Santa Claus draws smiles from youngsters during Gouverneur Recreation Center visits

by Rachel Hunter

Local students enjoyed visiting with Santa Claus at the Gouverneur Recreation Center, Trinity Ave., Gouverneur, before the Christmas holiday. The legendary figure cheerfully listened to the Christmas wishes of the youths in UPK to Grade 4 during the Gouverneur Recreation Department’s After-School Program, STEAM Studio in December. See photos inside this edition of the Gouverneur Tribune Press.

Faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall that Jolly Old St. Nick also visited youths in the Toddler Town Program. The visits were coordinated as part of the Gouverneur Recreation Department’s “Holiday Hoopla” event series.

The Gouverneur Recreation will start 2024 out strong as it offers programming for community members in Gouverneur and the surrounding communities, under the direction of Gouverneur Recreation Center Director Casey Canell and Head Attendant Michelle Prashaw. The January 2024 schedule is as follows:

Gouverneur Recreation Department’s Toddler Town continues to meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings throughout the year. The program regularly includes interactive socialization, music, art, story, snack, and active play. Toddler Town will be open on Jan. 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, and 30. For more information on how to join Toddler Town, call the Gouverneur Recreation Department at 315-287-0524.

The After-School Program, STEAM Studio, highlights opportunities exploring the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) for local elementary school students. There are theme days and guests with fine art appreciation, as well as interactive social play and gaming stations with tournaments. Students in UPK to Grade 1 meet at the Gouverneur Recreation Center on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and students in Grade 2-4 meet on Mondays and Wednesday afternoons. Bus transportation is provided by the Gouverneur Central School District. For more information, call the Gouverneur Recreation Center at 315-287-0524.

The Gouverneur Recreation Department’s Senior Citizen Bingo and Coffee Social is held weekly on Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon. The event features food bingo games with socialization. Highlights this month included an Ornament Exchange (Dec. 8) and a Christmas Bingo (Dec. 22). The New Year’s Bingo Bonanza will be held Friday, December 29, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Gouverneur Recreation Center, Trinity Ave., Gouverneur. All local senior citizens are invited to participate. For more information, call the Gouverneur Recreation Center at 315-287-0524.

The Gouverneur Recreation Center’s Before-School Morning Program is held weekdays at the Gouverneur Elementary School in partnership with the Gouverneur Central School District. The enrichment program features early morning wake-up activities, interactive social play, arts and crafts, and breakfast. For more information, call the Gouverneur Recreation Department at 315-287-0524.

There will be no Gouverneur Recreation Center programming on Monday, January 15 due to the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.

The Helping Hand Helping Neighbors Food Drive continues to meet the needs of local residents. The drop box is located at the lobby entrance. For more information, call the Gouverneur Recreation Department at 315-287-0524.