Somber anniversary’s coverage reopens wounds

TONY DODERO

First things first.

We need to clarify some bum information we passed off in a story

and subsequent editorial on Sunday Feb. 22 regarding the continuing

legal saga surrounding the 1999 preschool tragedy in Costa Mesa.

In that case, a ruthless killer named Steven Allen Abrams drove

his car into a preschool, with the stated intent to harm innocents.

He succeeded, killing two children and injuring four others and an

aide.

Our story three weeks ago, which we did issue a correction on,

stated that the parents of the two young children who died, Brandon

Wiener and Sierra Soto, had lost their petition to sue the preschool,

Southcoast Early Childhood Learning Center, in both superior and

appellate courts.

We reported that the parents were going to take the matter to the

state Supreme Court.

We were wrong.

The parents did win the right to sue the preschool at the

appellate court level, a fact we reported in April, and it is the

preschool operators, not the parents, who have appealed that ruling

to the state Supreme Court.

Whether the parents’ lawsuit against the preschool and the church

that operated it can go on still must be decided. If the state

Supreme Court rules for the parents, then a lawsuit will commence.

Hope that clears things up.

But there’s more to discuss. That editorial also opened up some

old wounds with the Wiener family, who weren’t happy with its

message.

“The church and preschool should be held accountable since there

had been a previous accident at the same site a few years before,”

Brandon’s mother Pam Wiener wrote in letter rebutting our editorial

this week. “Had the playground been in the courtyard or a safer

barrier been installed, the children would not have been as visible

or such easy targets as they were that horrible day. This lawsuit is,

as Cindy Soto Beckett, Sierra’s mother, stated in the last article,

‘to draw attention to the issue of safety in preschools and to set a

precedent, that someone will see this as a warning signal to make a

change that will make them more accountable.’”

We couldn’t agree with that last point more.

We did our best in the editorial to avoid offending the families

of Brandon Wiener and Sierra Soto. That’s because we too have a deep

connection to that tragic day five years ago and we can’t even begin

to understand their pain. We don’t want to add to it.

Still, we can’t let that stop us from voicing our concerns.

I was in the newsroom that horrible day. I wasn’t the editor in

chief then, but a senior editor for our parent company. I hopped into

the fray to edit and direct some of the coverage.

I’ll never forget my emotions or the emotions of others in the

newsroom. The photographer Don Leach and reporter Greg Risling, who

now works for the Associated Press, were some of the first to arrive

on the scene.

The sight of children injured and killed took a dreadful toll and

both of these newsroom veterans choked up as the night wore on.

It gnawed at me, too. My oldest daughter, Danielle, was then just

a few months old. As a new father, I couldn’t fathom anyone hurting

my child.

Today, I have three children and my middle child, Kristen, is the

same age as Brandon and Sierra. I can’t even imagine the heartache it

would be to lose her because of the actions of a madman.

But again, that’s our point.

Sierra Soto and Brandon Wiener aren’t here today because of the

actions of a killer, not because of the negligence of the preschool

operators.

Abrams is the culprit, clear and simple, and he’s now behind bars

for life.

Could there be some lesson in this for future preschools to learn?

Some new regulations to require stronger fences or gates?

I suppose so. But no matter how much you try to protect your

children from harm, no matter how many precautions you take, now

matter how much you pray that nothing bad will ever happen to them,

there’s always the possibility that circumstances or even downright

evil will prevail against you.

The message of our editorial that Sunday titled “It’s time for the

tragedy to end,” was not meant to chastise these parents, who

continue to be in our hearts.

It was meant to shine the light away from litigation and on to

legislation, away from lawyers eager to make a buck from tragedy.

We just believe there are other ways to prevent the tragedy of the

Southcoast Early Childhood Learning Center from repeating itself ever

again. And those other ways don’t require filing a lawsuit.

That’s really all we would like the parents and our readers to

know.

*

On a happier note, the Daily Pilot newsroom was again the site of

an invasion of Cub Scouts.

This time, the children here for the tour came from Our Lady Queen

of Angels Cub Scout Pack 375. Along with some of their moms were

Patrick McGrath, Alex Chisolm, Hunter Wetton, Clayton Johnston, Colby

Valli, Oscar Soden, Andrew Egly and Andrew Irwin.

Judging by the grins on their faces, they seem to be having a good

time terrorizing my reporters, editors and photographers.

Thanks for popping in, guys.

*

Here’s a final note on the passing of Judy Oetting, our longtime

advertising director.

We had a nice tribute for her Friday afternoon at the Spaghetti

Bender in Newport Beach, one of her favorite places. The owners

opened up the patio to us and others who have known Judy through the

years.

It was a great memorial to her and a testament to how much she’ll

be missed. On behalf of the newspaper, thanks to everyone who showed

up.