VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE #109 
AIR DATE 02 14, 2020 
TRANSCRIPT 

OPEN  ((VO/NAT)) 
((Banner))
Love and Ballots
((SOT))
((John Hunter, Inventor))
We made marriage great again, she happens to disagree with me totally on everything 
except one thing.  
((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner))
Healthy Food
((SOT))
((May Lee, Certified Organic Hmong Farmer and Mentor))
I like to work outside, I raised vegetables to feed my family and educate the kids, my 
grandchildren.   
((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner))
Playing with History
((SOT))
((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder)) 
You hear a lot about different inventions that were made, people in history, why they 
were so relevant, they learn different vocabulary words.   
((Open Animation))  
 
 
BLOCK A 
 
 
((PKG)) Love and Trump  
((Banner: Love and Ballots)) 
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot) 
((Map: Escondido, California)    
((Main characters: 1 female, 1 male))
((NATS))
((John Hunter, Inventor))
Hi. I’m John Hunter, I’m a conservative, I’m a Trump supporter, I think he’s done a great 
job, sure, he has a few character flaws in terms of his personality.  He makes fun of the 
wrong, I think, people sometimes, but otherwise the results are spectacular, so I support 
him fully.
((Laura Hunter, Retired School Teacher))
Hi, my name is Laura Hunter, I am a Mexican, I don’t like Trump character or policies in 
many ways. I’ve been in the States more than in Mexico, I have dual citizenship.
((John Hunter kissing Laura))
What about me? You ever asked me about me? Come here, my little guacamole.  
Location: on the way to the Mexican border
((John Hunter, Inventor))
I was a, I started the project called “Water Station” in 2000, and, we’re, we started 
putting water in the desert. Bill was Laura’s boyfriend at the time, I guess he read about 
me in some newspaper, and so, they came out to help me.
Location: in the desert near the Mexican border, 90 miles east of San Diego, CA
((Laura Hunter, Retired School Teacher))
When John got to start “Water Station”, I was one of the first volunteers. He started this 
project because in year 2000 there were 29 people, that died on this area. Since 
operation “Gatekeeper” it was very difficult for people to come across – they started 
going to more desolated areas. Usually we put a box with six gallons of water, and 
every two weeks we come and check out. And our main goal is to reduce the heat- 
related deaths in this area here.
Sometimes we were so tired, and we didn’t have enough people helping us, so John 
would say, “What of somebody dies?” And I said, “Well, you know, it’s just so much we 
can do, they have God also, we are not God to stop people from dying”.
LIVE Laura in the desert:
“I am not a spring chicken anymore!”
((John Hunter, Inventor))
We’d be working like slaves in the back of the pickup truck. She’d be throwing metal 
around, because we used to run 340 stations, sometimes by ourselves. But she would 
work alongside me, but she was not only strong and had a heart of a lion, but she was 
also very feminine, very rare combination in women.
So, that’s how I met Laura
((Laura Hunter, Retired School Teacher))
Be serious.
((John Hunter, Inventor))
We got rid of the boyfriend, and the rest is history. We flew to Vegas, we had a quick, 
really fantastic marriage.  It was, how does Trump doing it, honey? It was fantastic! It 
was fantastic marriage, and we made marriage great again!
Location: Escondido, CA
She happens to distribute me totally in everything, except for one thing.  We both like 
Mexico, even they hate me here in Mexico. I am only kidding.
But in my opinion Trump is killing it, and the people that the left is running right now are 
a clown show. It’s ridiculous, the do not represent middle class values whatsoever.
So I’m an average guy, I like people that work hard and try hard. And that represents 
more of the conservative thing that these guys just wants to get everyone a free pass. 
Who’s gonna pay for the free pass? The guys who work their asses off.
I like Trump for what he’s done for the economy and forget the immigration stuff, he’s no 
worse than Obama, except he is honest. Obama was dishonest about the immigration 
situation.
I started the water station project when all the lefties were afraid, I went and put water in 
the desert for the last 20 years. So, I’ve been a liberal since. But I also believe in being 
honest.
((Laura Hunter, Retired School Teacher))
How in the world somebody has the nerve to start accusing Mexicans of being rapists, 
of being criminals. You can make your point, but you don’t have to belittle, you don’t 
have to insult.
((John and Laura Hunter))
John, jokingly: Are you referring to me or Trump now?
Laura: Excuse me, I didn’t interrupt you, sweetheart, so it’s my turn. When you do that, I 
loose my chain of thought.
Location: Crossing the Mexican border at Tecate.
((Laura Hunter, Retired School Teacher))
How can you teach children to be respectful if the guy in the White House is a bully? 
This is such an issue on John and our marriage because I don’t like bullies.
Location: Tecate, Mexico
((Laura Hunter, Retired School Teacher))
And what I dislike about him the most is his lack of respect for women.
((John Hunter, Inventor))
I understand where she’s coming from.  I have to admit, he insulted a lot of nice women.
((Laura and John Hunter))
Laura: What would you do, if he insulted me? What would you do?
John: Honey, you know me, I punch people in the nose just for fun.
((Laura Hunter, Retired School Teacher))
We argue a lot about it, I have told people, “I’m not an extension of John, I am myself. 
And we argue, if he is watching Fox News, I just walk away.
((John and Laura Hunter))
John: For the last two years I turn on CNN, they’re bashing Trump, that’s all they do.  
We hate Trump, we hate Trump.
Laura: Don’t exaggerate, they don’t say, “We hate”. 
John: I’m paraphrasing. 
Laura: Be truthful.
John: Honey, this is my interview. She gives me 5 minutes, you got 25 minutes. 
Laura: Sweetheart, you are doing that “Trump” right now. You are doing a “Trump” but 
lying about it.
John: I get five minutes of something, right!
I’m a big fan of Trump’s. I’m going to vote for him three or four times if I could legally do 
it.
Laura: Well, guess what?! I’m going to block his vote!
Laughing.
Location: All-American Canal
((John Hunter, Inventor))
If I’d been born on that side of the border, I would be looking for a better life over here in 
the States too. It’s a tough situation.  You have beautiful countryside in Mexico, beautiful 
countryside here. But the systems are different.  A poor person in Mexico doesn’t have 
much of a chance in any upper mobility.
((Laura Hunter, Retired School Teacher))
We cannot change the politics or the situations on this countries where the people are 
coming from, but the only thing we can do is put water, and if it is in our hands, why 
not?

TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up….. 
((Banner)) 
Organic Farming 
((SOT)) 
((Carolina McCandless, Director or Operations and co-owner/Cielo Rojo))
One of the things that I love about the U.S. is that you can eat really good food from 
around the world in one place. And I feel like we’re sharing the beauty of one culture, 
especially a culture that’s recently being attacked. 
 
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BLOCK B  
 
PKG ((ORGANIC FOOD))  
((Banner: A Passion for Organic Foods)) 
((Executive Reporter:  Marsha James))
((Camera: Kaveh Rezaei) 
((Map: Minnesota, St. Paul))    
((Main characters: 1 Female))
((NATS))
((May Lee, Certified Organic Hmong Farmer and Mentor))
I can tell that organic produce it really help. People they don’t know what to eat and I 
really, really worry. (Ohh) I like to work outside. I raise vegetables to feed my family and 
educate the kids, my grandchildren. Cucumber  my favorite plant, but I don’t like to pick. 
Too hard to pick, too much to pick.
My name is May Lee, I’m a Hmong, I’m a farmer in Minnesota.
I’m a Hmong, nobody know much about my people because we’re a really small group. 
And so, we are from Laos. We are refugees to Thailand and so were refugees to 
America. We arrived in the United States in 1981. It’s really, really different. I don’t see 
animals around like chicken, pig, cow, and so it’s really, really different to me. I applied 
for a job with Minnesota Food Association, but they not hire me because I don’t have 
enough education. Instead, they let me farm over here, because they are training 
farmers who want to become organic. And I leased two-acres (.8 hectares) land and I 
plant bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes, grape tomatoes for the store.
Sometimes you really worry at home, then you come to the field, they make you feel 
good. Because soil have a, we what we call glacial and so we see, which area is good.  
I like searching for it. That made me happy that this area is good for vegetables, this 
one’s good for corn and this is good for potatoes. And so, I say to my kids that I am a 
master, I graduated my masters because I know so much in my mind. At the same time, 
I don’t know how to write it, and so I don’t have any record. It’s really, really bad 
because I just keep it in my brain and when I’m gone it’s gone with me too.
I never go school and when I arrived in the United States, I didn’t know how to write my 
name. I’m not shy at all; I need to go and talk to who speaks English.   I don’t care if my 
mouth open, bad or good, I learn from verbal, not from class.
My hours, my time, nobody controls me I control myself. And so that’s how I like farming 
over here. I also a mentor for the farmers here. Now I started working for them. It’s 
really fun and we have different people like, Latino, African American, Burma, Hmong, 
Laos all in here. This program really help me. I hope, in the future, the kids who want to 
learn it, and do the same thing what I like to do.
 
((PKG)) Food Bites   
((Banner: Connecting through Food)) 
((Reporter/Camera: Keith Lane) 
((Map: Takoma, MD))    
((Main characters: 1 Male, 1 Female 
((Sub characters: 1 Female))

((NATS)) 
((David Perez, Chef and co-owner/Cielo Rojo))
Since I was a kid I felt like [a] connection with food as it has been always there. Ever 
since I was born. You know my mother always, like, taking care of us.    Cooking the 
food that I grew up with and doing the things that I do makes me feel really proud. 
Make[s] me feel proud of the culture. Make[s] me feel proud of, like, my where I come 
from. Of my family. Of the people that I grew up around. 
Mexico and Mexican people and the culture has so much to offer than what we normally 
see or perceive.”
((Carolina McCandless, Director or Operations and co-owner/Cielo Rojo)) 
“Because of the amount of spices and different types of ingredients that are used in the 
cuisine it reminds me of like Thai food or Indian cuisine where it's just so expansive. 
Like there's so much you can do with it. And it's packed with flavor you know. And 
there's just like a rich tradition behind everything that’s made.  It's just, like, a never-
ending excitement or motivation to create something new because there's so much 
Mexican cuisine out there.”
((David Perez))
“The signature dish of the restaurant it’s Pozole. It has the corn.  We boil it with water. 
We let it cook slowly. We put dry oregano and salt.  And we let it cook. And then we 
also on the side we make salsa that goes on the actual broth. So it has guajillo chilis, 
garlic, onion. We grind the peppers and then we add it to the, to the pot. We also have 
some onions we are going to sauté. From there we’re going to let it cook. Let it continue 
to cook for a little longer and they we’re going to serve it. In my family actually, you 
know, every time we gather we make Pozole.”
((Rosemarie Clune, Customer))
“The food is all prepared here. Everything that they do here is just great. I know that it’s 
well prepared. Thoughtfully prepared. And authentically prepared. So, that does it for 
me.”
((Carolina McCandless))
“One of the things that I love about the US is that you can eat really good food from all 
around the world in one place. And I feel like we're doing that. We're sharing the beauty 
of one culture. Especially a culture that's recently being attacked. I think it kind of can 
change the mindset of some people. Like appreciation.”
((David Perez))
“That the food that we produce it's, it's done with love. It is done with care. It actually it 
brings you to think that you're in Mexico. I just want to help to preserve and continue to 
offer the Mexican heritage, which is the food that we do, it creates.  It creates a 
connection with people. And eat together next to somebody and being able to talk about 
the food and talk about the flavors. And it's a very easy conversation. And it doesn't 
have to be anything else. But just talk about the food and share a moment. It connects 
you with people in a very easy way.”

TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up….. 
((Banner)) 
Bikes and Beer 
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner, The Bike Lane ))
Cyclists are really really avid beer drinkers and they love coffee and it’s become like this 
community place to come hang out.  
 
 
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BLOCK C 
 
 
((PKG)) Educational Toys 
((Banner))
Teaching and Inspiring through Play 
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum)) 
((Map: Ashburn, VA))    
((Main characters: 1 female 
((Sub characters: 1 female ))

 ((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder))
It’s all about changing the narrative of black history, building leaders through the story of 
my ancestors.
 ((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder))
We produce educational toys where children can learn black history in a very fun and 
creative way. The focus really is to kind of see black history through a different lens 
instead of focusing on oppression and slavery. I don’t want that to be their first thought 
anymore. I want their first thought when people think of black history is to be resiliency 
and leadership.
((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder))
Bevy & Dave, I named Bevy after my daughter, Beverly, and I named Dave after my 
brother, David.
((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder))
The first toy I created is the History Makers Puzzle Block Set.  It was launched in 2016.

((NATS – Tiffney to Beverly: “We’re going to put the alphabet together and not 
repeat the same letters”))
It starts for age 3+. And so, with that one I didn’t want to continue the story of “A” is for 
Apple. On this History Makers Puzzle Block Set, it’s “A” for appreciation.
 
((NATS – Tiffney to Beverly: “Appre---ciation…Appreciation that’s right”))
And then when you turn the block, they’ll learn that it means to be thankful. So, it would 
be a word like leadership, strategy or it would be a historic figure or historic fact. “W” is 
for Maggi Walker where they get a chance to learn about her being the first female bank 
president. So, they get the opportunity to now experience the alphabet in a different 
way.
 
((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder)
The second toy, I wanted to focus on inventors. I put their faces on there purposely   
because I wanted people and children to see who created these remarkable things that 
we're all experiencing every day.
((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder))
Frederick Jones, he invented mobile refrigeration, because before him we didn’t have a 
way to safely transport food that was perishable. Norbert Rillieux, he invented 
automated sugar refining.  
 
((NATS – Dad: “Where does this one go? Does it go here?”))
 
((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder))
I want children of other ethnic groups to also learn through the lens of that story which 
I’m trying to share.
 
((NATS – Dad: “Can you put the refrigerated cold truck there?”))
 
((Carroll Martin- Child and Family Therapist))
For a child to play with different toys that represent their own culture, but other cultures 
is really important especially at an early age. That really creates more openness. It 
creates understanding. It creates more conversations for parents to have with their 
children about race and ethnicity.
((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder))
Currently, my educational toys are used in different preschools and elementary schools 
in different states.
 
((NATS – Brittany Simmons: “So what we need to do, we need to look around on 
each side and find. Can you guys find the letter on each side of these cubes”))
 
((Brittany Simmons-English Teacher))
My name is Brittany Simmons. I teach pre k-4 English at Sela public Charter School.
 
((NATS – Brittany Simmons: “So can you guys find the letter C?”))
 
((Brittany Simmons-English Teacher))
One of the games that we play is we use the multi-functional blocks.
((Brittany Simmons-English Teacher))
The more they see while they are putting them together, they see the different sides. 
And it provokes a lot of questions. So, we have a lot of discussions around what they 
see.
 
((NATS – Simmons: “Frederick M. Jones, let’s finish putting it together that 
means he invented something. He’s on this puzzle. That means he invented 
something”))
 They hear about different inventions that were made, people in history, why they are so 
relevant. They learn different vocabulary words. It’s definitely a conversation piece.
 
((NATS – Simmons: “So these men created all of the things you see here”))
 
((Tiffney Laing-Bevy& Dave Founder))
We just have to learn to appreciate to enjoy every part of the story that everybody 
brings. And that to me is how we make the world better. And I hope Bevy & Dave will be 
a part of that. I really do.
 

(PKG))  Bike and Brewery 
((Banner: Bikes and Beer)) 
((Reporter/Camera: Lisa Vohra) 
((Map: Reston, VA ))    
((Main characters: 1 Female 
((Sub characters: 2 Males))

((Nats))
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner, The Bike Lane ))
The Bike Lane, we are a full service bike shop. We service all bikes.  We have a full 
service department. We sell road bikes, mountain bikes, triathlon bikes, hydrobikes, e-
bikes, which is a new market. 
((Nats))
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner, The Bike Lane ))
Our mobile bike shop, we’re able to take appointments online for customers and so if 
they’re not able to get their bike into the shop for whatever reason, we can go to 
people's homes and service bikes. 
((Tom Sziede, Lead Mechanic, The Bike Lane))
So right now I'm going through a bicycle that a customer’s going to be using in an 
upcoming event and I’m going through to make sure that the bicycle is safe.  So I’m 
checking all of the bearings and both of the wheels just to make sure we’re not missing 
anything.  
((Nats))
((Todd Mader, Owner, The Bike Lane)) - No chyron
I think this bike would be perfect. 
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner,, The Bike Lane ))
Ten years ago I brought Todd a home brewing kit, like this really cheap kit for Father’s 
day or something. And he got into brewing beer at home and all of a sudden it became 
something that he just really fell in love with and had a passion for.  And so we were 
brewing a ton out of our house.  When we were thinking about bringing in, you know, 
different things into the bike shop to make us different and unique, was like, why don’t 
we just bring the brewery into the bike shop? 
((Nats))
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner,, The Bike Lane ))
We have a really small system, it’s a one barrel system.  We hired Blake who’s been 
amazing and awesome and he’s running the brewery. 
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager, The Bike Lane))
We’ll get this beer into the kegs and on draft so people can enjoy it. 
((Nats))
((Customer))
It’s easy drinking, yeah it’s a good one.
((Customer))
Delish, I mean look at that? 
((Customer))
This is my dear friend Caroline. We met in the parking lot, we both like to mountain bike 
and now we’re best friends, and we like beer.  Cheers.

((Courtesy - Joe Reiman Music))
 
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner,, The Bike Lane ))
Cyclists are really really avid beer drinkers and they love coffee.  And it’s become like 
this community place to come hang out. 
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner, The Bike Lane ))
We sponsor probably about 50 rides, events throughout the year. 
((Nats))
((Announcer))
We’re going to do our podiums in order of our podium schedule today.
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner, The Bike Lane ))
One of our favorite events is ‘Capital Cross Classic,’ it’s a cyclocross race over at Lake 
Fairfax Park.  
((Cyclist))
I mean it’s one of the most fun courses of the season.
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner, The Bike Lane ))
All the proceeds go back into Lake Fairfax park to go back into the building trails. 
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner, The Bike Lane ))
We have a lot of things we have to compete with in the world for ecommerce and 
Amazon and people, you know, want things really quickly and want everything right 
now.  So we’re not always, as a small business, able to provide that immediate service.  
So what we have to do is create a very customer service centric business. 
((Nats))
((Anne Mader, Co-Owner, The Bike Lane ))
People can come here and sit and relax and you know they meet her for their group 
rides, and they connect with each other.  Our philosophy is really creating lifetime 
cyclists. 
 
((Banner:  And Now, How to Make beer))
 
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager, The Bike Lane))
This is step one of the brew process, this is where we mill the grain.  You take these 
grain, these kernels of grain, and what we’re going to do is just crack them open.  
((Nats))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager, The Bike Lane))
All right, we’ve got our crushed grain and we’re ready to mash in. 
((Nats))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
The goal is to mash our grain for about an hour. 
((Nats))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
Instead of just letting the grain or the mash rather sit for an hour, we will recirculate it, 
because we are so small it just helps with our efficiency. 
((Banner:  In the meantime...))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
We’re going to check this beer for carbonation.  There’s a lot of technical ways of doing 
this, measuring the volume of CO2 to liquid.  But this is kind of the old school way, just 
pour it and look at it and check it out. 
((Nats))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
Right now we’re getting almost nothing, so this beer definitely needs at least a couple of 
more days to carb. 
((Banner:  What happens to the beer?))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
When I’m working, I usually spit it in the sink. 
((Nats))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
We’re just waiting for this sparge water to get up to 175 [80 Celsius]. 
((Nats))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
We’re running off the wort as we’re sparging on top of it .
((Banner:  One Hour Later))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
And basically that foam, those are proteins from the grain getting really hot, coagulating, 
rising to the top of the beer. 
((Nats))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
So, we are at the end of the boil now. We’re just going to do a much bigger whirlpool 
edition that really contributes to a lot of the flavor of the beer.  Get this guy spinning. 
((Nats))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
All right, now we’re measuring out hops, we’re going to add these to the boil. 
((Nats))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager,, The Bike Lane))
This process consists of getting this very hot wart, over to the fermenter, chilling it as 
fast as we can.  This heat exchanged, there’s cold water going one way and hot wort 
going the other way.  And basically that cold water is exchanging heat with that hot wort. 
Nats
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager, The Bike Lane))
This is the last process before we close the beer up and wait for fermentation. 
((Banner:  Two Weeks Later))
((Blake Ross, Brewery Manager, The Bike Lane))
 After the two to three weeks where the beer has fermented, been dry hopped, 
conditioned and eventually carbonated, the last process is packaging. We’ll get this 
beer into the kegs and on draft so people can enjoy it. 
  
CLOSING ((ANIM)) 
voanews.com/connect

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SHOW ENDS