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To The Point: Go with the flow — conserve city water supply

By Sabina Cardali

Welcome to the Point. The Point being College Point.

I keep looking at the calendar. The weather is June-like but the calendar says it is still January. I think it is great but I wanted to make sure that I am still sharp.

Happy retirement to Jim Martin, the manager of Fleet Bank.

Happy birthday to Fred Mazzarello, May Pidgeon, Lauraine Memola and Helen Ann Lindenburg.

Happy birthday to Paul McIntyre, Connie Bonanno and Terrance King.

Happy anniversary to Mary and Robert Hubner.

Condolences to the family of Aidan Carragher, Catherine Stoneham and Barbara Kessler.

Important Drought Alert Water conservation is necessary because we’ve had such a dry winter. Cut showers short. Dishwashers and washing machines should be filled to capacity before being run. Sweep sidewalks instead of power washing them with a hose. Fill tubs halfway instead of all the way to save 10 to 15 gallons of water. Don’t run the water while shaving, lathering up to wash your hands, washing dishes or brushing your teeth. Repair leaky faucets and turn taps off tightly — a slow leak wastes 15 to 20 gallons each day. Don’t open fire hydrants. Don’t run water to make it cold — keep it chilled in the refrigerator, ready to drink. Report open fire hydrants and street leaks to the city Department of Environmental Protection’s 24-hour help line at DEP-HELP. An open hydrant can waste a million gallons of drinking water a day.

About 1.2 billion gallons of water are used every day in the city. Presently the network of reservoirs that feed the city is at only 40 percent of capacity instead of the normal 80 percent. This is the lowest rate since the 1960s. For now, water conservation measures are recommended!

Holy Trinity will hold a St. Patrick’s dance Feb. 23 from 8 p.m. to midnight in Haggarty Hall, 14-45 143rd St., Whitestone. Tickets are $30 per person and include a corned beef and cabbage dinner, soda bread and beer. Music will be provided by The Boston Burglars. For tickets, call Ann at 746-5414, Marie at 767-1806, Theresa at 746-1670 or Marie at 767-4698.

The 24th annual Queens Half-Marathon and the Skaggs-Walsh 5K Run will be held Saturday, April 13. The race will start at 8 a.m. on at MacNeil Park on Poppenhusen Avenue between 119th Street and College Place in College Point and wind its way through Malba and College Point via 14th Avenue. Please leave your car at home from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. as there will be traffic delays and rerouting. College Point Boulevard will be closed from 8 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. for the Skaggs-Walsh Run.

A Caregivers Support Group will be held at St. Fidelis Rectory, 123-06 14th Ave., on Wednesdays, Feb. 27, March 27, April 24 and May 29. For more information, call Sister Helen Muhlbauer at 961-2729.

A Salute to Satchmo will be performed by the Louis Armstrong Society Jazz Band Sunday, Feb. 17 at 3 p.m. at Queensborough Community College, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside. Tickets are $32, $29 and $26.

SABINA SAYS — Our Memorial Day Parade is set for Sunday, May 26 at 2 p.m. “United We Stand” will be our theme and will commemorate those who died in wars as well as those who perished at the World Trade Center. If you would like to be part of the committee, please call Chairman Fred Mazzarello at 939-3393.

Reach columnist Sabina Cardali by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 140.