FOUNTAIN VALLEY

Rarely does a wall bring people together, but a 17-year-old Girl Scout hopes her La Colonia Juarez neighbors will join her effort to spruce up a deteriorating wall mural on Calle Zaragosa.

“I would like to see the whole thing restored,” said Jessica Garcia of the sprawling artwork that stretches along a 625-foot concrete wall separating La Colonia from an apartment complex. Garcia proposed this project to earn a Girl Scouts Gold Award, which recognizes work that benefits the community. She said she hopes neighbors and fellow Scouts will help.

Originally painted in 1976 to cover graffiti, the mural captures the history of the neighborhood settled by Mexican immigrants in the 1920s. It begins with a depiction of farmers working the land and continues with panels portraying the community’s development. Graffiti and general paint deterioration have made many of the images difficult to see. The Fountain Valley High School senior has enlisted the city’s help to bring the mural back to its former glory. La Colonia residents will be surveyed about what they’d like to see done with the mural.