At the Wednesday, Jan. 28 Delaware County Board of Supervisors meeting, a county historian previewed some upcoming events that commemorate the United States Semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Samantha Misa, an educator with the historical association, said the association has been working to get a head start on the celebration, making strides to put together a list of more than 500 veterans who fought in the Revolutionary War and settled in Delaware County. She said the association additionally has identified more than 300 burial locations of the veterans.
“Even though (Delaware County) didn’t actually even exist during the revolution — it wasn’t a county until 1797 — there were a lot of interesting things that happened in this territory before and during the American Revolution, before the existence of the county,” Misa said.
Shelley Johnson-Bennett, the county planning director, said in light of the 250th anniversary of the United States this year, the state Education Department awarded the county $15,000 for commemorative purposes. The Delaware County Historical Association will be one of the county’s partners for this matter, Johnson-Bennett said.
Misa went on to share some of the history that ties Delaware County to the roots of the United States — the Revolutionary War. She said that at one point in 1778, there was a troop of soldiers headed from Schoharie to Unadilla, crossing across almost all of Delaware County, looking to destroy some Native American settlements around Unadilla that were contradicting the war efforts.
Misa said Friday, Jan. 30 that when the Revolutionary War broke out, many indigenous groups sided with the British. She said they felt the British would better respect their land, as they wanted to stop American colonists from expanding west. As a result, she said, some Native Americans were working to “impede the war efforts.”
Though the mission was successful, Misa said, the soldiers got lost on the way back to Schoharie — as the Elk Creek tributary was flooded, and they mistook it for the Delaware River — leading them to spend some time in the Delaware County wilderness.
Misa held a bayonet Wednesday that the soldiers left behind, which she said a local resident along Elk Creek used as a fire poker, not understanding what it was. Eventually, Misa said an association staff member heard about the item and brought it to the museum.
“It’s a nice piece about a local story that happened that connects this area to the revolution,” Misa said.
To commemorate these connections, Misa said the association is planning a guided cemetery tour in mid-July with a tour guide leading people in a car caravan to different local restored cemeteries. She added that the association is planning to hold some craft workshops, like candle and soap making, to spotlight some “old-fashioned crafts.” Misa said she hoped to make the commemoration a “real community event for this occasion.”
Other business
The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office may no longer require that deputy sheriffs reside within the county, pending approval of a proposed local law.
The Board of Supervisors scheduled a public hearing Wednesday on the law to take place 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25.
If approved, the law would waive a residency requirement for both corrections officers and deputy sheriffs within the county Sheriff’s Office. It would repeal and replace a 2020 local law, which waived the residency requirement for corrections officers only.
Meredith Town Supervisor James Ellis, the board vice chairperson, put forth the resolution to schedule the public hearing. He said after the meeting that it can be hard to find people to fill those positions with only a pool of county residents.
“We have to take that restriction to that employment window away to allow somebody from outside of the county to do that job,” Ellis said.
The proposed law stated that applicants for deputy sheriff or corrections officer must reside “in Delaware County or any adjoining county within New York State,” which includes Otsego, Schoharie, Chenango, Ulster, Broome, Greene, and Sullivan.
“We want that individual to be somewhat within an hours time to get here, and sometimes that position can’t be filled by a resident of the county,” Ellis said.
Sheriff Craig DuMond said Thursday, Jan. 29 that police agencies are having “major problems” recruiting officers, and because the sheriff’s office also recruits corrections officers, recruitment is even more difficult. He said the passage of the local law would provide a “larger pool of applicants to choose from,” ultimately allowing the office to recruit higher quality applicants.
Another benefit, DuMond said, is that lateral transfers from contiguous counties could fill vacancies. These officers would be previously trained and certified by the state, so it could save taxpayers money in training costs, he added.
“I am looking at it as a positive thing,” DuMond said.