Kingston Borough Administrator Paul Keating (center, black coat and orange shirt) poses for a photo with his family and past winners of the Kingston Holiday Hot Water Heater Wednesday night. ‘It’s a wonderful tradition and I’m really pleased to be a part of it,’ Keating said.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Longtime borough administrator lauds decorated holiday appliance as ‘wonderful tradition’
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KINGSTON — Paul Keating’s Christmas list probably didn’t include a hot water heater, but on Tuesday night that’s exactly what showed up in his front yard.
It wasn’t just any old hot water heater, though. Decorated with brightly colored lights and ornaments, the Kingston Holiday Water Heater has been an annual tradition in the community, passed around for nearly 40 years.
“This is probably the most prestigious thing that goes on here. I used to go to Hillside Dairy and the lady would say to me, ‘When’s the water heater going out?’” said Kingston Mayor Jeff Coslett, who received the award in 2011 and is now part of the group that gets together every holiday season to choose a new recipient.
It all started in 1984 when plumber John McGlynn replaced a water heater for the late Tom Lahart on Loveland Avenue, who did not pay the $5 fee to remove the old one. As a result, McGlynn left and Lahart took the water heated and dumped it in Duke Grimes’ driveway. Ultimately, Grimes said, he and Lahart decided the water heater would look good in McGlynn’s front yard on Christmas Eve.
It’s fitting, then, that the water heater has now returned to Loveland Avenue after all of these years.
The group spent a good portion of the night together eating, drinking, and voting for this year’s lucky winner before eventually delivering the water heater to Keating’s front lawn around 9 p.m.
Giving the heater to Keating seemed to be a no-brainer for the group. Out of the eight nominees, he was unanimously chosen due to his commitment and service to the borough.
“He deserves it,” said Rich Stefanides, who received the honor in 2013.
Keating, 52, who was honored last year for his 25 years of service as a borough administrator, said that receiving the hot water heater was a “great moment.”
“I’ve lived here for 20 years; I’ve worked in the town for 28 years. I’ve followed the history of this water heater. It’s a wonderful tradition and I’m really pleased to be a part of it,” he said.
Keating was joined in the front lawn by his wife, Jeanne, and their two children Jack, 16, and Nora, 14, as members crowded around and sang Christmas carols, officially welcoming their latest member to the club.
Keating will have to adhere to the rules, of course, which state that the recipient must keep the lights on throughout the holidays, until New Year’s Day.
He was definitely up for the challenge.
“I will do my duty and make sure that thing’s on a timer.”
Previous Recipients:
1984: John McGlynn
1985: Kevin Boylan
1986: Jim Clarke
1987: Charles Burns
1988: Gordon Dussinger
1989: Barry Blannet
1990: Paul Roberts
1991: Barney O’Donnell
1992: Terry McGinley
1993: Frank “Bunky” Sorochak
1994: Frank Hill
1995: Ned Delaney
1996: Dan Beky
1997: Nick Volpetti
1998: Tom O’Connor
1999: No recipient
2000: Al ‘Shorty’ Cuba
2001: Doug Rush
2002: Tom Leary
2003: Charlie Dugan
2004: Jack Coslett
2005: Stan Motyka
2006: Sterling Rush
2007: Bill Mericle
2008: John Sromovsky
2009: Tom Paratore
2010: Mike Connolly
2011: Jeff Coslett
2012: Gary Michak
2013: Rich Stefanides
2014: Betty Lahart
2015: Bob Guyette
2016: Maurice Grimes
2017: Richard Pries
2018: Anthony Dicton
2019: Corey Pries
2020: Dr. Fred Lombardo
2021: John Romanoski
2022: Chaz Balogh
