Allan Appel Photo
Johnny “Fab” Fabrizio’s white hair almost glistened in the bright sun reflecting off the snow Sunday as Fair Haveners began to come out and walk Grand Avenue to re-stock at C‑Town or do errands.
He was doing what every property owner is supposed to do: clear any nearby hydrant.
Not everyone does it. Sometimes it takes a former alderman to set the example.
A former alderman like Fabrizio, who’s 83.
No youngster, he was hard at work by himself near his cleaner’s shop at Grand and Atwater, clearing the space around a bright yellow hydrant hidden by three feet of snow.
Several neighborhood folks hailed him with a good morning or a “how ya doin’?”
“I was an ex-alderman. I know what it means to clear the hydrant,” he said.
Fabrizio represented Fair Haven on the Board of Aldermen between 1975 and 1982.
“Hey Johnny,” someone called from across Grand Avenue. “Don’t have a heart attack.”
If he does have the heart attack, the passer-by promised, “I’ll come to your funeral.”
John has always been involved in the New Haven community. He was a team player while on the Board of Alderman and not a rubber stamp. As a senior citizen he continues to lead by example. He displays common sense along with the experience of age and the exuberance of youth. With over two thousand fire hydrants in the city everyone who is able to - should pitch in to ensure there is no delay in getting water onto a fire. The life you save may be your own.