VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE 37
AIR DATE 09 28 2018
FULL TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Dance a Little
((SOT))
Michael Jackson taught me how to dance. His soul told me before I came out of my mom’s womb, it was like, “this is your moves”.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Milling to Baking
((SOT))
It has so many things going on at once, like when you bite in, the crust is crispy but the inside has kind of, it has a bounce and a texture.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Habitat for Humanity
((SOT))
The reason that Rosalynn and I decided to do this was we were really looking for some way to utilize the fact that we had been President of the United States and we want to do something useful.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((Banner: What’s Old is New))
((PKG)) BEER MAKING
((Banner: Traditional Beer))
((Reporter: Sadie Witkowski))
((Camera: Steve Baragona))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Ashburn, Virginia))
((Banner: Beer is traditionally fermented by yeast found naturally in the environment))
((NATS))
((MELISSA HOFFMANN, QUALITY CONTROL, LOST RHINO BREWING CO.))
Back in the day, they didn't know why beer fermented. They thought it was god. It was like, “Oh, god is doing this. It’s making this miraculous thing.” They'd pop hops, water and malt and all the sudden, they have a fermented product. And it wasn’t until pasteurization and the airlock was invented that keeps out the dust and the microbes and the yeast that’s in the air, and when they were doing that, nothing was happening. So, they realized “Oh, it must be something in the air.”
((NATS))
((ALEX LYNCH, BARREL MASTER, LOST RHINO BREWING CO.))
The original beer was just from the air, whatever fell into it, whatever came. We were using sanitary practices but whatever happened to come into that, beer fermented it.
((Banner: After decades of using cultivated yeast, some US brewers are again using more natural yeast))
It's unique to us. It's unique to our region. It came out pretty well and it had some characteristics that we didn’t have elsewhere in our brewery.
((MELISSA HOFFMANN, QUALITY CONTROL, LOST RHINO BREWING CO.))
It was harvested from the parking lot and put into the barrel and we didn't take it out for two years. So, it kind of sat there. We didn't know what was going to happen. Just something grew from the parking lot. We popped the yeast in and it spontaneously fermented. So, then we took the, we called it a puncheon. We took that and we added two different other barrels and blended it.
((ALEX LYNCH, BARREL MASTER, LOST RHINO BREWING CO.))
These beers take up to three years to mature. So that's just so much time and so much raw ingredients just sitting on a shelf or in a barrel. So, I think people were very meticulous in trying to emulate exactly what these traditional producers in Europe were doing. And I think for the most part, they’ve been largely successful. And what’s fascinating is these beers are sort of the reverse of what everything you’re supposed to do in a brewing tradition.
((MELISSA HOFFMANN, QUALITY CONTROL, LOST RHINO BREWING CO.))
No matter what you add into your beer, your wort might be the most best tasting thing. If you put a certain type of yeast in there or your yeast isn’t healthy, you’re going to get terrible off flavors. If you get anything in there that’s, you know, wild, it can create secondary fermentation which we’ve seen in house, and that happens. We’ve had cans go through secondary fermentation and they explode. So, you can’t get hurt by anything. So, it definitely is the unsung hero of the beer industry that people don’t really realize.
((PKG)) BREAD MAKING
((Banner: Traditional Bread))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Mike Burke))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((NATS))
((JONATHAN BETHONY, BAKER & CO-OWNER, SEYLOU))
I really like the freshness that milling your own grains brings to the aroma and the flavor of the bread. I also am very particular on how the flour is milled. It’s an art onto itself. It’s very ambitious to be a miller and a baker at the same time, and it’s very difficult. But, I also know exactly what kind of flour I want to use, so when I’m milling, I am able to control that in a way that is currently better than I can source.
((NATS))
((SAM FROMARTZ, FOOD WRITER & CRITIC))
So, Jonathan is, in a sense, is adjusting to each batch of grain that he mills. One type of flour from a particular grain might ferment really quickly. Another may take much longer, you know. One might be really appropriate for, say, you know, a baguette like this, and another type of flour might not be appropriate for that. So, he's kind of mixing and matching and playing with his ingredients. So, it adds another layer to the process.
((NATS))
((JONATHAN BETHONY, BAKER & CO-OWNER, SEYLOU))
We use about 20 different varieties of grains. We use several varieties of wheat alone. So, within the wheat family, you have, you have hard wheat, soft wheat, white wheat, red wheat.
((NATS))
((SAM FROMARTZ, FOOD WRITER & CRITIC))
It’s a very challenging craft. So, it’s not as if you can open up, you know, a bakery and go into business. You really have to learn the craft and it takes a lot of time to master. That’s why there were bread baker guilds in the old days where people would train as apprentices, because it’s a craft that needs to be learned.
((NATS))
((JESSICA AZEEZ, CO-OWNER, SEYLOU))
It's a very rewarding opportunity for me to get to meet all kinds of great people walking in through the door and working with our staff, and working with the farmers that we work with on a regular basis.
((NOONI REATIG, CUSTOMER, SEYLOU))
It has so many things going on at once, like especially the bread. When you bite in, the crust is crispy but the inside has kind of, it has a bounce and a texture.
((JONATHAN BETHONY, BAKER & CO-OWNER, SEYLOU))
I actually would love it if people came and got to feel that excitement, and at the same time, get something that’s very nourishing for them.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Urban Gardening
((SOT))
I feel secure. I feel this is like a sanctuary and it’s a calming slow place in a fast paced city.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((Banner: What they do in their free time))
((PKG)) TYLER LYNCH – DANCER
((Banner: A Little Boogie on the Side))
((Reporter/Camera: Daniel Brown))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((NATS))
((TYLER LYNCH, DANCER/CO-FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, TOTL))
My name is Tyler Lynch and I’m from Bowie, Maryland and I’m a videographer, artist all around if you want to call it that. I have started my own social media company called, The only Timeline, “TOTL”. And I pretty much handle the visual marketing for our company and for brands and individuals that use social media. I work with brands such as Serena Williams, Reebok, BMW, Troop, Wonder, and a bunch of others and individuals as well. And on the side, also I’m a dancer. I do Hip Hop, Popping, Krumping, all around just breakdancing in general, beakdancing definitely and now it’s pretty much my own style. I don’t know what to call it, but just call it “All styles”.
((NATS))
((TYLER LYNCH, DANCER/CO-FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, TOTL))
The enjoyment I get out of dance is inspiring others and inspiring myself. I feel like it’s a blessing actually at the same time, and every day that I do it, I feel like I am bringing more joy and more peace to the world.
What has dance taught me? It has taught me to be disciplined. It has taught me to be a leader and it has also taught me to inspire others and myself to actually go through their passions and their opportunities and really do what they love to do, like I love dancing.
((NATS))
((TYLER LYNCH, DANCER/CO-FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, TOTL))
Michael Jackson taught me how to dance. His soul told me before I came out of my mom’s womb, it was like, “this is your moves”, and I got that, but I shout out to Mr. Lynch (Dad). At the end of the day, he taught me what to do. Pretty much all of my teachings are from him.
((NATS))
((TYLER LYNCH, DANCER/CO-FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, TOTL))
There is always going to be a connection with me and dance, even when I get older. It’s in my blood. It’s definitely something I can’t get out of my system and I don’t think it’s ever going to leave me.
What keeps me going as a dancer is god, my family, my friends, myself pretty much. Waking up every day to just being able to dance, like a lot of people don’t have that opportunity to do that. So, it’s my responsibility as a person in this universe to show people what I can do and offer.
((NATS))
((PKG)) COMMUNITY GARDEN
((Banner: Nurturing Plants, Nurturing Self))
((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martinez))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((NATS))
((JOEY WU, VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
This is the Spring Street Community Garden. It’s meant for the community of downtown L.A. for people to come here and enjoy gardening.
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
It’s a little sliver of land. You could probably miss it if you drove by, but very bountiful and beautiful now that all of the green space is here. It was barren. It had rocks and that was it.
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
I come here probably every other day, during the week, after work. I feel secure. I feel this is like a sanctuary and it’s a calming slow place in a fast paced city.
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
You know, even with the cars moving by, I am kind of in a zone. When I am here, I’m like really trying to get in tune with nature and caring about what I am doing. It just relaxes me to the point where I don’t feel like I am in the middle of the city.
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
My work environment and this environment are completely opposites. I would say that my work environment is high stress, high maintenance, not so beautiful on the eyes. I work for non-profit organizations that assist the homeless or formerly homeless here on Skid Row.
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
How are you doing, Wendell? I just came to get some resources from you, to talk about what is available in the community.
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
It’s very stressful. There is different interactions happening daily, sometimes violence. Just in general a lot of paperwork. So, at the end of the day, I’m pretty exhausted.
((NATS))
Mercedes: And how do you know when this is ready to harvest.
Gardener: After it flowers.
Mercedes: When it makes the flower?
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
This environment is completely relaxing, very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, absolutely opposites and it’s helpful to have those two opposites, you know. I love helping people and I love gardening and they give me the two things that I need.
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
I think there is definitely a lack of green spaces in the city areas. Parks are needed. All green spaces are needed, especially gardening, just because of all the health benefits. You know, healthy eating, exercise. It lowers the risk of dementia in people over 60 years old. There’s been studies done on that. The socialization that happens, it’s probably the only other time some elderly people can socialize. It creates community.
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
Hi there! Are you coming in? Would you like to visit? Sure, ok, come on in.
Hi Adam, I’m Mercedes. Joey can speak to that, how it works here.
((JOEY WU, VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
Right now, there are 36 garden beds here setup. Each family gets to operate one bed. They get to manage their own bed, plant whatever they want to: vegetables, fruits, herbs, whatever it is.
((NATS))
(((JOEY WU, VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
Definitely a good place to socialize and because I work freelance, I don’t get to have co-workers, and so being here at least I get to hang out with some of my fellow gardener friends, you know.
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
Coming up this weekend, we’ll be having our annual harvest party and I harvested the remaining tomatoes from this plant, some chili peppers that were on this plant and I’m going to make salsa with the garlic that I planted earlier this year and the onions from this year.
((NATS))
((GARDENER))
I want to welcome everybody to our harvest feast, another fabulous meal that we cooked together.
((GARDENER))
We had so many tomatoes this year. It was kind of crazy. I had bowls and bowls of tomatoes in my kitchen.
((GARDENER))
I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to grow this fall.
((GARDENER))
I think I have strawberries in there, jalapeños or serranos. I want to do lots of herbs.
((GARDENER))
I brought the donuts, the only unhealthy food. I’m bed 32, which is empty.
((GARDENER))
I’m new. Today is my official day.
((GARDENER))
So that’s three weeks. So, you can do anywhere from two days to 30 days, and the longer it goes, the more vinegary it will get.
((NATS))
((MERCEDES CRAWFORD, GARDENER, SPRING STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN))
Plants are slow when they grow and so you literally have to slow down to their level. You are not going to rush it to grow. You can’t say, ok plant, it’s time to grow. It’s not going to grow. So you need patience which then makes you calm down because you need to tend to it and you need to relax more.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Cleaning up
((SOT))
It's just been chaos over the past few days, and I wanted to help for those who have lost so much. That’s what the community is. It’s just about caring for each other, helping, being out, without a helping hand.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((Banner: Helping Hands))
((PKG)) CLEANING UP / NORTH CAROLINA RECOVERY
((Banner: Cleaning Up))
((Reporter: Katherine Gypson))
((Camera: Mike Burke))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: New Bern, North Carolina))
((Banner: Following Hurricane Florence, residents of the hard hit coastal town of New Bern, North Carolina rallied together to clean up from the storm))
((NATS))
((CAMILLA WHEELER, OWNER, NAUTICAL WHEELERS))
We think that we had four to five feet of water, pretty much four feet of water, and then with the rushing of the water, it got some of our merchandise up to five feet.
((NATS))
((LUCAS JORDAN, VOLUNTEER))
It's just been chaos over the past few days, and I wanted to help for those who have lost so much. That’s what the community is. It’s just about caring for each other, helping, being out, without a helping hand.
((REPORTER))
So, tell me. You opened the front door here. What did you see?
((CAMILLA WHEELER, OWNER, NAUTICAL WHEELERS))
About two inches of mud, and all the merchandise in the floor. That white table over there was turned over, as were all those fixtures out there. Quite a few of us just cried because there’s a lot of work in retail, in setting up and presenting your merchandise, and, you know, running the tags that you put on. A lot of people don’t really think of that side of it but there’s a lot to do, and so there was a lot of hard work that, you know, went into this.
((NATS))
((BEN CHAPMAN, VOLUNTEER))
They're friends, they're of the neighborhood, of my community, and I'm just here to help.
((NATS))
((REPORTER))
What’s going to happen to the business now? Are you staying, leaving?
((CAMILLA WHEELER, OWNER, NAUTICAL WHEELERS))
Oh no, we’re going to rebuild. We’ll start as soon as we can start getting the walls back. And, we’ll, because I don’t know how fast we’ll get back in business, but we would like to be, very quickly, be back, yeah.
((NATS))
((PKG)) CARTER / HABITAT FOR HUMANITY 2018
((Banner: Helping Hands))
((Reporter/Camera: Kane Farabaugh))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Mishawaka, Indiana))
((NATS))
((GARTH BROOKS, SINGER/SONGWRITER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
That sound you’re hearing right there man, that’s love. These homeowners, you get next to them, whew! That’s good right there.
((NATS))
((ERICKA SANTIESTEPAN, NEW HOMEOWNER))
I couldn’t believe it, that they had chose my house. I usually don’t ever win anything and today I’m winning it all. So, I’m building a house. I’ve got these amazing people to help me, Garth Brooks and Trisha are on my house and I want them to sign the inside of my walls.
((TRISHA YEARWOOD, SINGER/SONGWRITER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
Homeowners put in 250 hours of sweat equity. It’s a hand up, not a hand out.
((ERICKA SANTIESTEPAN, NEW HOMEOWNER))
There’s a lot of hours that you have to put in, but you gain so much from it. You learn so much, how to maintain your house. But you do have to, I have to buy the house, but I’m getting so much more with it with these hours. So it’s more of a treat.
((PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
The reason that Rosalynn and I decided to do this was when we left the White House, we were really looking for some way to utilize the fact that we had been President of the United States, the great nation, the greatest nation in the world, and we want to do something useful, and also we’re both Christians and we want to do something that was compatible with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
It’s very difficult to break down the barrier that exists between well off people and very poor people. And we found that Habitat for Humanity is the easiest and most natural way to break down that barrier because we have now two-thousand people in this project. All of them are fairly affluent. They’re able to pay their way here and even pay half of a small fee to work here with us. And, of course, the homes are being built for homeowners that have never had a decent home in their lives perhaps, and are now moving in, going to move into the first home of all.
((JONATHAN RECKFORD, CEO, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
And the myth is the President and Mrs. Carter started Habitat. That is actually widely known but not correct. But what is true is when the Carters got involved, worldwide lifetime-to-date Habitat had helped 758 families. Since they got involved, we’ve been able to partner with 13.2 million people to have new, rehabbed or repaired homes, and right now, we’re at a pace that we’re partnering with a family somewhere in the world every 50 seconds, and there’s really no one that has had more to do with that, in terms of building the reputation of Habitat than President and Mrs. Carter.
((NATS))
((SUZANNE TAYLOR, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
And he said once that he’s going to do as much as he can with as much as he can for as long as he can because his faith demands it, and I think it’s a lesson to all of us to maybe get off the couch a couple more times and go do something to make the world a better place.
((ROSALYNN CARTER, FORMER FIRST LADY))
Personally it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to help somebody else have a better life. So many people want to do something good and don’t know how, how to start and Habitat is the perfect place for that.
((PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
Every human being probably would like some excitement in their life, some challenge in their life, some particular thing for which they are grateful in the future, some obstacle to overcome, something of which they could be proud. And Habitat answers all those questions for me.
((ERICKA SANTIESTEPAN, NEW HOMEOWNER))
He just sounds like an awesome man and he’s done so much for so many people and now I’m one of them.
((TRISHA YEARWOOD, SINGER/SONGWRITER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
I think they motivate us on a daily basis in our lives. You know, they’re the kind of the poster children for how you should be, how you should live your life, how your marriage should be, the way you should give back, humanitarianism, they just get it and I think they’re such shining examples of everything good.
((ERICKA SANTIESTEPAN, NEW HOMEOWNER))
Every time I think about it I just want to cry just because without them I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t have this. I wouldn’t know where I would be next year. So, I’m so grateful right from the bottom of my heart.
((PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, VOLUNTEER, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY))
Just to see the expression on their face, they start crying first, and then I’ll start crying right behind them. So, it’s a matter of deep emotion for me on occasion and I’m already kind of emotional about this project as you can probably tell.
((NATS))
NEXT WEEK
((Banner))
Reflection over tea
((SOT))
The Tea Project is an ongoing project in collaboration with Amber Ginsburg. I originally begun the project in 2009 on a return trip to Iraq in order to share all the generosity despite, and to create a space for people to sit, sip tea, and reflect about living in a constant state of war.
CLOSING ((ANIM))
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BREAK THREE
SHOW ENDS
