SERGEANT TO LEAD CLEANUP EFFORT IN CANYON COUNTRY.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Daily News Staff Writer

No question Canyon Country gets a bad rap, and that troubles sheriff's Sgt. Joe Efflandt.

Not only does he live in town, he's the No. 1 booster when it comes to community pride. So it figures that Efflandt will head a team today charged with overseeing the cleanup of some of Canyon Country's problem areas.

``Canyon Country has a bad reputation, but it's really not deserved,'' the sergeant said Friday. ``It's a great community, with lots of youth sports, renovation programs, new construction. The city's done a lot to make this a real nice community.''

At 8 a.m., Santa Clarita's Community Interaction Team, headed by Efflandt, will meet in a shopping center parking lot at Whites Canyon Road and Soledad Canyon Road and fan about an area bordered by Soledad, Nadal Street, Camp Plenty Road and Crossglade Avenue.

Several eyesores targeted by city code enforcement officers will be cleaned up, or property owners will face fines. Residents, Efflandt said, want the area spruced up.

Residents will have access to donated equipment including lawnmowers, weed eaters and hand tools and can dispose of larger items free until 4 p.m. dumpsters in the Longs drugstore parking lot on Soledad.

``My personal stake is that the community stays prosperous, we have healthy property values and crime stays down,'' he said.

Still there are problem areas, not unlike those in any other community, he said. All day today, the team will contact residents regarding any code violations and urge cleanup.

``There are places where there are code violations, an accumulation of junk, trash, debris, abandoned vehicles, overgrown brush,'' he said. ``Some violations are so egregious they're bringing down the quality of life, and that brings down the property values in the neighborhood. Ultimately, as that spreads, crime follows.''

The Interaction Team is funded by a city grant to improve neighborhoods. A similar cleanup day is planned next Saturday in Newhall.