On Saturday Dec. 16, the recreation department will sponsor the annual Holiday Party for all Village Youngsters. This party will be held in the Cultural and Performing Arts Center at Cluett Hall.

The morning will begin with magic and illusions performed by the artists from "Bill White Productions," and then there will be a special visitor from the North Pole. The special visitor will distribute candy canes and gifts to one and all.

The cost of admission to this holiday party will be a new, wrapped gift valued at $5 and suitable for a young child.

For further information about the holiday party, please call the recreation office at 465-4075.

'Tis the season to send your letters to Santa, and the recreation department will help speed up the process. Through a special arrangement with the North Polea special "Santa's Mailbox" will be set up in the village hall lobby, as of Dec. 1. Children can drop their letter in this mailbox, and Santa will send them a reply letter. Santa's Mailbox will be available until Dec. 18. All letters to Santa must be received in this special mailbox no later than 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 18 to insure a reply. Letters must contain a legible reply address, and no postage is necessary.

In addition to helping Santa with his letters, the recreation department is again conducting a holiday Candy Cane Contest. Children are asked to guess how many candy canes are in the jar which is displayed next to Santa's Mailbox. Guesses should include the number of candy canes the child thinks is in the jar, and a legible name and phone number (so the lucky winner can be contacted!) Guesses should be placed in Santa's Mailbox.

The child whose guess is closest to the exact number of canes in the jar, without going over, will win the jar, canes and all. In the event of more than one correct guess, all correct guesses will be placed in a box, and one of Santa's helpers will select one guess at random to win the prize.

The candy cane contest will be conducted until Dec. 18.

With the hockey season in full swing, the two rinks at Community Park are open according to the following schedule:

* Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to dark; supervised 3 p.m. to dark

* Saturday, 10 a.m. to dark, supervised

* Sunday, noon to dark, supervised

So that youngsters can enjoy the rinks in a safe fashion, the following safety rules have been established, and will be enforced by attendants on duty and recreation supervisors:

- All skaters must wear the following equipment:

* helmet

* hockey gloves

* elbow pads

*knee/shin pads

Skaters who refuse to comply with these rules will not be permitted to use the rinks. Your cooperation is appreciated.

The recreation department is pleased to announce that once again this winter, a Gym Program for elementary school age youngsters will be conducted weekday afternoons after school. Due to the ongoing construction in both of the elementary schools, this program has been moved to the Saint Paul's Field House. Both Stewart and Stratford children will attend the same sessions.

This program will provide children with an opportunity to participate in floor hockey and basketball leagues, and to play dodgeball, kickball, and participate in other gym activities. Sneakers must be worn for this program, and no registration is necessary. This program will be held beginning on Monday, Dec. 4, and ending on Friday, March 16 in the Saint Paul's Field House, according to the following schedule:

* Boys: Grades 3,4 and 5- Mondays 3:30-6 p.m.

* Girls: Grades 3,4, and 5- Fridays 3:30-6 p.m.

Because the recreation department is unable to access the elementary school gymnasiums, and since the field house is utilized on Saturdays for the GCAA/Recreation Youth Basketball Program, there will be no Saturday morning gym or arts and crafts program this winter. The recreation department is hopeful that they will be able to return this program next year, after the bulk of the school construction is completed.

For additional information about this program, call the recreation department at 465-4075.

With the second session of Indoor Tennis scheduled to begin on Dec. 10 at the Indoor Tennis Center at Community Park, there are some openings available in the recreation department's Adult and Senior Citizen Lesson Program.

Lessons are offered in levels from beginner to intermediate, and are held throughout the week. Senior Citizen lessons are offered in the morning, while other adult lessons are held in the evenings.

If you would be interested in participating in one of these classes, call the recreation office at 465-4075 to determine what courses are still available.

The recreation department will again conduct a Men's Basketball Program on Saturday mornings at the middle school boys' gym. This program will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday morning beginning on Dec. 2 and continuing until Saturday March 31.

This program is open competitive play for men 18 and up and teams are formed on a "pick-up" basis. For further information about this program, call the recreation department office at 465-4075.

Although this is the time of year when most folks are busy preparing for the upcoming holiday season, it's not too early to start planning for a summer job with the Garden City Recreation Department.

Challenging, enjoyable positions are available at the Garden City Pool, the village playgrounds, in the summer sports camps, and in the recreation maintenance division.

If you enjoy being outdoors and are willing to make the commitment to being part of a team that works hard to provide quality programs and facilities for Garden City residents, then the recreation department would like to talk to you. They offer competitive salaries, friendly working conditions, opportunity for advancement, and the chance to be part of a very special team.

If you are a high school junior or older and are ready to make a commitment for a great summer job, stop at the recreation office in village hall, pick up an application, and schedule an appointment for an interview.

REMINDER: Even if you were employed by the recreation department last year, including the pool, you are still required to reapply and be interviewed for the upcoming summer.

Interviews will be conducted on the following dates:

* Wednesday, Dec. 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

* Saturday, Jan. 6, 2001 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

* Saturday, Jan. 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

* Saturday, Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

No interviews will be conducted without an appointment, and positions will not be offered to applicants who do not interview.

The following Adult Recreation Programs began on Tuesday, Oct. 10 in the St. Paul's Field House. Please note that programs will be held from 8-10 p.m., and are for Inc. Village of Garden City residents only. All participants will be required to register at the St. Paul's facility during the first weeks of the program, and residency will be checked during the season.

* Men's Open Basketball will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings

* Men's Over 30 Basketball will be held on Monday and Tuesday evenings

* Men's Over 40 Basketball will be held on Wednesday evenings

* Adult Co-Ed Volleyball will be held on Thursday evenings.

All games in these programs are strictly "pick-up" and range from recreationally to competitively oriented. Residents must be of post-high school age to participate. For additional information, please contact the recreation office at 465-4075.

Through the generous cooperation of Adelphi University, arrangements have again been made to allow village residents use of the indoor swimming pool at Woodruff Hall as part of the recreation department's winter program.

One hour swim sessions are available at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, as of Oct. 10 and continuing until May 24, 2001. Residents wishing to take advantage of this program can sign up for a one-hour session by calling the recreation department at 465-4075 before 3 p.m. on the day they wish to swim. Participants will be required to show proof of residency when they arrive at Adelphi, and must also fill out an Adelphi University program registration form, which will be available at the registration desk in Woodruff Hall.

This program will not be held during Adelphi holidays, or other days when the university is closed. For additional information call the recreation department.

With the fall sports season now under way, the recreation department would like to remind all residents that they give preference to the various organized Village Youth Organizations (GCAA, Centennials, Thunder, etc.) for their intramural and travel league programs. When the fields are not in use by these youth organizations, the recreation department, or a group holding a valid field permit, these fields are available for use by village residents.

Additionally, for reasons of safety, do not move or relocate any soccer goals on any fields. To ensure a safe facility, goals must be fastened to the ground. Moving goals without properly securing them can lead to a dangerous condition for the youngsters using the fields.

Playability of the fields at recreation facilities will be determined by the recreation department employee on duty at the fields.