New York’s Last Original Beer Garden

Since 1910, Bohemian Hall has been a part of New York City history. It is the last original remaining Beer Garden in all of NYC. Bohemian Hall is run and managed by the Bohemian Citizens’ Benevolent Society of Astoria, a fraternal organization dedicated to education and preserving the Czech and Slovak communities in the area.

In this Journey into Beer, we speak with Debbie Van Cura from the Bohemian Hall Benevolent Society and a member of the Astoria (Queens) Historical Society about the historical role of beer gardens in New York and what Bohemian Hall’s legendary beer garden is all about today.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=487

Before Disney & Ray Kroc, there was Fred Harvey

The legendary life and entrepreneurial vision of Fred Harvey helped shape American culture and history for three generations—from the 1880s all the way through World War II—and still influence our lives today in surprising and fascinating ways.

Appetite for America is the real-life story of Fred Harvey—told in depth for the first time ever—as well as the story of this country’s expansion into the Wild West of Bat Masterson and Billy the Kid, of the great days of the railroad, of a time when a deal could still be made with a handshake and the United States was still uniting. As a young immigrant, Fred Harvey worked his way up from dishwasher to household name: He was Ray Kroc before McDonald’s, J. Willard Marriott before Marriott Hotels, Howard Schultz before Starbucks. He inspired Walt Disney. His eating houses and hotels along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad (including historic lodges still in use at the Grand Canyon) were patronized by princes, presidents, and countless ordinary travelers looking for the best cup of coffee in the country. Harvey’s staff of carefully screened single young women—the celebrated Harvey Girls—were the country’s first female workforce and became genuine Americana, even inspiring an MGM musical starring Judy Garland.

We speak with award-winning journalist Stephen Fried who has re-created the life of this unlikely American hero, the founding father of the nation’s service industry, whose remarkable family business civilized the West and introduced America to Americans.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=485

Rochester’s Subway

The Rochester Subway or Rochester Industrial and Rapid Transit Railway was an underground rapid transit line in the city of Rochester, NY from 1927 to 1956. It was a Depression generation project that rivaled the best of them. Its scope as a rapid transit system rivaled that of New York and Boston. But it did not last long. This is its story.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=483

A July Fourth Ping Pong Ball Drop Tradition

In Inet, NY in the midst of the Adirondacks, here’s how they spend July Fourth: A seaplane drops color-coded ping pong balls onto the field at Fern Park and hundreds of children race around to collect 3 balls each, which they then exchange for prizes. We speak with Mitch Lee about the Ping Pong Ball Drop and about life in Inlet which is pretty far off the beaten path.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=481

Boom Box Parade

One year in Connecticut there was no band for a parade. From that challenging situation was born what has become a July Fourth tradition – The Boom Box Parade. Folks march with their boom boxes without a band – the patriotic music is provided courtesy of a local radio station. But that’s just the start of it.

We speak with Wayne Norman about the Boom Box Parade – how it got started and what it has come to mean this many years later.

At:http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=479

Roadtrips to America’s Baseball Landmarks

To some baseball is more than a game, and to these folks of importance can be shrines.

Chris Epting is one of those persons. In Roadside Baseball, he has chronicled the locations of America’s baseball landmarks – some 500 in all.

They range from some of the obvious ones like the site of th old Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field and Yankee Stadium to Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.

But there are many more – some quite obscure, but all interesting.

In this Journey into Baseball we speak with Chris Epting about his journeys and what he found.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=477

The House That Built Ruth

A Catholic school in Baltimore that traces its roots to Yankees slugger Babe Ruth recently closed, the victim of declining enrollment and tough economic times.

Ruth spent the better part of 12 years at St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys until 1914, when he left at age 19 to sign with the Baltimore Orioles of the International League. After he joined the Yankees in 1920, he took the St. Mary’s band to major league ballparks to raise money to replace the main school building destroyed in a fire.

St. Mary’s closed in 1950, and for 48 years it has been the site of the all-boys Cardinal Gibbons School. During the Spring, the Archdiocese of Baltimore said that Gibbons and 12 other schools would close in June because of falling enrollment, rising costs and financial problems exacerbated by the recession.

The school board has resisted the decision. There were protests. There was even a radio campaign to try to save the school and the adjacent field where the Babe played as a youth..

We speak with Michael L. Gibbons, the executive director of the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum in Baltimore about what happened and what a historical loss that the demise the school and its field would mean locally and to baseball fans worldwide.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=475

All Things Wiffle Ball

It’s old school and new school. It’ s unique and ubiquitous. It’ s yellow and white. It’ s red, white, and blue. It’s one of America s favorite brands: a classic for nearly 60 years and still a fad-proof fan favorite. The Wiffle Ball remains the great equalizer, befuddling batters of all ages. It curves, zips, and zooms with a mind of its own, turning anyone into a major league pitcher. It stands alone with its eight slots of perforated perfection, distinguished by its asymmetry and unpredictability. With millions of Wiffle bats and balls sold each year, its following is unparalleled with a devotion bordering on obsession. Just ask comedian Drew Carey s manager, Rick Messina, creator of Strawberry Field, one of the country s premier Wiffle venues. Turning his neighbor s adjoining house into a press box and locker room with stadium seats and lights, Mussina set the gold standard for the backyard Wiffle field.

In Wiffle Ball, author Michael Hermann, president of Wicked Cow Entertainment, and The Wiffle Ball Inc.’ s, brand managers, gives readers an inside look at this palatial Wiffle get-up and at the best Wiffle fields around, as well as the down-and-dirty on how in 1953 a down-on-his luck shoe polish salesman and his 13-year-old son concocted the first Wiffle Ball from spare perfume packaging, turning a plastic orb into an American icon.

In this Conversation on the Road we speak with Michael Hermann.

He explores with us The Science of Wiffle, and why a Wiffle Ball, well, wiffles.

He shows us all the how to s: how to build the best field; how to throw the best sinker ball; and how to best tape up a Wiffle Bat, and more.

At:http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=473