PT cleaning up unwanted art

If you take a drive through any town, chances are you are going to see two things. The first being litter from those environmental unfriendlies, and the second being graffiti. These unwanted eyesores are where the Lincoln Village Residents Association (LVRA) come in.

Recently, this neighborhood community received a Neighborhood Partnership Grant (NPG) from the Columbus Foundation and the United Way of Central Ohio.

The NPG is a program designed to provide resources to support neighborhood organizations and improvements in low-end to moderate-income areas in Franklin County. 

"We want to make Prairie Township a safer and cleaner environment," said Marilyn Cook, coordinator of the Lincoln Village Residents Association.

Dubbed "clean and gleam" by this group of board members and over 30 volunteers, their main goal is to rid PT of unsightly road garbage and graffiti.

"We cleaned the graffiti off a barber shop on Galloway Road, we’ve done a chiropractor’s office on West Broad and a doctor’s office on North Murray Hill," Cook said.

Cook has only been the coordinator of the LVRA for two months but has been kept busy removing the gang symbols that adorn unsuspecting businesses.

"I’ve done quite a bit in those two months," she said.

Cook came to the Prairie Township Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 26 to address the board and the residents in attendance because the neighborhood organization needs more volunteers. 

"We need to ask ourselves what kind of community we want to live in," said Will Davis, advisor of the LVRA.

If you cannot volunteer your time, but see graffiti that needs to be cleaned or an area with an overabundance of trash, call 625-5267 or contact Prairie Township board members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department with your complaints.

Road Closures

Also at the Prairie Township meeting, trustees approved the closure of Greenlake Street between Canyon Cove and Dalebrook Court from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m., on Nov. 3 for a neighborhood Halloween party.

Not every party warrants a street closure, though.

Prairie Township Administrator Tracy Hatmaker said the township has a process those wanting to have block parties have to go through, and added it would be helpful to that process a few weeks in advance.

Hatmaker said, "Closing down public streets isn’t something we rush to do."

In order to have a block party, and a road closure for such festivities, the township, fire department and the Road and Zoning departments have to sign their consent also.