LA CRESCENTA : Graffiti Cleanup Scheduled May 22

The first cleanup by La Crescenta residents trying to halt the encroachment of graffiti and litter is set to begin May 22.

Crescenta Valley Clean, a new group of residents trying to maintain the beauty of their community, has targeted trash and graffiti on Foothill Boulevard, said Chamber of Commerce President Eleanor Wacker.

“We never had the graffiti to clean up before,” Wacker said. “Really, we don’t see that much graffiti, but we don’t want to see it proliferate.”

The cleanup was put together during the past two months with the chamber helping to organize Crescenta Valley Clean, which Wacker described as a “citizen-driven coalition.” Only in the past year did graffiti reach La Crescenta, Wacker said. More than 50 people have attended meetings for the new group, and local businesses have been asked to donate equipment for the cleanup, Wacker said.

“It all kind of got started because of the dissatisfaction of the people who live here,” Wacker said. “We want the community to stay the beautiful area we were used to.”

Along with the cleanup effort, the chamber is launching an Adopt-A-Street program in which local businesses and community groups take responsibility for keeping neighborhoods clean, Wacker said.

The Foothill Assn. of Realtors will help with the first cleanup.

Cleaning up the streets will be an ongoing effort throughout the community, Wacker said.