New Christmas tree planting in Liverpool to honor Arbor Day

By Russ TARBy

Writer

Contributing

The local tree committee will celebrate Arbor Day by planting a new village Christmas tree at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 29, at Johnson Park.

The committee is dedicating Saturday’s tree-planting to the memory of the late Garrey Curry, a U.S. Army veteran who portrayed Santa Claus for many decades at the annual Christmas gatherings sponsored by American Legion Post 188 at Johnson Park.

Curry died in 2019 at age 77. He had played Santa for nearly four decades.

He served as commander of Legion Post 188, and he acted as marshal of the Memorial Day parade for more than 20 years.

Tree committee chairwoman

Yvette Hewitt said certified arborist Teresa Link, from the Onondaga County Soil & Water Department, determined that the current evergreen which functions as the park’s holiday tree has about 10 years of life expectancy left. So on Saturday, they’re planting a six-foot Colorado blue spruce.

Ten years from now the spruce should stand between 15 and 18 feet high, Hewitt said. When it reaches maturity, it should stand 50 feet tall.

Members of the Curry family are expected to attend the planting along with the Tree Committee and members of Post 188. The public is also invited to attend.

Trustee Christina Fadden will read the Arbor Day proclamation. In 2019, Fadden oversaw the establishment of the Tree Committee, an important part of Liverpool’s eventual designation as a “Tree City USA.”

Fadden now acts as the village government’s liaison to the tree committee which includes Hewitt, Lisa Ballantyne, Karen Bambacht, Ray Finney and Holly Granat.

Submitted photo

On

For information about the village Tree Committee visit villageofliverpool.org/tree-committee.html

Districts were chosen for this honor because they demonstrate outstanding achievement in their efforts to provide music access and education to all students. This year, 830 school districts from across the country received this honor.

LCSD offers a comprehensive music program that presents students with a wide range of opportunities to receive high quality instruction in classroom music, as well as join numerous performing ensembles. Several community groups also help support the district’s efforts to provide music education to all students.

The “Best Communities” designation recognizes collaborative, from-the-groundup efforts for teachers, administrators, students and parents who continually work to keep comprehensive music education as an integral part of the core curriculum. These districts also lead the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children.

The NAMM Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its more than 10,000 members around the world, sponsored the survey.