Peer Leaders Plant Flowers at Woodbine Municipal Building

WOODBINE – Mayor William Pikolycky thanks Woodbine Elementary School physical education teacher Jacklyn Merollo and her crew of student peer leaders who came out in the unseasonable fall weather Dec. 3 (it was at least 60 degrees) to do a belated planting of Red Ribbon red tulip bulbs both at the Woodbine Municipal Building’s “Holly Garden” and at the State Police Barracks in Woodbine.
The purpose is to “Plant the Promise” to live a drug-free life. When the tulips bloom in the spring, it will be a reminder that the world is more beautiful drug-free.
Red Ribbon Week is an annual commemoration of the ultimate sacrifice made by DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who died at the hands of drug traffickers in Mexico while fighting the battle against illegal drugs to keep our country and children safe, and thus a reminder to stay alcohol, drug, and violence free.
This activity, reminding students to stay drug-free as bulbs planted in the (usually) chilly Fall bloom as signs of renewal in the Spring, was originally scheduled for October—the tenth anniversary of the Holly Garden’s
“Autumn Arbor Day” planting—but was rescheduled in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
Students participating in the planting were:
Sixth grade: Victoria London, Luis Mercado, Jaelyn Murphy, Justin Viera, and Zhyana Young;
Seventh grade: Taliah Anderson, Joshua Cooper, Natasha Maldanado, Luke Vineyard, Donald Vineyard;
Eighth grade: Charles Bland, Janice Cruz, AJ Davis, Philicia London, Kassandra Ramos, Thalia Maldanado, and Arren Reed, along with Mrs. Merollo, they were accompanied by Vice-Principal Anthony DeVico and Mrs. Merollo’s “most reliable parent volunteer” Christine Murphy.
Almost present for the ceremony was Woodbine Municipal Alliance Coordinator Evelyn Perez.
“I find it especially fitting that several dozen of these “Red Ribbon” tulips were planted at the State Police Barracks, as Red Ribbon week was instituted to commemorate a fallen officer,” noted Mayor Pikolycky. “Our local barracks are in fact are named after fallen New Jersey State Police Sergeant Theodore Moos, Badge #2707.”