b'the sands Point Preserve has been a special place for my family for the 44 years that we have lived here in the Village. i can still remember taking my young children to walk the trails for the first time over 40 years ago and always looking for the police horses grazing as we passed by while driving in and out of sands Point.Watching my family explore and discover the natural beauty of this acreageand being able to do so myselfwas my first point of connection. in the 1980s and 1990s, several annual parties of the sands Point Civic association took place in hempstead house and further cemented our love for the place.i have always had an affinity for both the history of the Gold Coast mansions on long island and the preservation of vast areas of natural woodlands, beaches, and meadows. therefore, in 2010, i was very pleased to join the board of directors of what was then called the friends of the sands Point Preserve, which had been formed only a couple of years before as a nonprofit entity to oversee maintenance and restoration of the park, much like the Central Park Conservancy has done and continues to do for Central Park in new york City.i am proud of our accomplishments over the last decade plus to keep the Preserve functioning, intact, and a benefit to the community at large, and of all the educational, recreational, and cultural programs that we now offer here. in particular, i will note a few, such as the addition of the fabulous Woodland Playground, guided nature walks, concerts, the establishment of a summer program for young children (some of my grandchildren had had the opportunity to attend and feel the same love for this place that we all have) and magical gatherings such as the fairy festival or this gala celebrating the very recent redesign of our new spectacular hempstead house Garden. as a director, i look forward to helping to ensure that the magnificent infrastructure of mansions, bridges, seawalls, and the like, as well as the diverse habitats on this unique property, are conserved and restored for all to keep enjoying; i am excited to see what the future holds for this inimitable local treasure. Alyson Adler'