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Life & Times Transcript
8/24/07 Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- Bridging the digital divide. What good is free Wi-Fi if you can't use a computer? Steve Reneker>> They need to attend an eight to ten hour class and, upon graduation, they're given a free refurbished PC with a free wireless access device. Val Zavala>> And then, what happens when a dance company decides to leave the stage behind? We followed the journey of Collage Dance Theater. It's all straight ahead 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. With additional support for Life and Times from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Val Zavala>> In this computer-driven age, any technological advantage counts, so recently the city of Riverside announced that it is providing wireless internet service throughout its fifty-five square miles, and the Wi-Fi is free. Why are so many cities jumping on the Wi-Fi bandwagon, and will it pay off? Roger Cooper went to Riverside to find out. Roger Cooper>> At first glance, it looks like nothing unusual. Twelve year old Chucky Martinez is surfing the internet from his home in Riverside and, not far away in her apartment, nine year old Aria Garcia is on the web as well. But just a couple of months ago, access to the internet would have been out of reach for these young people. Both are from low-income families and neither could afford a computer, much less monthly internet service. But all that changed this July when these odd-looking boxes began going up on streetlight poles around Riverside. The little boxes on the light poles transmit high-speed wireless internet, or Wi-Fi, through the air. Some other cities have done the same, but in Riverside, the service is free. Steve Reneker is Riverside's Chief Information Officer. Steve Reneker>> This will give you some mobility to be able to take those devices and go anywhere in the city, maybe where you're eating lunch or maybe where you're congregating in a park. Roger Cooper>> It's Riverside's all-out attack on the digital divide. Steve Reneker>> We introduced free Wi-Fi for the entire city of Riverside and we've also started up a very aggressive digital inclusion program to provide free refurbished PCs and free internet access to all of our citizens. Roger Cooper>> Mayor Ron Loveridge says that this project will close the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Ron Loveridge>> We're talking about, by 2010, to have everyone who would be interested in Riverside in having the availability of a computer and thus access to the internet. Roger Cooper>> This rollout of municipal Wi-Fi in Riverside is being watched with great interest in San Francisco at the Public Policy Institute of California. There, researcher Jed Kolko has just released a major report on the digital divide in California. His study found that about half of all households in San Francisco and Los Angeles have broadband compared to less than a third in the more rural northern California. And even in big cities, cost is a major factor. Sixty-eight percent of households earning a hundred thousand or more have high-speed internet compared with just twenty-four percent of those with incomes under twenty-five thousand. But in Riverside, Steve Reneker showed us how he could make a free broadband connection as he sat on a bench outside City Hall. Steve Reneker>> So it is free up to 512k which, for most folks, is ten times faster than dial-up speed. Miguel Ramirez>> The problem with that is, what good is it to give away the Wi-Fi when thirty thousand residents do not have a computer, and that's where I step in. Roger Cooper>> The city of Riverside has found a way to clear the cost hurdle as well. At this city repair shop, Riverside has put reformed gang members to work fixing old donated computers. Miguel Ramirez runs the program. Miguel Ramirez>> They refurbish the computers, they install the software and, you know, make sure everything works as they should. Roger Cooper>> This mound of PCs stacked outside the digital inclusion workshop will end up in the hands of Riverside's low-income families, those earning forty-five thousand a year or less. Miguel Ramirez>> We've already donated over six hundred computers, so it's quite a bit and we've only just started. Roger Cooper>> But what good is a free computer if you don't know how to us it? Riverside is tackling that problem too. Steve Reneker>> They need to attend a class at one of our ten community centers, attend an eight to ten hour class and, upon graduation, they're given a free refurbished PC with a free wireless access device and they're taught how to gain access to the network. Roger Cooper>> Attending the class is what Chucky and Aria did to qualify for the free computers and entrance to the free internet. The computers get a new life and so do the reformed gang members who get trained to become computer technicians. But how is Riverside affording this Wi-Fi rollout? When it comes to installing the hardware, that's being done by AT&T in a partnership with the city. In return, the city will spend up to four million dollars with AT&T to receive phones, cell and advance data services. Barry Reynolds>> Riverside is quickly upgrading their technology here throughout the city which will enhance the quality of life for everyone. Roger Cooper>> As for the free internet service, that comes from a company called Metrofi, which in return gets to place small ads on the screen. Steve Reneker>> There is some advertisement on that page, but it's very unobtrusive and it's very easy to get onto the website and surf at very high speeds. Roger Cooper>> For now, the rollout of wireless internet in Riverside has reached the three areas you see in green, but AT&T says that it will cover the whole city by March even on some cell phones. Barry Reynolds>> If I was to go onto the internet, here is our partner, Metrofi, and I can quickly get into the internet and navigate using Wi-Fi here in Riverside. Roger Cooper>> Mayor Loveridge believes that the free citywide Wi-Fi will attract high-tech firms to what he likes to call a smart Riverside. Ron Loveridge>> It's a cache. It's a statement of who we are and what we're about. You come to Riverside anyplace. You don't have to simply go to a Starbucks. Roger Cooper>> And he says the new Wi-Fi will also allow the city to do lots of other things like sending back video from police cars and controlling the lights out at ball fields remotely. Steve Reneker>> All of our traffic signals, we have about three hundred fifty-four, and we're converting those to Wi-Fi so our traffic management center can have a line of sight using wireless video cameras at each intersection. Ron Loveridge>> Freeman's notion, the world is flat. The reason the world is flat is because of the internet. It is changing everything and people need to be a part of that or else they're going to be left behind. Roger Cooper>> But the mayor is most proud of what his city's wireless internet has already done for two brand new computer users, Aria and Chucky. These two young people have just jumped across the digital divide and their lives will be very different on the other side. In Riverside, I'm Roger Cooper for Life and Times. Val Zavala>> So what do you think? We'd love to know your response to that story and you can post it on our blog. Just go to kcet.org and click on the Life and Times Blog. 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". Toni Guinyard>> Take a good look at this because it's taking a good look at you if you drive through Franklin Canyon. This is one of the automated stop sign cameras being used for traffic enforcement. The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority has these up and running to get people to stop at stop signs. We spoke with Senior Park Ranger, Jewel Johnson, to find out how the cameras work and why they've been put in place. Jewel Johnson>> "And that will take you to Beverly Drive and then it will drop you off on Coldwater, okay?" This is a very busy park. I mean, this has become a commuter bypass and we watch it get busier and busier. They fly through the canyon. They run the stop signs. Again, we have a lot of activity going here. We have hikers, we have school groups and it's just narrow canyons and it's just not safe. So we had to come up with different ways besides traditional law enforcement, which we still do, to try to get people to stop at the stop signs and keep the park safe. Again, this is one component that we're using in our public safety program. Toni Guinyard>> How does it work? Jewel Johnson>> Basically, you know -- Toni Guinyard>> -- and we have a car right here and he rolled right through. Is that what you're talking about? Jewel Johnson>> That's what we're talking about. Sometimes it looks empty, but you never know. We always have hikers in the canyon and, when they're not paying attention, you know, we have been very fortunate that we have not had any fatalities in the park and we want to keep it that way and try to keep it as safe as possible. Toni Guinyard>> Explain to me how it works. Jewel Johnson>> Basically, they take a video of the violation of somebody rolling through the stop sign or failing to stop at the stop sign. It is a video they can access online. Toni Guinyard>> But no one else can? Jewel Johnson>> No one else can. Toni Guinyard>> You'll receive a citation with a number on it and a code? Jewel Johnson>> Yes, a code and the website they can go to to view the video. If you do get a citation from us, you can view your video online at your home or you can make an appointment and you can view it in our offices. But it's convenient to view it at your own home. Our thirty-day warning period ends July 30 and, after that, we'll start issuing citations and it will be a hundred dollar fine. We've noticed that people who've been going through the stop signs has dropped just after the warning letters. After one week at one park, we had a thirty-six percent drop in people running the stop signs, so it's already taking effect. We're trying to get people to understand that you have to stop at the stop signs. That's what we're trying to do. It's a public safety issue and we're trying to get people to understand that. Toni Guinyard>> People aren't too happy about this, though. Jewel Johnson>> Again, it's a stop sign. It's a traffic law. You know, you have to obey the traffic laws. This is a public park that people come to and it's our responsibility to keep them safe and this is one way we're doing it along with traditional law enforcement. [Film Clip] Jewel Johnson>> Right now, we have two working cameras in this Franklin Canyon, right behind me and also on the reservoir along the dam. Also we have one at Temescal Gateway Park in the Palisades and the top of Topanga off Topanga Canyon. Eventually there's going to be on top of Reseda also. Again, these are areas that we picked because it's heavily trafficked for vehicles, hikers at Temescal Gateway Park. I think we actually have three preschools there plus the YMCA has a pool there. I mean, it's one of our busiest parks when it comes to hikers, especially on the weekends. Toni Guinyard>> There has been some question on the legality of a ranger citing a motorist through this area. Address that, please. Jewel Johnson>> We're peace officers, so I'm not sure where they get that from. But we are peace officers and we do have jurisdiction in our parks. We want to make it unattractive to commuters to come through our parks at excessive speeds. We want to make it uncomfortable for them to be able to come through our parks and run through our stop signs and endanger our park visitors. You know, slow down. Stop at the stop signs, you know. Enjoy the scenery. You're coming through a park. Use us as your excuse to like, "Boss, I went through a park today. I stopped and I was like, wow." You know, what's the big hurry. Take a deep breath before you come to the park, before you get to work. Toni Guinyard>> There's already been a lot of criticism about these cameras. Will the public's reaction to them make you step back from using them? Jewel Johnson>> You know, it's a traffic law. The stop sign means you need to stop and I don't think the public will disagree with us that, if it's a traffic law and you're supposed to stop, I think the public understands that that needs to happen. Stop completely. Wheels come to a stop. Toni Guinyard>> Just that simple. Jewel Johnson>> Just that simple. Toni Guinyard>> Senior Ranger Jewel Johnson, thanks for filling us in on what's going on out here and thanks for spending a little time with Life and Times. Jewel Johnson>> Thank you for coming to Franklin Canyon Park. Val Zavala>> It's a sculpture in search of respect. Ever since it was built thirty years ago, it's been criticized. It's been called "a psychedelic nickelodeon" or "three wishbones in search of a turkey", but now the Triforium has been refurbished complete with lights and music. Will it also get a new reputation? Vicki Curry has our story. Vicki Curry>> 1975 was the height of disco, mood rings and Pong. Americans went into space with the soviets and Bill Gates started Microsoft. Here in Los Angeles, artist Joseph Young brought together the latest trends in technology in a massive work of art that he called the Triforium. Jan Perry>> I think he was trying to summarize or sort of show or share the pulsating rhythms of Los Angeles in a very edgy, very timely, very progressive for the times that it was erected. Vicki Curry>> It may seem tame now, but the Triforium was the first public artwork to use a computer to combine light and sound. Twenty-two columns of light bulbs each covered by a hollow glass prism flashed while music played from three big speakers. The artist called it "a bold, competent statement that expresses man's faith in the future", but the future wasn't good to the Triforium. Jan Perry>> When it was first up and running, it pulsated in time to the music and, at the base of the sculpture, there was water. There was a water feature and grass. But there were some mechanical issues, so the water was covered over and, for quite a long time, the Triforium was off. Vicki Curry>> City Council member, Jan Perry, represents the district that includes the Los Angeles Mall. The Triforium was meant to be the centerpiece of the mall, but as soon as it was unveiled, critics denounced it for both its one million dollar price tag and its design. Jan Perry>> It evoked strong feelings. People at the time either really hated it or really loved it. Vicki Curry>> That's probably why the Triforium was neglected over the years. There are different stories about what happened. Some say the lights and music were turned off during an energy crisis. Others say that a judge in a nearby courthouse complained about the noise. Whatever the reason, the only part of the Triforium that kept going was the bell that chimed every fifteen minutes. Otherwise, the Triforium was dark and quiet until downtown artist, Qathryn Brehm, approached Perry. Jan Perry>> And she said, "I really would like it if you would try to get this Triforium functioning and back on again because it's a unique cultural piece of Los Angeles art and the Los Angeles perspective." So what we did in the last year and a half is basically take a look at the wiring and the infrastructure of the piece itself, you know, restoring and cleaning the glass, scrubbing up the paint. So far on the restoration effort, we've spent about twenty thousand dollars. Vicki Curry>> In December 2006, thirty-one years after its debut, the Triforium was turned back on. [Film Clip] Jan Perry>> And one of the things I said the day that we turned the lights back on is, "This artistic expression would outlive its critics", and it has. Vicki Curry>> Although it's on all day, it's when the sun goes down that the Triforium really comes to life. Once it gets dark out, you can finally see the full effect of the fifteen hundred glass prisms all lit up. Jan Perry>> The glass has been cleaned, so the colors are really bright and very intense, but we still have more work to do. The night we turned it back on, they pulsated for a few seconds and then it stopped. But they're hoping that we continue to work on it, to coordinate the music with the pulsation of the lights and that we can get that going again because that's something that people really liked a lot. Vicki Curry>> Perry plans to replace the ladybug-looking covers on the speakers. She also wants to bring in a digital music system to replace the current haphazard selections played off CDs. Who picks the music right now? Jan Perry>> Right now, it's just an ad hoc, you know. Mostly the guys downstairs in the restaurant. Vicki Curry>> (Laughter) They just kind of put stuff together? Jan Perry>> Yeah. I think depending on their mood. Vicki Curry>> The Triforium has a new lease on life, but it still seems to be a leftover from another era and a regularly mocked era at that. Perry says that makes the Triforium a perfect piece of art for Los Angeles. Jan Perry>> You know, we have eccentric, we have unusual, we have traditional, we have a global view, and this is just another example of that. I think that it represents a different time and yet it's still timely. It's very relevant. [Film Clip] 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>> You're about to meet a group of artists who ply their trade in the most unusual places. They are dancers and, for them, all the world is truly their stage. One of their most recent venues is the once grand Ambassador Hotel. It's been closed for well over a decade, but brought back to life with their unusual performance. Vicki Curry shows us what it means when the Collage Dance Theatre takes its show on the road. Vicki Curry>> Its halls are empty. Its walls are cracked. This deserted landmark seems haunted by the ghosts of its past, but these figures aren't apparitions. They're dancers and the historic Ambassador Hotel is just the latest performance space for the Collage Dance Theatre. Heidi Duckler>> Collage Dance Theatre is a company founded in 1985 devoted to site-specific performance in different public locations throughout Los Angeles. Instead of doing our work on a stage, we decided to go out to where real life was really happening, to environments that we could explore in a different way. Vicki Curry>> Heidi Duckler is the founder and artistic director of Collage Dance Theatre. She has choreographed over forty original dance works at public sites throughout southern California. The Los Angeles Times calls her the reigning queen of Los Angeles's site-specific dance performance. Heidi Duckler>> The conventional dance world is very much about control. The studio was such a narrow small world for me and very kind of isolated and I enjoy being in places where I'm inspired by life and by things that are unpredictable, so I wanted to kind of spill out, move out of that contained space. Vicki Curry>> Collage has performed at sites ranging from the generic to the historic. Its first work was in a laundromat. Other locations included a gas station, the Lincoln Heights Prison and the old Herald Examiner building. Heidi Duckler>> I think that what we do is we animate a place so that we come in and part of it is what you imagine and some of it is conceived with what really happened, the history of a site, its social context. We take all those things and we explore a site. The story that we tell is always based upon the site that we're in. You know, sometimes the narrative is developed and sometimes it's very abstract. It really comes from the site itself and the story unfolds. Vicki Curry>> Duckler calls the company Collage Dance Theatre because the projects employ a variety of artistic elements. Heidi Duckler>> Our most recent piece includes twelve dancers, ten actors, four musicians, you know, big production design and very layered and complicated. We do a lot of planning of these. You know, these things are not improvised, although they sometimes look that way. We plan for a year or sometimes two years, a project. We don't use a script so much, but we do use an evolving outline based on our experience of working in the location. Vicki Curry>> Collaboration is also an intrinsic part of the company. Heidi Duckler>> Well, we rehearse on-site, so it's all related to being there, to breathing, to moving, to exploring the location. A lot of it comes from the dancers themselves. The choreography comes from their bodies in response to moving in the space. Vicki Curry>> Heidi Duckler finds freedom in new spaces, but dancing off the stage can be confining as well. Heidi Duckler>> There are many, many limitations when we work in a particular site. There are limitations with site lines, there are limitations with materials, there are limitations with business owners. But you have to find a way to make those limitations work to your advantage. That's the interesting part of the artistry of it, digging deeper, going beyond the limitations. That's when you really find the juicy stuff. Vicki Curry>> Duckler embraces those limitations because she's learned over the years to expect the unexpected. Heidi Duckler>> Every site is unique. I mean, when we danced in the Cal Plaza in the fountain, it was ten thousand pounds of water that we had to deal with. We danced in the subway terminal building. It was full of rats. So you never know what you're going to come across. Vicki Curry>> Collage Dance Theatre uses a different site for each piece to explore new kinds of movement and performance. But along the way, Heidi Duckler also takes audiences on a tour of the vast range of locations across Los Angeles. Heidi Duckler>> Our work is very much about living in Los Angeles. I keep a mental file of places. The wonderful thing about living in Los Angeles is that it's so full of unexplored places and territories that it's, you know, a treasure chest of wonderful locations. We found that, as we started to go, we developed an audience that was interested in site work, the kind of an audience that didn't typically see dance. People respond to the work because it's not passive. There's something about it that's very engaging. As much as the location and the site is a character in the work, so is the audience. The audience is really very much a part of the work. It's not separated. There's no curtain that separates or divides the audience from the work, from the performers, so it's all integrated. Vicki Curry>> Collage Dance Theatre will continue to take audiences to new sites. But unlike other dance companies, when they leave behind an old space, they also leave behind the performance that happened there. For Heidi Duckler, that's what site specific art is all about. Heidi Duckler>> Dance is ephemeral and it just is. But a lot of things are ephemeral. Life is ephemeral. I think that people think a building is not necessarily ephemeral, that it's stable and there for a long time, but not necessarily so. Buildings are abandoned or they are re-envisioned or they're changed, so what we leave is this residue of feeling, of memory, when we're gone. That's what we leave behind. Val Zavala>> The Collage Dance Theater will be performing this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the REDCAT NOW festival downtown. You can go to their website for details at collagedancetheater.org. The performance is called "My Beowulf". And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. 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. With additional support for Life and Times from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Sponsored in part by:  | |
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