Wednesday, 30 March 2022
www.TheObserver.com
Vol. CXXXIV, No. 47
ON THE INSIDE St. Peter’s magical run in the NCAA tournament ends, but not before inspiring a region & nation PAGES 6 & 9
BELLEVILLE n BLOOMFIELD n EAST NEWARK n HARRISON n KEARNY n LYNDHURST n NORTH ARLINGTON n NUTLEY
THE SEARCH FOR SPRING Cherry Blossom festival upcoming; also, is this you painting in 2018? By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com
It’s been cold enough this winter hasn’t it? And here we are, late in March, as temperatures were hovering barely above 20º Monday for a good portion of the day. Still, we’re inching ever closer to the spring and the kickoff to the Essex County Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossom Festival is always a great reminder that beautiful, warmer days are ahead. And we can finally put the winter and its frigidity behind us. Heck, it
may even reach 70º or more later this week — Thursday. As for the festival, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. outlined the schedule of events for the 46th annual event recently. The festival takes place from Saturday, April 2 to Sunday, April 10 and returns from a two-year hiatus because of the Coronavirus pandemic. It highlights the blooming season of the 5,200 Cherry Blossom trees at Branch Brook Park. “The natural beauty of the cherry
blossoms has been attracting visitors to the park since they were first planted there in the late 1920s. The festival has helped unify the community, highlighted the benefits of Branch Brook Park and the local neighborhood and enabled the public to enjoy the blooming trees in a variety of ways,” DiVincenzo said. “We invite the public to come out and enjoy our display of 5,200 trees, which is larger than the national display in Washington, D.C., and the most diverse collection in the world. “We have an exciting line-up of
activities where visitors can admire the beauty of the trees, learn about the history of our parks system and engage in Japanese cultural demonstrations. “The blossoming trees create a pink and white canopy that is perfect for picnics, photographs and simple enjoyment.” It’s not just DiVincenzo who is excited about the festival. So, too, is Belleville Mayor Michael Melham, whose township hosts many of the See BLOSSOMS, Page 18
