4/16/01

LC010416

VAL>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

JESS>> A QUIET LITTLE COMMUNITY IS BEING TAKEN OVER BY GIANT WAREHOUSES AND BIG NOISY SOOT-BELCHING TRUCKS.

LEAH SANDERS>> ONCE A CLEAN PEACEFUL RURAL ENVIRONMENT FOR FARMERS AND FAMILIES, THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY COMMUNITY OF MIRA LOMA IS FAST BECOMING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S WAREHOUSE MECCA.

PAT DELGADO>> A FEW YEARS AGO, I THOUGHT I WAS NUTS AND NOW I'M REALIZING THAT THE SMOG IS THAT MUCH WORSE. THAT YOU JUST CAN'T RINSE YOUR PORCH OFF JUST ONCE A WEEK. IT JUST GETS BLACK.

VAL>> SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE, KEVIN ROSS, IS WITH US TO TALK ABOUT THE COMPLICATED BUSINESS OF CHILD ADOPTION, IN TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS.

JESS>> AND AN ARTIST WHOSE WORK OFFERS A LOOK AT A PAINFUL TIME IN AMERICA. THEY ARE A FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT FROM INSIDE A JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMP. WE LOOK AT THE ART AND LIFE OF PAINTER, HENRY SUGIMOTO.

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 TAKES US TO RIVERSIDE COUNTY. PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN UNINCORPORATED MIRA LOMA ARE LOCKED IN A BATTLE BETWEEN THEIR COMMUNITY'S PAST AND ITS FUTURE.

VAL>> THE BATTLE CENTERS ON A PROLIFERATION OF WAREHOUSES IN THE MOSTLY RURAL COMMUNITY. WAREHOUSES BRING MORE TRUCKS AND TRUCKS BRING SMOG. AS LEAH SANDERS REPORTS, WHAT'S AT STAKE IS MORE THAN JUST QUALITY OF LIFE.

LEAH>> MIRA LOMA SITS RIGHT OFF THE 60 FREEWAY, JUST MILES FROM THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE. THE TINY UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY HAS BEEN HOME TO CALIFORNIA'S DAIRY INDUSTRY FOR DECADES. FARMERS MOVED TO THE ISOLATED ENVIRONMENTAL-FRIENDLY AREA WHEN LOS ANGELES BECAME TOO CROWDED. YEARS LATER, RESIDENTS SEEKING A MORE PEACEFUL PLACE TO RAISE THEIR FAMILIES MOVED INTO NEWLY-BUILT HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THIS TO ENJOY A MORE CLEAN AND QUIET LIFESTYLE. THE DELGADO FAMILY MOVED INTO THIS TRACT CALLED SKY COUNTRY 22 YEARS AGO.

PAT DELGADO>> IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL. IN FACT, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE MOVED OUT HERE IS BECAUSE IT WAS SO CLEAR. IT WAS ALWAYS PLEASANT. IT WASN'T ANY HOTTER THAN WE LIVED ANYWHERE ELSE, SO WE LIKED IT. OPEN AND RURAL AND WE COULD HAVE ANIMALS AND THERE WAS SPACE BETWEEN YOUR NEIGHBORS.

LEAH>> BUT NOW THE LAND IS ATTRACTING A NEW ELEMENT, DEVELOPERS WHO ARE BUYING THIS PRIME REAL ESTATE FOR WAREHOUSES AND TURNING RURAL MIRA LOMA INTO A REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER. PAT DELGADO SAYS IT WAS ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO THAT EVERYTHING WENT FROM CLEAN AND CLEAR TO JUST PLAIN FILTHY.

PAT DELGADO>> I WOULD SAY THAT THE DUST IN THE HOUSE IS ABOUT TWICE WHAT IT WAS BEFORE. WE HAD SINGLE-PANE WINDOWS AND WE'VE SWITCHED THEM OVER TO DOUBLE-PANE WINDOWS TO HELP KEEP THE DIRT OUT BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM TO HAVE INCREASED. A FEW YEARS AGO, I THOUGHT I WAS NUTS AND NOW I'M REALIZING THAT THE SMOG IS THAT MUCH WORSE, THAT YOU JUST CAN'T RINSE YOUR PORCH OFF JUST ONCE A WEEK. IT JUST GETS BLACK.

PENNY NEWMAN>> BUT THEY NEVER THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD BE PROPOSED WAREHOUSES DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THEIR HOMES, SO THAT YOU HAVE RESIDENTIAL HALF-ACRE WITH HORSES AND ACROSS THE STREET ARE THESE, YOU KNOW, FIVE MILLION SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSES WITH ALL OF THE DIESEL TRUCKS THAT IT BRINGS IN.

LEAH>> PENNY NEWMAN IS DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ACTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. HER GROUP IS HELPING RESIDENTS FIGHT DEVELOPERS' PLANS TO BUILD MORE WAREHOUSES JUST YARDS FROM THE SKY COUNTRY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL. SHE SAYS THE GRIT AND GRIME HAS HAD A TERRIBLE EFFECT ON THE HEALTH OF LOCAL CHILDREN. MOST HAVE DEVELOPED ASTHMA OR OTHER BREATHING PROBLEMS SINCE THE WAREHOUSES WERE BUILT. PAT'S DAUGHTER, LIZ, WAS PART OF A TEN-YEAR USC STUDY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHILDREN AND AIR QUALITY.

LIZ DELGADO>> ME AND MY SISTER STARTED HAVING, AT THE SAME TIME, ACTUALLY LIKE REALLY STRONG PROBLEMS BREATHING. LIKE I GET ATTACKS. LIKE IT WOULD FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY SITTING ON YOUR CHEST. YOU TRY TO BREATH IN OR YOU TRY TO BREATH SLOW, THEN IT WOULD JUST HURT.

LEAH>> THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY PROVED EVERYONE'S FEARS THAT A CANCER-CAUSING ASTHMA-INDUCING TOXIC SOUP CALLED PARTICULATE POLLUTION WAS SWIRLING AROUND THEIR COMMUNITY IN HUGE AMOUNTS, A MIX OF SMOKE, SOOT, DUST, TIRE RUBBER AND OTHER CHEMICALS, AND THAT THE LUNG CAPACITY OF MIRA LOMA'S KIDS WAS FAR LESS THAN THAT OF CHILDREN IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES. A SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT STUDY FOLLOWED AND FOUND THAT DIESEL EMISSIONS WERE A MAJOR PART OF THE POLLUTION.

RESIDENTS SAY IT WOULD BE THEIR WORST FEARS COME TRUE IF WAREHOUSES ARE BUILT ON THIS PROPERTY BECAUSE THAT MEANS THE ALREADY HUGE NUMBER OF DIESEL TRUCKS THAT COME THROUGH THE AREA WILL INCREASE, PUTTING OUT EVEN MORE TOXIC EMISSIONS THAT PEOPLE LIVING HERE WILL BE FORCED TO BREATH. DEVELOPERS ARE WILLING TO PAY OVER $100,000 PER ACRE TO DAIRY FARMERS FOR THEIR PROPERTY. THE OFFERS COME AT A TIME WHEN MANY DAIRY FARMERS ARE LOOKING TO MOVE THEIR OPERATIONS TO MORE BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL-FRIENDLY AREAS.

PAT DELGADO>> YES, WE UNDERSTAND THE DAIRIES HAVE A RIGHT TO SELL THEIR LAND, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO LEAVE BEHIND EVEN MORE POLLUTION AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS DESIGNATION FOR INDUSTRIAL PARK.

LEAH>> RICK VANDERHAM'S FAMILY HAS BEEN IN THE DAIRY BUSINESS FOR 65 YEARS. HIS FATHER MOVED THE FARM TO MIRA LOMA 25 YEARS AGO. VANDERHAM WANTS TO MOVE TO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA WHERE HE CAN UPGRADE HIS OPERATION AND GET AWAY FROM URBAN DEVELOPMENT. HE SAYS DAIRY FARMERS ARE CAUGHT IN THEM MIDDLE. FIRST THEY'RE TOLD THAT NITRATES FROM ANIMAL WASTE CONTRIBUTE TO THE POLLUTION, BUT WHEN THEY TRY TO MOVE, RESIDENTS WANT TO TELL THEM WHO TO SELL THEIR LAND TO.

RICK VANDERHAM>> IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW LONG THE DAIRY'S BEEN THERE BEFORE, BUT I THINK THE DAIRYMEN, BEING LANDOWNERS, WE'RE BIG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR THEM TO GO TELL THAT LANDOWNER THAT, NO, HE CAN'T SELL HIS PROPERTY FOR HOUSES.

LEAH>> VANDERHAM SAYS THE AIR QUALITY PROBLEM NEEDS PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS LIKE REROUTING TRAFFIC OR GETTING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY TO USE CLEANER-BURNING FUEL, NOT TELLING FARMERS WHO TO SELL THEIR LAND TO.

RICK VANDERHAM>> IT NOT ONLY MAKES IT A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP FOR US TO CONTINUE OUR DAIRY AND OUR FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS, BUT BY MOVING MY DAIRY, I CAN CUT DOWN ON THE AMOUNT OF DIESEL I NEED TO USE TO GET A GALLON OF MILK TO THE MARKET.

LEAH>> COUNTY SUPERVISOR, JOHN TAVAGLIONE, SAYS MIRA LOMA'S GENERAL PLAN WAS DRAWN UP IN 1987 AND THAT HIS PREDECESSORS DETERMINED THE AREA WOULD LIKELY GO INDUSTRIAL, BUT NO ONE IMAGINED IT WOULD RISE TO THE LEVEL OF MEGA-WAREHOUSES.

JOHN TAVAGLIONE>> IN THE LATE 80'S, 200, 300, 500,000 SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSES WERE BEING BUILT JUST ACROSS THE FREEWAY IN ONTARIO AND, AS TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED AND AS COMPUTERIZATION HAS CHANGED WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY AND WAREHOUSES, THOSE WAREHOUSES HAVE EXPANDED NOW TO A MILLION SQUARE FEET.

LEAH>> THE COUNTY HAS APPROVED ONE WAREHOUSE, BUT NEARLY HALF A DOZEN OTHERS ARE PENDING. DAIRY OWNERS MUST WAIT FOR THE DECISIONS BEFORE THEY CAN SELL THEIR LAND. IN THE MEANTIME, RESIDENTS LIKE PAT DELGADO FEAR NEW FACILITIES WILL COMPOUND AN EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM.

PAT DELGADO>> I KNOW THAT ALL THE WAREHOUSES AND WHATNOT IN THE AREA AREN'T ALL THE PROBLEM. WE'RE GETTING L.A. AIR, WE'RE GETTING ORANGE COUNTY AIR AND IT'S BLOWING IN AND IT'S HITTING THE MOUNTAINS AND IT BOUNCES BACK. BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP THEM AND BRINGING IT THIS CLOSE WHEN IT'S ALREADY THIS BAD, I MEAN, THAT'S NUTS. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ANYBODY WOULD WANT TO HARM A CHILD.

JESS>> IT'S NOT THE WAREHOUSES, BUT THE TRUCKS THAT ARE THE CULPRITS. BUT HOW MANY TRUCKS ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

LEAH>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING. IF THESE NEW WAREHOUSES GO UP, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT NUMBERS. THE DEVELOPERS ARE SAYING UP TO 200 EXTRA TRUCKS A DAY. THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE SAYING, NO, IT'S GOING TO BE MORE LIKE 32,000.

JESS>> A DAY?

LEAH>> YES, AND IN TALKING TO THE COUNTY, THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY GOING TO DEPEND ON HOW MANY TRUCKS ARE DOCKED IN BAYS AT A GIVEN TIME. YOU KNOW, IS IT GOING TO BE 24 HOURS A DAY EVERY SINGLE BAY IS FILLED? WILL IT JUST BE SO MANY BAYS EVERY DAY? SO IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO GAUGE THAT RIGHT NOW.

VAL>> I SUSPECT THE TRUTH IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN 200 AND 32,000, BUT THERE MUST BE SOME PROS TO THE WAREHOUSES. OTHERWISE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND BUILT. 

LEAH>> WELL, I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, FOR THE COUNTY, THAT'S GOING TO BE TAX DOLLARS. THAT'S GOING TO BE MONEY AND, OBVIOUSLY, FOR THE FARMERS, I MEAN, THAT'S A CASH COW FOR THEM. THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE ALL KINDS OF MONEY IF THEY'RE ABLE TO SELL THEIR --

VAL>> -- JOBS?

LEAH>> EXACTLY. JOBS TOO.

JESS>> AND $100,000 AN ACRE IS PRETTY TEMPTING.

LEAH>> OH, YES.

JESS>> IN ALL FAIRNESS TO DAIRY FARMERS WHOM WE RESPECT AND NEED, THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE AIR IN MIRA LOMA THAT ISN'T JUST SOOT. (LAUGHTER)

LEAH>> (LAUGHTER) YES, EXACTLY. I GUESS THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS WERE SAYING, IF IT DOESN'T SMELL TOO GOOD, IT PROBABLY ISN'T TOO GOOD FOR YOU TO BE BREATHING IT OUT THERE. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> THAT'S TRUE. ON THE OTHER HAND, COW MANURE DOESN'T CAUSE ASTHMA, AND THAT IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM.

LEAH>> YES, AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THE NITRATES, THEY'RE SAYING, FROM THE WASTE. ALL OF THIS IS MIXING TOGETHER AND IT'S CREATING THIS PROBLEM. IT'S NOT THE COWS AND THEIR WASTE ALONE, BUT YOU MIX THAT WITH THE DIESEL EMISSIONS, THE TIRE RUBBER, THE DUST, IT'S JUST A TOXIC SOUP THAT'S TERRIBLE FOR EVERYONE.

JESS>> WHAT'S YOUR GUESS? ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MOST RECENT ONE RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE HOUSES?

LEAH>> YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE GOING THROUGH AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT. THEY'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH THE PERMIT PROCESS. THE OTHER WAREHOUSES THAT WENT UP, THEY WERE ABLE TO FAST-TRACK THOSE AND RIGHT NOW THE RESIDENTS SAID, WAIT A SECOND, LET'S GO THROUGH THE EIR, LET'S GO THROUGH THE PERMIT PROCESS, SO IT'S KIND OF A TOSSUP RIGHT NOW.

VAL>> NOT FAST-TRACKING THIS ONE.

LEAH>> NO.

VAL>> LEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

TOMORROW NIGHT, WE'LL TALK WITH THE AMERICAN INDIAN ACTOR WHO HAS APPEARED IN MAJOR MOTION PICTURES LIKE "DANCES WITH WOLVES" AND HEAR HOW HE PLANS TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT NATIVE-AMERICANS AND HOLLYWOOD. THAT'S TUESDAY AT 7:00 P.M. RIGHT HERE ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

JESS>> IN TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS, INTERNET ADOPTION OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR EAGER COUPLES LOOKING TO ADOPT A CHILD, BUT THE LACK OF OVERSIGHT AND REGULATION CAN LEAD TO AN UNHAPPY ENDING.

VAL>> ONE WELL-KNOWN EXAMPLE IS THE INTERNATIONAL BATTLE OVER A SET OF TWINS. THEY WERE ADOPTED FIRST, AS YOU MAY RECALL, BY A RIVERSIDE COUPLE, THEN BY A COUPLE FROM WALES AND NOW EVEN THE BIOLOGICAL PARENTS SAY THEY WANT THEM BACK. SO THERE ARE PITFALLS THAT PROSPECTIVE PARENTS SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR WHEN CONSIDERING INTERNET ADOPTIONS AND JOINING US TO EXPLAIN IS SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE, KEVIN ROSS.

KEVIN ROSS>> HELLO, THERE.

JESS>> JUDGE ROSS, SURELY NO ADOPTION STORY EVER HAD AS MANY TWISTS AND TURNS AS THIS ONE.

KEVIN ROSS>> SO MUCH DRAMA WITH THIS CASE. I MEAN, IT'S ALREADY BEING DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF A MOVIE AND THAT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE PROBLEMS THAT THE BRITISH COUPLE FACES, THAT THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS THAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE IN TALKS ABOUT MAKING THIS INTO A MOVIE.

JESS>> CAN YOU QUICKLY RUN US THROUGH IT?

KEVIN ROSS>> BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS, YOU HAVE A COUPLE IN MISSOURI. THEY ALREADY HAD THREE CHILDREN AND THEY FOUND OUT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TWINS. WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING, THEY DECIDED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SEPARATE. THE DECISION IS MADE TO ALLOW THEM TO BE ADOPTED ON THE INTERNET. A CALIFORNIA COUPLE SAYS GREAT, WE WILL ADOPT THEM, THEY PAY $6,000. UNBEKNOWNST TO THE CALIFORNIA COUPLE, THERE'S ALSO A COUPLE FROM WALES THAT ALSO SAYS WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THOSE TWINS AND WE'LL PAY YOU $12,000. THE ALLEGATION IS THAT THE MOTHER, THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER, ALLOWED THE COUPLE FROM WALES TO THEN TAKE THOSE CHILDREN. BECAUSE, IN CALIFORNIA, YOU CAN ACTUALLY RESCIND OR REVOKE AUTHORIZATION TO ADOPT WITHIN 90 DAYS AND SHE WAS IN THAT PERIOD WITH THE CALIFORNIA COUPLE.

VAL>> SO EVEN THOUGH THE TWINS WERE RESIDING WITH THE RIVERSIDE COUPLE FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS, IT WASN'T LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE IT FINAL, SO THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER COULD CHANGE HER MIND AND LET ANOTHER COUPLE ADOPT?

KEVIN ROSS>> RIGHT, AND WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS, YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE STATES AND, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE THE U.K. INVOLVED BECAUSE THEY'RE IN CALIFORNIA, THEY USED A CALIFORNIA INTERNET ADOPTION AGENCY. INTERESTINGLY, IT WAS ENTITLED "CARING HEART ADOPTION AGENCY". THE WOMAN WHO WAS RUNNING THAT INTERNET AGENCY DISAPPEARED. THE MONIES WERE RECEIVED FROM BOTH FAMILIES, THEN WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS, THE COUPLE FROM GREAT BRITAIN GOES BACK TO MISSOURI WHICH IS WHERE THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER IS FROM AND WHERE THE TWINS WERE BORN --

JESS>> -- WITH THEIR $12,000?

KEVIN ROSS>> WITH THE $12,000. THEY GO GET THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE, THEN THEY TRAVEL BY CAR TO ARKANSAS. AND THE REASON WHY THEY DO THAT IS BECAUSE ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND ARKANSAS'S ADOPTION LAWS ARE MUCH LESS STRINGENT THAN MISSOURI.

VAL>> SO THE BIOLOGICAL PARENTS, THE TWINS AND THE COUPLE FROM WALES ALL GO TO ARKANSAS?

KEVIN ROSS>> GO TO ARKANSAS, AND THERE IS A RULE THAT SAYS YOU HAVE TO WAIT TEN DAYS BEFORE IT CAN BE FINALIZED. WELL, ALL THE PARTIES WERE THERE, INCLUDING THE BIOLOGICAL FATHER. SO THEY WAIVED THAT, EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS FROM ARKANSAS, THERE WAS NO CONNECTION. BUT AGAIN, THE FEELING WAS, LET'S TRY TO DO THIS QUICK BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S THIS CALIFORNIA COUPLE WHO'S HOT ON OUR TRAIL. THE ARKANSAS JUDGE GRANTS THAT, SO THEY HAVE ILLEGALLY ADOPTED THESE TWO LITTLE GIRLS CALLED BELINDA AND KIMBERLEY. THEN THE BRITISH COUPLE TAKES THEM BACK TO THE U.K. AND, OF COURSE, THE CALIFORNIA COUPLE'S LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, WE'RE GOING TO FILE SUIT, AND THAT'S HOW THIS WHOLE THING UNFOLDED.

VAL>> AND IT GETS VERY, VERY COMPLICATED. BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR PEOPLE HERE IN CALIFORNIA LOOKING TO ADOPT? SHOULD PEOPLE JUST STAY AWAY FROM THE INTERNET?

KEVIN ROSS>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, ADOPTION IS A WONDERFUL THING AND I CAN'T STRESS THAT ENOUGH. OFTENTIMES, PEOPLE JUST FOCUS ON LITTLE CHILDREN. EVEN AS WE SPEAK, THERE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE WAITING TO BE ADOPTED AND CALIFORNIANS SEEM TO REALLY EMBRACE THE CONCEPT OF ADOPTION. WHERE YOU START GETTING INTO SOME PROBLEMS IS FROM BEING ON THE INTERNET BECAUSE, ON THE INTERNET, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE ACTUAL CONTACT WITH THE PARTIES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE OVERSEAS.

JESS>> SO THERE ARE FEW REGULATIONS TO REGULATE THIS. INDEED, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THOSE TWINS WERE BEING SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.

KEVIN ROSS>> WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE ARGUMENT WAS, THAT THIS IS A COMMERCIALIZATION OF ADOPTION AND LEGALIZED BABY-SELLING. WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE U.K. AND BRITAIN AND THOSE OTHER COUNTRIES IS THAT THEY'RE VERY STRINGENT. THEY DON'T ALLOW INDIVIDUALS TO PRIVATELY GO THROUGH AGENCIES TO ADOPT. IT'S ALL THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT AND SO THE QUESTION IS, IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? THIS WOULD BE A PERFECT EXAMPLE. BUT YOU HAVE MORE AND MORE BRITISH COUPLES GOING, WELL, LET ME GO INTO THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE BRITISH LAW ALSO SAYS WE WILL HONOR THE ADOPTION THAT YOU ENGAGED IN IN THE UNITED STATES IF IT IS IN FACT DEEMED LEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES.

JESS>> BRING US UP TO DATE. WHERE ARE THE BABIES NOW?

KEVIN ROSS>> THE BABIES RIGHT NOW ARE ACTUALLY STILL -- THEY'RE PROBABLY EN ROUTE TO MISSOURI. THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE BORN, THAT'S WHERE THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER AND FATHER ARE. NOW KEEP IN MIND --

JESS>> -- TAKEN AWAY FROM THE BRITISH COUPLE?

KEVIN ROSS>> TAKEN AWAY FROM THE BRITISH COUPLE. WELL, ACTUALLY, THEY HAD BEEN AWAY FROM THE BRITISH COUPLE FOR SOME TIME. THEY WERE ACTUALLY IN A FOSTER HOME IN GREAT BRITAIN.

JESS>> RIGHT.

KEVIN ROSS>> SO THESE TWO LITTLE GIRLS, WHO WILL BE A YEAR OLD IN JUNE, STARTED WITH THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER AND FATHER, THEN THEY WENT WITH THE CALIFORNIA COUPLE, THEN THEY WENT WITH THE BRITISH COUPLE, THEN THEY WENT TO A FOSTER HOME IN GREAT BRITAIN, AND NOW THEY'RE IN A FOSTER HOME IN MISSOURI. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE EFFECT THAT THAT'S HAVING ON THOSE LITTLE KIDS?

VAL>> AND IT'S A MISSOURI COURT AND A MISSOURI JUDGE WHO WILL DECIDE THE FATE OF THESE YOUNG CHILDREN?

KEVIN ROSS>> RIGHT. AND MORE THAN LIKELY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER AND FATHER IN MISSOURI AND THEY HAVE SIBLINGS, BECAUSE THIS BIOLOGICAL COUPLE HAD AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD, A NINE-YEAR-OLD AND A THREE-YEAR-OLD. THAT JUDGE WILL BE VERY HARD-PRESSED NOT TO REUNITE THOSE TWINS WITH THEIR SIBLINGS BECAUSE --

VAL>> -- AND THE PARENTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GETTING DIVORCED, THE BIOLOGICAL PARENTS, WANT THE TWINS BACK?

KEVIN ROSS>> RIGHT, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THERE. THE MOTHER'S ON PROBATION BECAUSE SHE PLED GUILTY TO A MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE AND THERE'S ALLEGATIONS THAT THERE WAS WELFARE FRAUD AND THAT SHE WAS STILL GETTING MONIES FOR THE TWINS EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE WITH THE BRITISH COUPLE, SO THERE'S ALL THESE LAYERS TO THE STORY AND IT, UNFORTUNATELY --

JESS>> -- WELL, THERE'S ANOTHER UNSAVORY ELEMENT TOO IN THE CALIFORNIA COUPLE?

KEVIN ROSS>> YES, AND THAT'S THE POINT I WAS GETTING READY TO MAKE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE FOCUS HAS BEEN LOST ON THESE TWO CHILDREN BECAUSE THE CALIFORNIA COUPLE HAD A TWO-YEAR-OLD THAT THEY WERE ALSO TRYING TO ADOPT AND THEY WERE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY INITIATED THE BRITISH SUIT BECAUSE THEY ASKED THE BRITISH COURT TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND TAKE THOSE KIDS AWAY FROM THE BRITISH COUPLE BECAUSE THEY WANTED THEM. WELL, THEN IT UNFOLDED THAT THE CALIFORNIA COUPLE, THE FATHER, RICHARD ALLEN, WAS CHARGED WITH MOLESTATION OF THE BABYSITTERS. ALTHOUGH HE'S PLED NOT GUILTY AND THAT'S STILL ACCUSATIONS, BECAUSE THEY WERE TRYING TO ADOPT THE TWO-YEAR-OLD THAT THEY HAD, THAT TWO-YEAR-OLD WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THAT FAMILY AND IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO STILL TRY TO PURSUE THE TWINS.

VAL>> THIS IS GOING TO BE A MOVIE. OKAY, IN THE LAST THREE SECONDS, WHAT'S THE BEST ADVICE TO AVOID THESE ADOPTION NIGHTMARES?

KEVIN ROSS>> I WOULD SAY, IF YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO ADOPT, AND I CAN'T STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF IT, JUST MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE LAWS OF THE STATE THAT YOU'RE IN. IF YOU'RE IN CALIFORNIA AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT ADOPTING WITH A MISSOURI COUPLE, LEARN THOSE LAWS. I MEAN, THERE'S A WEB SITE CALLED CHILDOFMYDREAMS.COM --

VAL>> CHILD -- SAY IT AGAIN?

KEVIN ROSS>> CHILDOFMYDREAMS.COM. YOU CAN GO TO THAT WEB SITE AND THEY CAN GIVE YOU ALL THE ADVICE ON ADOPTING. IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT ADOPTING IN ANOTHER COUNTRY OR ANOTHER STATE, THEY EXPLAIN THE RULES. A GREAT RESOURCE FOR INDIVIDUALS THINKING ABOUT ADOPTING KIDS.

JESS>> WHAT WAS THE WEB SITE NAME OF THE WOMAN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?

KEVIN ROSS>> CARING AGENCY --

JESS>> CARING AGENCY.

KEVIN ROSS>> -- AND SHE'S NOWHERE TO BE FOUND, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW.

VAL>> (LAUGHTER) OKAY. AVOID THAT ONE.

KEVIN ROSS>> AVOID THAT ONE. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> JUDGE KEVIN ROSS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

KEVIN ROSS>> SURE.

VAL>> SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO WE NEED TO REFORM OUR LAWS? SIMPLIFY THEM? UNIFY THEM? 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

JESS>> IN TONIGHT'S PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS, PAINTER HENRY SUGIMOTO WAS A SUCCESSFUL ARTIST UNTIL WORLD WAR II. HIS CAREER EFFECTIVELY ENDED IN 1942. THAT'S WHEN SUGIMOTO, ALONG WITH MORE THAN 100,000 OTHER JAPANESE-AMERICANS, WAS SENT TO AN INTERNMENT CAMP.

VAL>> NOW, 11 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH, THE FIRST RETROSPECTIVE OF SUGIMOTO'S WORK IS ON DISPLAY AT THE JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM. THE EXHIBIT INCLUDES A DOCUMENTARY BASED ON SUGIMOTO'S OWN WORDS AND NARRATED BY THE ACTOR, MAKO. HERE'S A SHORTENED VERSION OF "HARSH CANVAS: THE ART AND LIFE OF HENRY SUGIMOTO".

"I THANK MY GRANDFATHER, FOR THE FACT THAT I DECIDED TO BECOME AN ARTIST STEMS FROM MY CHILDHOOD. MY FATHER IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES WHEN I WAS AN INFANT, LEAVING BEHIND MY MOTHER, MY YOUNGER BROTHER AND ME. WHEN I WAS NINE, MY MOTHER WAS CALLED TO JOIN HIM. I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD RAISED AND EDUCATED BY MY GRANDPARENTS.

MY GRANDFATHER HAD FORMERLY BEEN A SAMURAI OF KITSU, THE WAKAYAMA REGION. IN MY GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE WHERE I WAS RAISED, I REMEMBER MANY SWORDS, SPEARS, WALL HANGINGS AND PAINTINGS. I LIKED COPYING THIS ART AND MY GRANDFATHER, SOUNDING IMPRESSED, WOULD SAY, "YOU DREW VERY WELL. TRY DRAWING SOME MORE." I SPENT MY DAYS JOYFULLY DRAWING UNTIL THE AGE OF 18, WHEN I WAS SUMMONED TO JOIN MY PARENTS IN AMERICA.

IT WAS A MONTH BEFORE I FINALLY REACHED SAN FRANCISCO. MY DREAM OF A LIFE OF ART WAS SET ASIDE. FOLLOWING MY FATHER'S WISH, I ENTERED UC BERKELEY TO BECOME A DENTIST. THEN A FRIEND SHOWED ME AROUND THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS. MY DESIRE TO BE AN ARTIST GREW WITHIN ME. I LEFT BERKELEY AND I WAS ABLE TO EXHIBIT MY WORK ALL ALONG THE WEST COAST. I WOULD GO ON SKETCHING TRIPS ONE OR TWO WEEKS AT A TIME. DURING THE SUMMER OF 1938, I TRAVELED TO MEXICO EXHIBITING THERE AS WELL.

DECEMBER OF 1941, THE SECOND WORLD WAR. AT THAT TIME, SUSIE AND I LIVED ABOVE HER FAMILY'S LAUNDRY IN HANFORD WITH OUR DAUGHTER, MADELEINE. HAD I ONLY BEEN AN ARTIST, I WOULD HAVE HAD NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, BUT I WAS TEACHING JAPANESE SCHOOL PART-TIME AND JAPANESE SCHOOL TEACHERS FROM LOS ANGELES TO SAN FRANCISCO WERE BEING TAKEN BY THE FBI.

IN THE BALMY SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, 1942, NOT KNOWING WHAT OUR FATE WAS TO BE, MY FAMILY AND I WERE ROUNDED UP WITH ALL THE OTHER JAPANESE FAMILIES IN HANFORD. WE WERE ORDERED TO PACK JUST BARE NECESSITIES, BUT BEING AN ARTIST, I SNUCK IN A FEW TUBES OF PIGMENT, THREE BRUSHES AND A SMALL BOTTLE OF TURPENTINE. I FOUND THAT PEOPLE ADJUSTING TO DAILY LIFE IN A CAMP PRESENTED A FAR MORE INTERESTING SUBJECT THAN THE LANDSCAPE OF PARIS.

AT FIRST, I WAS SCARED THAT THE FBI WOULD SEE ME PAINTING AND TAKE ME AWAY, SO I SET UP INSIDE VERY SECRET. ONE DAY, MILITARY PERSONNEL FROM WASHINGTON WERE TAKING PICTURES ALL AROUND THE CAMP. A LIEUTENANT SAID, "WE WANT TO TAKE MOVIES. YOU DO YOUR WORK", SO THEY FILMED ME, LIKE AN ACTOR. AFTER THAT, I FELT FREE TO PAINT.

A TELEGRAM ARRIVED. MY YOUNGER BROTHER, RALPH, WHO HAD BEEN IN THE U.S. ARMY SINCE BEFORE THE WAR, WAS WOUNDED IN COMBAT IN EUROPE. THE EXTREME IRONY OF THE FIGHTING WHILE THEIR WIVES AND BABIES WERE INCARCERATED IN CAMPS COMPELLED ME TO DEPICT THIS IN A SERIES OF PAINTINGS. 

THE CAMPS CLOSED AS THE WAR WAS ENDING. I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE PLACE TO GO WAS CLEVELAND OR NEW YORK CITY. IN OTHER PLACES, FEELINGS TOWARDS JAPANESE HAD SOURED. AS AN ARTIST, I HAD ALREADY BEEN WANTING TO MOVE TO NEW YORK SINCE BEFORE THE WAR. THIS WAS NOW A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.

IN NEW YORK, NO GALLERY WOULD BUY MY CAMP PAINTINGS. FOOD WAS SCARCE BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD TAKE OUR RATION COUPONS. AT THIS LONELY TIME, OUR MINISTER FROM CAMP DROPPED IN AND OFFERED SUSIE A TYPING JOB. I STAYED HOME AND BECAME THE COOK. MEAGER AS IT WAS, WE FINALLY BEGAN OUR LIFE IN THIS GREAT CITY OF NEW YORK.

UNTIL THE WAR, I HAD SUCCEEDED AS AN ARTIST AND I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, EVEN THOUGH I MAY BE OLD, TO RETURN TO THE PATH OF AN ARTIST. I HAD COME TO REALIZE THAT MY PAINTINGS WERE A VALUABLE DOCUMENTATION OF THE [ISAY] PIONEERS. MANY OF MY PAINTINGS WERE NOW DISPLAYED IN WAKAYAMA. THAT MADE ME HOPEFUL THAT MY ART COULD CREATE A BEAUTIFUL BRIDGE BETWEEN AMERICA AND JAPAN. I WAS CONVINCED THAT I COULD NOT LET THE MARK THAT I LEAVE BEHIND BE WASHED AWAY AND DISAPPEAR."

JESS>> INTERESTING. YOU CAN CHECK THE NUMBER AND WEB SITE ON YOUR SCREEN FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE HENRY SUGIMOTO EXHIBIT. IT'S AT THE JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM IN LITTLE TOKYO THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16. THE MUSEUM IS ALSO SHOWING THE FULL 30-MINUTE VERSION OF THAT DOCUMENTARY.

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