The Periwinkle Bikepath wall behind Lowe’s on Saturday afternoon: What graffiti?
Prompted by a post on Facebook, my Saturday bike ride took me along the extension of Albany’s Periwinkle Bikepath behind Lowe’s Home Improvement Center. Here’s a video of what there was to see:
The Facebook entry I saw Saturday morning had been posted by Monica Weber, an Albany resident and musician whose husband, Baxter Weber, had organized the massive effort by a dozen volunteers from Hewlett Packard.
They managed to whitewash nearly all the graffiti that vandals had spray-painted on roughly 600 linear feet of the concrete-block wall.
Baxter is one of about a handful of people I know about who spend much of their free time cleaning up what others have messed up.
Some years ago, if memory serves, I saw a photo of Baxter in a canoe navigating a section of the Eighth Avenue Canal and retrieving basket or soccer balls that had been floating in the muck for a long time. More recently, I saw him on the Cox Creek Path, where he keeps trying to keep the railroad underpass clear of graffiti and trash.
The Periwinkle Bikepath in back of Lowe’s has long been a magnet for vagrants and their camps. And, sad to say, the wall there will be covered with graffiti again.
But on Saturday the path was clear of camps and trash, and the wall was almost entirely clear of sprayed-on messages. And for that, we all owe the Albany “graffiti chasers” and other cleanup volunteers a sincere vote of thanks. (hh)
I swiped this shot from Monica Weber’s Facebook post: Baxter Weber and the volunteer crew that cleaned the wall of graffiti.
Postscript: Since I posted this story, I have been informed that Baxter Weber had been asked to supervise this cleanup project by Jill Van Buren, the force behind a program to recruit volunteers to help care for Albany parks. (hh)
The work of this group is certainly appreciated. It’s a shame the POLICE won’t crack down on the cause. IF the City can “buy” Red Light Cameras, why not a few “Ring Cameras” in trouble spots that they can watch. Lowes would probably provide the internet gratis.
Thank you so much to Baxter and friends. I would be happy to volunteer in some way .
And I wonder, if there were murals painted would it keep the graffiti at bay.?
That’s a great idea!! For example, the owners of a home on the corner of Gibson Hill, in North Albany, painted a lovely flower mural on the concrete wall in front of their front yard. It is a beautiful sight that I enjoy seeing every day as I pass by!
Maybe Lowe’s would be willing to pay for some of a mural? Vandals tend to avoid tagging murals (as much). It’s a good idea that works in other places in Albany and in other cities.
I only had a quick look when riding by the other day, but it appeared the mural (featured by Hasso (2? years ago) near 2nd & Lafayette had been vandalized?
Years ago when I was a Cub Scout den mother, I took my “den” to the local high school (in California) to pick up trash and other assorted debris from behind and below the bleachers of the athletic field. When the little boys and I started to clean up, some of the high-schoolers sitting up in the bleachers began throwing their garbage down on top of our heads and laughing. I was so angry I gathered up my boys and we left, never to return.
Another tale: In 1964, I traveled to Switzerland for a holiday. I was astonished at the complete lack of graffiti, the lack of so much as a gum-wrapper on the ground, and the general consideration of the locals. The self-respect of the populace was tangible. They loved their country. Sadly, that has changed, but nothing like the first paragraph written above.
Easier and faster to just sandblast the graffiti off the wall. :-)
Not only does “sand blasting” remove the paint, it also, over time, will remove the wall. Even a “Pressure Washer” will gouge and pit your wooden deck or siding if care isn’t exercised.
Cultivate poison oak in front of the wall. Nice looking plant.
Not everybody that uses that path is a vandal. It serves a useful function for some of us who can’t afford a car.
Until the POLICE vigorously patrol/enforce this area and we get prosecutors/judges to send a message, it’ll be business as usual. There’s a LOT of COMMUNITY SERVICE/chain gang inducements that could be provided.
Anybody dare ask the Police Chief why this continues to be an issue? Does she even work in Albany?
Haha! Nasty stuff. Calling Tec Labs!