Several years ago the hamlet of East Norwich began a campaign against free standing signs improperly erected or posted by otherwise well-meaning residents. The corner of Route 25A and Route 106 began to look a little trashy. It seemed like every organization from Bayville and Glen Cove to Huntington and Greenvale thought absolutely nothing of stopping in our town and placing signs in the ground or on utility poles for every type of function imaginable.

And worse yet, after the function was over they didn't have the decency to remove those ugly signs.

The Committee for the Beautification of East Norwich undertook to do something about this problem and today the

hamlet is practically free of these signs along the public thoroughfare.

But one additional problem has not been abated as yet -- posters and tag-sale signs that are being taped, stapled and,

yes, sometimes nailed, to our trees and utility poles. And like the

other signs aforementioned, when the event is concluded these same people think nothing of leaving the signs up indefinitely to get tattered, dirty, torn, weather-beaten, and more ugly than when first put up.

Many people interviewed think it is their right to post signs for their personal yard sale or other event. But that could not be further from the truth. It is clearly illegal!

On April 25, 1994, Nassau County passed a law known as Ordinance # 238-1984 wherein Section 3, subparagraph "M" reads as follows:

m. Prohibition of Posting Bills.

"No person or persons shall placard, post or display with show bills, hand bills, posters, banners, or any printed or written notice or notices or advertisement of any kind whatsoever, or attach anything whatsoever of such character to any tree, pump, hydrant, telegraph, telephone or electric poles, telephone booths, sign posts, traffic light poles and street lamps within the County of Nassau.

Any person including private citizens may remove and cart away any show bills, hand bills, banners, posters or any printed or written notices or advertisements that have been placard posted and/or displayed in violation of this ordinance."

So all of you people who are planning yard sales or tag

sales this spring and summer, please obey the law and do not post signs around town. Advertise your sale in the local paper or elsewhere but not on the trees and utility poles. In doing so you will be adhering to our local laws and you will furthermore be contributing to the beauty of our village and our natural surroundings.

And how about you residents who agree these

signs are ugly. The law specifically gives you the authority to step up and remove such signs. Don't wait for someone else, just do it yourself!

Take the sign down! It is not wrong to do so. As a matter of fact the law encourages private citizens to do just that.

Some of your neighbors have already begun taking

down signs and will continue to do so. There is a murmur around town about what is going on. Let us increase the murmur so that everyone gets the message. If you put up an illegal poster, sign or handbill, someone will probably take it down even before the event or during the sale.

Be a good citizen, take pride in your community and obey the law.

Jack Scheich, President

Committee for the Beautification of East Norwich