FULLERTON : Painting Party Will Make Graffiti Vanish

Tired of seeing graffiti in their neighborhood, Joe and Lois Berger decided to organize a painting party to cover them up.

They plan to meet today with about 30 co-workers from Remax, a realty agency, to paint the retaining walls of a senior citizens condominium complex under construction on Brea Boulevard.

The city and Vista Paint Corp. are supplying the paint and equipment.

“This is the way to solve the problem,” said Councilman A.B. (Buck) Catlin, who received an offer for help from the Bergers.

Catlin and other city officials have said the city’s two paint crews cannot keep up with the taggers who are spreading the graffiti.

City workers appealed to residents for help at a Feb. 2 council meeting about the graffiti. Robert Savage, director of the Maintenance Department, said each of his crews cleans up about 15 sites a day.

“I endorse the community’s effort,” Savage said about today’s painting party.

Savage said anyone who wants to paint over graffiti can call the Maintenance Department at (714) 738-6897 for paint and roller kits. He said he has tan, yellow, pink and gray paint for walls.

“The city is going to provide anything they need,” Catlin said. Residents may also call (714) 738-3108 to report graffiti that need to be removed.

Jim Berger and about 25 other residents expressed outrage about graffiti vandals at a four-hour-long council meeting earlier this month. Later, Jim and Lois Berger decided to act.

“They did ask for volunteers,” Jim Berger said. “We’ll kick it off.”

Ron Holborn, president of Remax of North Orange County, said realtors are acutely aware of the spread of graffiti.

“When we’re driving around, it’s real hard to convince (prospective buyers) it’s a $300,000 neighborhood when there’s graffiti,” Holborn said.

Holborn said he got permission from the owner of the senior citizens condo complex at 1501 Brea Blvd. to do the painting. The owner has already repainted the large wall three times himself, Holborn said. “These guys are persistent,” he said.

The painting effort will take four or more hours, Holborn said. “It’s a big wall, and we’re not 19-year-old kids,” he said.

Richard Stock, a supervisor in the Maintenance Department, said vigilance is also needed to solve the graffiti problem.

“The real help we need is for people to watch out and catch these kids,” he said. “All we’re doing is covering it up right now.”