Brandon Twp.? At least five coats of paint covered her face, her arm was cracked and mold covered most of her body. Yet, for more than 25 years the four-foot statue of a robed lady survived.
A gift from the Brandon High School Class of 1968 which had once occupied the Harvey-Swanson Elementary school building, the statue and fountain spewed water during the warmer school months in the center of the courtyard at the school. However, as a student prank soap was added to the statue’s 120 gallon water tanks creating massive suds but also causing extensive damage to the pumping system on the statue. As a result the statue was shut down.
In 1988, the first year for current Harvey-Swanson Principal Helen Clemetsen, a teacher volunteered to paint the old statue, yet nothing more was done and again the lady was idle.
Yet this summer, the grand statue mounted on her two cement water basins is flowing once again.
‘We wanted to do something for our principal, to really show Helen we appreciate all she has done for the us and the kids at this school,? said Marilou Misenar, a custodian at Harvey Swanson.
So six Harvey-Swanson custodians donating their lunch hours and time scraped, painted and mended the statue. An underground electrical line to the statue was installed, a fresh coat of aqua blue paint now covers the bowl. A new pump to circulate the water was special ordered.
‘A lot of people told Helen the fountain would never work again,? added Misenar.
Then, earlier this week the custodians blindfolded Helen and led her to the fountain, now spewing forth water in small courtyard at the school.
‘The told me they had a suprise for me,? said Clemetsen. ‘It made me weak in the knees to see it operating. All the kids will enjoy it and families too.?
Clemetsen hopes that another bench would be added to the garden and perhaps students would be able to utilize the courtyard to write.
‘There’s something about water that enhances writing and the thought process.?