NORTH MAYFAIR PARK — Wally Eliason, known to many as “The Mayor of Mayfair,” has been keeping his Northwest Side neighborhood clean for more than a quarter of a century.

The Air Force veteran usually starts his work about 8 a.m., walking around Mayfair armed with his metal grabber and bucket, collecting trash and surveying the neighborhood. Every couple of weeks, Eliason brings his riding lawnmower to the grassy area near the Montrose Blue Line Station to trim the grass. He’s also helped fundraise for neighborhood improvement projects.

But now that he’s 90, Eliason said he is ready for someone else to take the reins.

“I’ve been trying to get someone to take this,” Eliason said, gesturing to his mower on a recent morning. “It’s time for the next generation to take over.”

This summer, th

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