3/21/01

LC010321

VAL>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

JESS>> A LOT OF LIVES IN HOLLYWOOD COULD SOON CHANGE BECAUSE OF AN EVENT SOME FEAR IS INEVITABLE.

LEAH SANDERS>> WITH THE OSCARS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY, A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY WONDER IF A WRITER'S STRIKE IS GOING TO PUT THEM OUT OF WORK FOR A LONG TIME.

JEFFREY KATZENBERG>> WE ARE IN A MARRIAGE. WE ARE MARRIED TO WRITERS AND THEY ARE MARRIED TO US. WE WILL MAKE A DEAL.

VAL>> IS FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE HEADED TO CALIFORNIA? WE TALK WITH A MAN WHO TRACKS BIO-INVADERS FOR L.A. COUNTY ON TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS.

JESS>> AND IT WAS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST FLOODS IN LOCAL HISTORY. THREE DAYS OF RAIN SENT THE LOS ANGELES RIVER OVER ITS BANKS. THE FLOOD WATERS KILLED DOZENS OF PEOPLE AND DESTROYED 600 HOMES. WE'LL TALK WITH A PRODUCER OF A DOCUMENTARY ON THE NEW YEAR'S FLOOD OF '34.

VAL>> THESE STORIES COMING UP NEXT ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION
WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMED CALIFORNIA CITIZENRY.

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 THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
UNDERWRITING THE SPANISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATION OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

VAL>> GOOD EVENING, I'M VAL ZAVALA.

JESS>> AND I'M JESS MARLOW. OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT, FEAR AND LOATHING IN HOLLYWOOD. IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE ACADEMY AWARDS, THE NUMBER ONE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION ISN'T WHO WILL WIN AN OSCAR, BUT WHETHER THERE WILL BE STRIKE.

VAL>> THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA REPRESENTS ABOUT 11,000 TELEVISION AND FILM WRITERS. THE LAST TIME THEY WENT ON STRIKE WAS IN THE SPRING OF 1988 WHEN "RAINMAN" WON THE OSCAR AND "30 SOMETHING" WAS THE TOP TV SHOW. THE INDUSTRY HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN AND, AS LEAH SANDERS REPORTS, WRITERS WANT A BIGGER PIECE OF THE ACTION.

LEAH>> THE LAST TIME THE WRITERS GUILD WENT ON STRIKE WAS IN 1988. THE WALKOUT LASTED 22 WEEKS, DELAYING THE START OF THE TELEVISION SEASON AND HITTING THE MOVIE-MAKING INDUSTRY PRETTY HARD. BACK THEN, WRITERS SAY THEY ACCEPTED LESS MONEY FROM STUDIOS WHILE MANAGEMENT ATTRACTED MORE DOLLARS FROM OVERSEAS MARKETS IN HOME VIDEO, DVD'S, RERUNS ON CABLE, FOREIGN TELEVISION AND A THEN FLEDGLING FOX NETWORK. MORE THAN A DECADE LATER, THE WRITERS SAY PAY UP AND GIVE US MORE CREDIT FOR THE WORK WE DO. DAVID KUKOFF IS A FREELANCE FEATURE FILM AND TV PILOT WRITER. HE SAYS WRITERS ARE HOPEFUL AN AGREEMENT WILL BE IN PLACE BY THE MAY 1ST CONTRACT DEADLINE, BUT HE AND HIS PEERS ARE TAKING THE THREAT OF A STRIKE SERIOUSLY.

DAVID KUKOFF>> I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW DEVASTATING THIS IS TO WRITERS. I REMEMBER THE STRIKE 13 YEARS AGO ONLY BECAUSE MY FATHER WAS A WRITER. HE'D WORK FOR A WHILE AND WAS ABLE TO, WELL, MORE OR LESS RIDE IT OUT. BUT THERE WERE PEOPLE HE KNEW AND WAS FRIENDS WITH WHO'D REALLY GO FROM PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK AND FROM GIG TO GIG WHO WERE DESTROYED, ABSOLUTELY PUT OUT OF BUSINESS.

LEAH>> KUKOFF SAYS HE'S BEEN A GUILD MEMBER FOR FIVE YEARS AND HASN'T HAD MUCH TIME TO STORE UP A WAR CHEST. HE SAYS HE'S SAVING WHAT HE CAN FOR HIS WIFE AND TWO KIDS.

DAVID KUKOFF>> WHATEVER HOME RENOVATIONS WE WERE GOING TO DO, YOU PRETTY MUCH PUT OFF. YOU START GOING ON A BUDGET REALLY QUICKLY. YOU HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY PREPARE FOR IT. SOME PEOPLE ARE TAKING OUT HOME EQUITY LOANS OR DIPPING INTO THEIR RETIREMENT FUNDS.

LEAH>> THE WRITERS GUILD HAS ABOUT 11,000 MEMBERS WITH HALF THAT NUMBER WORKING REGULARLY IN TV AND FILM MAKING A MEDIAN SALARY OF $80,000 A YEAR. DREAMWORKS STUDIO FOUNDER, JEFFREY KATZENBERG.

JEFFREY KATZENBERG>> WE ARE IN A MARRIAGE. WE ARE MARRIED TO WRITERS AND THEY ARE MARRIED TO US. WE WILL MAKE A DEAL TOMORROW, IN A MONTH, A MONTH AFTER THEIR CONTRACT EXPIRES, SIX MONTHS AFTER. WE WILL MAKE A DEAL AND WE'LL STAY MARRIED TO EACH OTHER.

LEAH>> KATZENBERG IS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE ALLIANCE OF MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION PRODUCERS, WHICH IS NEGOTIATING FOR THE STUDIOS. ONE OF THE CREATIVE AREAS AT ISSUE INVOLVES JUST THREE WORDS: "A FILM BY". CHECK OUT MOST FILMS AND YOU'LL FIND THE DIRECTOR'S NAME FOLLOWS, BUT SOME WRITERS ARGUE, IN THE ABSENCE OF A DIRECTING ICON, THEIR NAME DESERVES THE CREDIT BECAUSE, WITHOUT THEIR WORDS, THERE WOULD BE NO STORY TO BEGIN WITH. EVEN LESS GROUND HAS BEEN MADE ON THE ISSUE OF MONEY.

JEFFREY KATZENBERG>> WE ALWAYS BELIEVE THE GRASS IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE IN ANY OF THESE THINGS. YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS THINK THE OTHER GUY MAKES MORE MONEY THAN WE DO (LAUGHTER) AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'RE NOT GETTING A FAIR COUNT. YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE TRUE IN ANY BUSINESS. OURS IS A BIT MORE COMPLICATED THAN OTHERS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT STAMPING OUT CARS AND WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE SORT OF THE TYPICAL, YOU KNOW, MINIMUM WAGE EARNERS. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE HIGHLY, HIGHLY TALENTED, INTELLIGENT, INTELLECTUAL ARTISTS AND THEY'RE UNIQUE AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY HIGHLY PAID FOR THE UNIQUE TALENTS THAT THEY HAVE. THEY WANT TO BE MORE HIGHLY PAID.

LEAH>> WRITERS AND STUDIO NEGOTIATORS TRIED TO CLOSE THIS ECONOMIC GAP BY BEGINNING TALKS A MONTH EARLY. THE NEGOTIATIONS ENDED EARLY MARCH WHEN THE WRITERS WALKED OUT. BOTH SIDES WERE FAR APART, THE WRITERS ASKING FOR A RAISE OF NEARLY $100 MILLION DOLLARS OVER THREE YEARS, WHICH INCLUDES THE USE AND RE-USE OF THEIR WORK AND BENEFITS, AND THE STUDIOS OFFERING $30 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS. PARIS QUALLES IS AN AWARD-WINNING WRITER ON THE NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE.

PARIS QUALLES>> FROM 1985 THROUGH VARIOUS NEGOTIATIONS, IT WAS ALWAYS, WELL, GIVE US MORE TIME SO WE CAN GROW THE MARKET. GIVE US MORE TIME, GIVE US MORE TIME. WELL, WE'RE 16 SIXTEEN YEARS LATER. WE'VE GIVEN THEM ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD. THEY'VE MADE TONS OF MONEY. THEY'RE MAKING MORE MONEY IN VIDEOCASSETTES AND DVD'S NOW THAN THEY MAKE IN THEATRICAL RUNS IN THE THEATERS AND THEY'RE TELLING US NOW, WELL, YES, WE'RE MAKING SOME MONEY THERE, BUT NOW WE'RE LOSING SO MUCH MONEY ELSEWHERE THAT WE CAN'T GIVE YOU ANY MORE. THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE.

LEAH>> SO WHAT HAPPENS IF AN AGREEMENT IS NOT MET BY MAY 1ST? THERE IS A LOT RIDING ON THE WRITERS' SHOULDERS IF THEY DO STRIKE. HALF A MILLION PEOPLE WORK DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. BASED ON EMPLOYMENT, IT'S THE FIFTH LARGEST INDUSTRY IN THE AREA. BRAD POMERANCE IS THE ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT FOR KPCC RADIO.

BRAD POMERANCE>> BACK IN 1988 WITH THE WRITERS GUILD STRIKE FIVE MONTHS LONG, THE SOUTHLAND ECONOMY LOST ABOUT $250 MILLION DOLLARS. NOW THAT WAS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME WHEN DEFENSE WAS STARTING TO LEAVE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND IT WAS HOLLYWOOD THAT CAME AND REALLY RESCUED THE REGION'S ECONOMY. WELL, IF THERE'S A WRITERS AND ACTORS STRIKE IN TANDEM, THE PREDICTIONS ARE THE ECONOMY IN THIS REGION WOULD LOSE $2 BILLION DOLLARS A MONTH. THAT'S A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY FLEEING FROM THE REGION.

LEAH>> AND FOR AREAS LIKE BURBANK, GLENDALE, HOLLYWOOD AND STUDIO CITY, WHERE MANY ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY PEOPLE WORK AND LIVE, A STRIKE WOULD HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT WITH PEOPLE SPENDING LESS. SO WITHOUT A SCRIPT, WHAT WILL BE LEFT TO WATCH WHEN YOU PICK UP THE REMOTE OR GO TO THE MOVIE THEATERS? WELL, AS FOR FEATURE FILMS, IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE ABOUT NINE MONTHS BEFORE THERE IS AN EFFECT AT THE BOX OFFICE, BUT AS FOR TELEVISION, THAT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY.

PARIS QUALLES>> YOUR NETWORKS AND YOUR STUDIOS ARE LOOKING AT SORT OF FILLING IN WITH THE REALITY TYPE SHOWS. NOW YOU ASK YOUR AUDIENCE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF THAT TYPE OF DIET ARE THEY WILLING TO PUT UP WITH? SURVIVOR THREE, FOUR AND FIVE, YOU KNOW, AND THE VARIOUS INCARNATIONS OF MILLIONAIRE? I MEAN, THE AUDIENCES ARE SMARTER THAN THAT.

LEAH>> JEFFREY KATZENBERG SAYS THE STUDIOS ARE STOCKED UP FOR NOW. IT'S TV EVERYONE'S EYES ARE ON.

JEFFREY KATZENBERG>> AND I THINK, AS WE SAW IN 1988 AFTER WE HAD A STRIKE, THERE WAS A REAL CHANGE. NOT ONLY IN WHAT HAPPENED SHORT-TERM, A LOT OF RERUNS, A LOT OF NEWS PROGRAMS, BUT IT ACTUALLY CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF TELEVISION. THAT REALLY WAS THE BIRTH OF SORT OF PRIME TIME NEWS PROGRAMS WHICH, YOU KNOW, NOW ARE PROLIFERATED THROUGH THE, YOU KNOW, THE SCHEDULES OF THE NETWORKS. IT'S NEVER GONE BACK TO TRADITIONAL WRITTEN, ACTED TELEVISION.

JESS>> LEAH, THE WRITERS' ISSUE IS JUST A BEGINNING BECAUSE AFTER THE WRITERS COME THE DIRECTORS AND THE ACTORS.

LEAH>> AND THE ACTORS. ACTUALLY, IN LIKE THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, WE HAVE THE ACTORS COMING UP, THEIR CONTRACT, AND THE NEXT SUMMER IN 2002, WE HAVE THE DIRECTORS. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE WRITERS IS REALLY GOING TO SET THE STAGE WITH WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE DIRECTORS AND ACTORS. SO THE STUDIOS ARE REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAREFULLY PLAN OUT HOW MUCH MONEY THEY DO GIVE UP IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS. THAT'S WHY IT'S TAKING A LITTLE BIT LONGER TOO.

VAL>> NOW THE WRITERS SAY THEY WANT, OR WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, $100 MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. HOW DID THEY ARRIVE AT THAT FIGURE?

LEAH>> SEVERAL FORMULAS. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A VERY FLUID BUSINESS WITH THE WRITERS' WORK. THEY SAY THEY KNOW BASICALLY HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK A YEAR. THAT, BASED ON HOW MUCH PEOPLE GET IN RESIDUALS, THE INITIAL COMPENSATION AND THINGS LIKE PENSION AND OTHER BENEFITS, THEY'VE BUMPED IT UP -- I THINK IT COMES TO ABOUT 2.7 PERCENT EACH YEAR. THEY'VE COME UP WITH THIS -- I THINK IT'S $99.7 MILLION, NEARLY $100 MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD.

VAL>> BUT THEY SAY THAT'S A SMALL PART OF THE TONS OF MONEY THAT THE PRODUCERS -- 

LEAH>> -- THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY, EXACTLY.

VAL>> AHA. WAIT AND SEE ON THIS ONE. THANK YOU, LEAH.

OUR TOP STORY TOMORROW NIGHT, SCHOOLS WANT KIDS TO TELL ON THEIR FRIENDS AND TURN THEM IN WHEN IT COMES TO THREATS OF VIOLENCE, BUT HOW MANY KIDS WILL GO ALONG WITH THIS PROGRAM? CAN SQUEALING BE COOL? THAT'S TOMORROW ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT AT 7:00 P.M.

JESS>> IN TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS, WE'VE ALL PROBABLY SEEN OR READ REPORTS RECENTLY ABOUT FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. BUT BEYOND THE PICTURES OF CATTLE BEING SLAUGHTERED AND TOURISTS RINSING THEIR SHOES IN DISINFECTANTS, HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT IT?

VAL>> THE NEWS MEDIA DRAW US IN WITH THE TENSION-GRABBING PICTURES AND HEADLINES, BUT DO STORIES ABOUT INFECTIOUS DISEASES INFORM OR JUST SCARE? FOR EXAMPLE, COULD FOOT AND MOUTH END UP IN CALIFORNIA? JOINING US IS DR. JONATHAN FIELDING. HE IS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OFFICER FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY'S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES. WELCOME TO LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

JESS>> DR. FIELDING, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S NOT TRANSMITTABLE TO PEOPLE, THAT IT STRICTLY INFECTS ANIMALS, BUT YOU INSIST THAT'S NOT TRUE.

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> WELL, THIS IS PRIMARILY AN AGRICULTURAL PROBLEM. LET THERE BE NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. BUT IT ALSO CAN GIVE MILD INFECTION SOMETIMES TO HUMAN BEINGS, BUT THIS IS NOT --

JESS>> -- WE'RE CARRIERS THEN?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY REALLY. I MEAN, IF WE HAD A MILD COLD-LIKE EVENT, THAT'S NOT GOING TO ADD A LOT. BUT THIS IS REALLY AN AGRICULTURAL PROBLEM IN CONTRADISTINCTION TO MAD COW DISEASE, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, A BIG AGRICULTURAL PROBLEM, CAN AFFECT HUMAN BEINGS AND IS VERY SERIOUS WHEN IT DOES, ALTHOUGH THE RISK IS EXTREMELY LOW EVEN IN EUROPE TODAY. AND HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE, WHICH IS A COMMON PEDIATRIC ILLNESS, IF A PEDIATRICIAN TELLS A MOM YOUR CHILD HAS HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT --

VAL>> -- IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> GOOD. NOW WE'LL GET TO THE CALIFORNIA QUESTION IN A MOMENT, BUT FIRST, HOW HAVE YOU SIZED UP THE COVERAGE IN THE MEDIA? ACCURATE, THOROUGH OR SENSATIONAL?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> I THINK IT DEPENDS WHERE YOU LOOK, BUT I THINK IT'S BEEN REASONABLE. I THINK THAT IT'S MAINLY AN AGRICULTURAL PROBLEM. IT'S A VERY SERIOUS ECONOMIC PROBLEM AND IT NEEDS TO BE VIEWED AS THAT. WHAT'S HAPPENED IS, BECAUSE OF THE MAD COW DISEASE, PEOPLE HAVE STARTED TO ASSOCIATE THE TWO AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK THE CONFUSION HAS COME. THEY'RE BOTH IN EUROPE. THEY'RE BOTH BEING TRANSMITTED FROM ENGLAND TO THE CONTINENT. ONE REALLY IS A SERIOUS RISK TO PEOPLE IF THEY -- IT COMES FROM A VERY DIFFERENT SOURCE. IT'S THE BRAIN OR THE SPINE OF THE COW. THE OTHER IS TRANSMITTED IN A LOT OF VARIETY OF WAYS INCLUDING THE AIR, WHICH IS THE FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.

JESS>> BUT WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE AT THE AIRPORT HAVING TO HAVE THEIR SHOES DISINFECTED BECAUSE THEY HAD COME FROM THE AREAS WHERE HOOF AND MOUTH DISEASE WERE. EVEN GOLFERS WHO'D BEEN PLAYING GOLF IN SCOTLAND, SOME HAD TO HAVE THEIR GOLF BAGS AND THEIR CLUBS DISINFECTED. IS THAT REALLY AN EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR DEALING WITH THIS?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> WELL, IT CAN BE. WE KNOW THAT THE VIRUS CAN BE TRACKED ON SHOES AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN STEPPING IN PLACES WHERE WE'VE HAD THESE CLOVEN-FOOTED ANIMALS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN INFECTED. THAT'S CERTAINLY A WAY THAT IT CAN BE TRANSMITTED, SO I THINK IT'S A REASONABLE PRECAUTION.

VAL>> IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL VIEW, WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT IT WILL END UP IN CALIFORNIA? WE LIVE IN THIS GLOBAL VILLAGE, IT'S HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS. IS IT INEVITABLE THAT IT WILL END UP HERE?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> I DON'T THINK IT'S INEVITABLE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RISK IS. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTS ARE BEING VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT COMES INTO THIS COUNTRY AND THEY'RE NOT ALLOWING THE ANIMAL THAT MIGHT HAVE THIS PROBLEM COMING IN NOW.

BUT WE ARE A GLOBAL VILLAGE AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PROBLEMS I WORRY ABOUT A LOT MORE. I MEAN, WE HAVE IN LOS ANGELES, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE TRAVELERS. WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING BACK WITH MALARIA, WITH CHOLERA, WITH AMOEBIC DYSENTERY. WE HAD A RECENT SCARE IN CANADA WHERE THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE EBOLA. YOU'RE 48 HOURS FROM ANYWHERE ON THE GLOBE AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT ARE MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE FROM A HUMAN HEALTH STANDPOINT.

JESS>> THIS IS ANOTHER RISK OF GLOBALIZATION THEN?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> IT IS A RISK OF GLOBALIZATION. LOOK AT THE FOOD SUPPLY, FOR EXAMPLE. IT'S ESTIMATED THAT THERE MAY BE 5,000 DEATHS A YEAR FROM FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS. WE USED TO HAVE AND, OF COURSE, A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAT HAVE PROBLEMS WITH IT, USED TO BE THAT ALL THE FOOD SUPPLY WAS LOCAL. NOW YOU CAN BE GETTING YOUR MELONS FROM CHILE AND YOUR PARSLEY FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE AND YOUR SPROUTS FROM MEXICO AND SOMETHING ELSE FROM NEW ZEALAND, AND THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THESE FOODS ARE GROWN ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

JESS>> AND NO EFFECTIVE WAY OF DISINFECTING SOME OF THOSE?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> WELL, WHAT WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THEY'RE GROWN. THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT. YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE CONDITIONS THERE? THEN IN SOME CASES, THERE ARE THINGS -- FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A BIG APPROACH NOW TO WORRY ABOUT UNPASTEURIZED ORANGE JUICE AND THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING BEFORE, IN FACT, THE JUICE IS SQUEEZED, SO THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO.

VAL>> UP IN SONOMA COUNTY, I BELIEVE IT IS, THEY HAVE CANCELED THE LITTLE FAIRS WHERE THE CHILDREN -- AGRICULTURE DAYS -- WHERE THE CHILDREN COME IN CONTACT WITH GOATS AND SHEEP. IS THAT GOING TOO FAR?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> WELL, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING THERE. I MEAN, WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE THAT THERE'S FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE HERE. THE LAST TIME THAT WAS A PROBLEM WAS A LONG TIME AGO. IT WAS IN LOS ANGELES IN 1929.

VAL>> TELL US ABOUT THAT.

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> WELL, I WASN'T THERE. (LAUGHTER) BUT, OBVIOUSLY, A LOT OF ANIMALS HAD TO BE SLAUGHTERED AND I THINK IT'S JUST REFLECTIVE THAT TODAY IT'S MUCH EASIER TO BRING THINGS INTO THE COUNTRY. BUT LET'S REMEMBER, IN THIS COUNTRY, THE WAY THAT A LOT OF DISEASES GOT HERE WAS TRAVEL. SMALLPOX KILLED MAYBE A QUARTER OR HALF OF THE POPULATION. THAT AND MEASLES AND INFLUENZA AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE BROUGHT FROM EUROPE TO THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION. PLAGUE GOT TO THE WEST COAST ON A BOAT AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.

JESS>> AND EVEN DISEASES WE THOUGHT HAD BEEN ERADICATED OR NEARLY ERADICATED HAVE BEEN RE-INTRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS, HAVE THEY NOT?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> WELL, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IF YOU LOOK, FOR EXAMPLE, AT TUBERCULOSIS. THAT'S A PROBLEM WE WEREN'T SPENDING ENOUGH TIME AND ATTENTION AND MONEY ON IN THE 80'S AND A RESURGENCE IN THE 90'S. OF COURSE, IMMIGRATION BRINGS PROBLEMS. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE TUBERCULOSIS WERE BORN IN OTHER COUNTRIES.

VAL>> NOW HOW DOES IT WORK ITSELF OUT? LIKE IN 1929, HOOF AND MOUTH DISEASE BROKE OUT IN CALIFORNIA. WE DID A LOT OF SLAUGHTERING. THAT TOOK CARE OF IT OR DOES IT JUST SORT OF RUN ITS COURSE OUT OR IS SLAUGHTERING THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IN ITS TRACKS?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> WELL, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE KNOW TO STOP IT IN ITS TRACKS. YOU HAVE TO TALK TO SOMEBODY WHO'S MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE AGRICULTURAL SIDE. BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY THE APPROACH THAT'S GOING TO TRY AND ELIMINATE IT. THERE'S SOME HERDS IN WHICH IT'S ENDEMIC IN SOME PLACES AND THEY MAY MAKE THAT DECISION.

JESS>> ONE QUICK QUESTION. IN RESPONSE TO YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY, ARE YOU GOING TO ADVISE THE COUNTY FAIR NOT TO BRING ANIMALS?

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> NO, I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOTTEN TO THAT POINT.

JESS>> WE WON'T SHUT DOWN THE COUNTY FAIR THEN? (LAUGHTER)

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> THAT WOULD BE SAD.

JESS>> THANK YOU, DR. FIELDING.

VAL>> DR. JONATHAN FIELDING, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING IN. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

DR. JONATHAN FIELDING>> YOU'RE WELCOME.

VAL>> SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU THINK WE'VE DONE ALL WE CAN? DO YOU THINK THAT, NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, IT MIGHT SNEAK THROUGH? WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. HERE ARE THE WAYS YOU CAN REACH US:

LIFEANDTIMES@KCET.ORG
WWW.KCET.ORG.
LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT
4401 SUNSET BLVD.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90027
(323) 953-5555

VAL>> IN TONIGHT'S PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS, WE GO BACK IN TIME MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY TO ONE OF THE LOS ANGELES AREA'S GREATEST NATURAL DISASTERS, THE FLOOD OF 1934. IT'S AN EVENT THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE LOS ANGELES RIVER.

JESS>> IN 1934, THE RAIN BEGAN THE LAST WEEK OF DECEMBER. AT ONE POINT, THE STORM DROPPED EIGHT INCHES OF RAIN IN JUST A FEW HOURS. THE RESULTING FLOOD IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS THE LOS ANGELES RIVER TODAY IS LARGELY CONFINED IN A SERIES OF CONCRETE CHANNELS.

VAL>> JIM GLASER IS ASSISTANT PLANNING DIRECTOR FOR GLENDALE. HE WROTE AND PRODUCED A DOCUMENTARY ON THE FLOOD FOR GLENDALE'S COMMUNITY TELEVISION. IT WAS SO GOOD THAT WE THOUGHT WE'D SHOW YOU A SHORTENED VERSION OF THE DOCUMENTARY CALLED "THE GLENDALE FLOOD".

JIM GLASER>> IN LATE 1933, A MAJOR FIRE STRUCK IN THE FOOTHILLS ABOVE LA CRESCENTA AND, ON DECEMBER 31, 1933, OVER 12 INCHES OF RAIN STRUCK THE FOOTHILLS AND GLENDALE REGION. IN FACT, SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT IN 1934, OVER TWO AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN ONLY A FIVE-MINUTE PERIOD. THIS CAUSED SEVERE FLOODING IN BOTH THE LA CRESCENTA AREA AS WELL AS IN GLENDALE. OVER 39 PEOPLE DIED AND OVER 44 PEOPLE WERE LISTED AS MISSING. TODAY WE'LL EXPLORE THESE HISTORIC BRIDGES AND TALK TO THE SURVIVORS OF THIS VERY, VERY FAMOUS STORM.

BURNELL YARRICK>> IT SEEMED TO ME IT HAD BEEN RAINING ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. ONE OF THE WORST RAIN STORMS WE'D EVER HAD.

>> MUD WAS OVER EVERY CAR. YOU COULDN'T -- JUST THE TOPS. ALTHOUGH YOU COULDN'T SEE VERY MUCH, WE KNEW THE HAVOC BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAVE A DEBRIS DAM UP THERE AT THAT TIME AND THE CHANNEL WAS NARROWER AND REALLY KIND OF TWISTY, SO THE DEBRIS JUST CAME OVER EVERYWHERE. IT WAS VERY NOISY. MY GOODNESS, THOSE BOULDERS. BOULDERS WERE AS BIG AS YOUR CAR AND JUST ROLLING AND THE NOISE. YOU COULDN'T BELIEVE THE NOISE. AND YOU KNOW THE EXTENT TO TAKE OUT THOSE BRIDGES. MY GOSH, YEAH, IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE.

JIM GLASER>> ON THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD, GLENDALE RESIDENT DICK BENTLEY AND A FRIEND HAPPENED ONTO THE INTERSECTION OF PACIFIC AVENUE AND GLEN OAKS BOULEVARD NEAR THE SITE OF THE PACIFIC AVENUE BRIDGE.

DICK BENTLEY>> IT WAS KIND OF HARD TO REALLY TELL WHEN THE BRIDGE WENT. I COULD SEE THE SURGE OF WATER. BIG WALL OF WATER WITH THE BOULDERS ROLLING AROUND IT AND ALL KINDS OF MUD IN IT AND FURNITURE AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN IT FOAMING AND RIMMING AROUND UP IN THE AIR AND FLYING THROUGH THIS STUFF AT THE BRIDGE AREA OR WHERE THE BRIDGE WAS. THERE WAS ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT WOULD COME OUT OF A HOUSEHOLD, LIKE THE REFRIGERATORS AND PIECES OF FURNITURE AND PORTIONS OF WHAT WOULD COME OUT OF A BEDROOM THAT HAD BEEN INUNDATED BY THE FLOOD, SUCH AS CLOTHING AND THAT SORT OF THING.

JIM GLASER>> THAT NEW YEAR'S EVE, THE AMERICAN LEGION HALL IN MONTROSE HAD OPENED ITS DOORS TO REFUGEES FROM THE TORRENTIAL RAIN. APPROXIMATELY 16 PEOPLE WERE IN THE HALL WHEN THE FLOOD STRUCK. LA CRESCENTA RESIDENT, FLORENCE BONETTO, TELLS HOW SHE WAS ALMOST ONE OF THEM.

FLORENCE BONETTO>> THE TIME OF THE FLOOD, MYRTLE ADAMS IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE LEGION HALL BECAUSE SHE WAS COMMUNITY SERVICE CHAIRMAN. I AGAIN CALLED HER AND SAID, "DON'T YOU WANT ME TO COME?" AND MYRTLE ADAMS SAID, "NO, I'LL GET VERA CAAN. SHE IS ALONE."

JIM GLASER>> AROUND 12:09 A.M., A WALL OF MUD AND DEBRIS-LADEN WATER POURED THROUGH THE FRONT AND BACK WALLS OF THE BUILDING, CARRYING AWAY NEARLY EVERYONE AND NEARLY EVERYTHING INSIDE.

FLORENCE BONETTO>> IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THE FLOOD WENT THROUGH THE LEGION HALL, LEAVING THE OUTSIDE STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING THERE.

JIM GLASER>> WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING, ONLY A FEW OF THE LEGION HALL'S OCCUPANTS WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE RAGING WATER.

FLORENCE BONETTO>> THOSE GENTLEMEN WERE ABLE TO JUMP OUT OF THE BUILDING AND THEY JUMPED FROM THE RAILING IN THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING AWAY FROM THE WATER, BUT THE LADIES COULDN'T GET OUT AND THAT'S WHY THEY DROWNED AND WENT DOWN WITH THE FLOOD.

>> WELL, THE NEXT MORNING, I GOT UP AND WENT OUTSIDE AND MY NEIGHBOR SAID, "HAVE YOU BEEN OVER TO SEE ETHEL STREET?" I SAID NO, SO I WALKED OVER TO ETHEL STREET. THE WATER HAD SUBSIDED A LITTLE BIT, BUT LOTS OF THE GARAGES WERE GONE DOWN THE DITCH AND THE BRIDGES WERE GONE AND IT WAS REALLY A HORRIBLE THING TO SEE.

>> CARS WERE JUST DAMAGED, TORN APART, AND HOMES WERE JUST LIFTED OFF OF THEIR FOUNDATIONS, JUST THROWN EVERYWHERE.

>> AND SO MANY OF OUR FRIENDS DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE. WE HAD TO SHARE HOMES WITH OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE DONE. IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE THAT I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER FORGET.

>> THE COMMUNICATIONS WERE -- PRINCIPALLY, YOUR RADIOS WERE THE SAVIOR OF IT BECAUSE THEY HAD SOME DAMAGE IN GETTING THE PAPERS OUT AND ALL. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW OUR PARENTS FELT. THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM AND, OF COURSE, WITHOUT TELEVISION, THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THERE WERE 22 PEOPLE KILLED AND THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.

FLORENCE BONETTO>> WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT OUR TELEPHONE SEEMED TO BE THE ONLY ONE AROUND HERE THAT WAS IN USE, SO WE GOT THE PHONE CALLS. "DO YOU KNOW WHERE MRS. SO-AND-SO IS?" "DO YOU KNOW WHERE SO-AND-SO IS?" IN THE MIDST OF ALL THAT, SOME LADY CALLED AND WANTED TO KNOW IF "DAD KNEW WHERE HER HORSE WAS", AND YES, THEY FOUND IT.

>> REALLY, WHAT CAUSED THE REAL DAMAGE WERE THE FIRES THAT HAD PRECEDED THE WATERING AND THEY HAD JUST DENUDED THE HILLS BACK IN MONTROSE.

>> THE BAD PART OF IT WAS, REALLY, WE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR IT. THERE WAS NO FLOOD CONTROL OF ANY TYPE THAT WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO CARRY THE DEVASTATING WATER.

>> IT JUST WAS SO TINY AND PROBABLY THE WALLS WERE EIGHT FEET. THEY WEREN'T VERY TALL AND SO IT JUST COULDN'T CARRY THE WATER. WHEN THEY REDESIGNED IT, THEY MULTIPLIED THE WIDTH OF IT ALMOST FOUR TIMES.

>> SO THEN WE BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT, I GUESS, WE REALLY DID HAVE A REAL DRAINAGE PROBLEM THROUGH THIS WHOLE AREA AND THEY DIDN'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN. I GUESS IT ISN'T GOING TO EITHER. THE WAY THEY'VE DONE IT, I CAN'T IMAGINE IN MY LIFETIME THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT.

JESS>> JOINING US NOW IS JIM GLASER, THE WRITER AND PRODUCER OF "THE GLENDALE FLOOD". ONE OF THE REMARKABLE THINGS IS THAT IT'S NOT ONLY A GREAT PIECE OF FILM HISTORY, BUT THE ORAL HISTORY THAT YOU'VE GATHERED FROM THOSE WHO WITNESSED IT IS EVEN MORE VALUABLE, DON'T YOU THINK?

JIM GLASER>> YEAH, WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE OUR CITIZENS DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED AT THE TIME RATHER THAN TRY TO DOCUMENT AND USE PAPERS AND NEWSPAPERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE FOUND THE ORAL HISTORY BEING A VERY UNIQUE WAY OF DESCRIBING HISTORY IN GLENDALE.

VAL>> DID YOU HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE FIRSTHAND MEMORIES?

JIM GLASER>> WELL, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT TOUGH, BUT IT WASN'T OVERLY TOUGH. FOR EXAMPLE, WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS A PARTY GOING ON AT THE OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB. SO, IRONICALLY, WHAT WE DID WAS, WE WENT TO THE OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB AND SAID, "WHO'S YOUR OLDEST MEMBER?" (LAUGHTER)

JESS>> IT WORKED?

JIM GLASER>> IT WORKED. HARRY PRYOR, WHO YOU HEARD TODAY.

JESS>> 97 YEARS OLD, YOU SAID, WAS HARRY PRYOR?

JIM GLASER>> 97 YEARS OLD AND STILL REMEMBERS THAT STUFF.

VAL>> NOW THIS FILM WAS MADE WITH WHAT BASIC PURPOSE IN MIND?

JIM GLASER>> THE WHOLE CONCEPT IS TO PROMOTE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THE AWARENESS AND THE APPRECIATION OF OUR HISTORY. WE THINK THAT, FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM ON SOME OF THIS, IS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR HERITAGE. IT HELPS CREATE CHARACTER TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND A SENSE OF PLACE.

VAL>> NOW THAT COULD NEVER HAPPEN TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL THE FLOOD CHANNELS AND --

JIM GLASER>> THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S WHAT IS SO HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO GLENDALE BECAUSE THE FIRE AND THE FLOOD WAS LOCALIZED, BUT THIS WAS THE IMPETUS THAT LED TO THE ENTIRE FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM.

JESS>> JIM GLASER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE OF THAT.

JIM GLASER>> THANK YOU.

VAL>> WELL, I OUGHT TO KNOW BECAUSE I LIVE IN GLENDALE.

THAT'S IT FOR OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT. FOR ALL OF US HERE AT LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT, SEE YOU TOMORROW.

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