Because of the Annual Stratford School Science Fair, the following Recreation Department Programs will be canceled: The Girls After School Program on Friday, March 12 and the Saturday Morning Recreation Program on March 13.

Also, the Recreation Department's Winter Program is quickly drawing to a close. Listed below are the final dates for some programs:

*Boys Elementary After School Program - Monday, March 15

*Boys 6th Grade After School Program - Tuesday, March 16

*Girls 6th Grade After School Program - Wednesday, March 17

*GCMS and GCHS After School Program - Thursday, March 18

*Girls Elementary After School Program - Friday, March 13 (Stewart School)

*Saturday Morning Recreation Program - Saturday, March 20 (Stewart and Stratford)

*Family Gym Time - Sunday, March 21

For further information, please call the Recreation Office at 742-5800.

A delightful afternoon of magic for young and old alike is cheduled at Cluett Hall for Sunday, March 21 at 2 p.m. This magic show will be presented by Bill White Productions. Admission to the show is $4 per person, which includes hot dogs, soda and chips. Advance reservations are required for this show. Please call the Recreation Office at 742-5800 during business hours by Thursday, March 18.

Pre-schoolers will smile as they complete their own arts and crafts project each week during this 8-week program, conducted by Sandra Young. This program will be held in Cluett Hall, and there will be three 45-minute classes each week -- Mondays at 10:45 a.m., Wednesdays at 1:15 p.m., and Thursdays at 10:45 a.m.

Registration for the classes that begin the week of April 5 will take place on Tuesday, March 23 at Cluett Hall beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The following guidelines have been established for this program:

*Children must between 3 and 1/2 and 5 years old.

*Children must not be in kindergarten.

*Children must be toilet trained.

*Children must be able to stay alone.

Cost of this 8-week session is $32 per child. For further information, please call Sandra Young at Cluett Hall 742-4905.

The Recreation Department is pleased to announce the start of their Women's Learn and Play Platform Tennis League at Community Park. The Learn and Play League will take place on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., beginning on Thursday, March 11. The cost of this league is $25 per person, which includes 5 instructional sessions, paddles and balls. There is a limit of 16 people for this league.

For further information, or to register, please call Steve Epsey at the Community Park Office, 483-2525.

One of the sure signs of the arrival of spring is the annual scramble to find goodies at the Recreation Department's Annual Easter Egg hunt, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 27 at 10 a.m.

Once again this year, the Easter Egg Hunt will be held at the St. Paul's Athletic Fields. This year there will be three hunts for the following age groups: 1) Pre-School through Kindergartern; 2) First and Second Graders; 3) Grades 3 through 5.

Children will be searching for all kinds of candy treats, as well as Special Eggs, which are redeemable for special prizes. There will also be a Giant Easter Basket awarded to the lucky child who finds the Special Egg marked #1.

Children should assemble behind the St. Paul's Field House for the start of the hunt. The Recreation Department asks all parents to observe the age groupings, which are designed to give all the children a fair opportunity to search for both candy and the prize eggs.

In the event of rain, the hunts will be held on Saturday, April 3 at the same time. In the event of uncertain weather, residents may call the Recreation Department Program Line at 742-5888, any time after 8:30 a.m. for the latest information.

The Garden City Centennial Soccer Club will be holding an Intrumural Coaches Clinics on Saturday, March 13 and Saturday, March 20. The clinic will be conducted by NOGA, and they will be covering: organizing practices and fundamental soccer skills along with other topics.

The schedule is as follows:

*2nd and 3rd Grade Coaches - 1:15 to 2:30 p.m.

*4th to 8th Grade Coaches - 2:45 to 4 p.m.

*Senior League Baseball Final Registration: The GCAA will be organizing 2 Senior League Teams to play in the District 29 Senior League. There will be 1 team for 13 and 14 year olds, and 1 team for 15 and 16 year olds. These teams will play a travel schedule against the other communities in District 29 - Valley Stream, Mineola, Franklin Square, etc. Since the GCAA expects to have more than 1 team in each division, there will be inter-league play between GCAA teams. Applications can be obtained from the Recreation Office in Village Hall, or at www.gc-aa.com. Mail completed applications to: GCAA, P.O. Box 4, Garden City, NY 11530. All application must include a $25 late fee, and be postmarked no later than March 15.

*Major League Tryouts: The GCAA will be conducting tryouts for the Major League Division on Saturday, March 13. The tryouts will be held in the St. Paul's Field House, according to the following schedule: 11 year olds (age as of 7/31/99) will try out from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; 12 year olds (age as of 7/31/99) will tryout from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 12 year olds who played in the Major League last year do not need to try out.

*Mandatory Managers and Coaches Clinic: The GCAA will be having a mandatory Managers and Coaches Clinic on Saturday, March 13 at St. Paul's Cluett Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This clinic will be conducted by Bob Fontaine and his professional staff from Baseball and Softball Dynamics. All parents who signed up as coaches and managers are expected to attend this clinic.

*Players Clinic: On Saturday, March 20, the GCAA will be holding a Players Clinic at the St. Paul's Field House. The clinic for players 9 years old and younger will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The clinic for players 10 years old and older will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bud Harrelson from the 1969 World Championship Miracle Mets will be speaking on batting and fielding instruction.

*Opening Day Parade: The GCAA Softball/ Baseball Opening Day Parade will step off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 17 from the parking lot at Franklin Avenue and Tenth Street and will proceed to the Gazebo on the Village Green.

For more information or to register for the periodic e-mail list, please visit www.gc-aa.com.

The Recreation Department will be accepting rosters for our upcoming Men's Spring Softball League beginning on Monday, March 15. Rosters will be accepted from the first 16 teams meeting the following requirements:

*From businesses located within the Incorporated Village of Garden City

*Teams composed of current residents of the Incorporated Village of Garden City

*Teams composed of employees of the Incorporated Village of Garden City

The fee for this league will be $245, which covers the cost of umpires, balls and field maintenance.

For further information, please call the Recreation Office at 742-5800.

The Recreation Department is pleased to announce that they have a limited number of discount tickets available to see the Islander's versus the tough Ottawa Senators, on Saturday, March 27 at 7 p.m. at the Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum.

Regularly priced $40 tickets are discounted to $29 are on sale now in the Recreation Office in Village Hall. Tickets must be paid for in cash only.

On Thursday, April 1, the Recreation Department will conduct a supervised trip for students in grades 6-8 to Adventureland Amusement Park in Farmingdale. The cost for this trip includes: 3 hours of unlimited rides, bus transportation from Cluett Hall to the park and back again (the bus leaves Cluett Hall at St. Paul's at 11 a.m. and will return at 4 p.m.). Supervision will be provided by members of the Recreation Staff.

Please note: Payment must be made in cash only. Payment must be made in the Recreation Office in Village Hall by Wednesday, March 31. There will be a limit of 100 children for this trip.

For further information, call 742-5800.

On Saturday, March 20 at the Cultural and Performing Arts at Cluett Hall enjoy a carefree evening at our dinner dance, featuring the romantic sounds of the Village Music Makers.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m., dance and relax to the great music provided by Tom Wagner and the Village Music Makers. Then at 9 p.m., you'll enjoy a full sit-down dinner, served family style, complete with coffee and dessert, followed by more music and dancing. The whole package is available to you for just $20 per person, which includes sodas and snacks.

Advance reservations are a must for this popular program, and payment is required in advance. Reservations can be made by calling the Recreation Office at 742-5800 during business hours by Thursday, March 18.

The Recreation Department has announced that the final day for Pool Interviews will be Saturday, March 13.

Challenging, enjoyable positions are available at the Garden City Pool. Anyone who enjoys being outdoors, and is willing to make the commitment to a team that works hard to provide quality programs for the residents of Garden City, should consider contacting the Recreation Department. Competitive salaries, friendly working conditions, opportunity for advancement, and the chance to be part of a special team are offered.

High school juniors or older students who are ready to make a commitment for a great summer job should stop in the Recreation Office in Village Hall and pick up an application and schedule an appointment for an interview.

Reminder: Even if employed by the Recreation Department last year, all interested must re-apply and be interviewed for the coming summer. Only pool interviews will be conducted for the final time on Saturday, March 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. No interviews will be conducted without an appointment and no positions will be offered to applicants who do not interview.

To schedule an interview, please call the Recreation Office at 742-5800.