New plaque tells history of the park’s cherry trees
Photo Courtesy of Essex County At the dedication of the plaque are, from left, N.J. state Sen. and Essex County Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz, Branch Brook Park Alliance Co-chairwoman Barbara Bell Coleman, DiVincenzo, Freeholder and Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board member Patricia Sebold and Freeholder Rolando Bobadilla. A new plaque has been added to Essex County Branch Brook Park, located in Newark and Belleville. The plaque speaks of the history of the cherry blossom trees in in the park. Located in front of the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, the plaque shares the story of cherry blossoms in Essex County, beginning with the original gift of 2,000 cherry trees in 1927 from the Bamberger and Fuld families to a recent planting program undertaken by the administration of the current county executive, Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., and the Branch Brook Park Alliance and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. The new plantings increased the total number of cherry trees to more than 5,000, by county estimates.
