Feds to Face Residents Who Want Landmark Mural to Stay

By City News Service:

Federal officials are expected to get an earful Thursday night from Corona residents in favor of sprucing up -- rather than painting over -- a historic mural in Corona’s Prado Dam.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled a hearing at Corona High School to discuss the fate of the Prado Dam spillway display that students painted in 1976 to celebrate America’s bicentennial.

The local landmark, which can be seen from the Corona (71) Expressway and the Riverside (91) Freeway, has faded over the years from the effects of weather and vandalism.

According to the nonprofit Friends of the Prado Dam Mural, the display is 106 feet tall and 2,280 feet long.

The mural reads “200 Years of Freedom,” with a space depicting the Liberty Bell, followed by “1776-1976” -- painted in red, white and blue.

Corps of Engineers’ Los Angeles Commandant Kim Coleman has said that a new mural would be “appropriate,” though the agency has not stated a preference. The Corps has already awarded a contract for removal of the display, with tentative plans to begin the process during the last week of this month.

Only one member of the Corona City Council, Dick Haley, has endorsed restoring the existing mural, saying it should be repainted again when the “tricentenntial” arrives in 2076.

According to Friends of the Prado Dam Mural, more than 6,000 signatures have been collected on a petition demanding that the display be “restored not destroyed.” More information is available at http://friendsofthepradodammural.com .

More than 30 Corona High School students spent several weekends voluntarily working on the project in May 1976. According to mural supporters, the site is a source of community pride and should be treated with the same respect accorded other landmarks.

The Prado Dam is part of the Army Corps of Engineers’ flood control channel for the Santa Ana River, when it’s running.