"Historical characters — some specific and some generalized — are beginning to appear around New Bern as part of a public art project aimed toward the city’s 300th anniversary in 2010...

Armed with their materials and designs, volunteers, such as Sue McCarthy and Ruth Tucker, went to a downstairs storage room to receive their paints, brushes, gloves and other materials.

McCarthy and Tucker chose to work as a team and created a John Lawson fire hydrant, honoring the early 1700s explorer and author.

They attracted a good bit of attention at the corner of Pollock and East Front Street. Passersby stopped to chat, and offered words of encouragement. Questions came from open windows of cars at the stop sign."

ENC Today (11/09/09)

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