When West Hempstead Civic Association President Seth Bykofsky looks back on the time he spent on the West Hemsptead Civic Association, he knows the main motivation for his service is simple. It is the same motivation as the other members of the group - they care about the community in which they live.

For the past eight years, members of the West Hempstead Civic Association have been fighting for quality of life issues - everything from a new library to battles against gargantuan gas stations. For the past two years, Bykofsky has been the outspoken leader for the civic association and he has enjoyed every minute of it.

"The greatest change that I've seen in the community is the rekindling of the spirit of community among our people. People who were indifferent before, apathetic, felt they had no voice in government or what was going on in their own backyards now feel empowered," Bykofsky said. "I believe that is what the civic association has brought to the community."

Bykofsky witnessed firsthand the power a group of concerned citizens can have on government. "Now, when something is happening in the community, whether it's an illegal cabaret that is operating on the turnpike or an 18-pump megastation or somebody is trying to give us a car wash, the people are riled up and actually act upon their desires to have a better community," he said. "It's not the job of the civic association to do the job of the people, but it is the job of the civic association to help the people get that work done and we're their collective voice."

That voice was loud and clear in the West Hempstead Civic Association's efforts in recent years to curtail rampant development. One of its first battles was fighting against an after-hours club that featured topless dancing, loud music and drinking in the parking lot. "We had been told that it was going to be a family style restaurant and it obviously didn't turn into a family style restaurant," Bykofsky recalled.

At the time, the civic association went to the Town of Hempstead, which ended up bringing a lawsuit against the establishment for violations of the town code. An order of the court was given to shut the establishment down.

Then there was the time the civic association fought successfully against an 18-pump gasoline megastation with a convenience store, selling beer and cigarettes. After fighting for a few years, a scaled down version with only eight pumps was developed.

The civic association is in a continuing battle against the development of a car wash. Members recently voiced their displeasure at the prospect of a car wash in what they feel is a congested area during a hearing at Town of Hempstead hall.

The civic association has made great strides in its efforts to cleaning up the local parks such as Hall's Pond Park, where a gazebo was built. The civic association has also been conscious of the problem of illegal rentals and supporting the school district so the children of the community receive a solid education.

Last year, members of the civic association fought unsuccessfully for a new public library. Instead, a storage facility was built in the area. However, a referendum was brought before voters, allowing the democratic process to decide the fate of the area.

"The improvements may not be as global as we'd like them to be," Bykofsky said of the civic association's efforts. "The steps we take are relatively small, but in the long run, it's significant because we're making our presence known on the town, county and state level."

For what a civic association is designed to do - organizing a group of residents who care about their community so that their voices can be heard by those who will make decisions concerning their quality of life - the West Hempstead Civic Association has been extremely successful, boasting perhaps the largest membership of any civic association on Long Island.

"There's no greater service than service to the community and when you can accomplish something, even if it is small, you feel that you can take pride in the place you call home," Bykofsky said.

The civic president decided he would step down to allow others the opportunity to get involved. Bykofsky's successor has yet to be named.