On 8/27/05 (12:31:35 AM MDT), in a posting to NY-LONGISLAND-L@rootsweb.com, Mary (mdtaffet@mailbox.syr.edu) asked, "I am seeking a copy of the obituary for Melvin J. SIEGEL of Commack, who died sometime within the last 2 weeks. He was born about 1925, and his funeral was within the last 3 or 4 days. I do not know what paper I should consult to try and find this obituary. Any ideas?" The Hamlet of Commack is partly in the Town of Huntington and partly in the Town of Smithtown and for questions such as yours, and depending upon which town (Huntington or Smithtown) the particular part of Commack is situated, you may want to contact either (or, both) the Commack Public Library or the Commack Branch of the Smithtown Public Library: Commack Public Library 18 Hauppauge Road Commack, NY 11725 Tel: 631/499-0888 Fax: 631/???-???? eMail: http://commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us/ask.html http://commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us/ Commack Branch Smithtown Public Library 3 Indian Head Road Commack, NY 11725 Tel: 631/543-0998 Fax: 631/???-???? eMail: ????? http://www.smithlib.org/ The pertinent geography: Commack is a hamlet (unincorporated area) partly in the southeast part of the Town of Huntington and partly in the southwest part of the Town of Smithtown, in the northwest part of Suffolk County. There are 4 villages (municipal corporations) and 15 hamlets all or partly in the Town of Huntington. There are 3 villages and 8 hamlets all or partly in the Town of Smithtown. There are no cities and 10 towns in Suffolk County. There are 2 Indian reservations in Suffolk County. (I'm including after my name a NYS Geographic Glossary with the NYS definitions of county, city, town, village, hamlet and postal zone.) Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Hamlet of Commack in the Towns of Huntington and Smithtown is bordered on the north by the Hamlet of East Northport, Town of Huntington, the Hamlet of Fort Salonga and the Hamlet of Kings Park in the Town of Smithtown; on the east by the Hamlet of Smithtown and the Hamlet of Hauppauge in the Town of Smithtown; on the south by the Hamlet of Brentwood in the Town of Islip and the Hamlet of Dix Hills in the Hamlet of Huntington; and, on the west by the Hamlet of Dix Hills and the Hamlet of Elwood in the Town of Huntington. And, as occurs in every one of Suffolk County's 157 communities (0 cities, 31 villages and 126 hamlets), the Hamlet of Commack has a different border than does the "Commack, NY 11725" postal zone (i.e., a place can have a Commack mailing address and not be in Commack). Those places that have a "Commack, NY" mailing address that are not in the Hamlet of Commack are in the Hamlet of Elwood in the Town of Huntington and the Hamlet of Smithtown in the Town of Smithtown. For those who have their copy of the 2004 or earlier edition of the LI Population Survey or have already downloaded the report from the Long Island Power Authority (eMail me directly if you need instructions on how to access and download the report), you'll find the Hamlet of Commack in the Towns of Huntington and Smithtown, Suffolk County on pages 14, 16 & 22 (map) and 17 & 23 (population estimate). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. L'Shannah Tovah* & Happy 5766, Walter Greenspan * L'Shannah Tovah (li-SHAH-nuh TOH-vuh; li-shah-NAH toh-VAH) Hebrew. Lit. for a good year. The common greeting during Rosh ha Shannah and the Days of Awe. This is a shortening of "L'Shannah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" (or, to women, "L'Shannah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi"), which means, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." This year, Rosh ha Shannah begins at sunset on Monday, October 3 on the civil calendar. . Cities, Towns, Villages, Hamlets and Postal Zones in New York State New York State is divided into counties. County A county is a municipal corporation, a subdivision of the state, created to perform state functions; a "regional" government. All counties are divided into cities, towns and Indian reservations. City A city is a unique governmental entity with its own special charter. Cities are not sub-divided, except into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Town A town is a municipal corporation and encompasses all territory within the state except that within cities or Indian reservations. Towns can be sub-divided into villages and hamlets. Village A village is a general purpose municipal corporation formed voluntarily by the residents of an area in one or more towns to provide themselves with municipal services. The pattern of village organization is similar to those of a city. A village is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Hamlet A hamlet is an unincorporated area in one or more towns that is governed at-large by the town(s) it is in. A hamlet is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Postal Zone "City" and "Town" A postal zone "City" and "Town" is an administrative district established by the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the mail. Postal zone "City" and "Town" may not (but are encouraged to) conform to municipal or community borders. Thus, postal zone location does not always determine city, village or hamlet location. Please be aware: In many areas of New York State, the problem of non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places have a different community name in their mailing