The West Valley Warner Center Chamber of Commerce Community Benefit Foundation has had a busy year – cleaning up the west valley from graffiti and debris.
Head of the foundation, Sean McCarthy, has actually been doing graffiti abatement on his own since 1986 – working on the Balboa Bridge over the L.A. River, buildings facing the freeway, street mediams and more.
He joined the Chamber’s foundation and took it from working with education and brought a new focus with community clean ups, and it’s grown from there to the point where every Saturday morning McCarthy and a crew get out on the street armed with paint, rollers, trash bags, weed whackers and more.
“We have a host of volunteers every week, but I’d like to give a special shout out to my regular crew – Howie Baron, Al Collins, Ted Cotter, Sandy Rosenholz, Diana Williams, Patrick Maharen, Steve Hawkman, Jon Mann, Larry Cohn, Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council members, including Karen and Dennis Dibiase, Steve Sommers, and Geoff Hobson, Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers, and Tarzana Neighborhood Council members,” McCarthy told Valley News Group.
He also wanted people to know that the graffiti they see isn’t done by kids. It’s usually from adult males. “The message I want to get across it that they think it’s just paint. No – it’s criminal. I’d like to see their artwork in the form of ads or something else, not spray paint. We see the same six to seven buildings that back up to the 101 Freeway get tagged on a regular basis. The owners are frustrated so they stop dealing with it. That’s not the right approach.”
The Foundation needs volunteers, but also money to purhcse more supplies, disposable rollers and more. The city does supply the paint, but only in three to four colors so they purchase additional paint.
“I’m out there every Saturday with the team, and often Sundays on my own, because I love the city,” McCarthy explained. “I’m proud of our work, but it’s something that is ongoing. It’s not a one and done. We have to keep on top of it to discourage more vandalism.”
To donate funds or supplies visit communitybenefitfoundation.com.
Below is a list of the team’s 2024 accomplishments.
1. 01/06/2024 Woodland Hills NC cleanup on Vanowen and Canoga
2. 01/13/2024 Tarzana NC cleanup on Reseda at Ventura
3. 02/03/2024 Woodland Hills NC Ventura at Oakdale center divider
4. 02/22/2024 Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers, LA River bike way, Tampa at LA River
5. 03/05/2024 Express Conference Members, cleanup at Variel and Victory.
6. 03/07/2024 Reseda Painting Amigo pedestrian bridge over the LA River
7. 03/12/2024 Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council count of missing trees in Warner Center
8. 03/16/2024 Reseda Painting Amigo pedestrian bridge over the LA River
9. 03/18/2024 Lake Balboa / Encino Balboa Bridge at the LA River graffiti painting
10. 03/23/2024 Lake Balboa / Encino Balboa Bridge at the LA River graffiti painting
11. 04/08/2024 Lake Balboa / Encino Balboa Bridge at the LA River graffiti painting
12. 04/13/2024 Woodland Hills NC center divider cleaning at Ventura and Oakdale
13. 04/20/2024 Lake Balboa / Encino Balboa Bridge at the LA River graffiti painting
14. 04/28/2024 Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers, LA River bike way, Tampa at LA River
15. 05/04/2024 Woodland Hills NC Cleanup of west side of Platt south of Victory
16. 05/11/2024 Reseda at Corbin and the LA River painting
17. 05/18/2024 Reseda at Traders Pawn, Sherman Way and Reseda
18. 05/30/2024 Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers, LA River bike way, Tampa at LA River
19. 06/01/2024 Woodland Hills NC, west side of Shoup north of Burbank
20. 06/08/2024 Tarzana, Graffiti remediation at 19641 Ventura
21. 06/15/2024 Lake Balboa, Balboa at the LA River graffiti remediation
22. 06/22/2024 Tarzana, Ventura at VanAlden, tree trimming and weed removal
23. 06/29/2024 Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers bike way at Tampa and the LA River
24. 07/06/2024 Woodland Hills west side of Shoup north of Burbank weed and tree trimming
25. 07/13/2024 Reseda METRO Station tree trimming and cleanup at Reseda and Oxnard
26. 07/20/2024 Tarzana cleanup, from the south side of Ventura and Wilbur to VanAlden on ramp
27. 07/27/2024 Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers bike way at Tampa and the LA River
28. 08/03/2024 Woodland Hills NC METRO Station cleanup at Victory and Winnetka
29. 08/10/2024 Woodland Hills Ventura and Corbin tree trimming and weed removal
30. 08/17/2024 Woodland Hills south side of Ventura east of Topanga Canyon trash and weeding
31. 08/31/2024 Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers VanAlden pedestrian bridge cleanup
32. 09/07/2024 Woodland Hills NC METRO Station cleanup at Victory and Winnetka
33. 09/14/2024 Reseda METRO Station tree trimming and cleanup at Reseda and Oxnard
34. 09/21/2024 Tarzana south side of Ventura at Aura, graffiti remediation
35. 09/28/2024 Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers bike way at Tampa and the LA River
36. 10/05/2024 Woodland Hills NC cleanup of 6036 Variel
37. 10/12/2024 Tarzana back of 19641 Ventura graffiti remediation
38. 10/19/2024 Tarzana, south side of Ventura at Aura graffiti remediation
39. 10/26/2024 Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers pedestrian bridge at Amigo and the LA River.
40. 11/02/2024 Woodland Hills NC cleanup of Ventura at Alhama tree trimming and trash removal
41. 11/09/2024 Tarzana, south side of Ventura at Aura graffiti remediation
42. 11/16/2024 Winnetka NC cleanup of Winnetka at Parthenia
43. 11/23/2024 Lake Balboa, Balboa Bridge at the LA River Graffiti remediation
44. 11/30/2024 Reseda LA River Walkers and Watchers bike way at Tampa and the LA River
45. 12/02/2024 Woodland Hills NC cleanup of northwest corner of Topanga and Mulholland Hwy.
