White Plains Marks Arbor Day With Musical Tribute

White Plains has three new trees included in the count of the over 13,600 trees it cares for and owns.

At a moving musical tribute to trees, to a former White Plains High School graduate and to the notion of making the world a better place, three new Kousa Dogwood trees were dedicated on the school's front lawn at a sunny ceremony Friday morning.

"As members of the 'Advocates for the Earth' club, we care about conservation, preservation and restoration," said Olivia Berger, a student leader and co-president of the club. "We're grateful for this lovely addition to our school landscape."

The trees were planted to honor the memory of Robert Thornton, Jr., a 1922 graduate of WPHS, and honor his grandsons, John, Bobby and Peter Vrooman. In addition, a copper beech tree is planted on the school property in honor of Mildred Anderson Thornton, Robert's wife and a former teacher at the school. The trees were gifted to the school by Robert Thornton's daughter, Barbara Vrooman, who heads up the Adopt-a-Park Committee of the White Plains Beautification Foundation, and his son, Robert Thornton III.

The event included remarks and presentations from city officials, the school's principal, Ellen Doherty, the White Plains High School Choir, members of the school's songwriter's club and Advocates for the Earth Club.

The city lost about 500 trees during each major storm in the last few years, according to Bud Nicoletti, the city's commissioner of public works. 

The city received the Tree City USA designation and flag for the 30th year in a row. The “Tree City USA” honor is bestowed on communities that have met four qualification standards. They include having a Tree Board or Department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive forestry program and have an annual Arbor Day observance and official proclamation.

Ellen Doherty, principal, thanked Kathy Masterson, Director of the beautification foundation, for her "extraordinary commitment" to the city of White Plains, the school district and its students, and Barbara Vrooman for her generosity.

"Of all the gifts we could recieve, trees must surely rank among the most precious," said Doherty. "We hope our students dreams grow and flourish along with these trees—and that they nurture, protect and treasure this city, this school and these trees long into their adulthood," she said.