New Host Lights Up White Plains Cable Program “This Blooming City”
By Beth Wallach – As the White Plains Beautification Foundation (WPBF) celebrates its 50th anniversary as an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization, its cable television program “This Blooming City” celebrates 25 years of bringing gardening, landscaping, environmental issues, and much more to viewers at home. Making its debut in June 1990, the show is now hosted by Marie Silverman Marich, a past co-president of the foundation, and an avid volunteer. A long-time resident of White Plains, Marie grew up here and was educated at Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School, Good Counsel Academy, Marymount Manhattan College, and Katherine Gibbs School. Although Marie has lived in Manhattan and Los Angeles, she has always regarded White Plains as her hometown, and her parents, Syd and Jan Silverman, were very active in the community.
Since returning to White Plains l6 years ago, Marie has held volunteer leadership positions in several not-for-profit organizations. She was president/co-president of the Auxiliary Board of St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester, corresponding secretary of The Woman’s Club of White Plains, board secretary of Family Services of Westchester, and co-president of the White Plains Beautification Foundation. Marie has also produced profitable journals and programs for charity events.
Career-wise, Marie has worked in various capacities at major advertising and public relations agencies and newspapers in New York and Los Angeles.
Recent shows have featured WPBF founder Brian Wallach, Adopt-a-Park co-chairs Barbara Vrooman and Jean Bello, 50th Anniversary chair Karen Quinn, and Daffodil Project chairs Joanna D’Addario and Mary Ann DeRosa, Arbor Day chair Kathleen Masterson, vice president Suzanne Evans, who is also the foundation’s planting chair, and Blaine Levenson, chairman of the 50th anniversary street clock project – a special gift that will be presented to the City on September 23rd.
Marie is enjoying the challenge of hosting “This Blooming City” and highlighting the extraordinary accomplishments of the volunteers who have helped make White Plains a wonderful place to live, work, and play, and helping to achieve the foundation’s goal: White Plains, the “City in a Park.” Since this summer reaches the pinnacle of the foundation’s 50th anniversary, drawing attention to the many board member volunteers who made this happen is the highlight of Marie’s interviews.
She hopes that through the cable show more people will become interested in the Beautification Foundation’s work and even become involved.
For more information, see the website at www.WPBF.org To receive a newsletter, call 914-428-4040. The next WPBF meeting will be held at White Plains Library, second floor, on Monday, August 3, at 7:15 p.m.
“This Blooming City” airs on Verizon FIOS Channel 45 and Cablevision Channel 76 Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m.
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