 |
HOME |  |
SCHEDULE | |
PROGRAMS | |
KIDS & FAMILY | |
LOCAL | |
SUPPORT KCET | |
ABOUT US | |
SHOP KCET |  |
| About Us | Contact Us | |
 |
|
 |
          |
|
|
 |
 |
||
|
|
Life & Times Transcript
7/11/07 Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- Homeless women and children are moving from Skid Row to the suburbs, but not without a fight. Marlene Rader>> Just because we have a nice scenery doesn't mean you become emotionally okay or you have kicked a drug habit because you live in a better area. Val Zavala>> And then, there's just one word for it: mortified. Sharing secrets from your teenage diaries. It's all straight on tonight's Life and Times. Announcer>> Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Val Zavala>> We all know that Skid Row is no place for women and children and yet how many of us would be willing to welcome a homeless shelter in our neighborhood? Well, the story of Hope Gardens in Sylmar is one example of a rare victory for the homeless. Sam Louie caught up with a mother and her daughter on moving day. Sam Louie>> Keisha Weatherspoon and her daughter are leaving behind a chapter in their lives that could not end soon enough. For the past nine months, the thirty-one year old single mother has been homeless. It began last September when her grandfather passed away and, without someone to watch her five year old daughter, she had to quit her job as a vocational nurse. Keisha Weatherspoon>> Scared, that was the main thing. Nervous. Where was I going to go? Sam Louie>> Eventually, they ended up at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles's Skid Row, hardly a place for women and children. Yet their numbers have been growing. Some estimate as many as forty percent of the people on Skid Row are women and children. Andy Bales>> Outside our Mission, there's a seventy percent chance that women will be raped within two weeks of being on the streets of Skid Row. Sam Louie>> Andy Bales is the Executive Director of the Union Rescue Mission. The Mission takes in a couple hundred women and children each night. Keisha and her daughter were among them. But today is their last day. They're making the rounds saying goodbye to the staff. Keisha Weatherspoon>> "Thank you for everything." >> "I'm going to miss you, man." Sam Louie>> What she won't miss is living near the squalor of Skid Row. Keisha Weatherspoon>> Violence, drugs. It's very filthy down here and there's no place you can really go. Sam Louie>> Until now. Today is moving day. Keisha Weatherspoon>> I am overjoyed, ecstatic. I barely could sleep last night knowing I was going to leave. Sam Louie>> Keisha and six other families are among the first to climb aboard a van headed to a new home dedicated to women and children. It's thirty miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles and a world away from Skid Row. This is Hope Gardens Family Center. It's a former senior home. The Rescue Mission purchased the property in October of 2005 for seven million dollars. [Film Clip] Sam Louie>> As they arrive, each mother is greeted with a bouquet of flowers. They take a tour of their new home. The kids quickly find the outdoor play area. Andy Bales>> It's seventy-eight acres, garden retreat, big oak trees and redwoods, walking paths, a Koi pond, waterfalls, a lodge-like setting in homes. Sam Louie>> It's a peaceful retreat, but getting it open was anything but peaceful. Few communities welcome homeless shelters and Sylmar was no exception. Brian Gavin>> We all support what they're trying to do. It's just that this is the wrong place to put it. Sam Louie>> Brian Gavin lives in Kagel Canyon, a rural neighborhood in Sylmar made up of outdoor enthusiasts. Many of his neighbors tried to persuade county officials to reject the project when the Mission bought the property two years ago. Brian Gavin>> So this is just going to be a giant seventy-one acre warehouse for the homeless. Sam Louie>> But after a year and a half in limbo, the Los Angeles County Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve the project. It was a rare victory for the homeless. Andy Bales>> For years, it's been a policy of containment and corralling the homeless downtown and that's been a tragic policy. It's created probably the worst human disaster in the United States on Skid Row. Sam Louie>> Hope Gardens can house up to two hundred twenty-five women and children. The women here all agree to participate in a comprehensive program that covers everything from education to job training. The program can last anywhere between twelve months up to three years as long as progress is being made. Andy Bales>> It'll be different for each family, but every six months, we'll check with the families. Are they working toward the goals that they had when they moved in? That will determine how long they stay. Sam Louie>> There is also a strictly enforced eight p.m. curfew and a zero tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol. But behind the discipline is a backdrop of calm, a complete change from the harsh city environment. Andy Bales>> It's a time of rest from the violence that they've experienced in their lives, the trauma; a time for rest to gain some job skills; a time for rest to gain some educational skills. The setting is perfect for that. Sam Louie>> So how do homeowners view Hope Gardens now? Some are still skeptical saying that a new zip code doesn't alter the challenges facing many of these women. Marlene Rader>> Just because you have a nice scenery doesn't mean that you become emotionally okay or you have kicked a drug habit because you live in a better area. Scenery has nothing to do with it. You're just relocating the problem. Sam Louie>> Marlene Rader lives a few miles from the shelter. She's with the local Homeowners Association which was against the project from the start. Marlene Rader>> My concerns have always been the safety of everyone in concern. Not just the residents of all the surrounding communities, but of the people that are going to be living on the facility as well. Keisha Weatherspoon>> You have to give it a chance in order to know how it's actually going to turn out. Sam Louie>> As for Keisha Weatherspoon, she's determined to make it. She also welcomes the rules and the promise of self-sufficiency. Keisha Weatherspoon>> Just being within a program knowing I'll be case-managed by someone and having a six-month goal up until the time for you to actually leave, get two to three years to stay here, trying to find a job as fast as possible. Sam Louie>> But some women will avoid the program altogether. Andy Bales>> Not every woman will choose to come out to Hope Gardens because there is accountability. There is a future in mind. You've got to build your skills. You've got to get job training. Marlene Rader>> We'll see what happens, hopefully nothing drastic. I wish everybody luck as far as in their recovery process. I think we all want people to get healthy emotionally. Sam Louie>> Keisha wants to take classes and upgrade from a vocational to a registered nurse. She also wants to be a good mother. Keisha Weatherspoon>> I feel powerful over my own choices and my life decisions. Andy Bales>> And really, these moms are heroes. I mean, they have survived sharing a room with several other families. They've survived the violence outside of the Mission on Skid Row. So she's a hero to me and now I know she's going to make it. She's going to succeed because she is in the safety of a beautiful place. Sam Louie>> The next couple of years will be a transition time not just for Keisha, her daughter and the others, but for residents of Sylmar who once opposed the shelter. Now that Hope Gardens is open, everyone is hoping it will fulfill its mission. I'm Sam Louie for Life and Times. Announcer>> Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, plus transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org, scroll down the page and click on "Life and Times". Val Zavala>> These hot temperatures are pushing people into hardware stores. They're snapping up air conditioners like they're going out of style. Well, in fact, some of them are. There's a new law that affects air conditioning and consumers will want to listen up. A new law calls for phasing out an old refrigerant and replacing it with R-410A, a more ecological one. The new law takes effect in 2010. Michael Druyanoff is President of an air conditioner distribution company. He's says the change in refrigerants is part of the Clean Air Act. The whole idea is to cut down on gases that deplete the ozone layer. I talked with Druyanoff about what the new law means for consumers. Michael Druyanoff>> As part of the Clean Air Act of 1990, United States Congress implemented the Montreal protocol and set forth regulations to control and eventually ban the production of what's currently called R-22 refrigerant. That's one of -- Val Zavala>> -- we're going to be using that phrase a lot. R-22 is the current refrigerant that's used in, what, most of the air conditioning units right now? Michael Druyanoff>> Probably around eighty percent now of residential equipment. In commercial, they are used as well. The core ingredient in any air conditioning unit is refrigerant, but refrigerants have in it chlorine and the chlorine part of that refrigerant is harmful to the environment. Val Zavala>> I see. Michael Druyanoff>> So in years past, they've come up with some alternate refrigerants. One refrigerant is called R-410A, which is right here. That is chlorine-free and it is ozone-friendly. Val Zavala>> Oh, really? Michael Druyanoff>> So if you're sitting here today and you're trying to decide on what unit to purchase, they are both available right now. You could buy an R-22 unit which is harmful to the environment or you could buy a R-410A unit which is ozone-friendly and environmentally-friendly. Val Zavala>> So people can buy an R-22 unit. That means refrigerant 11, the old stuff, or they can buy this one which is R-410A which is cleaner and which you say -- R-22 is no longer going to exist after a certain amount of time. It's going to be all R-410A eventually, correct? Michael Druyanoff>> Correct. Basically, there's a phase-out plan. In 2010, there'll be sixty-five percent less produced. In 2015, there'll be ninety percent less produced. Val Zavala>> Of R-22. Michael Druyanoff>> Of R-22. Eventually in 2020 and beyond, there'll be nothing. Val Zavala>> So eventually, no R-22 at all? Michael Druyanoff>> Eventually, no R-22. Val Zavala>> Only R-410A. Michael Druyanoff>> Right. And the important thing is that today, if you have a unit in your home, it doesn't mean you need to replace it. But if you're buying one today, you could have let's say a five to ten year warranty on the equipment. But if something goes wrong five to ten years from now and you're trying to fix it and you're trying to replace the refrigerant in the unit and it's an R-22 unit, one, you might have a hard time getting R-22 -- Val Zavala>> -- right, because it will be phased out or is being phased out. Michael Druyanoff>> Right. There will be little supply. Demand will still be there, so the price will be very high. Val Zavala>> So they're phasing out R-22 because it has ozone-depleting chemicals. How much better is this in terms of both the depletion and does it have other advantages as well? Michael Druyanoff>> Well, it's completely ozone-friendly, so it doesn't deplete the ozone at all. Val Zavala>> At all? Michael Druyanoff>> At all, because it does not have chlorine in it at all. Val Zavala>> Okay. Michael Druyanoff>> So it's a very ozone-friendly, environmentally-friendly product. There are other advantages. One other advantage is that these units can be quieter and they use at least five percent less energy. So the electricity that your air conditioner uses during the summer months during the heat, your air conditioner is one of the major draws on your electricity bill. So you will save at least five percent electricity based on just your air conditioning consumption. Val Zavala>> What are the chances of a unit that's two or three years old being compatible with the new refrigerant? Michael Druyanoff>> There's an okay likelihood. I mean, it always comes down to the contractor. I mean, right now in the United States, the estimates are the mix in residential about twenty to thirty percent, closer to twenty percent, are buying R-410A. That rate has increased rapidly this year because there's a contractor awareness of this law. But if you go back a few years ago, R-410A has been out a few years, but the penetration into the market has only been due to the contractor. That's one of these things of why we did this was to educate consumers about questions asked. Right now, the only ones being sold out there are primarily due to a good contractor who's certified on R-410A offering it as a choice. That's why it's very important today. If you are considering buying a new unit, these choices are so close. At times, they're probably the same price. If they are a little bit more, it will probably be offset by your savings on your energy. So really the important decision is to buy something that's not going to be obsolete in a couple of years. Val Zavala>> And in the meantime, what are some other things they can do outside of changing the refrigerant which will come along in time? What other things can people do just to make sure that they're not paying more than they have to for their air conditioning bills? Michael Druyanoff>> There are a few little steps that you can do. First, you should be changing your filter regularly. Filters generally should be changed four times a year. I typically just do it every season, spring, summer, fall, winter. Basically, what happens is if the filter gets dirty or clogged, it's resisting and the system is operating less efficiently and using more energy. Val Zavala>> Those are just the little boxes that you go in a hardware store, those thin squares with the mesh on it? That's all it is? Michael Druyanoff>> Right. Some of them you just wash off. Some of them are a few dollars to replace. There are more expensive filters out there that protect you with air quality. But for the most part, it's a very easy thing to change. If it's not accessible, you can have a contractor come out and do it for you. But it increases the efficiency and people don't realize that small filter that doesn't cost that much, they're spending a lot of money running their system with a dirty filter. Val Zavala>> The other thing you're saying was check the ducts. Make sure there's no leaks, correct? Michael Druyanoff>> Right. The other thing is, you should definitely have a contractor come out, check the performance of the system, maintain the system and check the ductwork. The ductwork is what the air goes through either in the attic or through the walls. A lot of times, people have the most efficient system. They buy the highest efficiency system, but they have ductwork where it's leaking air out. So you could have the highest efficiency system and air is just going into the hot attic. More importantly, the ductwork might not be sealed properly or wrapped properly, so it's not insulated. The cold air is going through it, but it's actually getting warm in the attic and it's not operating efficiently. Val Zavala>> So you're pumping warm air up through the attic and down into your house? Michael Druyanoff>> You're cooling the air, it's getting warm in the attic and then coming in your house, and the cycle keeps going. The last thing you can do is put a programmable thermostat in so that, when you go off to work or when you go to sleep, the temperature changes towards your lifestyle. That way, you're not wasting energy when you don't need it. Val Zavala>> Well, Michael Druyanoff, thank you so much for some great information, and people should watch for R-410A in the future. Thank you. Michael Druyanoff>> Thank you. Val Zavala>> For more information, you can go to the website at greenerhomeair.com. You'll find information on chlorine-free refrigerants and the new law and they'll refer you to contractors familiar with the new law. There's also a toll-free number where you can talk to an expert about your particular situation. Toni Guinyard>> And now for this update of a Life and Times story. You may remember the battle over extending the 710, or Long Beach Freeway. Right now, it dead-ends a half mile short of the 210 in Pasadena. The project has been stalled for decades primarily by opponents in South Pasadena who claim it would destroy their historic neighborhood. Clarice Knapp>> It could be ten years of construction and they would be isolated and uninhabitable. Toni Guinyard>> Caltrans and the MTA came up with a new proposal to take the project underground. They commissioned a study which found that it is feasible to build a tunnel under South Pasadena. Robert Snoble>> If we could complete the gap, it's one of the biggest projects from the standpoint of reducing congestion and reducing air pollution. Toni Guinyard>> After a meeting to review the information, South Pasadena City Council has reaffirmed its opposition to any plans to extend the 710 Freeway on the surface, but Council members did say that they don't oppose further research into the tunnel option. Announcer>> To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us by mail at this address: Life and Times 4401 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90027 You can also call our viewer comment line (323) 953-5555) or contact us the fast way by e-mail at kcet.org. Val Zavala>> Before there was MySpace and before there was the Blogisphere, there were diaries, that place where you put pen to paper and revealed all your adolescent secrets. Well, now those diaries, complete with teenaged angst, is the latest and hippest form of entertainment. Cris Franco explains. Cris Franco>> Tonight in this trendy Los Angeles hotspot, a social taboo will be broken as grown men and women stand up before a room full of strangers and expose their pubescent problems as they read from their childhood diaries. It's called "Mortified". >> "If anyone is reading this, they'd better shut it now because it's none of your business!" >> "I hate Drake. I hate him with every bone in my body. I hate him. He is the worst curse ever." Cris Franco>> This is "Mortified", the bizarre hit cult stage show where we witness a reader's descent into Dante's teenage inferno. >> "I hate Drake and I want him to burn in a really slow way that hurts a lot because he sucks is why." Cris Franco>> Creator-producer, Dave Nadelberg, came up with the idea upon finding an old love letter. Today it's developed into so much more. Dave Nadelberg>> "Mortified" is this comic excavation of teen angst artifacts of letters, lyrics, journals, poems and all this sort of stuff shared with total strangers. You know, they're basically presenting these weird little unintentional biographical portraits. Cris Franco>> It's all one hundred percent true and audiences find these intimate diary diatribes one hundred percent hilarious as they explore the ups -- >> "We did it!" Cris Franco>> Downs -- >> "Dear Family: I am tired of always being pushed around all the time. Wherever I go, I can't find anyone who appreciates me or my work -- I was twelve." Cris Franco>> And all arounds of adolescence. >> "A lot happened today. I made out five times with Jose. He said I kiss like a rich girl." >> "When you play football, you got to get into a state of mind in which there's confidence and no fear. Also something else. I guess that something else is a kind of really intense anger and frustration bordering on a complete loss of self-control." >> "So Jackie's cousins took us to a street where I bought a watch and a hair clip. We had Pizza Hut for lunch. I also saw 'Pocahontas'." >> "Picturing myself giving an interview on Arsenio's couch just always seems to give me hope." >> "After that, we had a seminar. It was an optional mandatory one and I attended a discussion with Juno and Jack about the existence of God. It was okay." >> "You have to go out there believing in yourself, fearing no one and wanting to literally tear the heads of your opponents off. I think this is a healthy attitude." >> "Then Doogie Howser, MD came on and I thought everyone seems like a sidekick, which made me think am I a sidekick or do I have a sidekick? Am I the Doogie or am I the Vinnie?" >> "July 23. I am really feeling homesick and I feel as if I have no friends here. I hate being sick and I hate missing every activity and I hate that I have no friends here. I hate that my roommates hate me and I hate being alone and I hate being afraid of Natalie and I hate that I can't see my parents for a month and I hate that Andrea is being mean to me. And I hate that no one will talk to me and I hate not having anyone to talk to and I hate that I'm always left out of everything and I hate being the only one awake in a room and I hate that we have to choose our own rooms here and I hate that shrimps won't speak to me and I hate everything here and I hate that I hate everything here and I want to go home." Cris Franco>> What do you think is the appeal of "Mortified" and why are people flocking to see it? >> I think everyone relates to the vulnerability of the pieces. Dave Nadelberg>> Everyone knows these moments and, I mean, if you paid a thousand writers, gave them a thousand years and pointed a thousand guns at them, they couldn't come up with this and then you just grab the diaries and, boom, boom, boom, it's perfect. They're not laughing at them. It's more they're cheering for them. They're relating to these people. >> It's sort of this beautiful, endearing weakness that we all had and sort of the rawest moments that are brought forth (laughter). Cris Franco>> Here's to those raw moments. >> "July 19. The bathrooms are gross. The third floor doesn't even have showers, so we use the ones on the second floor which are really gross. We have two gross bathrooms on our floor. We have two gross toilets and two gross sinks. It's really gross." >> "I now understand how those movie stars feel who kill themselves because they're lonely." >> "This letter is in no way an insult. It's merely some helpful hints so that next year the girls will fall all over you." >> "I mean, I would never turn to suicide. I'm going to live no matter how much nobody wants me to." >> "Dad, you never pay attention. When you do, you're never on my side. Usually you only care for Johnnie. Mom, me and you can never talk. The only thing you do is yell at me. You worry about Johnnie too much." >> "Right now, I think that you might repulse some girls. My hints are to make it so the girls will run towards you, not away." >> "Peg, you always watch out for Johnnie. You try too hard for Mom's favoritism towards you. Johnnie, you are always on my case. The rest is obvious." >> "And last but not least, I'm going out with Antonio. We have been together for nine days. I really like him. I'm planning on sleeping with him. Oh, and I tried cocaine. It's the coolest thing on earth. I think I'm addicted. Oh, well." Cris Franco>> So perhaps that's the attraction. It's sort of cathartic to peek into another person's tormented teenage years perhaps seeing in them the same awkward, naïve thirteen year old that we all once were -- and perhaps still are? >> "That I have the best writing style of anyone in history. It's stunning in its simplicity." >> "This is not another game. This is my destiny." >> "I just went right up to her and I said, look, I like you. Will you go out with me?" >> "I plan at future dates to make a human fly up in the air to one hundred feet -- or more." >> "I liked Italy so much. One day I will learn the language and move here. I already know a few words. Ciao." Val Zavala>> Okay, I'll confess. Paul Bracey, I did have a crush on you in fourth grade. And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and Times, thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. Announcer>> Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Sponsored in part by:  | |
|
Home | Features | Arts | Health/Science | OC Edition | L&T Blog | Archives | About Us | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use |