BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- Sept. 17-23 is Constitution Week, marking the 237th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America.

County legislators made the proclamation during the full board meeting on Sept. 9.

Legislators say the proclamation recognizes the "enduring strength of our Constitution and reaffirming our commitment to the right and obligation of citizenship of this great Nation, it is fitting to honor this magnificent document and its memorable anniversary."

The proclamation is an annual act by legislators, as Public Law 915 guarantees the issuing of a proclamation each year by the President of the United States to designate Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week.

Legislators noted a local connection to the Constitution as well, the preamble of which was written by Gouverneur Morris, a landowner and statesman for whom the village of Gouverneur and Morristown are named.

According to the resolution, legislators also wish to denote the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the constitution, saying they are "a list of basic human rights guaranteed by law.

"The Constitution of the United States of America gives every citizen a foundation for a free, prosperous and independent life, but each generation must work for and claim it; otherwise, through carelessness or indifference the rights and liberties we enjoy may vanish," legislators wrote.

Throughout the week of Sept. 17-23, county officials said they hope citizens will celebrate the Constitution and all that it has stood for over the last 237 years.

"Throughout this week let us honor the values the Framers stood by

rededicating ourselves to carry forward the spirit first embodied in their achievements, and to pay tribute to those who shaped the land we love while working to secure everlasting peace, prosperity, and opportunity for all who call America home," legislators wrote.