CALLICOON - John Erik Karkula felt like a Field Gen- eral this past spring and summer as he readied the Town of Delaware for its quest to win the grand prize from Sullivan Renaissance in the Municipal Partnership Program.

He had helpers at the Delaware Town Hall, along Main Street, Callicoon, in Hortonville, Kenoza Lake and Kohlertown.

It was an awesome task which all had to come together the first week in August as judges descended on Sullivan County to review the five Townships vying for the $400,000 in total awards.

Karkula was nervous but confident because he knew how to enlist volunteers and things were going rather smoothly.

That's until he and local artist Eva Drizhal tried to give Callicoon's mascot - the wild turkey - a fresh coat of paint just days before the judging.

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“That turkey has been sitting on the corner of Lower Main Street across from the Democrat office for at least 10 years,” Karkula said. “Just days before judging we put himinacarandtookhimto Eva's studio for a touch-up.”

That's when they realized the four-foot-tall wooden turkey had termites - rotten to the core.

“I pushed my hand literally through his whole body,” he said.

Panicked, Karkula quickly enlisted the help of Delaware Town Clerk Tess McBeath and Lillian Bauern- fiend and together they found a turkey, online, and had it shipped overnight to Callicoon and they were back in business.

“We opened the box and looked inside and the turkey was painted orange and was very unrealistic,” Karkula said.

So it was back to Eva's studio for a stunning, real-life paint job which helped Callicoon win second place in the Renaissance contest - and $75,000.

“She did such a beautiful job - she used local wild turkeys as her reference,” Karkula said. “It captured the true meaning of Callicoon - wild turkey.”

Karkula said it was paramount that a turkey sit in the new flower garden by the railroad tracks because he had included “a turkey flowerbed” in his application.

Callicoon, after all, means Wild Turkey in Dutch and a turkey weathervane graces the former Erie Train Station

in the middle of town.

“The turkey looks fantastic,

but it is only temporary,” he said. “We are going to work with local artisans - iron-

workers, wood makers and possibly potters - to build us a new one.”

Any artisans wishing to help Karkula make the newest ‘Cal the Callicoon Turkey' can reach him at Beauty.Callicoon@gmail.com.

Karkula said that Old Tom Turkey had served Callicoon well - even after it was taken from its initial resting spot on Route 97 and had to be “restored” back to Callicoon - its rightful owner.

Today's version sits on a two-foot-high piece of Bluestone which was designed by Tompkins Bluestone and matches the stonework around the garden.