The article about the forum on village incorporation is extensive. We are giving you a lot of information to begin to digest. There is a lot to think over in these exciting times in East Norwich.

One of the speakers mentioned the Village of Garden City as having a large tax bite, but that village also offers a great deal to its residents. There is a village golf course, a police force, a paid fire department. The village offers a year round recreation program for children, that includes movies on the weekend, and great summer programs. The village pool is maintained through membership fees. At night there is no parking on the village streets - if you are having a guest stay over you have to tell the police so they know to allow the car to be parked overnight. They don't allow basketball hoops to be placed in the driveway in front of the house.

Village of Garden City residency gives you country club living in the midst of Nassau County. It probably goes as far as you can go in offering services to its residents.

East Norwich is really a very low-key area, which is something we all seem to enjoy. It is famous for the intersection where the 250-year old black walnut tree was located as they widened Route 106, which hastened its demise. Matthew Meng said the East Norwich Civic Association logo uses the leaves of the tree while the Committee for the Beautification of East Norwich (CBEN) uses the tree as a logo.

Mr. Meng talked about the history of East Norwich and showed a photograph of Brown's Pond from May 22, 1964, when people could ice skate there. It went with the widening of Route 25A. He said the ENCA held dances for $6 a couple at the Pine Hollow Country Club in those early days, and that thousands of people attended.

At one time there was an East Norwich Library and now that building is located on the grounds of the Vernon School. In the past it has been used by the Theodore Roosevelt Association as its headquarters and it has been used for the OB-EN pre-school program. Recently Dr. George Chesterton, OBEN superintendent of schools agreed that the ENCA can use it as a location for one year. Mr. Meng was very appreciative of the gesture.

It became available in October, but the cold weather and the holidays have slowed them down. It is also not handicap accessible, which is the reason it hasn't been used for meetings. Additionally, Mr. Meng said all the ENCA mailing pieces mention the church as the current location for meetings. He said they hope to use it for Beautification Committee meetings and as a resource for the community with special meetings to be held there.

So, things are shaping up. There are things to think about, committees to join and a future to consider. What could be more exciting!

- DFK