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Life & Times Transcript
06/20/05 Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- It's a dream ranch, perfect to the last detail, so why did the owner walk away? Idoya Bonilla>> There was like so much more he wants to do with it, but time and money and permits, everything is so hard. Val>> And then, an all-woman choral group that's striking a chord with audiences by giving voice to music that's often under-appreciated. It's all straight ahead on tonight's Life and Times. 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>> You wouldn't believe what lies in the middle of nowhere north of Santa Barbara. It's a hidden gem, an entire Mexican village, including a bullfighting arena. This creation was the dream of a wealthy Mexican who wanted to create an authentic Mexican village to raise his children. So why is this stunning place now vacant and virtually abandoned? Stephanie O'Neill Noe heads north to find out. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Between the bustling central coast city of Santa Maria and Bakersfield in the central valley lies a one hundred twenty mile stretch of California Highway 166. It's a lightly traveled, picturesque two-lane road in east Santa Barbara County. It takes you first through the rolling hills of the Sierra Madre Mountains, then into the expansive farmlands of the Cuyama River Valley and it's here on off-the-beaten-track farmland behind rows of seemingly misplaced Italian poplar trees that one man's dream lies abandoned, at least for now. Jose Luis Bonilla is a Mexican entrepreneur who came to this little-known valley in 1979. With profits from several Mexican markets, he began work not on a dream home, but a dream village. That's right. An actual Mexican village complete with this full-size Mexican rodeo arena and seating for three thousand spectators, horse stables large enough for seventy Andalusian horses, many of which he would fly in from Spain, a reservoir with a giant fountain, a bandstand topped with ornate handcrafted metal work, street lights also made on-site, park benches and exotic landscaping, all of it in what many would call the middle of nowhere. Idoya Bonilla is Jose Luis's youngest child who helps oversee the Rancho. Idoya Bonilla>> Little by little, he started investing here in this ranch that they told him about. He liked it because it was far away from the city. He didn't want us to grow up in -- he lived in Riverside and he really didn't like it for us because it was growing and the schools were too big. He said, oh, I want my kids to live like I lived in Mexico where you have to go work and take care of the horses and stuff. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Your whole life essentially you've spent living here and watching your dad build this place. Idoya Bonilla>> Yeah. Ever since we got here and I was like nine months. Little by little, he started building things and he started out with the arena for my older brother. He likes the Mexican rodeo. With that is where he started and said I want to make something really nice. Since we lived here, he started collecting rocks. He'd buy big old dump trucks and start filling them up with rocks and sending them out there all day, just collect rocks and collect rocks until he had enough and he started building and go collect more. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Only one problem. In twenty years of building, Bonilla never bothered with getting permits for all the construction and, without knowledge of county officials, Bonilla had dozens of men working morning to night fulfilling his dream. The permit problem didn't surface until the year 2000. That's when Bonilla began filling these stadium seats with several thousand rodeo and concert spectators. Harrell Fletcher>> His vision was that this would be a Mexican Solvang, that he would have restaurants and shops, a church, and just make this a piece of Mexico that people could come and visit. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Harrell Fletcher is a land agent who is helping Luis Bonilla get permits for the village. No small task, but Fletcher says the extensive photo-documentation of the building process coupled with the quality engineering and construction has so far impressed inspectors. John Karamitsos is a supervisor with the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department. He says, while it is alarming to him that his office was unaware of the two-decade long project, he nevertheless believes that Rancho Bonilla will qualify for the necessary permits. John Karamitsos>> What we have here is out in probably the most rural part of Santa Barbara County, something that really is spectacular and rivals some of the most impressive structural development within the county. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> For years, Bonilla directed workers to collect building materials from his five hundred acres of ranchland surrounding the village. Abandoned oil pipe was transformed into fencing and corrals and he used river rock to create an authentic Mexican feel. Harrell Fletcher>> All the rock is from the area. This area used to be a river bed, so all these were round tumbled rocks, and he has taken and matched all these rocks and chipped them so that they would be smooth-faced for the front. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> River rock entirely blankets Bonilla's rodeo arena which is considered one of the world's best such examples. Harrell Fletcher>> This is the entrance to the arena. They have the pits where the animals could come out from there on the left side and then bulls could come and they would have bloodless bullfights here also. It's an exact replica of a bull arena. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> A Mexican bull arena? Harrell Fletcher>> Right. They come out of those pens and down and open that door right there and let them in. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Sam Quinones is an author and Los Angeles Times reporter who lived in and wrote about Mexico for ten years. Sam Quinones>> It's this beautiful monument to kind of a fevered mind. You know, the guy let nothing stand in his way. He just went out there and built and built more and, as he built more, that allowed him to think of even grander designs and grander schemes and that allowed him to even build more and on it went for twenty or twenty-five years or so. To me, it's a reminder of why people came to California in part. It's the ability to -- the state was kind of once this blank slate in which kind of anybody's imagination could take flight. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> But frustration about permits and regulations of today's California prompted Bonilla three years ago to return to his home in Zacatecas, Mexico. Idoya Bonilla>> There was like so much more he wants to do with it, but just time and money and permits, sometimes he gets really frustrated. He's like I'm building all this and it's not giving me anything. It's like a big white elephant (laughter). Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Bonilla has even gone so far as to put the ranch up for sale, but only to the right buyer. Idoya Bonilla>> Not really about money, but about appreciation, about the horses, about the taking care of it, keeping the trees, keeping everything the way it is or better, someone who loves it as much as he does. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> How would you feel if he sold it? Idoya Bonilla>> Oh, no, no. I don't want him to. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> This is your home. Idoya Bonilla>> Yeah. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> As Idoya Bonilla and her family await final word from county building inspectors, they continue to invest their time schooling local youngsters in the art of Mexican rodeo, their hope being that Rancho Bonilla will again become a showcase of authentic Mexican culture. For Life and Times, I'm Stephanie O'Neill Noe in the Cuyama River Valley. Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org and click on "Life and Times". Val>> Last fall, the Los Angeles County Supervisors hired a private firm to fix the deeply troubled King Drew Medical Center. Since then, the firm has discovered it will take millions more and as many as two years to reform the hospital. Hena Cuevas gets an update on the situation from Kae Robertson, the administrator in charge of overseeing the overhaul of King Drew Medical Center. Kae Robertson>> We need to, on a daily basis, run the hospital and fix it. I kind of liken it to flying a 747 and repairing it in flight. Hena Cuevas>> So your group isn't really focused on the reasons as to why the hospital got to where it got. You're just looking for solutions? Kae Robertson>> We're looking for solutions and we're looking for fast solutions when it relates to patients' safety or any quality of care issues. One of the things that was very important to improve was the response of the team for cardiac arrest. We've just completed some audits and, ninety-seven percent of the time, the team arrived on time. Every member was there. They were there within five minutes. So it's a big improvement from where we were. Hena Cuevas>> What was the percentage before? Kae Robertson>> Well, before, the numbers weren't tracked, so we don't have actual data. But what we had was observation on our part where we would go to a cardiac arrest and realize that key members of the team were not there. Now whether they didn't have the right beeper, they weren't being called, they didn't know they were part of the team, we don't know. But that's a big difference now from what we saw before. Hena Cuevas>> How receptive has the staff been to having you and your group at the hospital taking a look at the work that they've been doing? Kae Robertson>> I think that we've gone through them being receptive. It's sort of a normal phase that you'll see. Everybody was receptive and excited because we were identifying the problems that they saw here in terms of how things worked. The next phase is now we start putting accountability on everybody to receive new training and to change the way they're doing things. You start to see a little tension between the group including, you know, why are you making us do this? Then you get to the point where people say, oh, now I see the results are better. I understand why I need to do this. Hena Cuevas>> What has surprised you the most? Kae Robertson>> I think the most surprising is the number of areas that need remediation, whether you find housekeeping or nursing or, you know, even areas of being able to get basic data. It's not as if there's just one area that was a hundred percent perfect. Hena Cuevas>> Because you're talking about a process that deals not only with trying to fix, let's say, the nursing department, but you're also talking about housekeeping. Kae Robertson>> Right, and Human Resources and, you know, physical therapy, pharmacy, social work. It's every department. So there will be a very comprehensive plan and it will take over two years to get it all completed probably. Hena Cuevas>> So you're doing the research and you're also presenting your report. So how is this entire process going to work? Kae Robertson>> We've been implementing our recommendations as we go. Since we are the management of the hospital, it is incumbent upon us to get all the changes implemented and work with the staff to make that happen as we go along. So we're actually doing research, making recommendations and implementing those right along. Hena Cuevas>> What about the financial impact of the recommendations? Who's going to pay for all of it? Kae Robertson>> Well, for one thing, we are not actually looking at the financial side of the hospital to look at whether or not they have the right mix and number of staff from a productivity perspective. But there are many recommendations we've made that relate to capital expenditure to fix the facility and I think, with the looming economic crisis that the county has and the Department of Health Services, they're certainly trying to prioritize those against many competing demands. Hena Cuevas>> How unusual is it for a hospital to have a group like yours come in and do an assessment? Kae Robertson>> Probably at any time in our company a dozen assessments. What's unusual in this organization, though, is that they had more problems and more things broken that needed fixing than virtually any hospital in the United States. I think the joint commission says that this is similar to only one or two other hospitals in the whole country, so their situation is very unusual. Hena Cuevas>> But a year doesn't seem to be enough time. Will a year be enough to fix everything that's wrong? Kae Robertson>> No. In fact, our work plan calls for fixes that are going to take probably somewhere around the two-year point before everything is corrected. We've prioritized those things that need to be fixed based on patient safety and then re-accreditation with the joint commission, so our intent is to get that set of recommendations completed within a year. Hena Cuevas>> How optimistic are you that the hospital will be fixed? Kae Robertson>> Well, we're optimistic because there are, first of all, a number of very dedicated staff and a number of very dedicated physicians and there are a number of very competent staff and competent physicians. We also have the support from DHS and the Board of Supervisors even though they are frustrated with the fact that this will be a long-term fix. I think they're very supportive of being able to meet the medical needs of this community and recognize that the best way to do that is to continue to have this facility available. It's difficult, though, because there are so many things that need to be fixed. I'm not optimistic that it will happen in a short time frame that everyone wants it to happen. This is thirty years of problems that need to be fixed. It won't happen in six months, it won't happen in a year. It will take time. Hena Cuevas>> Well, thank you very much, Kae Robertson. Kae Robertson>> Thank you. 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>> They are a rarity in the music world, but they're winning awards and gaining national attention. They're an all-woman's choral group specializing in music written by women and they got to where they are through talent, commitment and making a beautiful noise. They're "Vox Femina", or Women's Voice. [Film Clip] Val>> They gather every Tuesday night at a church in mid-Wilshire, some coming from as far away as Pomona in Riverside. [Film Clip] Val>> Thirty women, different ages, different professions, different backgrounds, but one single purpose. [Film Clip] Val>> The group is called "Vox Femina" and the Artistic Director is Iris Levine. Although they are amateurs, Iris instills professional standards. [Film Clip] Val>> "Vox Femina" started about six years ago. It got off the ground with encouragement from the director of the gay men's chorus who felt there should also be a woman's group. Iris, with her degrees in choral music, seemed a natural leader. Iris Levine>> I kept saying to him, "John, no, I don't want to do this. I don't want to do this. There's no reason to have, you know, two hundred women all up on a stage together performing like that. It's really not what I want to do." [Film Clip] Val>> The idea evolved into a small singing group which appealed much more to Iris and, finally in 1997, she put the word out. Singers wanted for a new group called "Vox Femina". Stephanie Roth>> When I first saw the notice in the Lesbian News that some group was forming, I thought, huh, maybe I'll try that. I didn't think about it and I didn't let myself get nervous. I sang the first note and suddenly it filled the room and I thought I so much want to be in this group. Val>> Stephanie Roth's sister had a stroke. Stephanie is the family's caretaker. For her, singing is a great escape. Stephanie Roth>> On Tuesdays just before I have to arrive, I would say why am I in this group? (laughter) But as soon as I get here, it's always wonderful and singing is just a joy. [Film Clip] Val>> The repertoire "Vox Femina" is broad. It includes world music, classical music and jazz. They've sung in eleven different languages and they specialize in music by women composers, music that doesn't get the exposure it deserves. [Film Clip] Iris Levine>> This concert particularly takes us through essentially the life of women from birth through and past death. What I say about that, it's really about the cycle of life that we're talking about. [Film Clip] Val>> Teresa Willis was working for a production company and didn't have the time to do what she really loved. Teresa Willis>> My life had kind of gotten into a dull hum. Go to work, come home, cook, you know, gain weight (laughter). Val>> Now she works part-time, writes, performs and sings. Teresa Willis>> As a singer, I was never the one that knocked everybody out. I was never the one that, you know, everybody went, "Oh, Teresa, sing, please. Just sing for us." I was never that girl, but my musicianship and my voice -- here I'm in my early forties and I'm at the height. [Film Clip] Val>> "Vox Femina" is no small commitment. You have to memorize all the music, show up at weekly rehearsals and, of course, be there for numerous concerts. Lisa Bell is a full-time nurse working with the disabled in North Hollywood. Lisa Bell>> Well, you pretty much have to commit to the concert schedule for the year even though we are a community group and considered -- you know, in a sense, I'm professional. I think that it demands much more than that. Iris Levine>> Every time when the women come to rehearsal, at the beginning of the rehearsal, some of them are so exhausted from their work of the day and they could just barely drag themselves to rehearsal. At the end of the rehearsal, they are so vibrant and awake. [Film Clip] Val>> Iris's work with "Vox Femina" is paying off. Their first commercial CD won an Outmusic Award for best new recording from a choir, impressive for a relatively young group. [Film Clip] Val>> "Vox Femina" performances are always crowd-pleasers, but sometimes they'll strike a special chord with an audience. [Film Clip] Stephanie Roth>> It sounds so wonderful when we perform. It's great to hear everybody's voice and watch Iris and feel the audience with us. It's just a really wonderful, exciting experience that I wouldn't get in any other way. Teresa Willis>> You know, as an actor or a poet or a person in a band, which I'm in a band, you go around this town and you're always begging your audience. You're always begging, "Oh, please come, please come, please come." You don't have to beg anybody to come see "Vox Femina". They come. [Film Clip] Val>> The number of singers is fairly consistent, about thirty. But every year, five or six women leave and others take their place. Iris realizes that, at some point, she may have to move on. Iris Levine>> Should that time come that I'm done with it, I'm tired of doing that, or that, you know, it's just not working for me anymore, then I certainly will be willing to pass on that hat to somebody else. [Film Clip] Iris Levine>> The group needs to be known by its name, "Vox Femina Los Angeles", not known by my name. It really has to exist on its own in order to be successful. Val>> And success for Iris means striving for perfection. Iris Levine>> I want us to be the best women's choir in this country. That's where I want us to be. [Film Clip] Iris Levine>> We've built bridges between all kinds of communities and we are proud of who we are. [Film Clip] Val>> "Vox Femina's" spring concert is this weekend, Friday and Saturday, at the Colburn School for Performing Arts in downtown. You can give them a call or go to their website for details. [Film Clip] Val>> And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and Times, thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. 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. Val>> Next time on Life and Times -- Should Long Beach welcome the west coast's first liquefied natural gas terminal? >> The area, if we were to have an explosion, would set us back to the Flintstone era. >> It's not a very good target because it's not very easy to damage. These tanks and these ships are not easy to damage at all. Val>> That's next time on Life and Times. Sponsored in part by:  | |
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