VOLUNTEERS TAKE ON A GRAFFITI EPIDEMIC

Building gets face-lift after latest round of graffiti

LONDON GROVE >> A building that has been the repeated target of graffiti taggers got a face-lift on Saturday as friends and neighbors came with paint and brushes to cover up the offensive markings.

The building, which is owned by Wayne DeFrancesco, sits at the corner of Guernsey and Valley roads just south of West Grove. It’s actually several buildings and has walls that face both sides of the corner.

For months taggers, who have not been formally identified, have spraypainted words and names on the outside walls. Efforts by DeFrancesco to paint over have been frustrated by his fear of retribution and continuation of the markings.

But recently, some marks that appeared to be KKK and a skewed swastika, and that raised even deeper concern of neighbors.

Theresa Zunino of West Grove, who organized the project to paint over the markings, said it was unclear whether they were politically motivated or just reflected the identification of unrelated groups. Still, she said, it didn’t look good and was offensive.

“It doesn’t have a place in our community either way,” she said.

She put the word out on the West Grove Message Board on Facebook asking for volunteers for a painting project and was rewarded by having more than 20 people show up on Saturday morning. They not only painted over the graffiti, but actually covered all of the sides of the

Theresa Zunino of West Grove, who organized the project to paint over the markings, said it was unclear whether they were politically motivated or just reflected the identification of unrelated groups. Still, she said, it didn’t look good and was offensive.

buildings with an earthtone light beige paint.

Originally, Zunino had also hoped to purchase bushes and vines to make the building surfaces less accessible, but she said at this time of year the plants are not available. That did not deter her from seeking other solutions, however.

Having called the police on Nov. 16, she was told that law enforcement could not

just go onto a private property and take action. Public Information Officer Reggie Easterling of the state police at Avondale suggested, however, that they set up surveillance cameras and identify who is doing the tagging. At that point, the police could step in.

Zunino said they took that advice and are setting up cameras which they obtained at cost with contributions from DeFrancesco and the community members.

The graffiti on the buildings contains names and

slogans. No one is sure whether the KKK stands for a musical group and if the thing that looks like a swastika is indeed one. Still, with Saturday’s project, they are all gone now.

Zunino said that she had heard that nearby Goddard Park had also been tagged, and it appeared that it more clearly reflected an aspect of the recent political climate.

She also said that the feedback she has received from the community was relief that someone had done something about the unsightly markings.

CHRIS BARBER — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Volunteers paint the side of the buildings in London Grove in a light beige. There are plans for surveillance cameras and police involvement.

This is the building in London Grove as it appeared before the volunteers came to paint it.