Picturing a Better City : Paintbrushes in Hand, Santa Ana Youths Depict Positive Side of Community

With a small brush dripping with green paint, Miguel Ornelas dabbed color onto a 25-foot mural depicting children waving flags and walking proudly through the city.

Nearby, about a dozen other at-risk youngsters, ages 9 to 15, worked on other portions of the mural, creating a public work of art as part of Safe Haven, a federally funded “Weed-and-Seed” program designed to keep children out of gangs by offering alternative activities such as art classes, camping trips and tutoring.

During a break from his work, Miguel, 17, admired the painting.

“I’m going to feel proud, of course, in taking part in something that everyone is going to see,” he said. “It’s a positive outlook on things. I want people to see the positive side of Santa Ana and the the community.”

He praised the program as a crucial alternative for youngsters who might otherwise join gangs, one that inspires them and offers challenging and creative activities.

If the program did not exist, more children would probably drift into gangs, he added.

“I think the odds would be pretty high. They would have nothing else to do but hang out on the streets and do the gang activities. They wouldn’t have anything else to do and they wouldn’t have people to look out for them and tell them what’s wrong and what’s right,” Miguel said.

Youths who are at risk for gang involvement work side by side with their peers who act as role models. Mario Bustos, Santa Ana High School student body president, was a mentor during the mural project.

“A lot of the kids from the program come from gang-infested neighborhoods. We’re just here to help them out and be positive role models,” said Jesse Soto, a spokesman for the program.

“We tell them you don’t have to get involved in gangs, you don’t have to do those drugs. Maybe when they grow up they can come back and be positive role models for the other kids growing up in the neighborhood,” he said.

Safe Haven, which is funded by a $75,000 federal grant, also provides children opportunities for trips and to get tutoring. On Thursday, several youngsters took a three-day trip to UC Berkeley that was designed to get them planning for college.

Soto said the program also encourages youngsters to meet and make friends with others from throughout the city, Soto said.

“A lot of the kids are from different neighborhoods. If this program was not here, they wouldn’t be doing stuff together--they’d be fighting,” he said.

On Monday, this group of youngsters worked for several hours to complete the mural, which is on a wall on the southeast corner of Chestnut Avenue and Raitt Street. Neighbors watched appreciatively as the children’s work progressed, saying the mural would probably deter graffiti vandals who had defaced the wall as frequently as twice a week.

Several motorists slowed to view the work, many honking and waving their support.

Alma Nuenez, 13, said she has enjoyed her three months in the program and relished the chance to participate.

“I feel proud because I never have done this before,” she said, referring to the mural painting.

Soto said he hopes the mural project would prompt similar works throughout the city. Public art would deter graffiti and show graffiti vandals there is a more positive mode of expression available.

“We want people to know that Santa Ana is a beautiful city. It’s not just gangs and drugs,” he said.