Editor, The Spotlight:
Elsmere School and the Bethlehem community lost a friend, teacher, mentor and beloved principal with the death of Dorothy Whitney on Feb. 19 after a long illness.
The current and retired faculty and staff of Elsmere Elementary School invite the community to join us as we honor Dorothy Whitney who faithfully served as our principal from 1984-2003. Her leadership truly made Elsmere School “a place to love and grow”.
We are planning a two-pronged memorial.
Those of us who worked with Mrs. Whitney will begin by purchasing a permanent memorial plaque to be prominently displayed in the school building.
We also invite everyone in the Elsmere Community to help us create The Dorothy Whitney Fund within the Bethlehem Community Fund to help support students in need. The Bethlehem’s Community Fund, formerly known as the Bethlehem Festival Fund, quietly helps children, families, individuals and the elderly living in the Bethlehem Community whose needs fall through the cracks of traditional programs. A long-standing tradition of the Fund, assistance is given anonymously with the utmost respect for the pride and privacy of the recipients. The Bethlehem Community Fund is a true example of neighbor helping neighbor, and we will always remember Dorothy Whitney as the first in line to quietly help children in need.
We will invite the Whitney family and representatives from the Bethlehem Fund to a ceremony in June. At that time we will unveil the plaque and present what we hope will be a sizable donation to start the fund.
We ask that those who wish to contribute to the fund mail a check payable to the Bethlehem Community Fund to Elsmere School, 247 Delaware Avenue, Delmar NY 12054, attention Cathy Fredette.
Shari Piper, Bethlehem
