Thank you to everyone who help keep Fallbrook cleaned up

I was out walking this past week and was amazed at how quickly a little bit of rain has started the greening of our local hills and roadways. I could follow the paths that the runoff created and stopped to pick up trash that had either blown or washed down the gutters.

I, like many other citizens of Fallbrook, have taken a pledge to help “keep Fallbrook litter free,” a program spearheaded by the Fallbrook Beautification Alliance. What I did not see on this particular walk was any sign of graffiti. What a pleasure.

We are so lucky here in Fallbrook to live in a community where volunteers work diligently, not only to pick up litter, but to wipe out graffiti. I would venture to guess that many residents don’t think that Fallbrook has a graffiti problem. I might have thought the same if I was not aware of the monthly statistics.

There are many people I should thank for keeping Fallbrook both litter and graffiti free, starting and ending with the FBA volunteer teams. They are not doing it alone, however. Major Market, for a second year in a row, held a “wipe out graffiti” collection, providing an easy way for residents to donate a few bucks at their check out registers.

Their generous staff and customers donated $1,618.01. Concerned citizens phone in sites where they’ve spotted tags to Fallbrook’s graffiti hotline, which helps the sheriff’s department track and FBA volunteers quickly clean. Seventy-two volunteers have joined the “Keeping Fallbrook Litter Free” program resulting in close to 4,000 five-gallon buckets of trash and recycling removed from Fallbrook streets since Jan. 1.

I am proud to be a part of the effort and, even more so, to live in such a community. I thank businesses like Major Market and the many residents who both donate money and time to keep Fallbrook a place I’m happy to call home.

MJ Bacik