CORNWALL — On Sunday, May 25, Cornwall held a powerful ceremony to honor local veterans of the Revolutionary War.
At the cemetery on Route 4, about 25 attendees gathered to witness the placement of 10 grave markers. Bill Dinneen of the Cornwall Historical Society and Warren Stevens led the ceremony.
“These markers had gone missing from the cemetery, we don’t know when,” Dinneen said, showing six bronze and four cast iron markers that were recently restored and painted.
He explained the markers were found in bushes at the edge of the cemetery by Gene Swanson, of Washington Depot. It was unclear why they were removed from the gravestones, and Dinneen said there could be more elsewhere in the cemetery.
Bill Dinneen, left, and Warren Stevens explain the history, discovery and restoration process of the grave markers to attendees May 25.Photo by Riley Klein
“Today we have 10 markers. We have 32 names” of buried Revolutionary War veterans, Dinneen said. “The bronze markers will go to ranked soldiers,” such as sergeants, and “the cast ones will go to the oldest” of the infantry soldiers.
The restoration process included sandblasting, priming and painting. He was not certain, but Dinneen said the markers may have been originally placed by the government around World War I, at which time the original tombstones were replaced with harder stone.
Stevens explained the symbolism of the markers: A big star in the middle represents one of the colonies, 13 little stars represent all the colonies, the years 1775 and 1783 show the duration of the war, the words “A Patriot’s Grave” and “E Pluribus Unum. From many, there is one,” he said.
Susan Hellmann placed a bronze marker at the grave of her ancestor Noah Harrison. Photo by Riley Klein
Attendees, some of them descendants of the veterans, assisted in the placement of the markers.
Susan Hellmann, of Cornwall, said she would be placing a restored marker at the grave of “my great, great, great grandfather Noah Harrison” who served in the Revolution. “I feel like I’m going to cry. It’s just very touching, very powerful,” she said.
Dinneen read the rank, company and lifespan of each veteran as the markers were being placed, then Stevens fired a blast from his musket. When all the markers were set, the names of the other Revolutionary veterans buried in town were read aloud.
Warren Stevens fires his musket.Photo by Riley Klein
The ceremony was held as part of Memorial Day remembrances in Cornwall. It also marked the first official event in town for the nation’s 250th birthday with more to come.
As the occasion came to an end, a light rain began.
A bronze marker was placed at the grave of James Bierce, who lived to the age of 94 after serving in the Revolution with Captain Smith's Company. Bill Dinneen noted many of the Revolutionary War veterans buried in Cornwall lived to old ages. "The average age that these veterans died was 72 years old," he said.Photo by Riley Klein
Jody Bronson (standing) and Denny Jacobs discuss all things maple syrup at Maple Fest on Satuday, April 25.
The prime spot to be was near the repurposed oil drum that Denny Jacobs converted into a propane-fueled maple syrup boiler. Using frozen syrup that was about half-finished and left over from the spring’s production, Jacobs had a small saucepan filled with sap handy in case the mixture needed topping up.
As he chatted with fellow syrup maker Jody Bronson – and whoever else wandered by – Jacobs kept a watchful eye on the thermometer in the boiling syrup.
This year, Whiting Brook Farm collected 1,700 gallons of sap and produced 35 gallons of syrup.
Conversation turned to how best to store the finished product before bottling. Bronson said plastic jugs can darken the syrup over time, while glass containers sometimes result in a lighter color. The best containers are made of tin, he said, which have the least impact, though they are no longer common in retail and must be sourced from wholesalers.
Northwest Passage played at Maple Fest in Falls Village Saturday, April 25. From left, Ed Thorney, Greg Reiss, Rachel Gall and Scott Cameron.Patrick L. Sullivan
At the Center on Main, Susan Scherf from the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut, gave a presentation on how Native Americans used maple sap.
Rather than boiling it into syrup, Scherf said, they produced maple sugar, sometimes mixing it with dried corn for a low-bulk, high-energy snack. Maple sugar could also be used to make alcohol and vinegar.
She added that Native Americans often used containers made of fire-resistant birch bark to boil their sap, and there is archaeological evidence of using a moose hide for the same purpose.
Back on the Green, local band Northwest Passage began playing around 11 a.m., as visitors, many of whom had filled up on pancakes and waffles with real maple syrup at the Falls Village Cafe, lingered in the cool air.
The band consists of Ed Thorney (harmonica, vocals), Rachell Gall aka “The Falls Village Fiddler” on violin and vocals, Greg Reiss on guitar and lead vocals, and Scott Cameron on guitar.
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Jay’s Lawn Care is hiring full and Part-time: lawn maintenance employees. Experience operating Scag mowing equipment and ability to drive truck and trailer is needed. Salary dependent on experience. Call 860-824-0053 to schedule an interview.
Town of Cornwall Hiring: The Town of Cornwall has a fulltime job opening for Highway Department Maintainer. For more details and to apply, contact first Selectmen’s office 860-672-4959.
TOWN OF SHARON HELP WANTED: Land Use Administrator - Full-time, salary range of $57,020-$71,275, depending on experience, plus benefits (some starting after one year). Responsible for coordinating,managing, and processing all proposals for land development in the town. Qualifications: High school diploma or GED (Associates Degree Preferred) with 4 years increasingly responsible work experience preferably in administrative work, public contact, field of land use and municipal government, or any equivalent combination and experience. For full job description, see the Town of Sharon Website (sharonct.gov) or contact the Selectmen’s Office at 860-364-5789. Applications and resumes are to be received in the Selectmen’s Office, P. O. Box 385, Sharon, CT 06069 by 4:00PM May 8, 2026. The Town of Sharon is an equal opportunity employer.
Wyantenuck Country Club seeks a Sous Chef: Benefits Available. Work in a beautiful setting with a great team. Please email brandon@wyantenuck.org or call 413-528-0350.
TOWN OF SHARON HELP WANTED: Building Official - Full-time, salary range of $72,000-$90,000, depending on experience, plus benefits (starting after one year). Responsible for administering and enforcing the State of CT Building Code in the town. Qualifications: Associates Degree or Advanced Technical Courses related to building construction and/or design and over five years increasingly responsible experience in supervising the construction or design of buildings or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience to meet the State Certification requirements. Required to have or obtain State Certified Building Official License. For full job description, see the Town of Sharon Website (sharonct.gov) or contact the Selectmen’s Office at 860-364-5789. Applications and resumes are to be received in the Selectmen’s Office, P. O. Box 385, Sharon, CT 06069 by 4:00PM May 8, 2026. The Town of Sharon is an equal opportunity employer.
TOWN OF SHARON HELP WANTED: Fire Marshal - Part-time, salary range of $20,000-$25,000, depending on experience. Responsible for the fire code enforcement, fire investigation, inspections, permitting and public safety education in the town. Qualifications: Associates Degree or Advanced Technical Courses, and over five years increasingly responsible experience in a fire department or related inspection experience. Required to have or obtain State Fire Marshal Certification. For full job description, see the Town of Sharon Website (sharonct.gov) or contact the Selectmen’s Office at 860-364-5789. Applications and resumes are to be received in the Selectmen’s Office, P. O. Box 385, Sharon, CT 06069 by 4:00 PM May 8, 2026. The Town of Sharon is an equal opportunity employer.
Wyantenuck Country Club is seeking staff for the 2026 season: Want to work in a beautiful setting with a great team? Full and Part-Time employment available. Positions Available: Bartenders, Dishwashers, Line Cooks, Waitstaff. Please email brandon@wyantenuck.org or call 413-528-0350.
GARDENING: Spring and Fall Cleanup and Stone W alls. 845-444-4492.
Highly Skilled Caretaker/Gardener: Available. Mature, experienced manager of estates and small farms seeks a position with housing on a local property in Sharon-Lakeville-Salisbury area. Extensive background in horticulture-able to operate all types of machinery. Well versed in all aspects of building and property maintenance and care. Able to work without supervision-honest and reliable. Please call Martin at 646- 599-0773. Thanks.
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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity.All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discriminationbased on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publishing or::causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or:rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawfulsource of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
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