'Tis the season to send your letters to Santa and the recreation department will help speed up the process. A special "Santa's Mailbox" will be available in the village hall lobby Dec. 4-20. Children can drop off their letters in the mailbox and Santa will send them a reply. All letters must be received by 4 p.m. Dec. 20 in order to ensure a reply. All letters must contain a legible address and no postage is necessary.

While dropping off their letters to Santa, children can take a chance at guessing the amount of candy contained in the decorated jar located near the mailbox. Drop your guess in the mailbox along with your letter by Dec. 20 and the child with the closest guess wins!

Put your family in the holiday mood and enjoy a delightful morning program of holiday magic performed by Bill White Productions and a special visit from Santa. The show will take place Saturday, Dec. 9, at 10 a.m. in Cluett Hall. Admission to this performance is a wrapped gift valued at $8, which would be suitable for a child aged 4 to 10. Gifts will be collected at the door and redistributed by Santa at the conclusion of the performance. The recreation department is pleased to announce that once again this winter it will run an after-school gym program in St. Paul's Field House for children in Grades 3-5 who reside in Garden City. The free program will begin the week of Dec. 4 and will be held according to the following schedule:

Boys in Grades 3-5	Mondays, 3:30-6 p.m.
Girls in Grades 3-5	Fridays, 3:30-6 p.m.

Sneakers are required for this program. The gym program will provide the children an opportunity to participate in hockey, basketball and other gym activities in a structured setting. Rich Anderson and the recreation staff will provide supervision. Please note that parents are expected to be on time for pick up. Please come down to the Field House to pick up your child. The recreation department will begin its Saturday morning men's basketball program this Saturday, Dec. 2, in Garden City Middle School's south gym. The program runs from 9 a.m. to noon and is open to men aged 19 and older who live in Garden City. The games are strictly "pick up" and entry is free. Proof of residency is needed to enter. For further information, call the recreation office at 465-4075.

The recreation department offers adult tennis lessons in 10-week sessions. Lessons are open to all adults who reside in Garden City and are offered at various times during the day and on the weekends.

If interested in lessons for the upcoming fall season, which begins the week of Jan. 21, fill out an interest form at the recreation office in village hall no later than Dec. 20. Classes will be put together according to ability and day desired on a first-come, first-serve basis. Interested participants will be contacted by tennis pro Carrie Strum to confirm the class.

The cost of this 10-week, one-hour program will be $199. Payment must accompany the interest form. Make checks payable to "Inc. Village of Garden City."

Adult Ultimate Workout - this one-and-a-half hour workout is for the experienced tennis player who wants to hone his/her skills. It is held Saturdays from 10-11:30 a.m. This program will be offered in 10-week sessions with a start date of Jan. 20. The cost of the session is $200. To register, visit the recreation office in village hall.

Registration for the second session of the recreation department's youth tennis lessons is ongoing and all classes are rapidly filling. This 12-week session begins in January 2007 and is open to children ages 4-18 who reside in the village. Do not wait until the last minute; visit the recreation office in village hall for more information or to register.

The recreation department is announcing the start of interviews for summer jobs at the Garden City Pool. If you enjoy being outdoors and are willing to make a commitment to being a part of a team that works hard to provide quality facilities for residents, the recreation department would like to meet you.

If you are presently a high school junior or older and are looking for a summer job, stop by the recreation office in village hall, pick up an application and sign up for an interview. Reminder: even if you were employed by the pool last year, you are still required to re-apply and be interviewed for the upcoming pool season.

Interviews will be conducted at village hall on the following dates: Wednesday, Dec. 27; Saturday, Jan. 6; Saturday, Jan. 20; and Saturday, Jan. 27.

The recreation department's adult swim program began Monday, Oct. 16 at Adelphi's indoor pool located in Woodruff Hall. This free program is open to any adult resident of the village age 18 or older. The pool is open for lap swimming on Mondays through Thursdays in one-hour time blocks at 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Anyone interested in this program must sign up through the recreation office. You must register each day you would like to swim by calling the recreation office at 465-4075. No reservations will be taken ahead of time and space is limited.

The recreation adult programs in the field house began Monday, Oct. 16, according to the following schedule:

Mondays	Men's Open Basketball	7:30-10 p.m.
	Men's Over-40 Basketball	7:30-10 p.m.
Tuesdays	Men's Over-30 Basketball	7:30-10 p.m.
Wednesdays	Men's Open Basketball	7:30-10 p.m.
	Men's Over-40 Basketball	7:30-10 p.m.
Thursdays	Adult Volleyball	7:30-10 p.m.
	Adult Soccer	8:30-10 p.m.

These programs are open to residents of the village who have graduated from high school. All programs listed are free of charge and strictly "pick up." A picture ID is required to sign in to any program. For further information, contact the recreation office at 465-4075. Aerobic classes are held in St. Paul's Cluett Hall according to the following schedule:

Mondays at 8:15 a.m.	taught by Pat Kennedy
Wednesdays at 8:15 a.m.	taught by Pat Kennedy
Thursdays at 8:15 a.m.	taught by Pat Kennedy
Thursdays at 7 p.m.	taught by Joy Cody
Sunday at 6:45 p.m.	taught by Joy Cody

Instructors are up-to-date on the latest moves to keep you interested while exercising. Pat and Joy have years of experience and can show the individual how to modify the exercises to their levels. To attend a single class, show up on the given day and pay $4. To attend regularly, 20 class passes can be purchased for $60, a savings of $1 per class. For further information, visit the Cluett Hall or call Grace at 742-4905 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.