VOA – CONNECT EPISODE #163 AIR DATE 02 26 2021 TRANSCRIPT OPEN ((VO/NAT)) ((Banner)) Getting Out the Vaccines ((SOT)) ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) In Seldovia, they’ve been very lucky. With it being remote, there has only been a couple cases of COVID. So, we’re trying to really get everybody immunized and keep COVID out of the remote village. ((Animation Transition)) ((Banner)) Reclaiming Bread ((SOT)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) I want to bring healthy bread to neighborhoods, you know. That’s the big goal here for me. I discovered I have a passion for bread-making and a passion for bringing healthy food to people. ((Animation Transition)) ((Banner)) Finding Home ((SOT)) ((Darlene Elsmore, Austin Resident)) What I'm seeing now, a lot of the businesses have closed down. It’s kind of like a living ghost town. It seemed to slow down more when the young people left, so. ((Open Animation)) BLOCK A ((PKG)) A REMOTE VILLAGE GETS COVID VACCINE ((TRT: 10:54)) ((Topic Banner: Vaccinating in Remote)) ((Reporter/Camera: Gabrielle Weiss)) ((Map: Seldovia, Alaska)) ((Main Characters: 2 female)) ((Sub Characters: 3 male; 2 female)) ((NATS)) ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Hi, this is Deborah Coila from Seldovia Village Tribe and we're wondering if we're going to be flying out this morning to Seldovia? ((Voice from Telephone)) So, I have heard from my pilots and they say we are a go for the nine o'clock. ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Okay, all right. Bye. ((Voice from Telephone)) Bye. ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) All right, we're flying. It'll be a bumpy ride. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) It's a little breezy but I think it's doable. ((NATS)) ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) I’ll take this out. You can’t tilt it. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) I'm taking two different vaccines. The Pfizer one doesn't like to be tipped over so, we kind of reuse our boxes. So, we're actually doing first shots today for about 30 people and then we're doing second shots for about six people today. I don’t think this is going to fit in. ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) We're going to go to this beautiful little city called Seldovia. The only way to get to there is by airplane or boat. They're expecting, I think, seven-foot [2 m] waves this morning, so we will not be going on the boat. ((Locator: Homer)) ((NATS: Deborah Coila; Candace Kreger)) Four thirty. Yeah. Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day. It’s supposed to be clear and sunny. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) The first time we went over, we were really scared that if we shook it, it was going to damage the vaccine. So, I held it in my lap on the boat ride the whole way there. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Okay. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Some vials have 11 doses. So, we're trying to at least get an 11th dose out of one of our vials today, so we can give one more person a vaccine. ((NATS: Candace Kreger; Darrel Bakk)) ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) I need Band-Aids. I need alcohol pads and I need gloves yet. ((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical Assistant)) What size? ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) I don’t care. I’m not picky. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Alaska healthcare is totally different than anywhere else in the United States. Here in Alaska, we have a lot of remote villages. And so, Seldovia is one, and with it being remote and no access to anything but a clinic, there's only been just a couple cases of COVID here in Seldovia. So, we're trying to really get everybody immunized and keep COVID out of the remote village, because if somebody needs hospitalization, they have to get medevac’d [emergency evacuation of the sick or wounded] out of here, either by plane, by boat, whatever it takes to get them out of here. So, that's why we really want to get everybody covered with the vaccine here. ((NATS: Candace Kreger; Joseph Zapotosky)) ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Hi, Joe. ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) Hi, how are you? ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Good. You can have a seat. ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) I was wondering if you guys are going to get over here today. Pretty windy over there. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) I was a little worried about the wind but, ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) It was 28, gusting to 28. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) It was a little bumpy. ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) Yes, it was. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Not as bumpy as the boat ride would have been. There was no boats this morning. ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) I think this afternoon it’s supposed to lay down. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Yeah. ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) So, I think you guys are good this afternoon. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Oh, yeah. I think it’ll be fine. ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) You won't be staying overnight, will you? ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) No. Well, unless I can't get out of here, I might be. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened. So, we're going to do the Moderna vaccine today. One, two, three. ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) Well, what took you so long? ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) I know. ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) Yeah, I had a little reservation at first, you know, but now I'm okay with it. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) So, I am going to keep an eye on you for 15 minutes before you go, just to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction, okay? So, I have a chair out here for you. ((Joseph Zapotosky, Patient)) We told each one of our 12 grandkids that they could come up when they reached the age of 10 years old, except this year we had to cancel out and, you know, our 10-year-old granddaughter cried, you know, when she found out she couldn't come to Alaska and go fishing with us and what not, you know, and hopefully, we'll get this thing over, behind us. ((Marilyn Zapotosky, Patient)) You didn’t get my other shoe, and Darrel came, and Darrel came. My tennis shoe was in the back seat. And then Darrel gave us that paperwork and I started filling out that paperwork. Then he says, ‘Oh, I can take one of you.’ and I said, ‘Okay, I'll take it.’ Well, I can't fall on the ice. I got one cleat anyway. I called the clinic for another reason and then I said that, ‘Can we get on a list for the vaccine?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, we’ve already moved you over to the 65 and older.’ So, we didn't have no problem. ((NATS: Darrel Bakk; John Crawford)) ((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical Assistant)) All right, Norm. Have a seat in there. Take your shirt off. How’re you doing, John? ((John Crawford, Patient)) Doing good. I see. She’s got to keep an eye on you in case you fall over and roll around on the floor there. She’ll holler for help. ((John Crawford, Patient)) Yup. ((Darlene Crawford, Patient)) I wasn't going to get one at first. We haven't gone any place in a year, more than a year. We've been staying home. But eventually, I want to go to Anchorage, go to Costco. ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Here goes. ((Darlene Crawford, Patient)) Okay. ((Darlene Crawford, Patient)) You know, they're talking about giving you an inoculation card or something that you have to show. And in case that becomes a reality, it's to be able to do whatever I want to do. That's the only reason I got it, not because I'm afraid I'm going to get it. ((John Crawford, Patient)) I was called up, said they had some. So, I decided I’d get the vaccination. We’ve been getting them for 78 years, I guess. So, another one must be going to do some good, for someone. ((NATS: Edith (Sunni) Hilts; Rodney Hilts; Darrel Bakk)) ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) We’re here to get our vaccine. ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) We’re getting our vaccinations, yeah. ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) Can you sign that honey, right beside my name? ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) Just beside your name? ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) Beside my name. ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) But you didn’t leave me enough room. He’s the dog that has to go anyplace you go. ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) What are you doing? It’s not the easiest thing to do your paperwork in the car. ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) Especially not with that thing on your face. ((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical Assistant)) Hey, Rod. ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) How’re you doing? ((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical Assistant)) Good. ((NATS)) ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) Vaccination day. Thank you. My name is Sunni and I'm 82. We came here in 1970. We've raised seven children here, our first five and then two grandsons. And we love it here. ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) We graduated college in California and decided to go to Alaska for one year. So, but that was 50 years ago. I don't know what you say about that, but we're old Alaskans now. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) You can come in and have a seat. ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) I'm feeling good and I'm going to feel good. I know I'm not going to have any bad reaction or anything go wrong. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Which arm would we like to do today? ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) This one, and if you would do me a favor and count to three? ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Count to three? Okay. ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) I had too many children and I did it that way too long. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) That’s okay. Okay, one, two, three. Was it that bad? ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) No. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Okay. ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) I didn’t feel a thing. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Good. Would you like a sticker that says you got your vaccine today? ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) Sure. Thank you. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Alright. So, we'll get you a seat out here. ((Edith (Sunni) Hilts, Patient)) Okay, honey. It's your turn. ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) I don’t want to go in there. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) You can come in here and have a seat. ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) Okay. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) How do you feel? ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) How do I feel? ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) How do you feel? ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) Oh, I don’t know. I'm fine. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) You’re going to get in trouble. ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) I know. It’s my favorite thing to do. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Alright, then you are good to go and we will see you back in one month for your second shot, okay? ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) Okay. ((Darrel Bakk, Certified Medical Assistant)) See you, Rod. Have a good day. ((Rodney Hilts, Patient)) Okay. ((NATS)) ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) It's time to go home. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) We did 37 vaccines today in Seldovia. And then, we’ll be back in a month for second doses for those people. Weather permitting, we will be back in a month. ((NATS)) All right, Candy and Deb. ((Deborah Coila, Registered Nurse and Care Coordinator, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Yup. ((Candace Kreger, Licensed Practical Nurse, Seldovia Village Tribe)) Isn’t this how you normally go to work? ((NATS/MUSIC)) TEASE ((VO/NAT)) Coming up ((Banner)) Making Bread ((SOT)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) Some people would be like, “I want five loaves”, you know, and they would give it to their friends. This is my favorite part. I like to cut the middle and see how well the loaf turned out. All right. Let's see the big surprise. BREAK ONE BUMP IN ((ANIM)) BLOCK B ((PKG)) MICROBAKERY ((TRT: 04:08)) ((Topic Banner: For the Love of Bread)) ((Reporter/Camera/Editor: Genia Dulot)) ((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou)) ((Map: Los Angeles, California)) ((Main characters: 1 female)) ((Sub characters: 1 female; 1 male)) ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) This is one of the reasons I’ve started baking, was because I couldn't find any bread in the beginning of the quarantine. So, I was like where am I going to get fresh bread? And I don't like to buy the pre-packaged toast or anything like that. I like to have like fresh loaves. So, I was like, you know what? I'm going to try it out making it myself. ((NATS)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) Before the pandemic, I was working in production, mainly on, in the fashion industry. When the lockdown happened, production shut down completely. So, we were just at home. You know, I was very scared to go outside. I had suffered cancer a few years back. So, my immune system is more on the compromised side. ((NATS)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) So, I added the three types of flours to this, the natural yeast, the salt and then I combined it. Let it rest for a little while. So now, I'm going to do the stretch and fold, which is really important to give strength to the dough. And it gets heavier and heavier the more you roll it. ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) I guess when I actually taught myself how to make sourdough bread, I started to feel something. And this might be strange but like any time I would shape the dough, I was like, I really liked it. I was like, this is so much fun. I was super like, obsessed with the dough. And when the sourdough starter would grow, I would get really excited like, there was this real special connection. This dough is very high maintenance. Yeah, they're like my little babies. ((NATS)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) I was giving it away at first and then people were actually like texting me, “Do you have a bread? Do you have bread?” And then, they started to pay for it. So then, I would get actual orders. Like some people would be like, “I want five loaves”, you know, and they would give it to their friends. ((NATS)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) This is my favorite part. I like to cut the middle and see how well the loaf turned out. All right, let's see the big surprise. Yes. Yes. I work really hard to make, you know, the outside crispy, the moist and not too dense. ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) And then recently I started, for some customers, they were asking about like making just 100 percent rye (bread). And so, you try it. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Marie Soto, Djosefin’s Wife)) It’s such superfood. As long as I always get to eat bread, it'll be a family business. She made a point. She's like bread isn't supposed to, in America you buy a loaf of bread, it could be a month later and it's still exactly the same. And why does it have so many ingredients, you know? ((NATS)) ((Marie Soto, Djosefin’s Wife)) Oh, it smells so good. ((Will, Customer)) There's been a war on bread in America for the last couple of decades, where people blame it for all of their dietary ills. So, they've been cutting it out or making excuses or, I mean, I know there are people with gluten intolerances but everybody thinks they're gluten intolerant now. So, bread pays the price. ((NATS)) ((Djosefin Maurer-Soto, Baker)) I want to bring healthy bread to neighborhoods, you know. That's the big goal here for me. When I discovered I have a passion for bread-making and a passion for bringing healthy food to people, like I had so many people message me and say, “How come your bread is so well digestible like, how come I'm not bloated?” Like, I'm like well the reason is, I'm using simple ingredients and natural yeast. It's nutritious. It should be healthy. It's bread. ((NATS)) ((PKG)) THE GROWING POPULARITY OF BIKES IN THE AGE OF PANDEMIC ((TRT: 03:55)) ((Banner: Biking Boom)) ((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry)) ((Camera/Editor: Adam Greenbaum)) ((Map: Leesburg and Arlington, Virginia)) ((Main characters: 2 male)) ((NATS: Clear right, clear left!)) ((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities)) Riding today is fantastic. It's not too hot. The sun is in your face. You've got the wind blowing, but the smells, cut grass and rolling by a BBQ shop and smelling that or cookies. It’s crazy what you smell. ((NATS)) ((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities)) I started really young, oh my gosh, four years old or so. I used to ride to work. That was my transportation till I got a car, for years and years. ((NATS)) ((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities)) The thing about being in a car is, you disconnect yourself. You can't disconnect yourself on a bicycle in traffic, you can't. And you are no longer the top dog, and that's really important. I actually think that that feeling is important to help you, make you a better driver because you're more aware of what's around you in the world. ((NATS)) ((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities)) I love riding and I want to share that love. So, I founded Maverick Charities, to give back, to expand opportunity for other folks. We partnered with organizations who help incarcerated folks, who are coming out of incarceration, get back on their feet, and some of them can't have licenses. ((Courtesy: Maverick Charities INC.)) ((NATS)) ((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities)) We're about to donate 50 bikes to Loudoun County public schools. And that's our first run of 50. We plan on doing it frequently throughout the year, at least twice a year. ((NATS)) ((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities)) So, I think what COVID-19 meant to cycling was an opportunity. ((NATS)) ((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech University)) Bicycling in the United States has been increasing over the last decade or two in certain cities and places like ((Courtesy: Prof. Ralph Buehler)) Minneapolis, San Francisco, Portland, Washington D.C., ((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech University)) Bicycling has gotten an additional boost by a very unfortunate event which is the COVID crisis. Many people found themselves at home and in the need for physical activity and they were flocking to bikes, often for recreational purposes. ((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech University)) We have people who still go to work or have to make a trip but are not comfortable making it on a public transport anymore. And they are switching to the bicycle to make that trip. So, they are using the bike for a utilitarian trip purpose or as a substitute for public transport. ((Courtesy: Prof. Ralph Buehler)) ((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech University)) Many European countries have had higher cycling levels historically as the United States, but even from those levels now, they have made efforts for putting in bike lanes, putting in cycle tracks, doing intersection modifications to accommodate bicyclists. They’ve seen a big growth in cycling. ((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech University)) A big part of the population, according to research, between 50 and 60 percent, are not willing to ride with fast moving traffic and a lot of traffic in the streets. So, what they need are separate facilities. These can be bike lanes with just a stripe of paint on the road giving them their own space or cycle tracks. ((NATS)) ((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech University)) The more people ride their bikes, the more likely drivers know cyclists who ride their bikes, the more likely drivers are cyclists themselves. We are developing more of a traffic culture that's watching out for the other because the cyclist is not the unknown or the other, but it may be your friend or your work colleague and you can sort of relate to the people who are on bikes. And, I think, it’s changing the traffic culture. ((Ralph Buehler, Professor & Chair of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech University)) About 40 percent of all trips that are taken a day, are shorter than two miles. And so, a trip is from one place, from your home to work for example is a trip, from your work to grabbing lunch. These are very bikeable distances. There's a great potential, especially in cities, to move some of these trips away, away from cars. ((NATS)) ((Robert Bagnall, Biker; Founder, Maverick Charities)) The more the community rides, the more the community will enjoy riding together. In the end, it brings us closer together. That's what bicycles do. They enable the world and they bring us closer together. ((NATS)) TEASE ((VO/NAT)) Coming up ((Banner)) A Place of One’s Own ((SOT)) ((Darlene Elsmore, Austin resident)) I lived here a year before I even came out of my shell. Finally, my son's science teacher said, “It's time for you to get the hell out of this situation. Go to work, get in touch and get real.” BREAK TWO BUMP IN ((ANIM)) BLOCK C ((PKG)) CONNECT WITH – DARLENE ELSMORE ((TRT: 02:14)) ((Topic Banner: Connect with – Darlene Elsmore)) ((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martínez)) ((Locater: Austin, Nevada)) ((Main character: 1 female)) ((Sub character: 1 male)) ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((Darlene Elsmore, Austin resident)) My name is Darlene Elsmore. I'm currently residing in Austin, Nevada, and I wouldn't rather be anywhere else. People here are not very open to strangers. They just, it's hard for them, change. It’s very isolated. I just drove to Eureka, which is 67 miles [107 km.] or so to…. I just passed my background check, bought me “The Judge”. Love guns. I go out in the hills with my dog a lot and I don't like being unprotected because there are mountain lions. I came from Los Angeles. I grew up there. And my husband brought me to Reno, and I looked at him, I said, “Oh my God, where'd you bring me?” But my husband passed away and I had three small boys that were 11 to 13. And I moved here, and I was a single mom, widowed. I lived here a year before I even came out of my shell. Finally, my son's science teacher said, “It's time for you to get the hell out of this situation. Go to work, get in touch and get real.” I did. I worked the pub my first job. I ran the Lincoln Motel which is closed down. Someone else was running it because I left. I was there for seven years. I worked the International restaurant, the youth center. I did it all. And it was, kept me busy, I'll tell you, because if I didn't have that, I think I would have gone a little bit crazier than I am. I'm old but mighty. I left for five years. I came back because I have a boyfriend that's doing the geothermal and it was a chance for me to reconnect. And what I'm seeing now, a lot of the businesses have closed down. It’s kind of like a living ghost town. It seemed to slow down more when the young people left, so. But it's a good place to raise a puppy, a dog and a boyfriend. ((Darlene Elsmore’s Boyfriend)) Got a cigar? ((Darlene Elsmore, Austin Resident)) This is my hillbilly buddy. This is an awesome place to live if you know how to live the slow pace of this town. I've connected more here than I ever did anywhere else. ((NATS/MUSIC)) CLOSING ((ANIM)) voanews.com/connect BREAKTHREE BUMP IN ((ANIM)) SHOW ENDS