The West Windsor Shade Tree Commission held its 34th annual celebration of Arbor Day in the Ron Rogers Arboretum on May 5. Winners in the Arbor Day Art Competition among students in WW-P schools were announced by Commission Chair Kevin Appelget.
Entries this year totaled a record 279 — up 10 percent over last year — with 131 from grades K through 3 grades, 31 from grades 4 and 5, 107 from grades 6 though 8, and 10 from grades 9 through 12. Winners’ art will be displayed in the foyer of the West Windsor Municipal Building for several weeks.
First place awards were earned by Aarush Thakore, Town Center School; Alyssa Wang, Village School; Ohyoon Kwon, Grover Middle School; and Loretta Liu, High School South.
Second place awards included Charho Tizn, Town Center School; Radhika Jonnadula, Millstone River School; Suhaas Nandyala, Grover Middle School; and Connie Zhang, High School North.
Third place awards were Atharv Ghone, Town Center School; Christina Liang, Millstone River School; Katherine Zhang, Community Middle School; and Megan Martinez, High School South.
Ron Slinn, the commission vice chair, moderated the ceremony, which included an Arbor Day Proclamation by West Windsor Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh. Scouts from Troop 66 posted the colors, led the audience of some 50 people in the Pledge of Allegiance, and read Joyce Kilmer’s traditional poem “Trees.” First Edition, the a cappella group from High School South, presented a selection of songs including “Buttercup,” “America the Beautiful,” and the National Anthem.
Supporters included McCaffrey’s Supermarket for refreshments. Douglas Fir seedlings from the New Jersey Forest Service were available to those wishing to plant one in their gardens. Contest prizes were donated by PNC Bank and Friends of West Windsor Open Space.
Following the ceremony, a memorial tree was planted in the arboretum to recognize P. Edward Steele, a former Shade Tree Commission chairman and an active participant in a wide range of West Windsor civic functions. Since Steel was also a wine connoisseur, a French Oak was selected — the wood of which is still favored for French wine barrels.
West Windsor Shade Tree Commission monthly meetings are held in the municipal building on the third Wednesday at 6 p.m. For more information, contact landscape architect Dan Dobromilsky at 609-799-2400.
