About 40 Members of the Strathern Street Neighborhood Watch and the North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council gathered Saturday morning to clean up a dirty, mucky stretch of Whitsett Avenue north of Sherman Way along the 170 Freeway.

Neighborhood watch member and founder Sarah Ramsawack, who is also an elected member of the North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council, sent some photos and information about the Whitsett Avenue Cleanup to Patch.

"On the East side of Whitsett is about two tenths of a mile of chainlink fence that catches wind blown debris and toss-outs from passing motorists. The debris collects over the months and years of neglect, and it piles up to almost a foot deep along the chain link fence," wrote Ramsawack. "...The West side of Whitsett Avenue had the greatest need of attention. The West side is a high slope of sand that continually erodes sand creating huge pits, exposing plumbing pipes for the large building above that belongs to the Department of Transportation. The DOT also was aware of our efforts in advance. Capt. Richard Rae of the DOT offered some comfort services to the workers."

Patch knows this stretch of Whitsett very well. During a terrible storm on March 21, we shot some video of the hill being rapidly eroded by heavy rains and witnessed a very large amount of junk and debris collecting along Whitsett, as well as the exposed pipes. (Video also attached.)

Ramsawack wrote that "under the strong leadership of [watch] member Glenda Villaneda and the facilitator of the [watch], Maggie Adrian, many of the [watch] members decided to do what the city could not provide: An improved entrance into a great community ... These are two very dedicated leaders and to be thanked and recognized"

The Strathern Street Neighborhood Watch's boundaries are from Strathern Street down to Saticoy South, and from Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the Hollywood Freeway.

Ramsawack wrote that "the east side of Whitsett is a street much frequented by the residents of the the Strathern Neighborhood Watch, and that many residents over the years have had numerous comments about Whitsett, and they do believe that a more economically comfortable district would never have this condition."

She also added that the Strathern Street Neighborhood Watch is one of two watches in the North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council's area, along with the North North Hollywood Neighborhood Watch. 

Ramsawack thanked Quincy Reid, a deputy for the office of Assembly Member Felipe Fuentes, Jose Pena of the Vulcan Materials Company for loaning a Vulcan street sweeper to clean the curbs on both sides of Whitsett, and the Dept. of Sanitation for picking up the many litter-filled trash bags that were collected.

Ramsawack also added that "we did make a visible difference."

To know more about the STRATHERN NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH,  please call Maggie Adrian at 818-982-0265.

To know more about the NORTH NORTH HOLLYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH,  please call Judy Harris at 818-331-1398.

To know more about the NORTH HOLLYWOOD NORTH EAST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, please call 818-627-8505.