Behind the Mitten

"The Barbie Project" was an idea conjured out of a tough time by our friend and radio legend Mary Ellen Murphy, who hosts "Good Morning Grand Haven" on WGHN 92.1 each day. She recently announced her new campaign to bring a Coast Guard Barbie to life, and we just had to have her on to tell us all about it.

Mary Ellen was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and this kind of stunk for all the usual reasons. During breaks between her treatments in Grand Rapids, she would head to Goodwill for a little thrifting therapy. One day, she found a pretty nice Barbie Beach Dream House and decided to get it and fix it up for her granddaughters. The Barbie Project was born.

This year, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Coast Guard Festival and the fact that Grand Haven is "Coast Guard City USA", Mary Ellen has started a campaign for a Coast Guard Barbie. Barbie currently serves in every arm of the military EXCEPT the Coast Guard, which seems like a major oversight. While women make a smaller minority serving in the Coast Guard, making up about 15 percent of service members, you best believe they are an integral part of the service. In fact, the top person at the Coast Guard is a woman. Admiral Linda L. Fagan assumed duties as the 27th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard in 2022, and now oversees all global Coast Guard operations and 42,000 active-duty, 7,000 reserve, and 8,700 civilian personnel, as well as 21,000 GC Auxillary volunteers.

Vote for Coast Guard Barbie here!

Attempts have been made to contact Barbie toy maker Mattel to no avail, but don't worry, Mary Ellen is not giving up. She's gearing up for a big push for votes over the next few weeks since the National Coast Guard Festival runs from July 26 to August 4. It's a fantastic event, and this year it'll be bigger and better than ever. If you go, be sure to look for Mary Ellen and the beach house out on the actual beach. She brings it down and sets it up for everyone to enjoy while taking in all the sun and fun this great Michigan beach town has to offer.

SEASON 6, EPISODE 27

On this weekend’s Behind the Mitten Show with Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez:

Gonzo and Amy share some of their favorite podcasts from earlier this summer from a collection of segments from Mackinac Island to Owosso and Bellaire to Suttons Bay.

TUNE IN!

Segment 1: Kerry Lynch, director of sales for Short's, and Richard Anderson, a co-owner of Iron Fish Distillery, talk about Soft Parade Vodka. This Pure Michigan collaboration is made with all natural ingredients and Michigan fruit - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries. This is the second year of the collaboration, which is available now in local stores across Michigan for a limited time. Learn more at ironfishdistillery.com. Get a list of cocktail drinks at ironfishdistillery.com/softparadecocktails. Learn more about Shorts at shortsbrewing.com.

Segment 2: In an extended podcast earlier this year, Gonzo talks to Dean Pyers, Executive Director of the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso about the Pere Marquette 1225, best known as one of the inspirations of the The Polar Express movie. He also spent some extra time with volunteers Roger Scoville and Randy Paquette, former MSU students who started working on restoring the Steam Locomotive in 1970. More information a michigansteamtrain.com.

Segment 3: While on Mackinac Island in April, John and Amy stopped at Mission Point Resort to meet owner Liz Ware and executive chef John Clements. Listen as they talk about special cooking classes, as well as dining options as part of their "Farm to Ferry" philosophy at Mission Point Resort. More info at missionpoint.com.

Segment 4: John and Amy love hanging out at Black Star Farms on the Leelanau Peninsula, and on this segment - after recording their regular show - they stuck around to catch up with long-time tasting room manager Chris Lopez. Learn more at blackstarfarms.com.

Thanks for tuning in! Where are we going to be next week? We don't know. But tune in to find out.

Follow John and Amy:
Website: amyandgonzo.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten
TwitterX at @BehindTheMitten
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SEASON 6, PODCAST EPISODE

On this special podcast of Behind the Mitten Show with Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez:

Gonzo and and Amy interview Carmen Beemer, the 2023-2024 National Cherry Festival Queen in Traverse City.

In the interview Carmen talks about what the scholarship program has meant to her over the last year, and some of her favorite memories. She is a 2024 graduate of Michigan State University. A new queen will be announced on July 5. This year's National Cherry Festival continues through July 6, 2024.

Learn more at cherryfestival.org.

Behind the Mitten is Michigan's premiere travel radio show and podcast. Learn more at  amyandgonzo.com.

Where are we going to be next week? We don't know. But tune in to find out.

Follow John and Amy:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten
TwitterX at @BehindTheMitten
Instagram at @BehindTheMitten

SEASON 6, EPISODE 26

On this weekend’s Behind the Mitten Show with Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez:

Gonzo and Amy take a closer look at some fun community events all over the state. The show opens with a rep from the West Michigan Tourist Assocation who runs down several local events, then Gonzo gets a few "dad jokes" in about the Pickle Fest (yes, he says it's a Big Dil!) and our Dynamic Duo also cover the largest celebration in the Upper Peninsula and find the Greatest Fourth in the North in just a 90 minutes north of Grand Rapids. 

TUNE IN!

Segment 1 - Kaylie Pomper, Marketing Manager at WMTA. Check out her list of events.

Segment 2 - Kelly Ewalt, community coordinator, Village of Berrien Springs (4th of July) Pickle Fest. Details on Facebook.

Segment 3 - Mark Malmberg, vice chair of the Bessemer Best Fourth of July Festival in the UP. List of events here.

Segment 4 - Sam Peery, director of the Missaukee Chamber of Commerce (Greatest Fourth in the North) in Lake City. Details here.

Where are we going to be next week? We don't know. But tune in to find out.

Follow John and Amy:
Website: amyandgonzo.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten
TwitterX at @BehindTheMitten
Instagram at @BehindTheMitten

SEASON 6, BONUS PODCAST

MJ - The Musical
July 9-12, 2024
Broadway Grand Rapids
More info: broadwaygrandrapids.com/mj

In this podcast, John Gonzalez of Behind the Mitten interviews J. Daughtry, who plays Berry Gordy in the National Broadway Tour of "MJ - The Musical."

He is a seasoned pro who came into theatre in a non-traditional way. He was teaching at a private school in Maryland, when his principal tapped him to fill in when the school's theater teacher suddendly passed away. They knew he could sing, but they didn't realize how talented he was. It was the school principal who pushed him to audition in New York.

He has since performed on Broadway ("The Color Purple," "Beautiful," "Ain’t Too Proud") and also toured the country on National tours ("Miss Saigon," "The Color Purple," "Motown: The Musical"). He also continues to perform his music professionally and is a two-time Grammy nominee as well as a winner of multiple Stellar and Dove Awards.

He is a graduate of Bethune Cookman University. He is a Theatrical, Gospel and R&B singer/actor on both stage and screen. He is originally from Bartow, Florida, and he talks about why loves about that part of the country.

"MJ" is a multi Tony Award-winning new musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. It was created by Tony Award-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage. 

"MJ" is making its Michigan premiere at the Devos Performance Hall in  Grand Rapids.

PERFORMANCES

• Tuesday, July 9, 2024 - 7:30pm
• Wednesday, July 10, 2024 - 7:30pm
• Thursday, July 11, 2024 - 7:30pm
• Friday, July 12, 2024 - 7:30pm
• Saturday, July 13, 2024 - 2:00pm
• Saturday, July 13, 2024 - 7:30pm
• Sunday, July 14, 2024 - 1:00pm
• Sunday, July 14, 2024 - 6:30pm

This Grand Rapids engagement is welcomed by Barnes & Thornburg, LLP; Corewell Health; Edify North; UFP Industries.

SEASON 6, EPISODE 25

With miles and miles of sugar sand, endless waves of fresh water, and absolutely no sharks, our beloved state of Michigan is a beach lovers paradise. This week’s show takes us to a few top-rated beaches, plus we talk with a beach concession queen, learn some water safety tips including what to do in a rip current, and interview the man himself, Dr. Beach.

SEGMENT 1:
Dr. Stephen Leatherman (Dr. Beach) literally wrote the book on beaches. He is currently the Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, a published author, and filmmaker. For over three decades, he has been visiting and evaluating beaches all over the world, as well as writing about climate change.
 
Now, we just assumed that he would be including the Great Lakes beaches on his searches, because WHY WOULDN’T YOU, but we were mistaken. He focuses on salty, shark-infested waters for his research and rankings, but it turns out that he HAS visited Michigan, and loves our beaches. He shares some of his top picks across the state, and both Amy and John ask the question: how do we get your job?

Dr. Beach brings up a very important topic in his segment, which is beach safety. He brings up rip currents, which are prevalent on the Great Lakes, and talks about things to look for on the water in order to avoid them. If you are swimming in a Great Lake this summer, you need to know this information.

Learn more about beach rip currents and how to avoid or escape them from Dr. Beach here.

SEGMENT 2:
This leads into our second segment with Jim Gallie, the manager of Ludington State Park. He “dives deeper” into beach safety, giving us an excellent tutorial on escaping a rip current. Note: try not to panic, float or tread water, don’t fight the current, swim parallel to the shore until the current weakens. Ludington is one of our most popular state parks not just in Michigan but for the whole Midwest, with seven miles of sandy beaches, 21 miles of trails,and inland Hamlin Lake. A 1-mile stretch of the Big Sauble River runs through the park and dumps out into Lake Michigan. This beautiful and popular spot in the park, which many visitors adore because of the warmer water and shallow spots for splashing, can also be dangerous depending on conditions. Knowing before you go is key.
Check out some of the best beaches from our friends at Pure Michigan.

SEGEMNET 3:
Speaking of Ludington, we’ll do some more of that with our third guest. Brandy Miller, the executive director of the Ludington CVB joins us to share some news. After a very, very friendly battle with a certain city to the north, Ludington was named the SECOND best beach in Michigan by USA Today’s Top Ten, a popular national poll. We discuss this, plus events happening both on and off the beach in this lively tourist-y town this summer.

SEGMENT 4:
Finally, you know we have to talk about food on the show, or it just isn’t truly going behind the mitten, right? We meet Linda Dykert, known as the Queen of Conceesions at Holland State Park and the Ottawa Beach Store. She gives us the low-down on their famous donuts and sliders, how to properly eat at the beach, and just what is beach culture. We can’t wait to go visit Linda and soak up all this goodness.

Our website is https://www.amyandgonzo.com/

SEASON 6, BONUS EPISODE

Recorded June 6, 2024

On this special Podcast, we close out our special Juneteeth show with Dr. David Pilgrim of Ferris State University.  He is one of this country's leading experts on issues relating to multiculturalism, diversity, and race relations, and is the founder and curator of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery. The museum uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote social justice and has over 20,000 artifacts. It's a difficult topic, but one that is very important to study and learn from. Dr. Pilgrim has personally collected most of the collection and has developed a traveling exhibit so more people can experience it. 

On this Podcast he talks about the origins of the museum in the early '90s when he donated his collection to the University, and then moving into a larger space in 2012. Today he is also working on a permanent spot to house the collection on Ferris' campus.

As for Juneteenth, he said the day represents a "celebration." He said a great historian once said, immediately after Emancipation, Juneteenth is an opportunity to "to celebrate, educate and agitate, and I think that's what it has always meant to me.... It's an opportunity to celebrate freedom. To educate people about the past... To get people's rights, like the right to vote." 

Learn more about the Museum at https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/index.htm.

LISTEN TO FULL JUNETEENTH SHOW.

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It's a different kind of road trip this week, as we learn all about the Juneteenth holiday and talk with a variety of guests about different places around Michigan that hold special significance for African American history and culture. Juneteenth marks the final emancipation of slaves during the Civil War, on June 19 in Galveston Texas. Today, it is a day of celebration and education.

We kick off the show with Chris Grier, who shares with us both the history and significance of the Juneteenth holiday. Grier is the historian for Idlewild, located near Baldwin, and known as the "Black Eden of Michigan. He was both born and raised at this special spot, and his grandfather was one of the founding members. We discuss the importance of Idelwild to it's members, and to the community as a whole. We also discuss how a certain movie brought attention to Idelwild's history, but also completely got the location wrong. Idlewild is in Michigan, not Georgia!

Then, we meet with Cynthia Jones, who is the Director of Museum Experiences at The Henry Ford in Dearborn. Did you know that the bus that Rosa Parks sat down in and helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement is right here? You can even climb on to experience history firsthand. We talk about why items of cultural significance are so important, and how The Henry Ford has integrated it into their exhibit "With Liberty and Justice for All".

Annie Kelly from the Calhoun County Visitors Bureau stops by and we discuss the long history the Underground Railroad had in this part of Michigan. Known as a safe stop for escaped slaves, usually on their journey to Canada and freedom, Calhoun County, which includes Battle Creek, Marshall and Albion, now boasts several tributes to this time in history. We talk about the Underground Railroad memorial that you can experience here, as well as a 12-foot-tall statue of activist Sojourner Truth, who ended up calling Battle Creek her home for the last decades of her life.

We close out this special show with Dr. David Pilgrim of Ferris State University.  He is one of this country's leading experts on issues relating to multiculturalism, diversity, and race relations, and is the founder and curator of the Jim Crow Museum. The museum uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote social justice and has over 20,000 artifacts. It's a difficult topic, but one that is very important to study and learn from. Dr. Pilgrim has personally collected most of the collection and has developed a traveling exhibit so more people can experience it. He is also working on a permanent spot to house the collection on Ferris' campus. 


Follow John and Amy:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten
Twitter at @BehindTheMitten
Instagram at @BehindTheMitten

SEASON 6, BONUS PODCAST

Welcome to a special Behind the Mitten podcast! BTM is Michigan's premiere radio show and podcast, bringing you the best of the Great Lakes State since 2014. With over 600 episodes under our belts, we're thrilled to have you join us for a special treat from the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso.

This podcast includes additional interview from our June 8-9, 2024 show (Season 6, E23). In it we take a closer look at the Pere Marquette 1225 in Owosso, a charming little town located a bit northeast of Lansing.

Gonzo spent some extra time with volunteers, including Roger Scoville and Randy Paquette, former MSU students who started working on restoring the Steam Locomotive in 1970. They were members of the Michigan State University Railroad Club. Randy was member No. 2, and Roger was member No. 52. Today, some 50 years later and into retirement, they work as volunteers to keep this piece of American history alive so today's generation can learn from it. Jim said these trains "helped build this country dating back to the Civil War and through two World Wars." It's worth restoring, he added.

This extended podcast includes interviews with Roger and Randy, as well as Dean Pyers, Executive Director of the Steam Railroading Institute.

The Pere Marquette 1225 is best known for its relationship with the popular movie "The Polar Express." In fact, a film crew was on site to capture images, sound and video as it prepare for the movie. You will see some of that history in the museum.

The Steam Railroading Institute also hosts the famous North Pole Express, a seasonal and extremely popular excursion based on a famous movie during the holiday season. This four-and-a-half-hour trip includes cocoa, and a visit to the Ashley Christmas Village, as well as a festive train ride. Stay tuned for ticket sales this summer. They sell out in advance.

From individuals to large groups of school children, the Steam Railroading Institute is open to the public on select days from April to September for visits and tours. You can also book private charters, ride the 7.5 gauge mini-railroad, and experience other special train events.

More information a michigansteamtrain.com.

Where are we going to be next week? We don't know. But tune in to Behind the Mitten to find out!

Follow John and Amy:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten
Twitter at @BehindTheMitten
Instagram at @BehindTheMitten

This week we go railside, and explore the fascinating world of trains around Michigan. What we found was a dedicated, passionate group of people, some incredible machinery, lots of history, and one new restaurant. 

We first meet Kyle Rosol, the general manager of the Friends of the Coopersville-Marne Railway, which is located just due west of Grand Rapids, about halfway to Grand Haven. His life-long passion for trains and railroads led him across town from Lowell to this dream job. The vintage train resides in Coopersville and travels a dedicated 7-mile track to Marne that was originally built in 1858. The historic cars do a 90-minute loop and a relaxing pace. 

The extra cool thing about this train is that each voyage out follows some type of theme, many of them seasonal. Check out Rails and Ales, and enjoy a craft beer or wine and an appetizer as you travel, or do the Summer Train and learn about the history of the area. The most popular are the fall Pumpkin Train and Holiday Train in December, please plan ahead for these.  Also, reserve ahead of time, and do not miss the Great Train Robbery, which Kyle shared with us. All we'll say is that bandits takeover and a certain someone has to arrive by horseback to save the day, which sounds pretty exciting to us.

Owosso, a charming little town located a bit northeast of Lansing, has always been a favorite of ours after spending some time here eating the best fried chicken we ever had at our beloved Lula's Louisiana Kitchen, which has sadly since closed by fire. Taking a walk through downtown offers cute shops, bakeries to pop into, an absolutely lovely green park, and one colossal piece of American engineering.

The Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso is home to the mighty Pere Marquette 1225 engine, which pulls the famous North Pole Express, a seasonal and extremely popular excursion based on a famous movie during the holiday season. This four-and-a-half-hour trip includes cocoa, and a visit to the Ashley Christmas Village, as well as a festive train ride.  

Situated on the site of the former Ann Arbor Railroad’s steam shops and roundhouse in Owosso, SRI’s mission is to educate the public about steam-era railroading in Michigan and the Great Lakes region. From individuals to large groups of school children, SRI is open to the public on select days from April to September for visits and tours. You can also book private charters, ride the 7.5 gauge mini-railroad, and experience other special train events.

Matthew Buskard has been a long-time friend and restaurant colleague of Amy's from way, way back. It's always a very proud moment to have this restaurant empire owner on the show, knowing how hard he has worked to get here, with multiple locations of his Bobcat Bonnie's popping up all over the state. His most recent spot just opened in the Lansing Train Station, which was formerly the home of Clara's. Matty Cakes tells us about the care they took in this renovation, maintaining many historical parts while consciously updating, which sounds kind of Goop-y but is decidedly not. He also gives us an update on the huge Michigan Central Station rebuild in Corktown by Ford, which sounds incredibly exciting for everyone, including his original location of Bobcat Bonnie's.

Andrew Kercher, Community Engagement Manager and Historian for the Port Huron Museums, is another favorite guest, because his passion is just so apparent, and he makes learning effortless and fun. The museum family in Port Huron encompasses multiple locations, including the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, Carnegie Museum, the Huron Lightship, and the Edison Depot. That last one is our focus on this show, where Kercher shares with us Thomas Edison's childhood in Port Huron and the importance of trains to this young entrepreneur. Plan a visit to this interesting spot this summer to experience history firsthand. 

Follow John and Amy:
https://www.amyandgonzo.com/
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten
Twitter at @BehindTheMitten
Instagram at @BehindTheMitten