MY TURN By Jeff Colgan

A fitting tribute to a man who loved green Friends, relatives, and community members gathered together to pay a fitting tribute to Seymour Gordon, a man who served his community unselfishly in many different areas, a man who loved the land and the color green. Seymour’s love of green extended from marketing John Deere tractors to sharing the lettuce that he grew with his neighbors. In a fitting tribute, the Warwick Valley Conservancy and the Warwick Valley Board of Education approached Shirley Gordon and asked that Seymour’s memory and love of green be able to live on through naming the high school greenhouse in his memory. On April 16, many of Warwick’s leading citizens were at the dedication of the Warwick Valley High School greenhouse in memory of Seymour Gordon. Shortly before the dedication ceremony began, the homing pigeons housed at the high school were released by high school senior Peter Vandercliff in honor of Seymour and as an opening of the ceremony. Agriculture teacher Nancy Colgan began the dedication with a welcome to Seymour’s family and friends. Mrs. Colgan spoke of the impact Seymour continues to have on herself and her students and then introduced the Superintendent of Warwick Valley Schools, Dr. Raymond Bryant, as well as Board of Education President David Eaton and Vice President Bob Howe. Dr. Bryant spoke about the importance of young people pursuing careers in agriculture and challenged those in attendance to begin a scholarship in memory of Seymour. Shirley Gordon, widow of Seymour Gordon, spoke about the appropriateness of naming the greenhouse after Seymour, a man who loved to grow his garden and interact with youth followed by several members of the Gordon family. Funds for the improvement of the greenhouse were provided by the Warwick Valley Conservancy. A beautiful hand-carved sign was presented to the family and the district and will hang in the greenhouse. The greenhouse sign was made by Andy McLaughlin, the current president of the Warwick Valley Conservancy. Following the presentation, Geoff Howard of Sustainable Warwick was introduced and stressed the community ties started by Seymour and continued through Sustainable Warwick. John Buckley, former Warwick Agriculture teacher and long-time friend of Mr. Gordon, spoke of his fond memories and of the impact Seymour had on the agriculture program including pushing for the greenhouse when a new addition was added to the high school. FFA members Raman Kromholz, Rachel Micalef, Taylor Mosher and Luke Sheridan gave tours of the greenhouse, showing how the rolling benches worked, some of the crops growing in the greenhouse, and the recently donated and installed Dosatron fertilization system. Raman Kromholz, representing the Warwick Valley FFA, spoke to those gathered from notes on his iPhone, showing the promise of technology and agriculture as our young people incorporate modern devices into their everyday lives. Taylor Mosher, junior FFA vice-president, spoke with enthusiasm about planting and watching plants grow in the greenhouse. Both students thanked the Warwick Valley Conservancy for their generous gift. Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton and Town Councilmen Leonard DeBuck spoke of the role that Seymour played in obtaining Purchase of Development Rights to assist farmers in keeping their land forever in agricultural production. Mrs. Colgan closed out the dedication with thanks to all that came out to the dedication and continue to work for agriculture in Warwick and the agriculture program at the high school.