By Mary O’KEEFE

The highly anticipated tiles for Crescenta Commons have been placed around the tower. The tiles represent community businesses, organizations and individuals who helped support the Commons.

The Crescenta Commons is on the corner of Rosemont and Orange avenues. For several years the land stood vacant, overtaken by weeds. Boy Scout Rhys Teff approached the Crescenta Valley Town Council with an idea of how to give the area new life. It took some time but, with the support from the community and the CVTC, the revamping of the corner was completed and christened Crescenta Commons. There were several ways for the community to be part of the project, from volunteering to sponsoring a bench or tile.

Ines Chessum, local architect, made the tiles. Ceramics has been a hobby for her for quite some time so she volunteered to make the inlays. She had no idea what she was getting into.

“I do ceramics and you can get bored easily but this you had to stay with,” she said.

The repetitive procedure actually helped her improve as an artist as the process continued, although there was one batch she had to throw out and start again.

All in all, there were 200 tiles plus several half tiles she prepared for the Commons.

“It has been a process,” she said.

The process was a labor of love for the community not only from Chessum but also from all of the families, community members and officials who came together to turn the vacant lot into a special neighborhood park.

“It has been fun,” Chessum said. “It has been very rewarding.”

Everyone is invited to stop by to see the Crescenta Commons and look at the tiles that now encircle the tower. They include names of families, individuals, neighborhoods and organizations and also have positive quotes.

As Chessum finished cleaning the last of the tiles last week, she walked around still amazed by the community’s outpouring of support.

“Look – there is one from the families of El Adobe Lane,” said Chessum. “They got together and [purchased] a tile and then got together to purchase another for an elderly neighbor of theirs.”

  Mary Okeefe