Every summer, people open fire hydrants to get relief from the heat. This summer, fire hydrants across Rockaway will be spraying patriotism. Thanks to an initiative led by the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association, in partnership with the Rockaway Civic Association (RCA) and Mazzone Hardware, dirty old hydrants are being transformed into red, white and blue patriotic pumps to honor America’s 250th birthday.
Hoping to foster some patriotic pride via a fun activity that would unite and beautify the community, the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association (BHPOA) offered hydrant painting kits to its members. However, the offer generated interest far beyond the BHPOA service area. More than 50 residents of Rockaway Park, Belle Harbor and Neponsit requested painting kits. BHPOA even had one request from Rockaway Beach. “I was overwhelmed by the response,” Jacqueline Tansey said. “It makes you proud to be an American.” Tansey is corporate secretary for BHPOA and is spearheading the hydrant painting initiative.
When requests came in from Rockaway Park, BHPOA reached out to its neighboring civic, the Rockaway Civic Association. Its president, Harold Paez, enthusiastically agreed to be a partner in the program and finance painting kits for residents in RCA’s service area.
After finishing the paint job near her home, Maribeth Finnegan posted a photo to Facebook and exclaimed, “Proud of my work on this fire hydrant. Proud of my country!” She continued, “My neighbors are so happy.” Karen Noble added, “I think everyone in Rockaway should do this.” Several people said it reminded them of America’s bicentennial celebration. “I love it! I remember this being done in 1976 for America’s 200th Birthday,” posted Patty Marsibilio.
None of this would have been possible without the generosity of Mazzone Hardware. Matt Mazzone agreed to assemble kits and sell them to the civic associations at a great discount. As the program through BHPOA expires, Mazzone will sell these red, white and blue painting kits to individuals for the discounted price of $25. People who are interested should call Mazzone Ace Hardware (718-945-5669) to make sure the paint kit is in stock.
Athina Minerva appreciated the turnkey product. “Someone was giving a whole kit to paint the hydrants… I thought that was a fantastic idea, the fact that they were giving away everything you needed in one bag,” she said.
Several people expressed concern that painting fire hydrants violated regulations. Prior to proceeding with the program, Belle Harbor Property Owners Association consulted with Councilwoman Joann Ariola’s office who executed a similar program earlier in June. Based on that input, anyone who accepted a painting kit from BHPOA also received hydrant-painting guidelines.
“This is a way for us to display our love of country in a way that will last,” Tansey said. “The red, white, and blue hydrants will leave an impact on our community for years to come.”
