BUILDING NEW ATTITUDES YOUTH WORKERS REFURBISH WILLIAM S. HART PARK GIFT SHOP.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

NEWHALL - Clad in forest green long-sleeved shirts emblazoned with ``Youthbuild Crew'' across the backs, a team of young construction workers descended on a 1920s-era cabin that once belonged to cowboy actor William S. Hart.

The sounds of their hammers and saws cut through the usual tranquillity at Hart Park, the late actor's estate.

More than 25 workers, all of them members of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, have been toiling at the park for the past three weeks. The corps employs high school and college-age students who alternate a week of work and a week of school during their yearlong commitment.

``We're lucky to have these crews here. They're learning a little bit of history as they learn about other crafts, like framing and cement work,'' said David Jallo, park supervisor. ``And they have a lot of youthful energy. Having the kids has really turned things around.''

Some expertly wielded staple guns and drills as they replaced the rough- hewn siding on the cabin, better known as the Trading Post gift shop for the Hart Museum near downtown Newhall.

``We're reframing the house to keep rodents out,'' said Arianna Houghton, her red-tinged braids pulled back to accommodate a hard hat. ``When we took off the plywood, we found cobwebs, larva, old beehives and rat feces. It was so smelly and there was a lot of dust. We had to wear masks and goggles.''

``I want to be a real-estate agent and I'll need to know about the houses I oversee. This is good experience for me.''

Each piece of siding on the cabin was numbered, then removed, exposing the studs and years of debris. The repair crews examined the walls, made necessary repairs, cleaned up, then put up plywood to which they'll attach the siding in its original order.

``The rain got in, the termites got in and the rats got in,'' Jallo said.

Participants are referred to the program through counselors or word of mouth, said Frank Vuoso, youth field crew supervisor for the corps.

``A lot of these kids have fallen through the cracks, but this gives them a chance to get an education and some job training,'' Vuoso said.

Veronica Romero, 29, turned her life around when she was in the program six years ago. Now she works as a field supervisor for the corps, taking crews to various locations and teaching them the basics that helped her change.

``This is the last chance for some of the kids,'' said Romero, who has two children and received a scholarship from Americorps for her dedication to the corps. ``Some have had drug problems, some were in jail, but they're all working hard to improve themselves.

``My goal was to come back and help them change their lives. This program teaches you responsibility, hard work, how to handle tools and machinery and how to get along with others. Some people come in with bad attitudes and this program changes that.''

Dara Bruce, 21 and a mother of two, lives in the Pueblo Del Rio housing project. She has been with the program for six months and is scheduled to start criminal-justice classes at Los Angeles City College.

``It's a real learning experience,'' she said. ``I've learned how to measure and build a house a little bit, and improved my people skills. I feel more responsible. I even wake up early now; this gives me a reason to get up every day.''

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Lennett Malbrough of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, top, saws wood siding for William S. Hart's cabin, now a gift shop, at Hart Park. Above, corps members work on the cabin at the park, ripping out damaged wood and doing repairs.

(3 -- color) Michelle Crisostomo of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps saws wood siding for the cabin at William S. Hart Park. The corps workers are shoring up the silent film star's old cabin.

David Crane/Staff Photographer