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A Fresh Coat: Kernersville groups participating in plan to give hydrants face-lifts
Photo by Monica Young
Girl Scouts from Troop 40244 inspect one of Kernersville’s rusty fire hydrants, which they will be repainting. They are (from left) Megan Zdon, Cameron Motsinger, Megan Webb, Bethany Ross and Rachael Figueroa.
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Published: November 25, 2009
KERNERSVILLE - A Girl Scout troop has joined with other civic, Scout and church groups to participate in the Community Appearance Commission's "Paint Your Heart Out Kernersville'' campaign, which is focusing on fire hydrants.
CAC Chairman Allan Asbell said that the project has come to fruition after two to three months of discussions.
"We discovered that most of the fire hydrants hadn't been painted in over 16 years," Asbell said.
The CAC met with Ken Anderson, a battalion chief with the fire department, to coordinate the campaign, which aims to repaint more than 1,400 fire hydrants within the town limits.
Although the hydrants are owned by the City-County Utilities Division, the cosmetics of hydrant upkeep often gets pushed behind repair and installation, said Anderson, who oversees testing and keeping hydrants functioning in the town.
"Like any organization, City-County Utilities, as well as the fire department, have to prioritize. The fact that the citizens are helping is a blessing for both departments," Anderson said.
The bulk of the fire hydrants are in severe need of face-lifts. The City-County Utilities Division has authorized a bright yellow to use on the discolored hydrants.
"They are all rusty and turning white, and not a pretty white," said 9-year-old Cassie Beddick, a member of Girl Scout Troop 40244, one of several groups helping to paint the faded hydrants.
Fellow Girl Scout Cameron Motsinger, 9, explained that since that their troop has started painting hydrants, she now notices the unattractive ones left around town.
Asbell has a personal connection in wanting the fire hydrants to reflect town pride. His late father was a volunteer fire chief in a small town in Eastern North Carolina.
Asbell said he anticipates that the project will run through next spring and summer and take two years to complete. When the hydrants are properly prepped, the painting takes about 30 minutes for each hydrant.
Asbell estimates that 200 gallons of specialized paint will be used for the project.
The project's cost is estimated at $4,500. Lowe's Home Improvement of Kernersville is offering participants all of the tools necessary to paint the hydrants for less than $10. Coupons for the packages are available at the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce, Lowe's, Captain Tom's Restaurant and First Citizens Bank.
The first phase of the project was dedicated to the memory of longtime CAC member Pam Pierce-Smith, who died at 54 in September after a long battle with cancer.
"What better way to honor her? Not only is this a great civic duty but it's a way to honor Pam and what she did for Kernersville,'' Asbell said. "Every time I see a painted fire hydrant, I see Pam smiling."
Debi Petrisko, a member of the CAC and a real-estate agent with Prudential, said that the project is important.
"The same thing applies to a town that applies to a house. For curb appeal, the best, easiest and most economical way to improve is to clean and freshen. The fire hydrants may not have been really noticeable until you start looking, but they really are awful," Petrisko said.
Girl Scout Jenny Taylor agreed.
"When you see the old ones and compare them to the ones we painted, it's like a garbage can being compared to an ice-cream cone," said Taylor, 9.
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