By GLYNIS HART
[email protected]
CLAREMONT – It all started a month ago, when Erica Sweetser decided to do something about some graffiti on Summer Street.
A fence on the opposite side of the street from the Methodist Church had been defaced, so Sweetser called up the owner of the property and asked for permission to repaint the fence. She put the word out, bought paint, and got some kids involved: first, the fence was painted over in white. Then, with the kids’ enthusiasm for the project (and the property owner’s permission) she sketched out a mural to show the community’s pride in Claremont.
“This time helping was Audrina Pelton, Ian Gersberg, and Tim Bureau,” said Sweetser. “A random stranger tracked me down after we had been in the paper for cleaning up graffiti, and offered me money for painting in the future. The man is Mel Wadleigh who owns Mel’s Pastimes in Charlestown. Of course there is a lot of black and red, but an eagle for the United States, a purple finch for New Hampshire, and the cardinal for Claremont. There is a Tootsie Roll for Father Stan, and Arrowhead lodge.”
The new mural also features Stevens High’s football, with three players in black and red jerseys. For no particular reason, they painted “56” on the back of one of the jerseys, which prompted the player who wears that number, Justice Durgin, to get in touch with Sweetser.
Durgin wanted to put someone else’s jersey on the wall: Eli Smith, who passed away at age 16 from cancer.
“He was a brother in red,” said Durgin. “Once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal.”
On Monday afternoon Durgin met with Sweetser and carefully painted “87” on the jersey of a football player in the mural. He stepped back to check his work several times, and then, when he was satisfied, he put his paint brush down and took a knee.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.