Three Crown Hill residents volunteered to paint over graffiti affixed to Ballard businesses, houses, and cement walls, Saturday, as part of the sixth annual "Clean and Green Seattle" initiative.

The Ballard effort was sponsored by the Crown Hill Business Association. The association's former president, Jack Seifert, a massage therapist, led the charge in his older red Suburu station wagon. It was stocked with city-supplied "Seattle-Grey" latex, paint rollers, and cloth. The trio started from the Crown Hill Petco, and worked southward on 15th Avenue, stopping every block or two to erase a large trail of graffiti.

Seifert hates graffiti so much, he doesn't bother to wait a year, and will be out again in a few weeks erasing illegal "art" single-handedly as he has done frequently for years.

"Graffiti is lawlessness," he said. "The difference between graffiti and 'not graffiti' is permission."

He points out that he gets permission to paint over the graffiti from those in tagged residences and businesses, but, he said, "Some turn me down, so I tell them the city will write you a ticket." Then they usually agree.

Seifert's neighbor, Chris Kimmel, an environmental geologist, decided to pitch in. "Hopefully we're not encouraging a blank slate," she said, referring to their fresh swaths of neutral color, adding, "But it looks a lot better than graffiti."

Dean Loken is a member of the Crown Hill Business Association, and friend of Jack. He says this is his first time helping.

"There are a lot of opportunities out there to do some decent artwork, and these kids are pretty good," said Loken, who owns a home inspection business. "They should just twist it around a bit and make it more creative. They would attract more attention to themselves if they did real artwork."

Steve Shay may be reached via bnteditor@robinsonnews.com