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The AIH Transcript for August 21 2020

Hosts: Helen Mann and Talia Schlanger

HELEN MANN: Hello, I'm Helen Mann, sitting in for Carol Off.

TALIA SCHLANGER: Good evening, I’m Talia Schlanger, sitting in for Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

Prologue

TS: Tonight:

HM: Nowhere to run. Wildfires are engulfing California, and a woman who lives on a farm is worried about her animals and her property. But she tells us she's even more worried about her dad — who is stuck in a prison cell.

TS: Second opinion. At first, Russian doctors insisted it wasn't safe to fly opposition Leader Alexei Navalny — who is suspected of being poisoned — out of the country. So a group of German activists sent their own doctors to see him.

HM: A cry for help. When a New Mexico hiker hears an unexpected voice calling out from deep in the forest, he follows the sound. And he'll explain why it's a good thing he did.

TS: Fallen giant. Dozer — the spectacularly tall bovine who captured our hearts back in 2018 — has died. We'll check in with the grieving caretaker of this six-foot-five Manitoba wonder to share his memories about how Dozer shot up to fame.

HM: You're safe! A Canadian independent baseball league is back in action. For one game only. Our guest explains why the London Majors got a special OK to pause its pandemic shutdown to stretch a streak — not for the team, but for the ballpark.

TS: And... Grin and bear it. And Oakland baseball fan is still smiling after taking a foul ball to the face. That's because he's a great big teddy bear.

TS: As It Happens, radio that roots for good sports everywhere.

Part one: California wildfires prison, New Mexico hiker rescue, Doxzer dies

California wildfires prison

Guest: Kirsten Roehler

TS: California is burning. There are hundreds of fires burning across the state. And they've already taken the lives of at least six people. Thousands more have fled their homes to safety. But Kirsten Roehler's father doesn't have the option to flee. He's in a state prison in Lancaster, in L.A. County, near a wildfire. Meanwhile, Ms. Roehler is dealing with the threat of fire near her own home, on a farm in Soquel, California about five hours away from the prison. That's where we reached her.

HM: Ms. Roehler, first of all, what is it like around you right now? What are you seeing?

KRISTEN ROEHLER: I'm in my bedroom. But when I look out my window, it's very smokey, with a little bit of ash raining down.

HM: And what's it like to breathe? What are you smelling?

KR: I have all the windows closed and the doors closed. So I'm indoors and I'm not smelling anything. But as soon as I go outside, it's very smokey. I think I just looked at the air quality index, and it's definitely unhealthy and it's in the hundred range.

HM: And how do you cope with all this? How are you dealing with it?

KR: You know, this all started Saturday with a freak lightning storm that set almost 400 fires across the state of California, which is very unusual weather for us. I mean, I'm kind of taking it day-by-day. It's just amazing that we're dealing with this on top of the pandemic. Juggling a lot of things right now and also concerned about if I were to have to evacuate. I live on a farm, and we have a lot of animals that we would have to get out.

HM: So on top of all of this, you have to worry about your father — who is in prison. Tell me about that?

KR: Right. I mean, that is a daily burden and worry anyway. [chuckling] And then you pile the pandemic on that as well as the fires. And yeah, I'm I mean, I'm worried for his safety, mainly because of the pandemic. But, you know, now the fire on top of that.

HM: How does he describe the fire conditions and how they're affecting him?

KR: Well [clears throat], you know, he's only mentioned it once in a letter last week saying that he could smell the smoke and see the smoke out his window. But other than that, he talked to my sisters this week, and he didn't mention it. But I also think that he is probably trying not to worry us. But I mean, he did say that he could smell the smoke in his cell and that he shut his air vent and also put on a mask. But he's 78, and he has COPD and a heart arrhythmia and asthma already. So, you know, we're extremely worried about his health and safety because of the coronavirus and the cases that have been in the prisons. And, you know, this is just another thing on top of that.

HM: Um-hmm. What do you know about what the prisons and prison management is doing to try to keep inmates safe, I guess, at this point from both the fires and Colvard?

KR: Yeah, I actually have no idea what they're doing in terms of the fires. And then as far COVID, I mean, I know this is a new situation for all of us, but I just feel like the way that they handled it was a disaster. My dad's prison had the first case of the virus in California. And, you know, it has spread since there. And I have heard about staff members not wearing masks after they've been in buildings that had a high infection rate. So. it's really disconcerting because my dad is a really increased risk of dying if he were to get the virus.

HM: I'm reading that a spokesperson for the Lancaster Prison told The Guardian newspaper that they were encouraging inmates who have vulnerabilities, healthcare issues to refrain from physical activity and to remain indoors. What do you think of that?

KR: Well, I know for my dad that he's choosing not to go outside because they're letting 200 inmates out at a time. And, you know, there's a pandemic going on. So he's essentially spending 22 to 24 hours in his cell. I would want to hear more what they're doing about the air quality in the prison, like as far as ventilation and filters and air conditioning. I think saying that they're limiting people from going outside is not enough.

HM: I know California released some prisoners early as a result of the COVID fears. There's some pressure on the government there to do more of that. What do you think?

KR: Oh, well, I have a lot of opinions about that. Governor Newsom is currently doing that. But in terms of my father, he is not letting out inmates who have an LWOP sentence, which is life without parole. So he does have a list of medically-vulnerable inmates that he's letting out. But my father is not one of them. And I think he needs to reconsider that. Also, my father has applied for clemency from the governor. There's a myriad of reasons why he should. My father is 78. He’s served 40 years. He's maintained his innocence this whole time. And he's not a threat to society. He has immediate housing and transportation. So I feel like if they can't take care of him and be responsible for him, like let him out, and our family will.

HM: Well, are you willing to tell us why your dad is in prison?

KR: Yes. He was falsely convicted of murdering my stepmother and stepbrother. But it was a boating accident that they were killed in. And my whole family loves and supports my dad, to this day, and has supported him since his arrest.

HM: Can you see a point where you may be forced to evacuate where you are?

KR: Yes, that's definitely a possibility. The city and county has actually started an evacuation centre across the street from me. So I'm feeling a little hopeful that they think we're in a safe spot, but I've definitely started making lists and piles and doing some preliminary packing. But my main concern is us being able to get all the animals out.

HM: Well, you have a lot on your mind, thank you for taking time to talk with us. And I hope you stay safe.

KR: Thank you. I appreciate your time.

HM: All right. Goodbye.

KR: Bye.

TS: We reached Kirsten Roehler in Soquel, California. Wildfire season has also started in British Columbia. With more than 80 fires burning across the province, including three near Penticton, some in the Okanagan region have been told it's time to get out. And Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki says those in town should be prepared.

JOHN VASSILAKI: Should the winds change, and should the fire across into our city limits, we must work together. Today, we are seeing our own city fire trucks, along with fire trucks and crews from throughout the region, arriving to help protect Penticton homes. Now is not the time for looky-loos to be out in the community or stopping their cars to look at the fire. I also want to take a moment to thank the hundreds and hundreds of citizens in evacuation areas who took up our request yesterday to pre-register with emergency support, services. You have taken an important step in preparing should an evacuation be required. Penticton, please be prepared. Please stay safe. And please look out for your neighbours.

TS: Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki on the wildfires near his town in B.C.

[Music: Jazz]

New Mexico hiker rescue

Guest: John Utsey

TS: Last weekend, John Utsey was hiking with his kids on a rugged trail near Santa Fe, New Mexico. He lost sight of his 12-year-old daughter. When he called for her, she replied, but then another voice called out too. From somewhere way off the trail. So they followed the sound. And after searching and hiking down a steep slope, they found a hiker — in bad shape. The Santa Fe Fire Department says the man had been lost for 14 days. We reached John Utsey in Santa Fe.

HM: Mr. Utsey, when you came across this hiker, what kind of shape was he in?

JOHN UTSEY: He was laying on the ground. He had one coat wrapped around his legs, another coat kind of wrapped around him. He was very delirious. Hard for him to answer questions. Like he would kind of squint his eyes real hard, like he was thinking. He was, you know, a little sunburned, a big scruffy beard and, you know, cheeks were really gone.

HM: What were you able to discern from what he was telling you?

JU: That he had been there a long time. His legs didn't work. You know, I was trained in wilderness first aid. And so I was all prepared to help somebody out, bandage him, whatever. And he didn't have any noticeable injuries. And I asked him, you know, what's wrong? And he said, my legs don't work. And I said, you know what happened? And he said, I think I fell. And it turned out he had bad vertebrae in his back to start with. And while he was out there hiking, he had fallen.

HM: What did you do in that moment?

JU: I looked at him, and I'm like, you know, I can't get you back up that slope by myself. But what I can do is get your G.P.S. coordinates on my phone here. I have a cool app I use for elk hunting. And I said I've got your coordinates. I'm going to go get you help. You know, we opened up our bag. We had a bag of trail mix left. My son had a Powerade in his bag, and he gave it to him. And we gave him some water, and we said, you know, we'll go up and call the rescuers, and send them your way. So it took us about two-and-a-half hours to get back to the trailhead from where we were. And I called 9-1-1, and then they sent the firefighters out. And when I dispatched the G.P.S. coordinates, then when the firefighters were on scene, they arrived in our firefighting gear. They had to drive all the way from Santa Fe up to the Santa Fe ski area. So it took them about 40 minutes to get up there. And then they were, you know, they were all putting on their hiking boots and getting ready to go off into the woods. And I gave them the G.P.S. coordinates, and we spent about five minutes like I really described the area. And they seemed pretty confident that they'd be able to get him, and they knew exactly where I was talking about. So I went ahead, and after they went up the hill, I went home, and it was getting close to sunset at that point. And they called me. A couple hours later, the firefighters in the field radioed back to dispatch. And dispatch, called back to me and, you know, they were asking questions about where this guy was. And I assumed they were standing on the G.P.S. coordinates I gave them, and he wasn't there. And I'm like, I don't know. He was there at 3:00. He said he couldn't walk. I didn't see any visible injuries. But he was laying on the ground and, you know, he'd crawled over to the side of the creek so he could get water out of the creek. They said, well, he's not here. You know, we've looked for hours and hours. And I'm like, I can't imagine, like, maybe he got food and water and got up and walked out. But I just can't imagine. This guy was in horrible shape, and he said he couldn't walk. So they looked for a few more hours, and they decided that you know, he either must have fell further or somebody else got him, or you know, he just wasn't there.

HM: So what went through your mind at that point, and I guess the next day?

JU: You know, I thought it was strange. Sunday morning, I woke up, and I was talking to my kids. And, you know, they were exhausted. We'd done 14-and-a-half miles a day before. And, you know, they didn't want to go back. But I had to go back and check. So I got up and ate a bunch of ibuprofen and grabbed my pack, and went back up there. And I didn't expect to find him. So all I took was beef jerky and water. You know, if I'd have thought he was still there, I'd have taken blankets and extra food. And I'm a ham radio operator. I had my little handheld ham radio, but I'm like, no, I'll be in and out in a couple hours. And I just want to go see what happened. I want to go stand there and make sure he's gone. And I got back there, and you know walked right back up, and he was exactly in the same spot he was.

HM: Wow!

JU: It was about 11:00, and I called out to him a couple of times. And he rolled over and looked at me, and I said hey, did you hear the firefighters? And he said, no. And I said they said they were hollering and yelling and walking all over the forest up and down the creek. And he said no, I didn't hear anything at all. I don't know if he was unconscious when they were there or what had happened. But I got within 20 feet and hollered to wake him up. And then, as he woke up. I approached- him and I said, I'm so sorry. Like, I gave him beef jerky and another bottle of water. And I said I will come back with the rescuers this time, like, you know? But when I was laying there Sunday morning, I was just thinking; I'm the only guy that knows exactly where he was. [HM hums in understanding] And so I want to go stand on that spot and make sure that he’s not still there, still waiting.

HM: How did you then ensure that the rescuers were able to find him?

JU: So the firefighters came up, and I walked the first two firefighters all the way down. And they radioed back, and they sent up another group of firefighters. So I walked back up and got them and brought them down. By then, the first two guys had, you know, got all the vitals. They moved him away from the creek, built a fire. They were bringing his core temperature up. I guess he was super, super cold. So they warmed him up. So I got back with the other firefighters, by then, they had him, you know, coming back around. He was much more lucid than I'd ever seen them.

HM: Did you ever learn why the firefighters didn't find him the first day?

JU: No. I mean, it's really, really rugged country. So it's, you know, I heard one of the firefighters describe it as a needle in a haystack. And it really, really is. I mean, it's really rough country.

HM: What do you know about how he's doing now?

JU: I don't know. So they took him to the hospital. The hospital hasn't — or won't — release any details about him. And I know a couple of other media outlets, the local paper reached out to try to talk to him and they haven't heard anything back. I assume he's recovering. You know, the guy went through a lot. So, you know, I'm hoping I'll hear from him.

HM: How much do you think about what would have happened if you hadn't found him and you hadn't gone back?

JU: Every day, I'm like, wow, I bet that guy would not have made it.

HM: Well, Mr. Utsey, it's an incredible story. You’re a guardian angel in this case, I suppose. [chuckling] Thank you for sharing the story with us.

JU: I'm just glad I was in the right place to help at the right time.

HM: I think everybody who hears this story would feel the same way. Thank you again.

JU: You're welcome.

HM: Bye-bye.

TS: We reached John Utsey in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We've posted some photos from the rescue on our website. cbc.ca/aih.

TS: Brayden Harrington on meeting Joe Biden this year during an election campaign stop Mr. Biden has talked about trying to hide his stutter as an adult — but that led to stumbling in speeches. Critics have questioned his mental fitness, and whether his stutter is an excuse for some headline-making verbal gaffes. But John Hendrickson can empathize. The editor with The Atlantic magazine met Joe Biden last year to talk about his stutter — something Mr. Hendrickson also suffers from. From our archives, Mr. Hendrickson speaking with Carol in 2019.

TS: From our archives, Carol speaking with John Hendrickson last November. Mr. Hendrickson is the senior politics editor with the Atlantic.

[Music: Piano]

Dozer dies

Guest: Karl Schoenrock

TS: At the Kismet Creek Farm in Steinbach, Manitoba, there are goats, pigs, horses, sheep — but one farm animal towers over them all. His name is Dozer. We first told you about Dozer in 2018. It was at a time when the entire world was talking about another tall steer in Australia, by the name of Knickers. But Knickers had nothing on Dozer. The steer who stood at a whopping six-feet five-inches, died this week, at age seven. Karl Schoenrock owns Kismet Creek Farm, an animal sanctuary in Steinbach.

HM: Karl, we are big fans of Dozier at As It Happens. But I know for you, he was like a family member. How are you coping with his loss?

KARL SCHOENROCK: Yeah, it's a little tough, I'm going to be honest. You know, always going out and seeing his big, huge presence even way out in the field. And every time you glance out there, you know he's gone. And it’s just sad.

HM: Now, we know Dozer was very tall, but it wasn't just height. What else about him made him special?

KS: Just he was so gentle. Like his owner, Rebecca, she's a smaller, lady. And she, you know, got all up in him, lay with him. You know, would nuzzle with him. Like, he is so calm. And just his entire demeanor, like the horses would push him around, even though they're smaller than he is. And he would just kind of let it because it didn't bother him too much. I don’t know, his entire being, everything.

HM: Now, he was only seven years old. How is it that he took a turn this week?

KS: Umn, well, he basically had an accident. He usually is on top of this nice big hill. And that's usually kind of where he overlooks the property and everything else. And I guess he just went the wrong way down and stumbled. His one leg and horn kind of got caught. And because of his size, he wasn't able to get up on his own. He was discovered laying down in that position. And it's kind of a little bit head down position, which is not good for cattle. We weren't home at the time, but friends had come through to take a little tour of our farm sanctuary. And they discovered him, called us. We raced back, got a neighbour to come out and help out. And called his owner, Rebecca, to meet us there just in case, and then called the vet. And we got him up, and he looked like he was doing better and OK. His temperature was a little high, but he'd been in the sun, which is sadly, it's been 30 degrees up here with a high humidex. And yeah, all of a sudden, he just passed, and he was gone.

HM: Wow! Now, when you spoke with the program in 2018, the Internet was just exploding because there was this stear in Australia, Knickers, and people were really put away by how big that steer was. And then Dozer came on the scene. How did the attention affect Dozier's life at the farm?

KS: Well, he got a lot more attention. And then all of a sudden, oh, he's that big?! No, I got to go and see him, you know? He's close, and he's local. And even for some people, you know, coming across Canada, you know, they had to stop in and see him, even though they still made a detour hours just so they could see Dozer.

HM: What was their first impression when they caught sight of him?

KS: Well, he's not that… Oh, oh, wow! Wow, he’s huge! You know, you see him from far away, you've got nothing to compare him to. But as soon as you start getting closer and he starts getting higher, they were just blown away. And they just couldn't believe it.

HM: You even wondered at one point if Dozer might be the tallest steer in the world, right?

KS: Well, we measured him last fall officially. We had a couple that's down. We did a submission into the Guinness Book of World Records. At that time. He was still six-five. We hadn't heard back from the Guinness Book of World Records yet because due to COVID and everything else has kind of delayed their response. So it was sad that we didn't get any recognition one way or the other. Because if he's not the largest in the world, he’s at least number two or number three. And that's still pretty special.

HM: That’s special for sure. What kind of tributes have been pouring in this week for Dowser?

KS: We've just got so many phone calls, emails, Facebook posts, Instagram, like everything. People are just coming. We're going to be open tomorrow and on Sunday for our weekend visit, as we always do it at our farm sanctuary. And we'll see how many people show up and just want to kind of remember him.

HM: Do you have a sense that the other animals are noticing his loss?

KS: Well, when Dozer was down, we had all the other cattle that were all around us. And we couldn't even get space because they were checking on him. And even after Dozer passed, you know, his owner was saying, OK, what are you going to do with him and stuff? I said, first off, we're gonna give all the other animals here a minute with him. Because you could see it after. They came to his lifeless body after just to say their goodbyes. And then they kind of walked away. And even as I was dealing with Dozer, I had one of the big Jersey cows just come up and just was mooing. And it was amazing to see.

HM: That must have been so emotional.

KS: It was very emotional.

HM: I am sorry for your loss. And thank you very much for sharing Dozer with us and the rest of the world.

KS: Well, thank you so much, Helen, for your interest.

HM: All right. You take care. Bye.

KS: Yoo too. Bye.

TS: Karl Schoenrock is the owner of Kismet Creek Farm, an animal sanctuary in Steinbach, Manitoba. The famously tall steer, Dozer, died this week. For the full effect of Dozer's impressive height — go to our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Instrumental]

Part two: Navalny Germany update, London ball game, choir mask singing

Navalny Germany update

Guest: Jaka Bizilj

TS: The Kremlin may not want Alexei Navalny around — but they sure weren't making it easy for him to leave. Russian doctors originally kept him grounded, saying he wasn't stable enough to be transported. But today, the Russian opposition leader has finally been cleared to fly to Germany to receive medical treatment after an alleged poisoning attack. The Russian doctors also reject the suggestion he was poisoned. Jaka Bizilj is an activist, whose group organized a plane to fly Mr. Navalny to Germany. We reached Mr. Bizilj in Berlin — earlier today — before Mr. Navalny was cleared to fly.

HM: Mr. Bizilj, I understand that doctors that you have sent have been able to see Mr. Navalny, where do things stand right now?

JAKA BIZILJ: There was a kind of breakthrough because we had to organize the whole thing overnight, which was extremely difficult. It was medical specialists flying overnight. And when we arrived, actually, everything was blocked, and nothing was possible. But now, this afternoon, with the breakthrough, they were able to examine Navalny. He's still in a deep coma and unconscious. But they came to the conclusion that he's able to be flown out, and that they will be taking the responsibility to do that.

HM: Now, the Russian doctors have said the opposite. They have said that he is not fit to fly. What is your team trying to do to persuade them?

JB: We got now a professional medical report in writing, which we are distributing to the sources. And actually making sure that in case you go by reason, he should be allowed to travel.

HM: The hospital's head doctor, Alexander Murakhovsky, has said that Mr. Navalny was not poisoned but rather had been diagnosed with a metabolic disease caused by low blood sugar. Now that your doctors have seen him, would they have conducted any kind of tests that could confirm or refute that?

JB: I myself, I'm not a doctor. So, you know, I got the medical report. But this part, what you just mentioned, we checked with the family, blood pressure, sugar or whatever. And basically, actually all the surrounding came to the conclusion that this is kind of, I'm sorry to use that word, [expletive beep]

HM: And have your doctor seen any toxicology reports?

JB: Our doctors are mainly specialists for flying out people in the world out of crisis regions. On toxicology, there was another expert who was there yesterday who came from Moscow on Navalny’s side — one of his doctors. So there has been examinations and discussions on several levels. But I must say, I don’t want to go too deep on the medical side in order not to see anything wrong. [HM hums in understanding] I can just say that his people concluded that he should travel and can travel. They have been doing this job for many years.

HM: What is behind the urgency to evacuate him?

JB: We've seen today at a press conference, pictures of that hospital. And I'm sure that's in Russia, you also have good and professional doctors. But the equipment, the state of this health system is really if you compare it to what we have in Berlin, pretty terrible. And obviously, the charity in Berlin is one of the world's leading hospitals where we had Pyotr Verzilov two years ago treated successfully. He was in a similar condition that if he would have not been found in time, he would have died. The same thing in this case. If they would have not stopped the flight to Moscow, actually, today in a press conference, they confirmed that he would have died, too. So, yeah, it's been a very, very dangerous situation. And of course, the other thing is that probably the family believes that in a hospital in Berlin, it’s more likely to find out what kind of poison was used then in the hospital where he is right now.

HM: Do you think it's possible that the Russian authorities are stalling, hoping that if there is indeed poison in his system, that it will have dissipated by the time he's taken out?

JB: This is exactly what Pyotr Verzilov from Pussy Riot, who experienced the same thing two years ago, has been saying. Because also in his case, it took us two days longer to get him out than originally wished by his family when he was in a coma, unconscious when we flew him to Berlin. This was the reason why we're doing this now, because he called us yesterday, if he could do this for his friend, Navalny. We ourselves didn't have any connection to Navalny. It’s really just a friendship and humanitarian support.

HM: Right. So do you see this as a race against time?

JB: A little bit, yes. I cannot judge if he's in a life-threatening condition if he stays in that hospital. But obviously, if you want to prove what kind of poison has been used, every hour, every day that you lose will make it more impossible to find out who tried to kill him or what was the poison.

HM: What are you doing to try to expedite this process? Who are you appealing to to try and get him out?

JB: Well, basically, as we've seen in the news, you know, Angela Merkel or Macron have been welcoming, saying that if you can help him, he's welcome in France and Germany. And we’re expecting, obviously, with this medical report that, bar reason, he will be allowed to fly out no matter on which level this decision is going to be made and who's been blocking and who can stop the blockades in order to get him to Berlin to the charity hospital.

HM: Yeah, what do you think is going on with his mixed message? Because yesterday, there was this Kremlin spokesman who said that they would assist in any efforts to transfer Mr. Navalny to Germany or France. And now, they're saying no. I mean, what's what's going on? What's changed?

JB: Um, difficult to tell. Our job is just to convince everybody with this medical report that it's the right thing to do. And there's been progress today. And we are very much hoping with a lot of solidarity from different sides to make this still happen.

HM: Um-hm. Your plane is still then on the tarmac in Omsk?

JB: It's there. And I told them not to fly back without the passenger for whom we've sent it there. And we are still confident that the Kremlin will keep its word, what it said yesterday.

HM: Do you have any idea how Mr. Navalny, his wife, and children are coping? I mean, you said she was worried. How are they doing?

JB: Well, everybody is very nervous. His wife is there. Sometimes she's denied access to her husband. Sometimes she has access. Sometimes there’s police, military, or whatever official people, where it's not very clear who has authority. It’s a very difficult situation. And that's another reason why I think it would be good to fly us to the charity in Berlin, where we have good experiences from the past.

HM: Jaka Bizilj, thank you very much for speaking with us.

JB: Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

HM: OK, bye-bye.

JB: Bye.

TS: Jaka Bizilj is the founder and chairman of Cinema for Peace Foundation. He spoke to us from Berlin, earlier today. Since our conversation, Russian doctors have cleared Mr. Navalny to fly and he's expected to leave early Saturday morning Siberia time.

[Music: Indie rock]

London ball game

Guest: Roop Chanderdat

TS: Major League Baseball is back — and so are sports injuries. Last night, Arizona Diamondback Ketel Marte hit a foul ball into the stands, hitting a fan — OK, it was actually a giant teddy bear sitting among the cardboard cutout fans. Here's the call.

[Sound: The crack of a bat]

COMMENTATOR ONE: Marte, way out. Drills it, foul.

COMMENTATOR TWO: Oh! [both laughing]

COMMENTATOR ONE: Doah [laughing] Just unbearable.

COMMENTATOR TWO: Still smiling!

COMMENTATOR ONE: [both laughing] I can’t bear to watch.

COMMENTATOR TWO: Oh, wow!

COMMENTATOR ONE: Get your head in the game!

COMMENTATOR TWO: How bout the smile? Look at it. You gotta love that, huh?

TS: We can't bear those bad puns — about a teddy bear fan being hit by a foul ball in an MLB game. While the pros may be back, smaller leagues — including Ontario's Intercounty Baseball League — have cancelled their seasons. But tonight, the London Majors will host their home opener. And their season closer. In fact, it's the only game being played. The Ontario team has organized the match to maintain the 144-season record of their ballpark, Labatt Memorial Park. Roop Chanderdat is head coach and co-owner of the London Majors. We reached him at the stadium, before the game.

HM: Mr. Chanderdat, you've got just a few hours till your team takes to the field. How are you feeling about tonight's game?

ROOP CHANDERDAT: You know what? Excited, excited to maintain tradition here at Labatt Park, and keep this historic record going. You know what? We're all pumped to play baseball. So everyone’s excited, and especially me.

HM: It's, of course, no normal season. Tell me what it was like to put this together, what was involved?

RC: You know what? A lot of behind the scenes work. Once we figured out the IBL season was canceled, Scott Dart and I, the other owner, we started working on maintaining the history of Labatt Park, you know? And we can't thank the city of London enough, you know, partnering with them to make this game happen. The IBL and Guelph Royals, you know, the opponent that we're playing today. It took a lot of work, you know, gathering players, going through COVID protocols, stuff like that to make this happen. But we're excited to make this game go and maintain the streak.

HM: Does it feel odd to be focused, perhaps less on the team this year than on the park and keeping its streak going?

RC: For sure! It's funny you mention that. You know, it seems like most of the stuff is we'll call it admin stuff, rather than focusing on, you know, throwing a baseball, hitting a peace ball game strategy. Most of the stuff is kind of what we call behind the scenes, working on making sure we follow protocols, getting a roster together.

HM: Were you able to practice at all?

RC: No. You know what? We were able to get together a couple times, some guys threw some balls and stuff. But it was more or less getting together just to figure out uniform, hat sizing, things like that. Some of the guys did some stuff on their own, threw some balls, you know, and stuff like that. The guys, for the most part, are in shape. And, you know, they’re ready to go without, you know, having no baseball activity. But, you know, these are gamers, and these are guys that really want to play. So they'll be ready to put on a good show here at Labatt Park.

HM: Right. So you're talking about these precautions, what kind of measures are you taking to make sure they stay safe?

RC: You know, we're following Ontario Baseball and city of London protocol. You know, physical distancing is huge, like minimizing the number of people in the dugout, minimizing number of people in the clubhouse, utilizing chairs rather than the benches, so we can spread people farther apart, hand sanitization. I want to say now, you know, it's becoming more and more standard, typical COVID protocols, you know? So we're gonna do our best to, you know, practice social distance, and maintain safe protocols.

HM: Will there be any fans in the stands?

RC: No, there won't be fans, but there'll be some family members. You know, each player, we told them they're allowed to bring one family member. And so each team will have some family members from the players. And then some staff and volunteers, you know, that have to run the game-day operations.

HM: Tell us a bit more about the history at the ballpark and why it was so important to maintain its legacy?

RC: You know what? For anything that's been going since 1877, you know, you don't want to be the one to wreck that streak, you know? Labatt Park is not just a gem in London, it’s a gem in Canada. It got voted the nicest park in Canada several years back. It's hosted a lot of big league ballplayers, a lot of major games, you know, whether Canadian championships, provincial championships, you know pro-type games. This park's been around, seen it all. It's been through, you know, wars, other pandemic-type situations. And it's still maintains baseball activity. And the London Majors have been here since 1925. So you want to make sure you maintain some of that history. And Labatt Park, if you've ever been to it, beautiful, you know, just the way it's situated overlooking downtown London. And a lot of greenery around. So it's just a beautiful park. And, you know, we're lucky to have it here in London, Ontario.

HM: What does the ballpark's history, and I guess the game itself, mean to you personally?

RC: Personally, it means a lot. My family and I, we live here in London. I’ve been here for a long time. My business is here in London. I own a local junior hockey team here in town also. So, you know, I'm here all the time. I played baseball for the Majors, and then ended up owning it and coaching it. You know, so it means a lot to me personally. And, you know, I always like to bridge that gap between, you know, the past, the present, and also the future. And this is one way we're doing that here for London Majors and London residents in general, and hopefully nationwide.

HM: You know, one of these teams is going to have a perfect winning Season tonight. [laughing] Does your team, does the London Majors, have the ability to do that?

RC: You know, we always want to win. That competitive nature comes out whenever we step on the field. But, you know, the most important thing about this is having what we call a normal baseball game to maintain the history and the streak of Labatt Park.

HM: Well, regardless of the game's outcome, you deserve congratulations for pulling all of this off. Congratulations, Mr. Chaderdat

RC: Thanks so much. I really appreciate, and I appreciate the coverage you guys have given us.

HM: All right. Have a good time.

RC: You too. Bye-bye.

HM: Bye.

TS: Roop Chanderdat is the head coach, general manager and co-owner of the London Majors.

Choir mask singing

Guest: Kym Scott

TS: The pandemic has not been easy on choral singers. Gathering to sing and to rehearse has been a no-no. So concerts have been cancelled or taken online. And now schools are deciding how music departments will function this year. Kym Scott is director of choral activities at West Virginia University. She has an idea — she's been designing a face mask — specifically with performers, including her students, in mind. We reached Kym Scott in Morgantown, West Virginia.

HM: Ms. Scott, what is it like when you sing with a conventional face mask on?

KIM SCOTT: Not great. I think anybody who has actually tried to sing in that way has come up against quite a lot of challenges. The biggest challenge, of course, being that the fabric of it tends to get breathed into your mouth, as such, as you take a breath. The other difficulty, of course, is the fact that you can't get a whole lot of resonance. So the sound tends to be very muffled. It's very hard to understand.

HM: Now, you are not a scientist, but you decided to try to address this problem. What experience do you have that made you think you could do this?

KS: So I have quite a fairly lengthy background in fashion design. I had run a made-to-measure bridal boutique for quite some years. So I took a lot of those sort of ideas that I'd actually used to construct wedding dresses, and put them with, you know, I guess the needs that I understood as a singer and as a conductor.

HM: So you have two masks you've come up with. One is a singer's mask and one is for teachers. How do they work? I mean, what's the construction that makes them more efficient for singing and being heard?

KS: The design essentially was, you know, trying to put together something that essentially is like a chamber that sits in front of the nose and the mouth. So we wanted to take the fabric, you know, a distance away from the nose and mouth so that it wasn't going to be sucked in as your breathing. Which, of course, meant we had to find a way to have it stay out. So it's basically structured almost like, I guess, a cloth-covered kate, as such, it's not quite terrifying looking as that sounds. So that bit sits out in front of the mouth, but then the rest of the mask needed to be able to fit very close because we wanted to be able to avoid having any of the pockets of air that, of course, all of those aerosol particles are coming in and out of. So we worked really hard to have a structure that could sit very close to the nose. It has wire that can be pushed right in either side of the nose. It sits closely into just in front of the ears and very close under the chin. So we've managed to come up with something that, you know, really eliminates those pockets of air that you get with pretty much any over-the-counter mask that you have.

HM: Are there not, though, masks out there already that are sort of raised off the lips?

KS: There are some, not a lot, but there are some. And obviously, I'm not the only person who has seen this need. So there are a couple of other masks on the market that have been very much, you know, promoted to singers in particular. And they certainly do cater to that in terms of keeping the mask away from the nose and the mouth. The difference, I think, between those other masks and the mask that we have is the fit. So that was such a big thing for me. It's interesting, someone just pointed out to me today on how that's always been my thing when it came to designing wedding dresses. It has to fit so well. And I've kind of taken that whole idea into this. It's all about the fit. So I was very lucky to be connected with our Center for Inhalation Toxicology here at West Virginia University. And so I was able to work with the scientists there who were testing masks for all sorts of people, a lot of hospitals and government organizations. So they were happy to take my mask in and test it for a general movement, for speaking in it and for singing in it. And they had the facilities to be able to do this. So we did that several times. Made some changes, talked about the materials used, talked about the design and the fits. And we managed to come up with a mask that not only allowed us to sing more easily, but was able to keep out, you know, up to 75 per cent of those aerosol particles that we're all becoming much more aware of, I think, with this pandemic.

HM: Well, in fact, I think some pretty early on in the pandemic, we were warned against group singing, particularly after that incident in Washington with a choir. Is it worth taking a risk to sing choraly?

KS: That's a really good question. And I think it's the million dollar question that every choral director and voice teacher really has been asking themselves. What I would say is, you know, we have singers obviously desperate to get back to doing what they love. We have to be so aware that we're not, you know, cautious, not to be putting these people into situations that are putting them at risk. I know my own choirs, we're not just putting on these masks and then saying, OK, we're good, we can go back to normal. We're social distancing like crazy. We are actually going to be running our rehearsals mostly in a tent outdoors, at least while the weather allows. We will be doing everything we can to follow every guideline. But on top of that, having these masks just give us that little extra level of safety.

HM: How much interest have you had in the mask?

KS: A lot. [laughing] You know, I've had interest, obviously, across the United States. I've had quite a lot of interest in Canada. And in the last 24 hours, I've also had interests in Australia and interest in Israel.

HM: Wow!

KS: So I spend a lot of time at my computer.

HM: We are hoping to play some choral music at the end of our conversation here. Have you got any suggestions?

KS: You know, I thought about this, and the piece that I would love to hear is Jake Runestad’s Let My Love Be Heard”. It's a stunning piece, and it's one of the last pieces that my chamber singers sang in our last performance right before we stopped singing. And that was back in March. So great memories for me.

HM: Well, I know how much choral singing means to the people who do it. And I hope you get back with your folks sometime soon. Thank you so much for talking to us.

KS: Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.

HM: All right. Bye-bye.

KS: Bye-bye.

TS: Kym Scott is director of choral activities at West Virginia University. You can find more on this story at: www.cbc.ca/aih.

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August 21, 2020 Episode Transcript

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