During the holiday recess, the recreation department will offer a gymnasium program for children in the St. Paul's Field House. This program is open only to youngsters who reside in the Inc. Village of Garden City. The program will be held according to the following schedule:

* Kindergarten and 1st Grade, boys and girls- 9-10 a.m.

* 2nd & 3rd Grade, boys and girls- 10:30 a.m.-noon

* 4th, 5th, & 6th grade boys and girls- noon- 2 p.m.

* Grades 7 to 12, boys and girls- 2 p.m.- 5 p.m.

The recreation department will present The Muppets Christmas Carol at Cluett Hall on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. This fun-filled movie, starring Kermit, Miss Piggy, and all of your Muppet friends, is rated "G" and has a running time of approximately 85 minutes.

There is no charge for admission to the movie, and fresh popcorn and other refreshments will be available at a nominal charge. Supervision will be provided by the recreation staff.

The world famous "Magicians of the Basketball Court," the Harlem Globetrotters, will be appearing at the Nassau Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. The recreation department is pleased to offer discounted tickets to Garden City residents for this show. Tickets which are normally priced at $23 are available for just $20 each. These tickets are the best available seats for this show, and are now on sale in the recreation office in village hall.

Tickets must be paid for in cash only, no checks, please, and will be available only until Wednesday, Feb. 7, when any unsold tickets must be returned to the Coliseum.

For further information, or to reserve tickets, please call the recreation office at 465-4075.

Walt Disney's World on Ice is presenting the hit Beauty and the Beast at Nassau Coliseum, and the recreation department has tickets to two performances available to village residents.

On Saturday, Jan. 20, there will be an 11 a.m. performance and the recreation department is offering a supervised trip to the show. Tickets are priced at $23 each, and are the best seats available for this show. For this performance, the recreation department is pleased to offer free bus transportation to and from the show, including supervision on the bus ride and at the show by members of the recreation staff. The bus will depart the village hall parking lot at approximately 10:15 a.m. and will return after the show. These tickets are available now in the recreation office and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. These tickets must be paid for in cash, no checks please. Last day of sale for these tickets will be Jan. 11.

The recreation department also has discounted tickets available for the Thursday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m. show. These tickets are normally $23 but are available to village residents for just $20. No transportation is provided to this show. These tickets are also available now in the recreation office in village hall on a first come, first serve basis. These tickets must be paid for in cash only, no checks, please. Last day of sale for these tickets will be Jan. 11.

For additional information, or to reserve tickets, call the recreation office at 465-4075.

Due to the school holiday recess, the Men's Saturday Morning Basketball Program will not be held on Saturday Dec. 30. This program will resume on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2001. Due to the unexpected deflation of the Indoor Tennis Bubble, all contract time, lessons, and leagues have been suspended until repairs to the structure can be completed. Contract holders and program participants will be notified when the structure is ready to re-open. Information will also be provided in this column as the repairs proceed. The recreation department appreciates your understanding and cooperation during these unusual circumstances.

As an extension of the recreation department's popular elementary school program, they offer an after school program in the St. Paul's Field House for middle school age students. Activities which will be offered include: Floor Hockey, Basketball, Volleyball, and other popular sports and games. This program will be held according to the following schedule:

* Sixth grade boys- Tuesdays 3:30-5:30 p.m.

* Sixth grade girls- Wednesdays 3:30- 5:30 p.m.

* Seventh & eighth grade boys and girls- Wed. & Thurs. 3:30- 5:30 p.m.

These programs began Tuesday, Dec. 12 and will end March 15, 2001.

The recreation department also offers an after school program for high school age students at the St. Paul's Field House on weekday afternoons. The program includes basketball, volleyball, and other popular sports and games. This program will be held according to the following schedule:

* Ninth-12th grade boys and girls- Tues., Wed., Thurs. 3:30- 5:30 p.m.

This program began on Tuesday, Dec. 12 and will end on March 15, 2001.

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.

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.