-of-the-art blood lab machine, $100,000 in 2002 for the purchase of a room for children with cancer in the new pediatric floor and $10,000 in 2003 to the Cancer Center for Kids for a new microscope, which is used when checking children's blood results.

Jay's World has a goal of raising another $400,000 for the Winthrop pediatric oncology unit and thought of having a fund-raiser walk in Mineola next September for the cause. The walk would start at Mineola Middle School, providing the school district agrees, and would proceed down Garfield, then onto Willis, then onto Jericho Turnpike, then onto Herricks Road, then onto Old Country Road and then left prior to the Mineola Boulevard Bridge. Jason will invite cancer patients to walk from the Mineola Boulevard Bridge to Mineola Middle School, which is one mile. The total distance of the walk is 3.5 miles.

Jason and Ralph Napolitano assured the board that walkers will be walking on sidewalks and there would be volunteers or police officers manning the intersections. They also assured the board it would be a well organized event and they would have the proper insurance.

Mayor Martins and the board of trustees applauded Jason and Ralph Napolitano on their efforts to fight child cancer and granted them the date of Sept. 18, 2005 to hold their walk.

Not long ago, a large refrigerator-type box appeared on Chestnut Street in front of a resident's home as well as other boxes around the village. The party responsible was Verizon. Mayor Martins had the building department summons Verizon and was successful in having the box on Chestnut Street removed.

Verizon is proposing installing 40 boxes around the village to boost its DSL connection. The 40 boxes include 15 that have already been installed.

Mayor Martins instructed the Department of Public Works to look at the proposed location to make sure they are not going to be intrusive on the residents.

Village DPW Superintendent Tom Rini reported that nine or 10 of the locations are questionable. The information will be relayed back to Verizon but it is clear that it is not the village board's responsibility to come up with alternate locations for Verizon.

Mineola is not the only area receiving these boxes. Mayor Martins said he has been contacted by mayors of other villages to see how Mineola dealt with the plan.

The village's flu shot program will be held on Oct. 18 by appointment only. There is, however, a shortage in flu shot venom so flu shots will be administered to seniors beginning with those who made their appointments first. The village's Halloween Party is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 29. On Oct. 6, 2004, Blanche Paris of Mineola celebrated her 100th birthday. Oct. 6, 2004 was officially proclaimed "Blanche Paris Day" throughout the Village of Mineola. She came to live here in 1925. Mayor Martins and the trustees thanked the Mineola Fire Department for allowing the mayor and trustees to take part in a training session. Mayor Martins and trustees Larry Werther and Linda Fairgrieve were impressed with the training that goes into being a firefighter and the hard work involved. Of course, trustees Lou Santosus and Paul Cusato are longtime members of the Mineola Fire Department. Trustee Cusato was proud to report that the Mineola Homecoming was a success. He reported that $2,000 was raised for the Mineola High School Alumni Foundation of which Mr. Cusato is a founding member. He also reported that the reunion the night of homecoming was well attended. Mineola's own Nancy Portoguese Bauer was named Businessperson of the Year by the Mineola Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Martins with approval from the board of trustees appointed Anne Hurley to the library board. Anne was an alternate and is a member of the Friends of the Library. Congratulations to Marty Dawber, a member of the Mineola Fire Department, who was named Town of North Hempstead Firefighter of the Year. Congratulations to Sal Cataldo, who was re-installed as commander of the American Legion Mineola Memorial Post #349.

The mayor and village board chose to fund unforseen expenses by transferring money from other lines in the budget.

The first expense is for emergency electrical services at the Mineola Community Center. During Senior Appreciation Day, lights started going out in the community center because fuses were blowing. The cost of the repair is estimated to be about $7,500. Village Treasurer Richard Dwyer recommended money taken from certain lines in the budget that have funds available to pay for the repair. The lines in the budget and the amounts taken from them are:

Repairs-Curbs	$2,500
Tree Stump Removal	$1,000
Repairs Buildings	$1,000
Rental Strategic Alarm	$1,000
Village Hall Roof	$1,000
Contingency		$1,000
The second expense is estimated to be $10,000 for a new air conditioning system for the physical fitness gym at Company #3 of the Mineola Fire Department. The lines in the budget and the amounts taken from them to pay for the unit are:
Seasonable Employees	$3,000
Rental Strategic Alarm	$2,000
Village Hall-New Generator	$1,500
Village Hall- Roof Feasibility	$3,000
Repair-Curbs	$500
The third expense is a repair to the village's clearwell at Water Well #4, which developed a crack that needs to be repaired. The cost is estimated to be $15,000. The lines in the budget and the amounts taken from them are:
Legal Costs Water	$4,000
Leak Detection	$3,000
Repair Mains	$2,000
Street Openings	$5,000
Dues and Conferences	$1,000

The Mineola Fire Department put in a request for a new rescue truck to replace one from 1983 that is in service now. The rescue truck responds to every call and the current one, in addition to being on its third engine, is not adequate in size anymore to accommodate all of the equipment. The estimated cost is between $300,000 and $325,000. The mayor and the board voted to go out to bid and pay for it with a five-year bond anticipation note, which means the truck will be paid off in five years so that the village sticks to its policy of avoiding long-term borrowing. An individual appeared before the village board previously to discuss a swap of parking lots. The lot owned by the village is off Latham Road south of Jericho Turnpike. The lot owned by the individual is located on the corner of Latham Road and Jericho Turnpike. The village board may consider the swap but first needs to check out the lot to make sure there are no environmental issues.

There has still been no decision made on the proposed Commerce Bank to be located in the area just east of the Herricks Road-Jericho Turnpike intersection, south of Clarissa Road.

The village board received word from the Nassau County Planning Commission that there were some recommendations from the commission on changes to the curb cuts and traffic flow.

The board held off on the decision and will discuss it at its Oct. 13 work session, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at village hall.

The village board may be reluctant to change the proposed plan because if the board were to insist on traffic flow or curb cut changes and an accident were to occur, there could be some liability on the part of the village.

* Vincent Lupinacci expressed concern about litter in Mineola. He explained that there is litter under the train tressle on Jericho Turnpike on the east end of the village and that there were coffee cups and Snapple bottles on Roslyn Road and Jericho Turnpike. He suggested getting a garbage receptacle there. He said he doesn't want the city coming to Mineola.

* Bill Urianek expressed concern that there was a tractor-trailer from Panera Bread, located on Jericho Turnpike in the west end of the village, facing eastbound on a westbound lane. He was concerned that it would block Jericho Turnpike.

* Joe Toritto asked what a grant given by Senator Michael Balboni to the Chamber of Commerce would be used for. Mayor Martins said the focus is on the downtown revitalization project.

* Sal Cataldo thanked all the members of the volunteer organizations. He alluded to a fund drive for the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps to get a new building and suggested that village taxes be paid in two payments.

* Dan Murphy is trying to get a year-round competitive swim team going. Right now, parents still haven't come together to get it off the ground. Mayor Martins offered to meet with Mr. Murphy to try to help but the village will not take the responsibility of running the team. Mr. Murphy is one of the dedicated parents who will be key if a Mineola swim team gets off the ground.

Mr. Murphy also pointed out that there is a pothole on Betty Lane. Repair of village roads could be an issue. Because village debt is near $30 million, there isn't much money available to pave roads. Currently, there is enough money in the budget to pave one mile of village roads. However, many roads and curbs are in need of repair.

* Bill Plunkett expressed concern that courts are overriding public policy.

* Dennis Walsh expressed concern that when the grade crossing elimination project on Roslyn Road takes place, the work of pounding steel into the ground would stir up the pollution that may be underground at locations such as Jackson Steel.