gistfile1.txt

// $person - ArrayData w/ assoc arrays, i.e. $person->FIRSTNAME = 'catcher' 
foreach($people as $person){
  $ll = $person->LASTNAME[0];
  $peopleByLetter[$ll]['People'][] = $person;
}
return $this->Customise('PeopleByLetter' => new ArrayList($peopleByLetter);

-------------

<% loop $PeopleByLetter %>
  <% loop $People %>
    $FIRSTNAME
  <% end_loop %>
<% end_loop %>

$PeopleByLetter = array();

foreach($people as $person) {
$ll = $person->LASTNAME[0];
if(!array_key_exists($ll, $PeopleByLetter)) {
$PeopleByLetter[$ll] = new ArrayData(array(
"People" => new ArrayList()
));
}
$PeopleByLetter[$ll]->People->push($person);
}