Glenn Pontier, program director of Sullivan Renaissance, came to the Town of Delaware Board meeting on October 19 to praise the members of the hamlet of Callicoon for their inventiveness and creativity in winning the Sullivan Renaissance Golden Feather Award for 2011, the highest award given by the community beautification group.

Only one Golden Feather Award is made each year. The award comes with a gift of $25,000 that the group can spend on future projects.

The complete list of the groups who participated in the winning project were the Girl Scout Ambassadors, Troop 736; the Callicoon Business Association, which was the lead agency; the Callicoon Beautification Committee and the Callicoon Creek Park Association.

The projects included improvement to the Callicoon Train Station and a historical marker noting the significance of the railroad to Callicoon; two Main Street gardens; a new garden at the 17B/Main Street intersection; improvements to Callicoon Creek Park; and the Nature/Exercise Trail at the Delaware Community Center.

“The award will be used to revitalize the downtown business district and will enhance the connection between Upper and Lower Main Street, which has some serious problems,” said Michael Chojnicki of the Callicoon Creek Park group. “The wall that borders the parking lot in front of the Klimchok Realty must be altered and the steps that lead down to the street must be made safer. This constitutes the very center of the hamlet and should be attractive and safe.”

In other town matters, the board sent a letter to the United States Postal Service requesting that the hamlet’s post office be kept open. It is on the list of possible closings.

The board also set a public hearing on the preliminary 2012 budget for Thursday, November 10 at 7 p.m.

A resident talked of the perennial problems with Callicoon Creek overflowing during storms and the need to remove blockage in the creek.

“Talks with the state about that problem have gotten nowhere,” said supervisor Jim Scheutzow.

Chojnicki urged the board to promote the state energy audit program that conducts free energy audits for homes, and offers low-interest loans to do the construction and repair that the audit encourages.