Adoption scammer Mozes takes stand - against ex : Prosecutors use Orson Mozes in attempt to show Christen Brown's ties to sham agency

MORGAN HOOVER, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

August 18, 2009 7:08 AM

Admitted adoption scammer Orson Mozes took the stand as a witness for the prosecution Monday against his ex-wife, who is attempting to obtain a portion of the $300,000 found with Mr. Mozes when he was arrested.

Deputy District Attorney Paula Waldman continued to try to prove that Christen Brown was involved in the adoption business, as well as the activity involving taking money under false pretenses, 17 counts to which Mr. Mozes pleaded guilty in July.

Ms. Waldman asked Mr. Mozes how much involvement his ex had in the online agency Adoption International Program.

"I would say a lot of involvement," he said. "(She) founded AIP without me."

Mr. Mozes called Ms. Brown's involvement "constant," saying he wanted to pay back some of the clients from whom he had taken money, but "Christen refused."

During Ms. Brown's testimony, she said she and Mr. Mozes purchased gold coins totalling no more than 20 in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Mr. Mozes, who was in possession of gold coins when he was arrested in Miami, Fla., said he purchased them on his own in Florida after separating from Ms. Brown in 2007.

Although Ms. Brown insisted during her testimony she had nothing to do with the fraudulent adoption agency after 2003, Mr. Mozes said she "had the last say on every person who was ever hired." His remark was stricken from the record, however.

A letter written by Mr. Mozes to his family upon leaving for Miami in June 2007 was submitted into evidence. In it, Mr. Mozes asked that Ms. Brown use some of the money from the sale of their house to pay off his debts. She used the money to pay off personal debt to herself that Mr. Mozes allegedly owed.

"I wanted my money to go toward. . .any victims that weren't paid," he said. "I never thought she'd take it for alimony."

On cross-examination, Mr. Mozes told Ms. Brown's attorney, Stephen Dunkle, that he left town in 2007 because of Ms. Brown's alleged demands that he make money with the business so they could keep their house.

"She turned my daughter, Zoe, and my son against me," he said. "All Christen cares about is money; she has no heart as far as I'm concerned."

Asked whether he disliked his ex, Mr. Mozes said, "I'm glad to say that I don't feel good or bad about her, which is worse than not caring at all."

Defense witnesses Kathy Lynch and Molly Walker, both former employees of the fraudulent adoption agency, testified that Ms. Brown had minimal involvement in the company, if any at all.

Both women admitted to being surprised that Ms. Brown professed having deep involvement in the company during a 2003 lawsuit, which AIP filed against the Pennsylvania attorney general.

It came to light during the questioning of Ms. Lynch, who said she worked only four or five hours a week at the agency, that she had spent time visiting with Ms. Brown as recently as Saturday, something Superior Court Judge George Eskin asked her about further after both attorneys completed their questioning.

Ms. Lynch insisted that she and Ms. Brown had only discussed personal matters not pertaining to the case, and she said she had reached out to Ms. Brown because she had a severe migraine and did not want to be alone.

Prosecution witness Jayne Howarth was employed at the company from May to August 2006, and testified that Ms. Brown did have involvement in the company.

"My understanding was that Christen and Orson were partners," she said.

Ms. Howarth also said she left the agency after only a few months of employment because she knew "that something was very wrong there."

The proceedings were continued until Aug. 27.

On anniversary of signing, Reagan tax cuts are recalled : Ceremony held at Reagan Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley

MORGAN HOOVER, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

August 14, 2009 7:04 AM

While debate over federal spending rages throughout the country, the policies of the Reagan administration were remembered nostalgically by conservative activists Thursday afternoon at the former president's Santa Ynez Valley ranch.

The Young America's Foundation held its annual celebration for the anniversary of the Economic Recovery Tax Act with guest speaker David Kim, CEO of Baja Fresh, Cinnabon and La Salsa.

Sitting on the shaded lawn, audience members ate lunch and then listened to a formal presentation, filled with rhetoric celebrating both capitalism and former President Ronald Reagan before entering the house to take a look around.

Andrew Coffin, the director of the ranch, induced audience laughter when he said, "I believe this is the only place in the country where this anniversary is being celebrated."

Conservative Kate Obenshaim spoke next to introduce Mr. Kim, who was born in North Korea and moved to the United States as a child.

Ms. Obenshaim said she was glad to be at the ranch because as a conservative, she finds Washington D.C. right now to be "depressing and demoralizing."

"North Korea is an example of how damaging socialism can be," she said. "David Kim ... is the American dream."

Mr. Kim told attendees that he will always be grateful to President Reagan for teaching him "what it means to be an American."

He then responded to Ms. Obenshaim's statement about Washington D.C. with a joke.

"I do love going to Washington," he said. "After all, that's where all my money is."

Mr. Kim then spoke seriously about the cuts of the Economic Recovery Tax Act, signed by President Reagan 28 years ago.

"It's no mistake that he ... chose this beloved ranch" to sign the bill, he said. "To him, this ranch represented freedom; it's easy to see why."

Mr. Kim said President Reagan "returned over $750 billion to the American people."

"Let's try to understand how much a billion would be," he said. "If you sat down and counted to a billion without stopping, you would be counting for 95 years."

Mr. Kim told the audience about his experience involving the move from North Korea to the United States.

"Capitalism is ... the fastest path to human freedom," he said. "The start of communism is a process of socialism. A government powerful enough to give you everything you want is also powerful enough to take away everything you have."

Mr. Kim asserted that President Reagan would disagree with the economic approach taken by the current administration.

"He would say, 'Stop punishing our hard work,'" said Mr. Kim, who is also the author of "Ignite!: The 11 Values that Fuel Billionaire Success."

Referring to his earliest years in the country, Mr. Kim said he remembered admiring President Reagan.

"Here was a leader who believed in letting me climb as high as my ambitions would take me," he said. "He never stopped teaching Americans that the class warfare rhetoric was a way to get votes."

For more information on the Economic Recovery Tax Act, visit reaganranch.org.

Protecting blue whales : Environmental group threatens lawsuit over federal plan for these giants of the sea

MORGAN HOOVER, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

August 13, 2009 6:59 AM

The Environmental Defense Center gave 60-day notice Wednesday of its intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service under the 1973 Endangered Species Act for allegedly failing to implement provisions of the Blue Whale Recovery Plan.

The recovery plan was approved in July 1998, and the alleged failure of the fisheries service to implement provisions for the plan would constitute a violation of the Act, according to the the letter.

Environmental Defense Center lawyers claim the fisheries service has failed to implement the three elements of the recovery plan: "a description of site-specific management actions that may be necessary to recover the species; objective and measurable criteria that when met, would result in a determination that the species be removed from the list and estimates of the time and cost required to carry out those measures needed to recover the species and to achieve intermediate steps toward that goal."

Lawyers also listed alleged violations of the Act committed by the fisheries service, including failure to establish criteria for delisting or downlisting blue whales, failure to designate a blue whale implementation coordinator, failure to determine stock structure of blue whales using genetic analysis, failure to identify and implement methods to reduce ship collisions with blue whales, failure to identify and protect essential blue whale habitat and failure to conduct studies of environmental pollution.

According to Brian Segee, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Center, the changes needed should not be so ominous as to be off-putting for the fisheries service.

"Some should be quite easy," he said. "Other tasks are more intensive; none of them are burdensome."

The notice states Environmental Defense Center officials "would welcome the opportunity to meet with NMFS and other appropriate government officials to discuss the issues..."

"This is by no means hostile," said Mr. Segee. "It's more an issue of bureaucratic inertia."

According to the notice, "if the alleged legal violations are not remedied within 60 days, we intend to pursue judicial relief in federal district court."

It is the hope of the Environmental Defense Center that the fisheries service will begin to implement the recovery plan without the prompting of court intervention before those 60 days end.

Since 1992, the Santa Barbara Channel has held the densest population of the species, which has been endangered since establishment of the Endangered Species Act.

In September 2007, four blue whales were killed in ship strikes in the channel.

It was these ship strikes that prompted the Environmental Defense Center to "look into the rash of things," according to Mr. Segee.

"The fisheries services has essentially let this plan sit on the shelf and gather dust," he said.

IS LOVE TRULY BLIND?

MORGAN HOOVER, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

August 9, 2009 12:00 AM

A first date with dimmed lights is pretty standard and maybe even romantic, but a first date with no lights can be downright awkward.

That's according to a Santa Barbara man who will appear on Monday's episode of ABC's reality show "Dating in the Dark," which puts to the test the saying love is blind.

Cormac O'Brien, a 30-year-old medic, not only participated in the light-lacking show, which airs at 9 p.m., but he agreed to sit down with the News-Press -- in a totally dark room -- for a little Q & A, in which he and the interviewer never saw one another, something quite out of the ordinary for both.

Q: What was it like to date in the dark?

A: It was very awkward. You think you know what you're getting yourself into, and then as it all kind of plays out, there are parts of it where you're super uncomfortable, and then there are other parts of it where you have the opportunity to be yourself and kind of let your personality come through. But the rule of that game that we were playing is we're all there looking for a connection, and you know the possibility of finding a connection in the dark is just like, "Wow, OK, sure, I'll give it a shot!"

Q: How did you come to be on the show?

A: I was talking to a friend here in town, and we were like, "Hey, it'd be so cool if we could do something like the 'Amazing Race' or 'Wipe Out' or something," and I looked into it, and then I fired off one e-mail and a photo, and I got a reply back within 45 minutes.

Q: How long was the whole process?

A: It was roughly about a week, all condensed down into 43 minutes of television.

Q: What was it like? Did you have to rely on other senses? Did you touch their face?

A: Absolutely. We were kind of encouraged to get to know them as best as we can. This is your opportunity to potentially meet someone in this environment, and you'll never have this opportunity again, which is kind of cool, right? So you have to really rely on the voice inflections. If there's an awkward silence, you know that's really bad. As much as you want to think that your eyes are going to get used to the dark, and as much as you think you can guess what the person looks like, you really have no idea.

Q: What did you feel when you wanted to know so badly what this person looked like?

A: It's just hard to say. You knew that you had an option; there are three different women that you're going to get to know. You've got to kind of feel it out. You've got to really cut to the chase. For me it was important to ask some direct questions: What do you want out of life? What's your favorite thing you get to do? What kind of music do you like? I think it's important gauging all those small personality traits that you can get out of a person to try and build a bigger picture.

Q: Did you find yourself censoring what you were saying?

A: I think at first in general everyone kind of goes through that. You have to kind of get used to knowing that there's some recording device around at all times. And then finally you get to the point where, at least for me, I just didn't really care anymore, and I think I said a few things that were probably a little too revealing, but it's whatever plays, it plays, you know? It's a family show, right?

Q: And on that note, I was reading that you were encouraged to kiss the other people. Did you experience that or bypass that?

A: I definitely experienced it.

Q: What was that like?

A: Well, going into it, I was talking to a few friends, and I was like, "This is kinda what I might be doing," and they're like, "Well, dude, check for an Adam's apple first." Nothing too crazy happened, but it was pretty wild. It was really cool though. You can't make it an organic experience because you can know everything about a person: you can know their smell or their pheromones -- you name it, but not knowing if they're rolling their eyes when you're trying to kissing them or not knowing if they're like, "Oh, God, here I go," not having that visual cue -- there's no lean-in, you know?

Q: Why would you do something like this that's so outrageous? Because you wanted to be on TV?

A: No. I don't have a great desire to be on television. I'm little bit of a ham, a little bit of a performer, but I have no great desire to be on television. I'm not a very private person, but it's still way too all up in your business. I just thought it'd be a fun idea, and the opportunity presented itself. I'm like, "Well, why not? It can't really hurt, right?" Well, potentially!

Q: You didn't feel that what motivated you to be on something like "Amazing Race" propelled you to do this? Or did you actually want to find a connection?

A: That was another moment where I had to kinda realize, you know, "Hey, I'm single, and I'm not dating anyone at the moment, and it would be a really cool experience because never in your life would you have an experience to try to genuinely get to know someone without ever knowing what they look like so whatever prejudices or types you have go out the window." So I thought, "Wow, what a powerful experience it could've been or could be." And then I thought about it and, "Yeah, definitely. Why not?"

Q: Would you do it again if given the opportunity?

A: Absolutely. It was a really cool experience, and it was definitely eye-opening in the whole television business, you know not (having been) terribly exposed to it in the past.

Q: And did they give you any guarantee? Did they give you anything to assure you it wouldn't be something humiliating?

A: There was nothing guaranteed. You kind of get the general feel of it, but knowing in the back of your mind, and me being a little bit of a pessimist, wondering, "Well, this is reality TV, so however they want to spin it they could spin it." I've heard of horror stories before, so I was a little pensive at first, but when you're in the dark you really have no clue what's going to hit you.

Q: Did it teach you any life lessons about beauty being skin deep?

A: It teaches you to be humble and to be yourself. You always have the best results and the most genuine results when you're being honest with someone, as opposed to putting on a facade.

City response to Grand Jury report

MORGAN HOOVER, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

August 8, 2009 7:03 AM

The Santa Barbara Department of Public Works will submit a response at Tuesday's city council meeting to a county Civil Grand Jury report that identified and sought to correct flaws following two cases of a parking garage elevator getting stuck and trapping between 11 and 15 people.

The Grand Jury report, entitled, "Trapped in the Granada Garage Elevator -- Not an Uplifting Experience," addressed flaws in the city's elevator management system.

The Grand Jury's findings, eight in total, were gathered in an investigation sparked from two stalled elevator incidents involving the same Granada Garage elevator within a seven week period.

During the first incident, the elevator stopped between the first and second floors on its descent while carrying ten adults and five children.

The emergency phone did not work, the passengers had no cell phone service, the emergency bell did not achieve a response and although passers-by could see the passengers beckoning to them, the trapped passengers were ignored several times before someone alerted the parking attendant.

The passengers were trapped for approximately 75 minutes before they were freed.

The second incident lasted 30 to 45 minutes.

It involved six adults and five children, and although the emergency phone inside the elevator worked, the maintenance dispatcher, who did not identify himself, could not locate the elevator.

One passenger was claustrophobic and became panicky, and one of the children began to cry and say that he thought he was going to die.

The passengers' cell phones worked during this stall, and one trapped woman managed to call her husband; 9-1-1 was also called after what seemed a lengthy amount of time passed. The passengers were informed that the fire department had been notified only three minutes earlier by the dispatcher.

Firefighters did not open doors upon arrival because there was no medical emergency, and the trapped people had to wait for an elevator mechanic to arrive.

After the incidents, several letters were written to city officials by the passengers, and in only one case was a response received.

The Jury's investigations yielded eight findings, and with each finding the Jury provided a recommendation.

In the letter the public works department will produce Tuesday, a response is provided for each finding and recommendation.

The first finding in the report is that the city lacks a coherent management plan for its elevator systems, and the recommendation made to rectify this is that one be established, as well as a single point of accountability for these happenings.

The city's response is that a plan exists to monitor maintenance, and it refers to the currently contracted elevator maintenance company as "qualified and certified." The city also transferred administration and oversight of the contract to the Downtown Parking Staff.

The Jury's second finding is that the city does not maintain records of the contractor's repair work on elevators in city parking structures; its recommendation is that the city should maintain these records.

The city's response is that the city and the maintenance contractor both already keep records of inspections, repairs and maintenance on all city facilities' elevators, but the report was adjusted to include a line item for phone inspection, as it was previously considered included under "Car Stop Switch (es)."

The third finding in the report states that the audible alarm system in the elevator has a limited range; it recommends that the system be modified to directly alert a responsible agency.

The city's response is that the alarm system in every city elevator is installed per industry safety standards and is inspected by the city monthly and by the state annually.

The city also asserts that modifying the alarm is not a solution for notifying personnel and that the dispatcher, available via the elevator's emergency phone 24 hours a day, is trained to handle situations.

The city adjusted its management plan and maintenance protocol, however, to make sure phones work properly.

The fourth finding is that the emergency phone service in the elevator is not regularly inspected, and its recommended solution is that the city perform and document weekly inspections, as well as verify that the phones in all elevators are operational.

The city's response is that the emergency phones are checked by the city every month and by the state every year.

The report's fifth finding is that the city has no established written protocol for responding to elevator malfunctions; it recommended that the city acquire protocol for these situations.

The city's response states that it does, in fact, have emergency response protocol and it contracts with an independent answering service to answer elevator telephones, following city protocol in responding to elevator emergencies.

The Grand Jury's sixth finding is that the city has no incident reporting system to address elevator malfunctions, and its recommendation was that the city should implement one.

The city's response is that its Downtown Parking Program has had an incident reporting system for more than ten years, which is completed by the on-duty Parking Coordinator or Lead Maintenance Worker for incidents at any downtown parking lots.

This report is then reviewed by the Maintenance Supervisor or Parking Operations Supervisor, and, if needed, appropriate corrective action is taken.

The seventh finding is that the State of California Inspection Certificate in the elevator is out-of-date. The report recommends that the current certificate be displayed in elevators immediately upon receipt.

In response, the city asserts that the certificate renewals from the state are posted as soon as they are received, the state is responsible for scheduling inspections and issuing certificates, needed repairs are coordinated between the elevator contractor and the state inspector and permits are issued when the work is completed to the state's satisfaction.

The final finding of the Jury's report is that the physical address of the elevators are not posted in all cars, and its recommendation was that the address be posted in every elevator.

The city responds that the physical address is, in fact, shown on each elevator car's certificate, and the dispatcher has the ability to identify each car.

A Fiesta fixture since 1946 : Judy Pearce has participated in most Old Spanish Days for more than 50 years

MORGAN HOOVER, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

August 2, 2009 8:51 AM

One Santa Barbaran is proud to say that this year's Fiesta theme, A Tribute to Tradition, is especially poignant for her because Fiesta has for more than 50 years been her favorite time of year.

"My kids don't have to be here at Christmas, but by golly they have to be here at fiesta!" said Carpinteria resident Judy Pearce.

Mrs. Pearce, 68, first participated in the famed Santa Barbara event in 1946, the first year the festival resumed after World War II. She was 5 at the time.

This year she is providing a dress to be worn by Mrs. Presidente while riding a horse in the parade.

"She came out and picked out a dress I made for one of my daughters," said Mrs. Pearce, who makes a dress for herself every year and has made dresses for her daughters and granddaughters over the years.

"It takes about 17 yards of material to make a big ruffle dress," she said. "Riding dresses, that's what I call them."

Mrs. Pearce laments some of the ways Fiesta has changed over the decades, but she still celebrates the way she wants, with a huge party for her family and friends.

"The house is really a wreck afterwards," she said. "Even at Christmastime, confetti is still oozing out from under the rug."

Surprisingly, Mrs. Pearce said her husband does not share her love of Fiesta.

"My husband doesn't like it at all," she said. "He's only been to one or two, but he's very generous with me."

In fact, an entire room in the Pearce residence is devoted to Fiesta.

"It's all full of posters and dresses," she said.

Mrs. Pearce is a true embodiment of this year's Fiesta theme, which was chosen by El Presidente Anthony Borgatello.

"My mother was a total nut about Fiesta; she was in the very first one," she said. "I was raised that way. It's just plain fun!"

According to the grandmother of six, one of the most exciting traditions in her family is a particular dress that she made in 1966.

"It's a great tradition for my family to wear the gold and white dress," she said. "My daughters have worn it, and my granddaughters have worn it."

A big change Mrs. Pearce has noticed in Fiesta since she has been a regular participant is the reduced level of festive behavior on the part of observers.

"People watching the parade don't wear costumes as much as they used to," she said. "People celebrating used to wear costumes; even if you weren't participating, you'd dress up."

Tourists visiting for the event bring her great delight.

"It was never just for the locals," she said. "It's always been about getting people here; in the '50s it was such a big deal that all the L.A. papers would write about it."

Mrs. Pearce said another change she has observed is the prohibition of drinking on the street.

"I always thank the police officers whenever I see them," she said. "It's great because that way I can take the grandkids downtown."

She said she does miss dancing in the street after dark, however, and the special timing of the event in the past.

"It used to be on the full moon of August," she said nostalgically.

Because Mrs. Pearce's birthday falls on Aug. 5, she feels particularly connected to the event.

"I ride zigzag across the street (during the parade)," she said, "and I tell everyone Santa Barbara is throwing me a celebration."

Fiesta 2009 runs Aug. 5-9, kicking off at De la Guerra Plaza Wednesday when El Mercado de la Guerra opens at 11 a.m.

Events continue through Sunday.

Arraignment of alleged baby snatcher continued : Leianna Patricia Arzate is charged with abducting newborn from hospital

By MORGAN HOOVER , NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

July 25, 2009 6:49 AM

A Santa Barbara County Superior court judge on Friday continued until July 31 the setting of a preliminary hearing date for a woman charged in the kidnapping of a 5-hour-old infant from a hospital maternity ward.

Judge Clifford R. Anderson granted the continuance in the case of Leianna Patricia Arzate, 33, who is charged with kidnapping a child under 14, burglary and child abuse, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office. Also continued was the setting of a date for hearings on alleged probation violations of which Ms. Arzate stands accused.

Ms. Arzate has been in custody since Feb. 27 when police apprehended her in Santa Maria three hours after she allegedly took the newborn boy, Julian, from the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital maternity ward.

A hospital surveillance photo allegedly showed her carrying a closed plastic bag that authorities say contained the newborn.

She has been held without bail because she is allegedly in violation of probation received during two previous cases involving grand theft and theft from a dependent adult.

Ms. Arzate is being represented by Deputy Public Defender J. Jeff Chambliss, who previously entered a not guilty plea on her behalf. Her case is being prosecuted by Chief Trial Deputy Josh Lynn of the district attorney's office.

Deputy District Attorney Ronald Zonen filled in for Mr. Lynn on Friday morning.

Health Department: Add vaccine to list of back-to-school supplies

MORGAN HOOVER, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

July 21, 2009 7:35 AM

The second half of summer is here, and while parents are purchasing school supplies and new clothes, they should also remember to have their children immunized.



California schools must review children's immunization records to ensure that students have received all required shots before entering school.

In 2008, Santa Barbara County kindergartners had an immunization rate of 93.3 percent, according to the county Public Health Department.

Officials say vaccines help control infectious diseases such as chickenpox, hepatitis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio.

Dr. Neil Sullivan of the Eastside Community Clinic Santa Barbara wants parents to understand the importance of these vaccines.



"There's a certain amount of people who don't want their children to have vaccines; the reasoning behind that is kind of new-agey." he said. "My approach on that is that you're being selfish. Help the rest of the world develop immunization."

Vaccines are available through private doctors, community health clinics and health department immunization clinics.

Becoming immunized helps reduce the risk of global viruses, according to Dr. Sullivan.

"We're seeing pertussis right now," he said. "We've seen measles and mumps over the last five years in pockets in the U.S."

Dr. Sullivan said his clinic immunizes about 250 people a month, but that number can double in late August and September.

"Children should not wait until September," he said. "We'll be overbooked once school starts; the sooner the better."

The clinic performs outreach to the community to get immunized on two levels, according to Dr. Sullivan.

"We have a tracking system of children; we check patient profiles to see if they need to come in," he said," and at any visit, we check a child's immunization status."

The Public Health Department also recommends that all children 6 months and older be immunized against seasonal influenza.

Dr. Sullivan supports the department's assertion that a vaccine against H1N1 flu or swine flu will be available in the fall or winter, and public health officials will provide updated information to the community when there are developments.

For more information about California school immunization requirements, vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases, contact a physician or go to getimmunizedca.org.

Memorial service for homeless draws tears, unites faith community : At gathering 17 dead so far in 2009 are mourned

MORGAN HOOVER, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

July 14, 2009 7:44 AM

A group of Santa Barbarans rallied Monday afternoon to mourn the 17 homeless who have died in the city so far in 2009.

Clergy from all walks of faith gathered at the East Beach public restrooms to participate in a memorial service for departed homeless people, and artist Morris Bear constructed a sculpture for the occasion.

These particular public restrooms hold a special significance for those who attended because Ross Stiles, a Santa Barbara homeless man, was beaten there in February and later died. His death is still under investigation.



The United Clergy of Santa Barbara worked closely with Ken Williams. a social worker for the homeless, to organize the event.

"We respectfully request that the police put their efforts into solving this crime," said Mr. Williams, before handing the event over to clergy members.

Unitarian Universalist Reverend Teena Grant spoke first, explaining that the purpose of the event was twofold.



"We are here to grieve," she said, "but also to ... give meaning to their lives by cherishing every member of our community."

Episcopalian priest Mark Asman spoke next, reading Psalm 102 and encouraging listeners to hear the scripture as though they had "no power or place in his community."

The Psalm's 17th verse reads, "He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer."

Father Asman prefaced his scripture reading by illustrating that in both the Christian and Jewish faiths, "God's preference for the poor" is evident.



Montecito Covenant Church pastor Don Johnson then addressed the crowd, inviting all present to "come together to honor and remember those who died in 2009."

The three clergy members then took turns reading the names of the deceased. After each name was read, a bell was rung, drawing sobs from some attendees.