The Unmentioned
on June 29, 2002:

Ben Moss, third from right, is an everyman resident of Oxnard until it comes to the city's history and the preservation of its older structures. Then Ben becomes a lion!

Ben spearheaded the effort to get a section of downtown Oxnard designated a national historical district. After succeeding in this, he wrote: "We take great pride in the establishment of the Henry T. Oxnard National Register Historic District; it is the only National Register residential historic district in the Tri-Counties: Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. The Historic District is made up of two, nearly undisturbed, turn-of-the-century streets, "F" & "G," with over 140 homes – a large number are craftsman bungalows and revival homes. We are part of a larger neighborhood of about 450 historic structures. Our City like other cities across America is rediscovering its past."

Then Ben charged into City Hall decrying the decay of the Pagoda and calling for its restoration. Not content simply to cry wolf, Ben formed the Oxnard Historical Trust and organized a collection drive to help raise funds for the restoration.

He was a featured player during the May 20, 2000, community commemorative photograph of the Pagoda. This time around, however, even though he was present and sat in a reserved seat, his name was never raised.