Volunteers from the Northridge Sparkle Campaign met Saturday morning to help keep the neighborhood free from blight and crime.

Andrea Alvarado, a representative of the Northridge Sparkle Campaign, is hoping to take things to the next level by cleaning up and calling it the Northridge beautification project.

“We are going to be placing six signs along the boulevard between Nordhoff and Parthenia that say ‘Northridge Village,’” Alvarado said.  “We are going to try and get federal funding and to do so we have to show that there have been improvements made.”

They are also trying to get more of the businesses involved with the project by having them donate or by having them help clean up in front of their store.

“All of the trash cans were overflowing,” Alvarado said. “It has escalated now from picking up trash to planting new flowers in the planters.”

Another volunteer who has lived in this neighborhood his whole life is Don Larson and he is trying to “make this whole place beautiful.”
“There is a group of us that come out here from my house, Das Bauhaus, and help clean up,” Larson said.  “It’s mandatory in my building to work, you want to live in my house you have to come out here and work.”

Larson said it is quite easy to get people to come out and help because most of the people that live in his complex are already willing and sympathetic to his cause.

A tenant in Larson’s complex, Michael Lombardi, is hoping that doing this will help make the neighborhood more welcoming for new people to come out and visit Reseda Boulevard.

Most of his duties involve going out once a week picking up trash and pulling weeds, along with a few other tenants.

Reserve Officer William Schnieder, was on hand during the clean up between 9 and 11 a.m. making sure things went smoothly.  He also helped out the week before on his own time keeping the streets clean.

Alvarado is hoping that eventually they can turn this area into a new Pasadena or into a new  Third Street Promenade now that the Valley Performing Arts Center is around.

“Now that we have the Valley Performing Arts Center here we want people to come here, shop, eat and enjoy,” Alvarado said.  “Little by little we are doing improvements.”

Once everything is completed they are planning on having a big celebration with food trucks, art shows and more.