|
| |
Letter from the President
 |
|
Dear Friends,
Deep in the winter months,
White Plains Beautification
Foundation is planning for
Spring. The thousands of
bulbs are nestled in their beds. The flowering trees are just waiting
for the signal that winter is over and that it is their time to burst into
bloom. We are busy selecting the plants for the 50 garden beds
throughout the city, and we are examining all our gardens to see
which ones need renewal or redesign.
We are asking the schools if they want to take advantage of our
gardening grants for the Spring, and we are planning for Arbor Day
this year at Mamaroneck Aveue School. The Cable Television
Committeeis taping shows with Master Gardeners. The Adopt-a-
Park Committee is looking for new participants in our program.
We are also looking for new talent to help with our mission of
beautifying the city. We need volunteers to help with such projects
as “This Blooming City,” our cable show. We could use a photogra-
pher with a good eye and a good digital camera to photograph our
gardens. We have several projects that use the skills of graphic
designers. We need help with general fundraising. We need your
ideas and your time.
To that end we are moving our meetings to evenings at the White
Plains Library. We are an interesting and busy volunteer group of
men and women, and we promise not to waste your time. Come see
what we are about and lend your talents and energy to this wonder-
ful enterprise.
We will be meeting at the Library in the second-floor meeting room
on the following Mondays at 7:30 pm sharp: March 19th, April 16th,
May 14th and June 18th.
Dorothy Schere
President
|
|
|
|
Mayor of the City
of White Plains
Joseph M. Delfino
- Honorary Chairman
Officers
Dorothy S. Schere
- President
Barbara Ramsdell
-
First Vice President
Jeanne Wilcox
Robert W. Pollack
Deborah Speed
-
Vice Presidents
Mary Merenda
-
Recording Secretary
Thomasina Petrone
-
Corresponding Secretary
Roland N. Barnes
-
Treasurer
Guy A. Terhune
-
Assistant Treasurer
Barbara T. Vrooman*
Sally G. Coe*
-
Immediate Past President
Directors
Nanette Bourne
Mary Briante
Rebecca Bright
Renate Daly
Joseph Davidson
Ann Edwards*
Alfred B. Gates
Betty Graessle
Michael Graessle
Judith Higgins
Verdell Hilliard
Frances Keegan
Gail Landauer
Blaine Levenson
Ruth Manecke
|
Directors (cont.)
Marie Silverman Marich
Kathleen Masterson
Ruth M. Melnikoff
Hon. Pauline C. Oliva
Marie Popp
Linda Rasch
Steven Rasch
Beth Roach
Charlotte H. Szabo
Julie Trelstad
Elizabeth H. Wagner
Beth K. Wallach*
Alison Walsh
Honorary Directors
Marjorie S. Priestley*
Hon. Robert F. Ruger*
Brian Wallach*
* Former President
Associates
Sue Brennan
Peter Wilcox
Jean Bartus
Jean Bello
Magda Bondy
Dorothy Chervinsky
Lucille Claroni
Lorraine Davidson
Barbara Dille
Susanne Evans
Rose marie James
Mary Helen Jordan
Hon. Mary Ann Keenan
Mary Lou Kristiansen
Rita Marshall
Barbara Mauriello
Judith Meyer
Esther Natter
Irving Natter
Jo Pellegrino
Laurie Peterson
Jaquelyn Pirri
Jeff Rainer
Iwona Rainer
Anthony Spinelli
John Vrooman
Patricia Warager
|
Of Councel
Lucia Chiocchio, Esq.,
Cuddy and Feder
Advisors
Commissioner
Arne Abramowitz,
-
White Plains Dept. of Recreation
& Parks
Gary E. Bashian, Esq.
Supervisor Dennis DeFillipis,
- White Plains Dept. of Public Works
Patrick Laidman,
- The Care of Trees
Fred Marshall
-
Horticultural Consultant
Commissioner Joseph Nicoletti,
- White Plains Dept. of Public Works
Commissioner Susan Habel,
-
White Plains Dept. of Planning
Commissioner Ralph Butler,
Westchester County Dept.
of Public Works
|
|
| |
In Memoriam
BETTYP. HOMAN
Once again we mourn the tragic
loss of one of our Associates,
Betty P. Homan. Along with her
son, William P. Homan, M.D.
and her daughter-in-law, Valerie
Ross Homan, Betty died in the
crash of a private airplane on
July 5, 2006. Widow of the late
William E. Homan, M.D., a
beloved pediatrician, Betty was
a Major Sponsor in our Adopt-a-
Park program for many years,
and she also helped us with our
mailings. But Betty is best
remembered for her spark and
enthusiastic participation at our
annual Gala. We will miss her.
HENRYL. PRIESTLEY 1914-2006
Upon his retirement as vice-
president of Union Carbide,
longtime WPBF board member
Hank Priestley started from the
ground-up, literally. He planted
hundreds of tulip bulbs with his
wife Marj, who served as WPBF
president from 1971 to 1984.
Our budget was small, so the
Priestleys made sure we’d be
greeted by colorful beds of tulips
in springtime. Hank served as
treasurer for many years, filing
tax returns and handling details
necessary for non-profits. Very
few organizations function with-
out salaried employees, but
we've continued to do so for 41
years, thanks to people like
Hank Priestley He also served
as a fundraiser, successfully
pursuing major donors.
Hank was a modest man, a gentle
man. We remember a man who’d sit
down at a keyboard and play any-
thing anyone requested. Jazz, pop-
ular, old-time, ragtime, you name it;
he played it. He was a skier, a world-
traveler, a devoted father, a caring
husband, and a very generous
man. We will greatly miss him
and remember him fondly.
|
| |
|
| |
2006 Benches in Memory of:
Councilman Robert E. Greer
Given By The City Democratic Commitee
Frank and Margaret Harte
Given By Their daughter Nancy VanVooren
Lindsey M. Bonistall ‘03
Given By The Academy of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School |
| |
|
| |
White Plains Beautification Presidents
Bouquets of thanks to our current and past presidents
Pictured above standing from left: Current President Dorothy Schere, Past Presidents: Beth Wallach, Barbara Vrooman, Ann Edwards, and Sally Coe. Seated from left: Hon. Robert Ruger, Brian Wallach, and Marjorie Priestly.
|
| |
|
| |
HIDDEN TALENT EXPOSED |
| |
There are some people who work behind the scenes to help us keep our mission alive and growing.
Some are not able to attend our monthly board meetings and we'd like to introduce you to one of them -
WPBF Board Member Alison Walshof Westminster Ridge, in
White Plains. Alison lives with her husband, Rob, and children,
Chris and Casey, and holds down a full-time job in Westport,
CT., but still manages to give us countless hours - many sitting
in front of a computer after hours on the home front. Alison
was also Co-Chair of our Fall Gala two years ago and is an
indispensable member of the Adopt-a-Park Committee. We
hope there are others of you with talents you'd like to share
with us. We can always use more helping hands. This is a
good time of year to count the blessings we reap from this very
special group - the volunteers who live and work among us. |
|