Bethpage-Tribune_1999-11-26

              Tree Lighting Starts
L-L's Holiday Season
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Brush Fire in
Bethpage State Park
On Thursday, November 18,
1999 at 12:37 pm, the Bethpage
Fire Department responded to the
report of a large brush fire in
Bethpage State Park. The fire
covered over 1 acre north of the
picnic area. Thirty five Bethpage
volunteers and 6 trucks responded
immediately under the command of
Assistant Chiefs Brian Wall and
James Baudille.
Due to the size of the fast
moving fire and its hard to reach
location, Chief Wall requested
additional special brush fire vehicles
from Plainview, Farmingdale,
Melville and Massapequa. The
Hicksville Fire Department provided
coverage for Bethpage during the
two hour brush operation.
Also assisting the Bethpage
firefighting efforts was the Nassau
County Police helicopter which
provided aerial observation for the
fire chiefs. The Nassau County
Emergency Management Office
also responded to assist in
coordinating various fire, police and
state park units.
' The fire was declared under
control at 2:08 PM. There were no
injuries reported and the cause of
the fire is unknown.
Santa's Mailboxes Available
• Nassau County children,once .
again will be able to send their
Christmas lists directly to old St. Nick
at the North Pole via a special
network of Santa's Mailboxes, which
will be set up starting November
26th at six facilities operated by the
Nassau County Department of
Recreation and Parks.
Nassau County Executive
Thomas S. Gulotta said that letters
to Santa deposited by December
17th will receive a reply in the form
of a "Santa-Gram" from the North
Pole, assisted by Santa's elves at
the Parks Department.
Letters from Santa are cheery,
but non-committal as to the
/ children's Christmas lists. In order to
receive a reply, children's letters
must contain a name and legible
return address. Please allow one A
week for a reply.
... The colorful red and green
mailboxes will be set up at the
"administration buildings of the
following parks: Cantiague Park in
Hicksville, Christopher Morley Park
in Roslyn-North Hills, Eisenhower
Park in East Meadow (Field House,
Administration Building and Aquatic
Center), Grant Park in Hewlett,
Roosevelt Park in Roosevelt and
Wantagh Park in Wantagh. Letters
may be deposited in the mailboxes
between 9 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. No
postage is necessary for the Santa
letters.
For further information on
Santa's mailboxes, please call 572-
0253 weekdays during business
hours.
Several Long Island high
schools and musical groups will help
kick off the holiday season when
they appear at the 16th Annual
EAB Plaza Tree Lighting Ceremony,
taking place Saturday, December 4
from 5:30 - 6 p.m., at EAB Plaza,
Hempstead Tpke. in Uniondale.
Each year, more than 25,000
spectators attend the event, which
is sponsored by The DeMatteis
Organizations and EAB. EAB Plaza,
Long Island's largest and tallest
office building, is owned by
Coliseum Towers Associates, a joint
venture of The DeMatteis
Organizations and ABN-AMRO
Bank, N.V.
For the past 16 years, the EAB
Plaza Tree Lighting Ceremony has
served as Long Island's kickoff for
the holiday season. Since its
inception in 1984, the EAB Plaza
Tree Lighting Ceremony has grown
to become the largest single special
event on Long Island.
"Each year, we receive more
comments from people across Long
Island telling us how much they
appreciate having such a wonderful
event right in their own backyards,"
says Steven Mezick, chairman of
the EAB Plaza Tree Lighting
Committee. "Knowing that we play a
role in brightening the holidays for
so many children and adults is
especially gratifying for the entire
committee and helps make all the
planning and hard work worthwhile."
Continuing a popular tradition,
the EAB Plaza Tree Lighting will
showcase the diverse performing
talents of several Long Island
groups, including:
* Oceanside High School
Marching Band and Flag Team
* Sweet Adelines Chorus
* Floral Park High School
Chorale
* Gospel Recording Artist
Valerie Boyd
* Valley Stream Central High
School Streamers*
* Special guest appearance by
Santa Claus!
The show's featured performers
will be the J.C. Lynn Dancers and
the June Claire Dancing Kids - two
perennial crowd favorites whose
dance routines rival the Rockettes.
As always, the highlight of the
event, which will be televised live on
News 12 Long Island, will occur
when the switch is thrown
illuminating some 40,000 lights
adorning the giant 81 ft. Douglas Fir
from Smithtown Long Island, which
is erected between EAB Plaza's
twin towers.
Pre-event activities for
^youngsters will begin at 2 p.m.
'Spectators are encouraged to arrive
early and park free-of-charge at 90
Merrick Avenue and Bishop
Kellenberg Memorial High School,
both located adjacent to EAB
Plaza. Additional free parking will be
available until 5 p.m. at the Nassau
Veterans Memorial Coliseum.