Conversations on The Road

Jessie Barth moved to Perry, New York in October, 2005 with her husband, a Perry native. She fell in love with the community and has been active in community life ever since.

One of her projects was to recall World War II stories of locals who lived that period while they were still around (“An intimate account of Parry citizens who experienced the war”). But the process, she came to realize that this book, which at first glance seemed to be about war, was in fact about more  – “…a tribute to love, love for family, innate goodness, and Perry, New York”.

Jessie Barth joins us with her story and they story behind Perry in its Principle Project.

 

 Jessie Barth-1 [16:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hank Greenberg was one of baseball’s top players of his era.

But what is even more extraordinary than his grace and his power is that in Detroit of 1934, his swing—or its absence—became entwined with American Jewish history. Though Hank Greenberg was one of the first players to challenge Babe Ruth’s single-season record of sixty home runs, it was the game Greenberg did not play for which he is best remembered. With his decision to sit out a 1934 game between his Tigers and the New York Yankees because it fell on Yom Kippur, Hank Greenberg became a hero to Jews throughout America.

Yet, as Mark Kurlansky writes in Hank Greenburg: The Hero Who Didn’t Want to Be One, he was the quintessential secular Jew, and to celebrate him for his loyalty to religious observance is to ignore who this man was.

In this conversation, Kurlansky explores with us the truth behind the slugger’s legend: his Bronx boyhood, his spectacular discipline as an aspiring ballplayer, the complexity of his decision not to play on Yom Kippur, and the cultural context of virulent anti-Semitism in which his career played out.

What Kurlansky discovers in his story is a man of immense dignity and restraint with a passion for sport who became a great reader—a man, too, who was an inspiration to the young Jackie Robinson, who said, “Class tells. It sticks out all over Mr. Greenberg.”

Mark Kurlansky is most recently the author of The Eastern Stars: How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Macorís. Kurlansky has written, edited, or contributed to twenty books, which have been translated into twenty-five languages and won numerous prizes. His previous books Cod, Salt, 1968, and The Food of a Younger Land were all New York Times best-sellers.

 

 Hank Greenburg [23:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In an ideal world, beer prices at the ballpark would be based solely on the quality of the team. Only the very best ball clubs would jack up the prices, while the mediocre teams would offer bargains … and the Washington Nationals would give beer away for free. Regrettably, we don’t live in an ideal world.

According to data collected by Team Marketing Report, beer prices vary dramatically among big-league teams.

We speak with John Greenberg of the Team Marketing Report about the realtionship between baseball and beer and the business of brews and ball.

 

 Beer and Baseball [12:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For several years, Greg O’Connell moved stealthily, buying building after building along a run-down stretch of Main Street in a small Finger Lakes region village in upstate New York.  At first, folks did not know what to make of it all. But eventually it started to become more clear as he took control of more than a third of downtown and began chipping away at the building facades, renovating apartments and signing up tenants. Mr. O’Connell, 68, a big, shambling retired New York City detective, wants nothing less than to bring Mount Morris back from the dead and make it a western New York version of Red Hook, Brooklyn, where he made his name and millions.

The New York Times has profiled O’Connell twice within the last six months.

Mt. Morris is honored him on May 1 with a “Greg O’Connell Day”.

Greg O’Connell joins us with his story and that of how he re-built two communities – one in Brooklyn and one in Upstate New York.

 

 Mount Morris-1 [31:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Columbus, Mississippi is the birthplace of famous playwright Tennessee Williams, author of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire. His birthplace, formerly the rectory of nearby St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, is now the welcome center for Columbus (300 Main St., Columbus).

In this conversation we talk with Brenda Caradine, a stalwart of the Columbus community, about how they celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Tennessee Williams locally in 2011.

 

 Tennessee Williams [15:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Say St. Patrick’s Day and many think of corned beef and cabbage with a beer. Perhaps and Irish coffee.

Fact is that it was cider that was the drink of the Celts of ancient Europe.

These days traditional Irish cider is Imported in bulk and bottled in Florida.  Kelly’s Cider is a crisp light dry cider, made from traditional bittersweet cider apples.

 John J Kelly’s Irish Cider was started in 1997 by Brendan Daly from Dublin and John Cronin from Kerry. Both had previously lived in the USA and knew of the growing demand for cider there, especially among the thousands of young Irish who had migrated to the States in the 1980’s – this was the initial target group for the cider. Daly had made cider for several years in Tipperary before starting Kelly’s Cider.

The initial plan was to import the cider in bulk and bottle it in the states.

 Traditional cider is made from bittersweet cider apples that are grown in Ireland, England and France. These apples are only grow for fermentation and are not used for eating or cooking. They are not grown in the U.S.

Interestingly, in the 19^th century, cider was very popular in the Northeast U.S. Very large quantities were consumed even after the German immigrants introduced their new lager beers. Prohibition ended the production of hard cider in the U.S. Old, established orchards of bittersweet fermenting cider apples were cut down and farmers switched to other crops. After the repeal of Prohibition, cider never made a comeback. Beer companies lobbied to have a lower tax than cider and farmers could grow barely very quickly. A productive orchard of bittersweet cider apples would take many years to grow a high productivity level. Beer quickly became the drink of choice in the U.S.

 A new demand for cider began in the 1980’s in New York, Chicago, Boston and other “Irish” cities.

In this Conversation, we speak with Jim Massoni about how Kelly’s Traditional Irish Cider is introducing folks to the traditions of cider from both sides of the Atlantic.

 

 Traditional Irish Cider [17:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Joe Franklin is credited with hosting the first television talk show. The show began in 1951 on WJZ-TV (later WABC-TV) and moved to WOR-TV (later WWOR-TV) from 1962 to 1993.

Known as “the king of nostolgia ” (he claims having invented the term), Franklin’s highly-rated television and radio shows, especially a cult favorite to cable television viewers (WOR/WWOR was a superstation during the latter part of his tenure) and his long-running “Memory Lane” radio programs, focused on old-time show-business personalities. Franklin has an encyclopedic knowledge of the music, musicians and singers, the Broadway stage shows, the films and entertainment stars of the first half of the 20th Century: he began his entertainment career at 16 as a record picker for Martin Block’s popular “Make Believe Ballroom” radio program; he is an acknowledged authority on silent film; he has the largest private sheet music collection in the world; and he has counted among his friends many show business legends, from Tony Curtis (with whom he grew up) to old vaudevillians (on his television show, Franklin has described how as a very young boy playing in Central Park he even met George M. Cohan

We speak with Bob O’Brien, himself and longtime fixture in New York television and radio, about Joe Franklin, the man, and about “Joe Franklin Day”.

The West and especially the area in and around Phoenix, Arizona has changed a bit in recent decades.

In the midst of all these changes there are threads of cultural continuity – one such thread is the Festival of the West.

The history and spirit of the cowboy and old west come alive at this annual event that takes place at WestWorld in Scottsdale.

Highlights include live music, Western Writers of America, chuck wagon cooking competitions, historical re-enactments.

In this conversation we go to the Festival of the West and speak with Wally Stevens to learn more about the event and how it has changed and adapted along with the area around it.

 

 Festival of the West [14:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Once upon a time beer in Canada meant Molson, Labbatt and O’Keefe.

Now the scene is much more diverse.

One of Canada’s best these days is Steam Whistle Brewing in Toronto. They produce a premium pilsner lager packaged in distinctive green glass bottles and a non-twist cap. In 2004, Steam Whistle Pilsner was voted best beer in Toronto at the Golden Tap Awards. Steam Whistle has also been voted Best Toronto Microbrewery on more than one occasion.

The three founders are former employees of Upper Canada Brewing Company before it was bought by Sleeman’s. The original name for the beer was going to be “Three Fired Guys Brewing Company” since they were all fired from Upper Canada Brewing Company when it was purchased by Sleeman; however, they chose Steam Whistle Brewing to evoke an image of steam rushing from a factory’s whistle signaling the end of the work day. Embossed at the bottom of Steam Whistle bottles is “3FG” as an inside joke, referencing “Three Fired Guys”.

The brewery occupies Bays 1-14 within a building known as the John Street Roundhouse. Built in 1929, it was previously the home of a CPR steam locomotive repair facility, and operated as such until May 13, 1988. The John Street Roundhouse is designated a National Historic Site, and is owned by the City of Toronto. It is located within walking distance of the Rogers Center and the CN Tower. A similar roundhouse, the CNR Spadina Roundhouse, was torn down to make way for the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre).

Steam Whistle is also known for maintaining a promotions fleet of some 8 vintage vehicles used to market their products, ranging a 1949 Navistar International Stake Truck to a 1965 Ford Blue Bird Bus.

In this Journey into Beer, we speak with Greg Taylor about Steam Whistle, its origins, its place today and what it represents in the bigger picture of beer making in Canada today.

 

 Steam Anchor Brewing [17:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln – most of us know their birthday dates.

How about FDR, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush of Barack Obama ?

How about Woodrow Wilson ? Grover Cleveland ?

Ever think about Benjamin Harrison ?

In Indianapolis, Indiana, home of  our 23rd President they have.

The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is the former residence of 23rd U.S. President Benjamin Harrison (1889 to 1893). 

A museum there is dedicated to his achievements
and his impact on United States history.

Each year, in March folks stage a Benjamin Harrison Day at the Indiana State Capital Building. A highlight includes a re-enactment of Benjamin Harrison case in the Supreme Court.

In this conversation we speak with Roger Harding from Indianpolis about Harrison, and just why he is recalled each year, and why it should matter to the rest of  us.

 

 Benjamin Harrison [12:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download