SCOUT MURAL PAINTERS BRUSH ON 'FENCE LIFT'.

Byline: DIANA PEYTON Community columnist

Girl Scout Troop 1340 is sprucing up a Van Nuys neighborhood by painting a mural on two adjoining backyard fences to help eliminate neighborhood blight.

Working on weekends with troop leader Jill Hughes, the girls are developing an ocean lagoon scene on a stretch of fence on Haskell Street north of the Victory Boulevard.

Roberta Teichman is one of the homeowners whose yard is receiving a ``fence lift.''

``I get a very calming feeling driving by the mural; I go that way now just so I can see it. ... It's very happy,'' she said, ``and my children Becky and David love it!''

The Scout artists are Kristy Guy, Rachel Newman and Emily Jaffe, all residents of Sherman Oaks; Sabrina Jones of Woodland Hills; Jamie Schwimmer of Valley Village; Karin Ziv of Encino, and Ali VanderBliek of Van Nuys.

Other helpers include Shaina Jones and Annika Guy, the younger sisters of troop members.

A luncheon was held at the LeBleu Chateau retirement home in Burbank to honor local teens for their volunteer work with patients.

``I feel bad that they have to live there and can't be with their own families,'' said Natalie Tavitian, a volunteer from Burbank High School. ``I like listening to their stories when they talk about their lives.''

Mary Mulally, activities director and health care educator at the facility, has seen the interest the students have in the residents. ``They just do magnificent work,'' she said.

Honored volunteers include Jose Cruz, Luigi Mata, Jason Shiroma, Vera Affi and Bianca Sarmiento.

Additional students are Jessica Alverez, Kathy Cabrera, Vanessa Delgadillo, Jessica Sanchez, Jade Valencia, Mary Vardanian and Iskui Badalyan. They all attend Burbank High School.

Sarah Lacheta attends John Burroughs High School in Burbank.

Awards and special honors have been given to diligent students.

Josh Haley, a Valley College student, has been awarded a full scholarship to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz.

He also belongs to Valley College's award-winning debate team, which earned the national silver medal at the 2002 Community College National Public Speaking Tournament, held in Fort Worth, Texas, April 5-14. Haley won two gold medals, and Reana Irving won a bronze medal in communication analysis. The group is led by Duane W. Smith, forensics director, and Harish Rao, assistant speech coach.

Local African-American students attended the ninth annual Rites of Academic Passage, part of the College Bound program, April 14 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Participant Monique Sanders is a 2002 graduate of California State University, Northridge, earning a bachelor's degree in communications studies.

Other students who were honored are graduating from local high schools: Lauren Gillery, Granada Hills High; Melanie Manuel, Highland High in Palmdale; and Corisma Robinson, Desert Christian High School in Lancaster.

The multifaceted program requires parent participation and classes offered as early as fourth grade to help ensure college attendance.

Aryana Azmodeh, a third-grader at Welby Way Elementary School in Woodland Hills, is the statewide first-place winner in the Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl Poster Contest, sponsored by the National Council of State Garden Clubs in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Forest Services, the National Association of State Foresters and the West Valley Garden Club.

Her poster also took first place in the Pacific Region of Garden Clubs of California Inc.

The local club has also given $300 scholarships to Paulina Ramirez of Canoga Park, Suzette Doherty of Simi Valley and Oranwan Balankura of Reseda.

Local high school seniors have been given $1,000 scholarships for participating in Mervyn's Trend League. They were chosen for their sense of style and what they feel is important in their communities.

They are Brittany Hendrikson of Thousand Oaks, Casey Gold of Studio City and Will Pilgrim of Simi Valley.

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Kristy Guy is one of the Girl Scouts painting a mural on adjoining backyard fences to help spruce up a neighborhood.