Local man cares for his world




Bob Hitner

Bob Hitner


By Sylvie Belmond
belmond@theacorn.com

Equipped with a pair of grabbers and a bright orange safety vest, Bob Hitner spends several days a month voluntarily removing litter in the Liberty Canyon area of Agoura Hills. This modest task could easily conceal the adventurous spirit of Hitner, a world-traveled scuba diver, avid tennis player and retired insurance claims investigator.


Hitner said that when he moved to Agoura in 1977, he was disgusted by the amount of trash and garbage he would see on the street and the freeway ramps on his way to and from work. He decided to take action.


When he retired in 1994, Hitner began to devote at least one morning a week to removing the unsightly litter.    


The work is often unpleasant. Items littering the side of the road range from cigarette butts to soiled baby diapers to spoiled food, said Hitner. Other discards are even more offensive, Hitner added.


Initially, Hitner just cleaned up Liberty Canyon Road and the four freeway ramps, but over the years he expanded his route to include some residential portions of the neighborhood.


Hitner toiled informally for two years, until a California Highway Patrol officer told him in a brusque manner to get off and stay off the freeway ramps.


"During the previous two years I had had other CHP officers stop to see what I was doing on the ramps and, when they discovered that I was cleaning up litter, they were very friendly and complimentary," Hitner said.


However, the hostile officer threatened to cite Hitner, who decided to express his frustrations about the matter in a letter to the editor in The Acorn.


"When the letter was published, it caused quite a furor, with the Agoura Hills City Council, L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, and many local citizens weighing in on my side," Hitner said.


The incident prompted local officials to help Hitner officially adopt the Liberty Canyon 101 Freeway on-ramps, and he’s been picking up the litter weekly ever since. While individuals or businesses usually adopt a portion of the state’s highways and then pay Caltrans to clean them up on their behalf, a small number of persons, who don’t want to wait for the infrequent Calrans cleanup crews, do it themselves, said Hitner.


California Assemblywoman Fran Pavley (D-Woodland Hills), a former Agoura Hills council member who lives in the area, said that Hitner’s efforts have helped to beautify Liberty Canyon. The freeway underpass, Agoura Road, and Liberty Canyon Road are all spotless, she said. 


"Not only does Bob beautify the entrance to our neighborhood, he saves the city money and dramatically reduces the amount of trash that would otherwise go into the watershed through Malibu Creek State Park and ultimately into Santa Monica Bay," Pavley said. "When neighbors see Bob, they should thank this wonderful man. It shows that one person really can make a difference."


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