Keeping Glendale beautiful
NORTHEAST GLENDALE ? There was a single, unifying element among the thousands of posters submitted to the city’s 13th annual “I Love My Neighborhood” contest: Litternaut.
A cartoon donkey designed for the city by Donald Duck creator Al Talliaferro in the 1960s, Litternaut was reproduced in various forms in the colorful posters on display at the Glendale Civic Auditorium Wednesday afternoon during the contest’s awards ceremony, which drew dozens of students and their families.
The contest ? a partnership between the city’s Neighborhood Services Division and the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale ? was designed to encourage civic responsibility, neighborhood pride and litter prevention among Glendale’s youth, said Noreen Benjaminsen, public education specialist for the Neighborhood Services Division.
“The students get more than just drawing a picture out of it,” Benjaminsen said of the contest, open to students in kindergarten through sixth grade from public and private schools throughout the city. “They get this lesson they share with their friends and families, they take home with them a sense of pride in taking care of their neighborhood and understanding of what it means to live in a litter and graffiti-free environment.”
The theme for this year’s contest was “100 Years of Neighborhood Pride.” Entries were judged by adherence to the theme, use of bold and bright colors, use of color and space, and technical merit based on their grade level, Benjaminsen said.
The roughly 10,000 entries received were pared down to 60 finalists for the awards ceremony on Wednesday. Each finalist received a trophy, while the top 10 also got new backpacks loaded with school supplies.
The top three award winners were: Andre Aboulian of Fremont Elementary School; Josephine Rivera of Columbus Elementary School; and Ariana Aroustamian of R.D. White Elementary School. They each received a special plaque, and Glendale Beautiful will plant a tree in each students’ name at their school campuses. The three will also be treated to a special tea at the Doctor’s House in Brand Park.
Andre, the grand prize winner, will have his poster duplicated 1,000 times and distributed throughout the community and at local schools as part of an anti-litter campaign. His unique design featured an aerial view of the city, complete with parks, schools, office buildings, a library and a stores grouped together on one block, a la Galleria. It featured the slogan “Keep Your City Clean” in six different languages.
“Glendale is such a diverse community, so I drew it just like it is,” said Andre, a sixth-grader. He wants to be a photographer when he grows up.
The contest has an added benefit to students, Benjaminsen said.