Dozier Elementary students who get dropped off in the parent pick-up line will see this hydrant, themed after a minion animated character, and was designed by Talon Landry (left). He was assisted by classmate Cooper Fourroux (right).
Kaiden Viator’s hydrant is located behind Our Lady of Lourdes Church next to the cemetery and features a Louisiana sunset with a bare tree and birds. He was assisted by Erath High Talented Art students, Ainsley Hartman (left) and Michelle Spaziante (center).
Anabel Roy (left) and Hattie Barras (right) Hydrant
dedicated to the memory of Erath High graduate Ross Granger, located on Granger Street.
Jada Cormier (left) assisted Kloe Broussard (right) with her patriotic design on her hydrant of a waving American flag.
Assisted by Lanie Gautreaux (left), the hydrant designed by Elizabeth Toups (right) features imagery from our Cajun culture, including a magnolia, an accordion and music notes.
Some hydrants will put a smile on your face, like Preston Bourgeois’s hydrant located next to a pharmacy in Erath. His hydrant is themed after 2 common over the counter medicines, DayQuil and NyQuil.
Madeline Zegura’s hydrant is located in front of the rectory at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Erath. Her design features a stained glass look and the word, “faith” which she hopes will inspire faith in those who see it.
Located on the side street by Erath Middle School, is Landen Romero’s design, themed after Where’s Waldo.
Carter Primeaux, Vermilion Parish Middle School student of the year, chose to go with a patriotic theme to his hydrant due to the huge 4th of July celebration that Erath is known for.
Rees Reaux (right) assists Owen Crochet (left) with his design which captures the likeness of Luigi from Super Mario Brothers.
Rees Reaux (right) assists Owen Crochet (left) with his design which captures the likeness of Luigi from Super Mario Brothers.
Erath now has Colorful Water Hydrants
ERATH — Ride through Erath near Erath High School and Dozier Elementary, and you will see each fire hydrant has taken on a character.
Last week Erath Middle School eighth-graders brought new life to 23 fire hydrants throughout the town. It was a project taken on by the students in Jennifer Doxey Gayneaux art class at EMS.
“I was super excited and proud that the students accomplished what some thought would not have happened in one day,” Gayneaux said. “Some students asked to come back in a few years to touch them up.
“Other students not in the class asked if they would get to do one. The ownership that the project instilled in many of them was such an amazing byproduct of their work,” she added.
This past summer, the Erath Aldermen gave the school the OK to paint the hydrants. However, Gayneaux also had to get approval from fire chief Chad Savoy. The chief informed her not to paint the top of the hydrant because it lets the firefighters know the amount of pressure in each hydrant.
The students first had to draw a design that would be painted on the hydrants.
Some hydrants had the American flag in honor of the Erath Fourth of July. Other types of hydrants were a minion, a police dog hydrant and Luigi from Super Mario Brothers.
Another hydrant was painted in honor of EHS graduate Ross Granger, who passed away in 2016. Hattie Barras painted it at the corner of Granger Street. Barras asked permission from the Granger Family.
Another hydrant featured imagery from the Cajun Culture, including a magnolia, an accordion and music notes.
Preston Bourgeois’s hydrant is located next to a pharmacy in Erath. His hydrant is themed after two common over-the-counter medicines, DayQuil and NyQuil.
Kaiden Viator’s hydrant is behind Our Lady of Lourdes Church next to the cemetery and features a Louisiana sunset with a bare tree and birds.
Most of the painted hydrants are located by the three schools. There are a few painted hydrants in the downtown area.
One hydrant is located by the Meadow’s Apartment because one student has family who lives in the apartment complex.
Before any paint was put on the hydrants, the 23 hydrants had to be cleaned and primed with white paint. The Erath volunteer department scraped the rust off the hydrants and primed each one.
The Erath City Aldermen and Mayor Taylor Mencacci also had to approve each design of each hydrant.
That was the final hurdle the students needed to clear before applying the oil base paint.
Last week, on April 7, 23 students paired up to help one another paint their hydrant.
“I was nervous about what type of day it would be,” said Gayneaux. “But it turned out to be a great day. It was windy, which helped the paint dry faster. I was nervous I would not get to finish all 23 hydrants in one day, but the students working together in teams, along with parents and volunteer chaperones, helped get them all done.”
“The kids were excited. Each group had an adult with them, plus a group of high school students lent a hand. Overall, I think it turned out great.”