A neighborhood turned out at Monday’s Moorhead City Council meeting to congratulate Mary Arnholt on receiving the city’s monthly MoorHeart Award.
Arnholt, who has lived on the 400 block of Horn Avenue for 40 years, was nominated for the citywide award by her neighbors in honor of two decades of service. “Mary has worked tirelessly in the winter months to ensure that the fire hydrant in our area is accessible in case of an emergency. This is a task that is often overlooked, but for 20 years Mary has cleared the hydrant from snow to help protect her neighborhood,” wrote members of the nearby Woodglen Condominium Association.
When street improvements moved the location of the fire hydrant near Arnholt’s home, she observed that no one was insuring that it was clear and accessible to firefighters in case of an emergency. She took on the responsibility herself, clearing snowdrifts with a snowblower “that’s almost bigger than she is” (in the words of her nominators) to insure year-round access to the hydrant and the water it provides.
After Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Hendrickson presented Arnholt with the award, an artwork commissioned from local artist Hudi Kobrinsky, a crowd of neighbors and firefighters gathered around her in council chambers for their own photograph. They have pledged to take over her role guarding the hydrants as she “passes the shovel.”