Published: Saturday, Sep. 05, 2009

Updated: Saturday, Sep. 05, 2009

Bus stops to boast ‘Graffiti Hurts’ designs

MANATEE — Officials on Friday unveiled bus stop backrests designed by student winners of the Graffiti Hurts Poster Contest.

Copies of the colorful poster designs now grace six bus benches in Manatee County. They were displayed at a bus shelter at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, 600 U.S. Hwy. 301 Blvd. W.

Last spring, about 22 elementary and middle schools entered the poster contest, aimed at showing how graffiti hurts their school and community. Cash prizes were awarded to six young artists.

“It’s taking back our community,” said Maj. Frank Gargett, representing the state Department of Juvenile Justice.

His was among several agencies that teamed up for Graffiti Hurts, a program that provides ways to report, record, remove and prevent graffiti.

Others include the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the local Keep America Beautiful affiliate, the School District of Manatee County, and the Bradenton Lions Club/Metro Systems.

“What we’re going to do is for a couple of months, place these close to the school of each student winner of the contest,” said Roy Jurs, representing Metro Bench, which is posting the designs on bus benches as a public service.

“In a few months, we’ll move them so more people can see them,” he said.

The Graffiti Hurts program is a way to teach young people how graffiti damages a community, said Ingrid McClellan, executive director for Keep Manatee Beautiful.

It also provides a way for those arrested for graffiti crimes to help clean up the mess.

“The youth we use to clean up paint are some who actively were doing the graffiti,” said Gargett, noting that some participants sent by court or probation officers were dismayed they would be erasing their own gang’s graffiti.

Elementary school winners included Daughtry Elementary group Mayte Lapata and Rutmary Mastrapa, first place; Blackburn Elementary’s Zoe Violett, second place, and Braden River Elementary’s Sarah Davis, third. Middle school first-place winners included a group from Braden River Middle School, Liz Shirey, Julianna Guida, Jordan O’Donnel and Cory Hohler; St. Joseph Catholic School’s Morgan Welch, second place, and St. Joseph Catholic School’s Maggie Potter, third.