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On a recent afternoon, State Sen. Tony Hwang (R-28) joined Harrison and a small group of volunteers to engage in this ongoing effort, transforming the often unsightly and overlooked hydrants into tiny Red Coat soldiers that have excited children and adults alike.
Joining Harrison and Hwang were Adam Plotnick, of Turney Road, and Pat McDonald, a retired Fairfield teacher and longtime resident.
The group chatted and laughed as they painted a hydrant at the I-95 rest stop in Fairfield and later, while doing some touch-ups to one near Jennings Beach, Harrison retraced the origins of her “labor of love.”
As the town prepared to celebrate the country’s bicentennial in 1976, Harrison approached then First Selectman John J. Sullivan with her idea. Approvals were secured and Harrison was told she could start with a test – one hydrant.
Before she even finished that first hydrant, residents were calling the town asking how they could get the hydrant near their home painted, too.
Over the years, volunteers have come from Boy and Girl Scouts, Wakeman’s Boys and Girls Club, and the Association of Retired Teachers of Fairfield. Plotnick became involved when he asked Harrison if she would paint a hydrant near his house.
“I think they look great and I want to help Jeanne,” he added, explaining his reasons for continuing to volunteer his time for the project.
“The love that people have for these hydrants, I never thought that would happen,” said Harrison, who is now 83.
“This project truly represents all that is good about Fairfield and our residents,” Hwang said. “It speaks volumes about Jeanne’s character and the love she has for our community, and it also highlights the strong sense of volunteerism that the people of Fairfield have and the incredible appreciation we have for our town’s rich and storied history.”
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