For a community to thrive and grow, there needs to be access to quality education.  It’s what makes parents happy to live in a particular area, knowing that the schools will give their kids what they need to succeed.  And, when those kids get old enough, it’s what will give them the opportunity to choose to stay close to home as they build their own lives. We spoke with Stephen Sicilano, Vice President for Educational Services at NMC, as well as the President of the Traverse Area Historical Society; Ross Biederman, current President of Midwestern Broadcasting; and Joe Anderson, NMC alum. Special thanks to C-SPAN for the use of their 1984 interview with NMC founder Les Biederman.

In today’s world of our hyper-connected, always online existence…it’s hard to remember that getting up to the minute news and information about your community—or the world at large—was a lot more difficult.  And while the newspapers and other print publications could inform folks, too, there was nothing like the immediacy—and intimacy—of radio.  We’ll talk today Traverse City’s first radio station, WTCM, and the man who dreamed it into existence: Les Biederman. We spoke with Les Biederman’s son, Ross Biederman, current President of Midwestern Broadcasting Company, and longtime WTCM personality Steve Cook.

The tourism industry of our region is an economic powerhouse, and one of the longest running—and most powerful—examples is all based around our signature crop:  the cherry.  Well, the cherry, and the celebration of it.  Today, we examine the National Cherry Festival, a now-ubiquitous summer celebration nearing its 100th milestone event.  But the origins of this now mammoth gathering are…a BIT more modest. We spoke with Kat Paye, the Executive Director of the National Cherry Festival.

Walking around Traverse City, you know them…but you don’t know the stories BEHIND them.  I’m talking about just a few of the many well-known buildings in the area. We spoke with Jack Lane, realtor and host of the long-running talk show “Ask the Real Estate Guy,” as well as a former history columnist for the Traverse City Record-Eagle; Diane Baribeau, Executive Director of City Opera House; and Chrissine Cairns, Marketing Director of Sleder’s Family Tavern.

It is likely that you’ve come across one of these markers before — I’m referring to those concrete, oddly shaped structures with a number painted on them, and a small plaque underneath.  If you’ve gotten to closer and read this plaque, you would see the following “Old Indian Trail - Cadillac to Traverse City.”   What is the story behind these structures?  What is the story behind the trail they’re marking?  And what new project is looking to honor this work by continuing the tradition? We spoke with JoAnne Cook, an educator and historian, as well as a member, and a chief appellate judge, of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; Emily Modrall, member of the board of directors of the Traverse Area Historical Society, and one of the spearheaders of a new project to add new structures to the existing Old Indian Trail - Cadillac to Traverse City; and filmmaker Rich Brauer, who helped with the installation of the original trail markers in the 1980's.

While you might think of “potpourri” as just something that makes a room smell nice, it can, more broadly, be thought of as a cousin of “medley,” of different things brought together to produce an experience that is greater than the some of its parts. And when it comes to the history of the Northern Michigan region, who doesn’t love a good historical potpourri?  We explore four short stories about the Grand Traverse area, speaking with Peg Siciliano, Larry Hains and Jen Loup of the Traverse Area Historical Society, as well as Vanessa Vance, longtime tour guide of the Grand Traverse Commons property, and Tracy Mikowski, former head zoo keeper of the Clinch Park Zoo.

Walking through the Open Space today and wandering over to Clinch Park, it likely surprises visitors and new residents alike to discover that the grounds were once home to bears, mountain lions, otters, peacocks and more — all cared for by the staff of Traverse City’s Clinch Park Zoo.  Yes, this little Up North getaway was home to an impressive animal experience.  But how did it get here…and why did it go?   We spoke with Jen Loup, a former zookeeper at Clinch Park Zoo and fellow board member of mine at the Traverse Area Historical Society, along with Tracy Mikowski, former head zookeeper at Clinch Park, as well as author of “Squirt the Otter: The True Story of an Orphaned Otter Who Finds Friendship and Happiness,” available from Talking Crow Publishing.

What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to the most successful ball player to come out of Traverse City…plenty.  On this episode, we’re grabbing our mitts and practicing our batting stances while discussing the major leaguer who came from our neck of the woods: Bundy Brief.   Or Bunny.  Or is it Bunty?  And, instead of Brief, isn’t it really— —eh, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We spoke with Gary Cieradkowski, baseball historian and author of The League of Outsider Baseball: An Illustrated History of Baseball’s Forgotten Heroes.”  To read more about Brief the ball player, visit Gary’s baseball blog: https://studiogaryc.com/2018/03/31/bunny-brief-the-long-story/

The story of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons—what is today a bustling mixed-use community—began back in the late 1800’s, when the Father of Traverse City used his influence to bring a psychiatric hospital to Northern Michigan.  And, for almost 140 years, that facility has captivated, enthralled and enriched this region. We spoke with Vanessa Vance, a long-time tour guide of the hospital property, Raymond Minnervini II, a partner in the Minnervini Group, which spearheaded the successful “resurrection” of the campus, and Karen Anderson, CEO of Cordia Senior Living, a resident of one of the refurbished Commons buildings.

When I say the word “pioneer,” most of you are likely envisioning something similar: covered wagons heading west, bold folks who are forging a new path through unknown-to-them terrain.  But the term “pioneer” covers much more than just that.  Today we’re talking about different kinds of pioneers—first, about a group of immigrants who found their way to Northern Michigan and made an everlasting impact on the culture of the region, and, then, about a teacher who reshaped the educational opportunities in a growing lumber town.   We spoke with Larry Hains and Marty MacLeod, members of the Board of Directors of the Traverse Area Historical Society.

The early days of Traverse City saw a near countless number of businesses pop up, some of which thrived…and some of which became interesting stories…the kind perfectly suited to explore on a show like this. We spoke with Brian Park, General Manager of Votruba Leather Goods, and Marty MacLeod, local author, historian and member of the Board of Directors of the Traverse Area Historical Society.

When it comes to the early days of the Grand Traverse region, one name towers above the rest: Perry Hannah.  We'll explore Hannah's arrival to the area, his business successes and his vision for what Traverse City could become -- as well as how he helped make those dreams a reality. We spoke with local historians Peg Siciliano and Marty MacLeod, both members of the Traverse Area Historical Society, as well as Peg Jonkhoff, owner of Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home (located in Perry Hannah's former retirement dream home) and co-author of "Perry Hannah's Gifts: Then & Now."

In our inaugural episode, we explore the earliest days of the Grand Traverse area — starting with the history of the Anishinaabe in the region, the arrival of trappers, traders and, finally, the missionaries — then talk about the burgeoning lumber business and a ship captain named Boardman.  We had the pleasure of speaking with JoAnne Cook, educator and historian, as well as a member and a chief appellate judge of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; Chris Rieser, a local historian and president of the Peter Dougherty Society; and Peg Siciliano, local historian and board member of the Traverse Area Historical Society.

A preview of what to expect from Season One of the Traverse Area Historical Society's new podcast!