From The Mayor's Office www.Gardencityny.net

By Peter A. Bee

ANNUAL TEST FOR BACKFLOW PREVENTION

ASSEMBLY UNITS

Residents who have in ground sprinklers are advised that their sprinklers must have certification of their backflow prevention units.

Please take a minute to schedule an appointment with a certified backflow prevention assembly tester who is certified by the Nassau County Department of Health. If the test discloses that the assembly is not operating satisfactorily, please have the necessary repairs made and the assembly retested by the certified tester. On completion of a test showing that the assembly is operating satisfactorily, the certified tester should complete a Test and Maintenance Report Form and forward to Village Hall Department of Public Works. An untested backflow device is considered a potential hazard to the residents of the Village.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to call Steven Bayard at 465-4012.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2007

Next Sunday, June 24, marks the graduation of the Garden City High School Class of 2007. On behalf of the Village Board of Trustees and the residents we extend our very best wishes and congratulations to the Class of 2007. They are an outstanding group of young people who are a credit to our community and I know that they will be ambassadors in their "homes away from home" during their college years. We urge them to keep listening, learning, and to seek knowledge so that they can make a difference.

OPENING OF GARDEN CITY POOL

Although this past Saturday was a bit cloudy for the opening of the Garden City swimming pool, Mr. Kevin Ocker, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Cultural and Recreational Affairs and his team had many visitors to the first rate pool for its 51st season opening day. I think that members will agree that the plantings are noteworthy. Congratulations to all! Any questions with regard to application forms/procedures, etc. should be directed to the Garden City Pool at 483-1714, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

BELMONT FESTIVAL

In spite of the cloudy weather, the 10th Annual Belmont Festival was held this past Friday evening on Seventh Street in our Village. Once again this event was enjoyed by residents and visitors to our community.

This is truly a positive partnering event between the Village and the New York Racing Association (NYRA). The parade was highlighted by the 5th Annual "Hats Off to Garden City" Contest, the Garden City Police and Fire Department Color Guards, Garden City High School Band, several antique cars, local area fire departments, including our very own department, the Islip horse drill team and several Garden City volunteer organizations which included the GCAA and several local girl and boy scouts.

Alex's Lemonade Stand which was managed by several Garden City High School students was once again a part of the festival collecting money to benefit pediatric cancer research. I would like to especially thank those who contributed to this wonderful cause both by volunteering and contributing so generously.

A special thank you to the festivals two main sponsors, the Garden City Hotel and KeySpan Additionally, a thank you to the Village Police Department, members of the Special Police and to our Department of Public Works for a wonderful effort in the clean-up.

ADELPHI UNIVERSITY

At the close of Adelphi University's 2006/2007 academic year, I want to acknowledge and compliment President Robert A. Scott on the many contributions that he and his administration have made during this past year. While Adelphi University has always been a hospitable neighbor, President Scott has made a special effort to not only attend Village functions he has been invited to but to also open the Adelphi Campus to the entire Garden City Community. This has ranged from hosting an outstanding cultural lecture series, welcoming youth athletic teams onto their playing fields, providing a tour of the campus to the Village Trustees as well as conducting a study on the needs of seniors in Garden City. I was pleased to have been asked to speak at their graduation ceremony and bring congratulations to the graduates, faculty and staff on behalf of the Trustees.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees I look forward to continuing our relationship with Dr. Scott and to partnering with him by sharing resources that all sectors of the Village can benefit from. We wish him a smooth and successful opening of the Fall 2007/Spring 2008 academic year.