The Oyster Bay-East Norwich PAL will be registering boys for basketball and karate from 4 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 11, 12 and 13 and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14. Register at the PAL office at 249 South St., Oyster Bay in the offices of Dr. Sabini, across from Oyster Bay Gulf.

The fee is $50 for boys in grades 2 through 8. Grades 4 through 8 begin play in December at the Vernon School Gym. As a community service project, you are requested to bring a donation of canned food to the registration. The foodstuffs will be delivered to the Youth & Family Counseling Agency of East Norwich and Oyster Bay for the Celia Flower Food Pantry.

There is also a clinic for both boys and girls in kindergarten to first grade, which costs $35. It begins in January and is held at the Roosvelt Gym on Saturday mornings from 9 to 10 a.m.

The karate classes are held every Wednesday at the Oyster Bay Community Center. Andy Hall has been the karate instructor for the past several years.

If you have any questions about the programs, please call the PAL office at Police Officer Director Bill Ott at 922-6647.

Officer Ott explained the cost of registration helps defer the cost of running the program, which includes the uniforms, the cost of referees and trophies.

"It could be doubled to cover the costs of the program, but we like to keep it low so there is an equal opportunity for all the kids," said Mr. Ott.

If you would like to sponsor one of the teams and have your company name on the back of the T-shirts worn by the kids, you can contact Mr. Ott.

He replaces John Ruane, the previous PAL director, who was recently promoted. Officer Ott has three sons who all played high school sports, and community sports before that. One is in college and two are in high school. Mr. Ott has been on the police force for 25 years.

For more information about the PAL, you can check out their website at www.li.net/~nascopal. The PAL e-mail address is nascopal@li.net