Daughters of the American Revolution meet
By Stephanie Knarr

Earl Buchanan and Mark DeCracker are pictured at the meeting of the Col. William Prescott DAR, Wednesday in Newark.

The DAR has awarded Mark DeCracker an award for Historic Preservation for his involvement with and contributions made by the Mural Mania Project. This award was presented by Andrea Felker. Mural Mania is the Preservation of History through Community Art.

It has expanded widely across Wayne County and seems to be finding its home in small rural communities reviving memories of the life and times of long ago.

Lyons has five murals decorating village walls, with a sixth mural currently in the works. When asked if he would ever feel that the project was coming to a close, DeCracker said it will be completed when the 50 miles along the Erie Canal had been finished. At that time, he would then be satisfied.

He said each town has its own story and the ending of the 50 miles plan would then allow him to branch out into other communities to assist them with a similar project.

Newark will be experiencing their first mural this summer. The location will be under the East Avenue Bridge. Corky Goss and Chip Miller, mural painters, are expected to begin their Newark project early in July.

Earl Buchanan, of Lyons, was DAR's guest speaker. He told his story of being a young man traveling through the country by railway on his way to basic training, proud to have made a commitment to the United States Military. His tale described an earlier time of discrimination and segregation of whites and blacks and political movements between the north and south. He spoke of the hardships that endured even in his own family when he, a southern man, married a Yankee woman. Buchanan's story unfolded with uncanny twists and humor that made the afternoon most enjoyable.

top of page

Copyright © 2008
Courier-Gazette, 613 S. Main St. Newark, N.Y. 14513 - 315-331-1000
All Rights Reserved