BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

-- Greg Risling

A granite plaque honoring the memory of two children killed last May will

be dedicated at an East Side day-care center at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will be a tribute to

the lives of 4-year-old Sierra Soto and 3-year-old Brandon Wiener. The

two youngsters were killed last May at the Southcoast Early Childhood

Learning Center when a 39-year-old Santa Ana man drove his car into the

playground. Four other children and a teacher’s aide were injured.

Hundreds of people may attend the event, given the tremendous outpouring

of support by the community after the tragedy. Flowers, cards and toys

were left by numerous visitors who came by the day-care center in the

weeks following the incident.

The plaque will be placed on a concrete wall that surrounds the school.

The wall was built to replace a chain-link fence that did little to stop

the oncoming car.

The plaque bears the slain children’s favorite items -- for Sierra, a

shooting star; and Brandon, a teddy bear. Both mothers will attend the

ceremony, along with many of the teachers and children’s families.

Representatives from the Costa Mesa Police and Fire departments will also

be on hand, as will grief counselors from the Trauma Intervention

Program.

For additional information, call the day-care center at (949) 646-4334.