The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 99

2002:08:16:22:16:27 LOS ANGELES B4 By GEORGE RAMOS TIMES STAFF WRITER Since the macabre facts at a Santa Fe Springs cemetery came to light more than six years ago, the pain and anger felt by relatives and others, who thought their loved ones were in a safe resting place, has only grown with time. First, there was the outrage when it was discovered that workers at Paradise Memorial Park dug up old graves to resell the plots, sometimes stacking six or seven bodies in a single grave. The pain deepened a few years later when relatives and others learned through the lawsuits and claims filed in the case that there would be little compensation for the illegal activities at the cemetery. The fact that owners were sentenced to jail and ordered to pay restitution lessen the angst. Now, the final the form of compensation has been arriving in the mail for the last two weeks.

Joanne Lister, a retiree in Norwalk whose baby grandson was buried at Paradise in 1964, received $136. Her daughter, the mother, who lives in Oklahoma, received $219.50. Eugene Taylor, a retired nightclub manager whose mother was buried at Paradise in December 1971, received $379. Taylor said. even know where my mother Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Bruce E.

Mitchell, who handled the case involving more than 7,000 valid claims and about 50 law firms, ordered July 26 that the checks could be sent out from a settlement of a little less than $8 million. The turn of events was particularly galling to some in the African American community because many working-class black families had come to rely on the cemetery. Founded in 1930 on Florence Avenue, Paradise had accepted their business for years at unheard-of rates of about $200. Now, as they receive the checks meant to atone for their pain and suffering, some claimants bitterly say the lawyers involved in the case got the share of the money. think the lawyers are Lister said.

handle the case correctly. I get enough money for what they did, digging the bodies got all that money and all we Taylor said. right for that to happen to a dead person. But Lister and Taylor also know that their compensation could have been worse. folks just got Taylor said.

Many claimants are also upset by cemetery protests of innocence. They told investigators that they believed they had done nothing though it was clear that the whereabouts of many remains were unknown. Some disinterred remains were found in a 7-foot-high, 50-foot- long dirt pile behind a tool shed. Taylor repeatedly said in a recent interview. Some claimants hoped their settlement checks would help them find a new place to bury their loved ones.

Lister put that out of her mind quickly when she received the check. think I used it to buy she said. The unhappiness over the amounts of individual settlements in the Paradise case, which sparked an investigation of similar practices at other cemeteries in Los Angeles, new to attorney Mike Arias. As one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs, he was part of a small army of litigators who handled the cases for their clients. guess not surprised by the Arias said when told of the most recent criticism.

are never going to be completely happy with this case. nothing I can do about settlement I wish I Cemetery and mortuary defendants in the case agreed in 1999 to pay a little less than $8 million to settle legal actions filed against them. attorneys from the law firms involved in the case, including practice, received about a third of the settlement. An additional $2 million was aside for the care and maintenance of the Santa Fe Springs cemetery, which been allowed to inter more corpses since the scandal came to light. It took the lawyers, the defendants and Mitchell several years to sift through about 15,000 claims in the case, whittling down the num- ber of valid claims to 7,000.

Compensation was based on the relationship with the deceased and status of the gravesite. Eventually, it became clear that the payments would be in the hundreds of dollars, not in the thousands. There a defendant with deep pockets to pay the kind of compensation many were hoping for. The wealthiest defendants said they responsible for the abuses. The state was dismissed as a defendant.

insurance company said its coverage did not cover criminal acts at the cemetery. The mortuaries that did business with Paradise said they know about any irregularities there. And the operators said they have any money. In some cases, Arias pointed out, claims were settled for several thousands of dollars for those who suffered the most egregious abuses. He bristled at suggestions that lawyers were paid exorbitantly at the expense of claimants.

worked seven years on this he said. had to split fees with other law firms. Our work, we figured out, came to something less than $75 an hour. And there was an additional 1,000 of that we were not compensated That lessened the pain of people who were shocked to learn of the irregularities discovered at Paradise Memorial Park. think get rich or Lister said.

thought maybe get $600. This is Families Suffer New Grief in Cemetery Scandal Photos by LAWRENCE K. HO Los Angeles Times Eugene Taylor, with headstone, which is next to several other markers. says Taylor, who received a settlement check for $379. even know where my mother Courts: Loved ones of those who were dug up in Santa Fe Springs call settlement inadequate.

A mass burial at Paradise Memorial Park, where bodies were disinterred to resell plots, is marked by a memorial headstone. ith obsession for reality shows, surprised none of the networks have thought of dramatizing the city of monthly newsletter. What a hit it could be, chock-full of colorful items such as this: local beauty salon owner came in to complain that another salon owner was stealing her styles. Apparently she came to the Planning counter after visited the station and was unsuccessful in filing a theft Language! Gordon Shaffer of Yorba Linda noticed that someone applied the brakes too early to a brake banner, with rather disastrous results (see photo). Which reminds me: The news that Chairman Robert Brooks of Hooters restaurants may buy bankrupt Vanguard Airlines Inc.

inspired KNX commentator Dave Ross to should I say the outfits that would be worn by stewardesses on a Hooters-owned airline. The life- vest instructions, he figured, would be closely watched by at least half the passengers. And he wondered whether this would be the first airline to invite meal tips. Parking is such street sorrow: rarely seen such a battle of dueling arrows and signs as the one Phil Proctor spotted (but did not park near) in West Hollywood (see photo). Unauthorized autobiography Sports anchor Bill Weir, who is leaving KABC-TV, told the media Web site www.ronfineman.com that one of the reasons he was disenchanted was an incident involving a tongue-in-cheek bio he wrote for Channel Web site.

The bio said that, in addition to handling sports, Weir also did around the station on It continued: was orphaned at a young age and raised by a family of And Weir wrote that his first career break was a job in Austin, as the birthplace of But Channel 7 expunged that bio and replaced with it with a serious one as exciting as Spam. Food for thought: Raul Roa saw an ad for an odd type of gift at one eatery (see photo). Surprised by the spelling, perhaps. Remembering Chick: The death of broadcaster Chick Hearn has prompted the L.A. Press Club to postpone the All Media Bowl-a- Thon, which Hearn was to emcee.

An award named for Hearn will be presented. Years ago, Hearn presided over a local TV game show called for Like the host of the current show, Hearn sometimes played the role of caustic commentator for humorous effect. A contestant once told Hearn that her goal was to win enough money to go to Las Vegas. But she rolled two gutter balls, whereupon he wisecracked that she going to Yet Hearn delivered the jests in such a way that the contestants laughed along too. miscelLAny: To mark the 25th anniversary of Elvis retreat from view, Wickes Furniture unveiled a line of furniture in his name.

But columnist David Allen of the Inland Valley Bulletin was puzzled that the Elvis Presley Collection is limited to bedroom sets. Elvis he pointed out, have a double-wide refrigerator and oven perfect for making a hunka-hunka burning pot Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st L.A.

90012 and by e-mail at steve.har- TEVE ARVEY ONLY IN L.A. City of Paramount, Call Paramount Pictures With Those Municipal Dramas GORDON SHAFFER Sorry for the offense, ladies, the only accurate part is PHIL PROCTOR see, maybe the smartest thing to do is just keep moving. Bill Weir and the employer leaving differ on funny. RAUL ROA Kids, invited to take the meal but not the spelling lesson. LANCASTER 11-Year-Old Girl Killed in Crash Is Identified An 11-year-old girl who was killed when the car she was riding in crashed into parked vehicles in Lancaster was identified Friday by authorities.

Lisa Marie Stillof Lancaster died in the 3 a.m. Thursday crash on 180th Street East, just south of Avenue Los Angeles County spokesman Dave Campbell said. The driver of the 1999 Mazda, an unlicensed 15-year-old girl who was related to the victim, apparently lost control of the vehicle, California Highway Patrol Lt. Andria Witmer said. The girl was treated and released from Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills onThursday, a hospital spokesman said.

Authorities have not decided whether they will file criminal charges against the driver, pending the outcome of their investigation. Two other 11-year-old girl and an 18-year-old flown to local hospitals, where they remained in critical condition Friday, authorities said. LANCASTER School Charter Extended Despite Money Woes The Antelope Valley Union High School District board has unanimously approved a five-year extension to the charter of aschool that owes $800,000 to the state Department of Education. Desert Sands Charter School, which offers home-based learning for struggling students, will continue to operate under the district, even though state officials have said they will not release further funding to the school until it repays the money it owes. State education officials determined they gave the school money it did not deserve last year after an audit showed the school could not back up its enrollment figures.

Assistant Supt.Jane Maxwell said the school will rely on other public and private funds until it can repay the money. From Times Staff Reports IN BRIEF By GARRETT THEROLF TIMES STAFF WRITER Maria Teresa Quiej Alvarez, one of the formerly conjoined Guatemalan twins, underwent surgery lasting more than three hours Friday after doctors discovered a bacterial infection in the lining of her brain. The surgery was the second for the 1-year-old since she was separated from her sister, Maria de Jesus, in a marathon operation at Mattel Hospital last week. Hours after separation, doctors operated again to relieve pressure on her brain caused by a hema- toma, a pooling of blood under the scalp. Dr.

Irwin Weiss said that blood collected around Maria brain during the initial separation and that much of it remains in the lining. The infection probably was caused by that excess blood, which doctors operated to remove, he said. Nevertheless, Weiss said procedure did not change the serious but stable condition. A ventilator, which had been removed Thursday, probably will be needed for the next few days, Weiss added. Maria de Jesus has been breathing without aid since Tuesday and is alert, being fed through a baby bottle and sometimes laughing, Weiss said.

Her condition also is serious but stable. Parted Twin Has More Surgery From a Times Staff Reporter The Long Beach Police Department will release for the first time findings from investigations into the Jan. 19 officer shooting death of Marcella Byrd, a schizophrenic black woman. Police Chief Jerome Lance will discuss the findings of the internal investigation and those of the Los Angeles County coroner and district attorney. The public can question the chief at a meeting of the Long Beach chapter of the National Assn.

for the Advancement of Colored People at 3:15 p.m. Sunday at Cal Rec Center, 1515 Martin Luther King Long Beach. The killing of Byrd generated a broad-based outcry. Police to Release Report on Killing.