ENCINO : Seniors’ Prank Seen as Brush With the Law

Graduating seniors of Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino scrawled a goodby message curb-to-curb on a street next to their school, earning a tolerant reaction from their former principal, but drawing a reproach from Los Angeles police.

Before graduating Sunday, an unidentified group of seniors painted “Celts ’94 Seniors” across Santa Rita Street next to the Catholic school--a section of road scheduled to be resurfaced next week, said Father Fred Tillotson, principal of the school.

“As graffiti goes, it’s rather in good taste,” Tillotson said. “I know that the students were aware that the street was going to be repaved, so there would be no permanent damage.”

The markings included the painted words Bye, Mrs. Brown , a farewell to a popular English teacher who leaves for a Peace Corps assignment in Slovakia this summer.

The would-be artists ran out of paint, however, before they could finish their work.

But despite its mildness, the painted message was condemned by police as vandalism.

“It’s still marking city property,” Los Angeles Police Capt. Val Paniccia said.

“Down the road, we don’t want people following this example. It would be preferable for them to show their sentiments with something like a banner.”