18 May 2009

Even More Artistic Expression in the Face of Social Injustice






Between the scarred landscape from last fall's fires, the earlier browning of the landscape because of another sub-par year of rainfall, the increasing skid marks and accidents, and the growing amount of graffiti, Carbon Canyon is looking less and less like the scenic place it has been and been valued for and more and more like a devalued, defaced landscape subject to the egregious effects of benign neglect and the petty improvisations of small-time criminals.

The latest iteration? While heading out this morning to take my kids to school and thinking I'd only need my camera to photograph yet another series of skid marks on Carbon Canyon Road over on the Brea side (more on that in tomorrow's ongoing "On the Skids in Carbon Canyon" feature!), I noticed new tagging on the retaining wall below the Carriage Hills residential tract off the eastbound portion of the highway before reaching the S-curve in Chino Hills. Now, the city is pretty good at responding to and effacing graffiti and I (and, hopefully, others) called the city's graffiti hotline, so, it should be gone within a few days.

But, I also remembered that there was more tagging on a CalTrans sign (a new one to replace one burned out in the fire) on the eastbound side of the highway just after the La Vida Mineral Springs site in Brea. I am not sure if the response time from CalTrans District 12 will be as good. The photos above were taken this morning.

At any rate, there is definitely an uptick on graffiti in the Canyon in the last few weeks and let's hope our elected officials (local and state) are (or very soon will be) aware of this, as well as the growing problem with unsafe driving and the attendant accidents and near-accidents that have occurred recently, as well. If there is no official (police or otherwise) presence in the Canyon, these behaviors will continue to the detriment of those who appreciate and respect it.

For graffiti removal, the hotline numbers are:

Chino Hills: (909) 364-2820.

Brea: (714) 671-4465.

No comments: