Your History Your Story

In this episode, A Passion for Presidential History, we will be speaking with award winning author, adjunct professor of history and Presidential historian, Louis Picone.

Louis, whose early interest in history was fostered by his parents through road trips to historic places, continued that tradition with his own children, often visiting the birthplaces of U.S. Presidents. 

As a result of those visits, Louis began to develop a fascination with the lives and times of our nation’s Commanders in Chief, which lead him to become a teacher and writer of Presidential history.  

Louis, who has authored three books to date, will share interesting and little known stories he uncovered while visiting presidential landmarks and researching his books.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Louis Picone

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

In the summer of 1982,  homicide detective, Dave Reichert, of the King County, Washington, Sheriff’s Department was assigned to investigate multiple murders. The victims were found in and around the Green River in that county.  This, for Dave, began a twenty year hunt for one of the most prolific and elusive serial killers in US history, dubbed “The Green River Killer”.

In this episode, Dave, who became Sheriff of King County in 1997 and later served fourteen years as a member of the US House of Representatives, will tell us about his involvement in investigating the murders, as the lead investigator, task force member and sheriff.

He will also share how the loss of life and urgency to find the killer, took an emotional toll on him, other law enforcement task force members and especially the families of the victims.

Finally, Dave will explain how the Green River killer, Gary Ridgeway, was eventually caught and brought to justice through the use of DNA testing, which linked him to evidence from the crime scenes. Ridgeway was subsequently convicted of forty nine homicides and is now serving multiple life sentences.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Dave Reichert

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

*WARNING: Contains accounts of sex crime / murder investigations, listener discretion strongly advised.

In this episode, our guest will be author, speaker and former Chief Curator of the Newark Museum in Newark, New Jersey, Ulysses Grant Dietz. Mr. Dietz, who retired from the Newark Museum at the end of 2017 after thirty seven years of service, is also the great-great grandson of Civil War General and 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant.

Mr. Dietz will share stories from his family tree and will tell us about his personal journey to learn about the life and heart of his famous ancestor and namesake.

Photo(s): courtesy of Ulysses Grant Dietz

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

Our guest today is Kory Shrum, who also goes by the name, KB Marie. She is a USA Today best selling fiction author and poet.

Kory will share her life and inspirations that led her to become a successful writer of fiction, which include supernatural thrillers, science fiction and mysteries. 

She will also tell how her career in fiction collided with the reality of the tragic death of her mother in July of 2020, which started her into an investigation to find the truth that led to her mother’s death. 

To chronicle her quest for the truth, Kory wrote and narrated a 16 episode podcast called “Who Killed My Mother”.  Today, she will share a little about that podcast as well.

*Listener discretion - this episode contains some discussion about sexual abuse (not graphic)* 

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

Photo(s): Courtesy of Kory Shrum

In this episode, “My Dad Survived the Holocaust: A story of Faith, Strength & Courage”, we will be speaking with David Fogel about the life of his father, Eugene.

Born in Satu Mare, Romania in 1926, one of eleven children of Shimon and Mattel Fogel, Eugene was raised in a religious, Jewish home.

Eugene had completed his schooling and had begun working, when, in 1944, the Nazis entered Satu Mare and Eugene’s life was changed forever. 

He and his family were sent to a ghetto and shortly thereafter transferred to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp complex in Poland, where most of his family perished.

Eugene’s son David, will share stories about his father’s life and how his faith and personal strength helped him survive one of the most horrific periods in human history.

Photo(s): Courtesy of David Fogel

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

In this episode, “Team Hoyt - Yes, You Can!”, we will be speaking with brothers, Rick and Russ Hoyt.  Rick, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, grew up in a loving family where he was treated no differently than his two brothers, Rob and Russ. 

When he was 16 years old, Rick approached his dad, Dick, and asked him if they could enter a race together to benefit an athlete at his school who had become paralyzed. 

Rick wanted to demonstrate that life could be lived fully, despite a persons’ disability. 

Rick’s dad agreed and from that point on, father and son became known as Team Hoyt, which competed in over 1,100 endurance events, such as, 5K’s, marathons, triathlons and Iron-man competitions. 

In March of 2021, Dick Hoyt, passed away at age 80. Their mom, Judy, who passed away in 2010, was a big advocate for her son, Rick and championed education reform to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in the state of Massachusetts.

Rick and his brother Russ will tell stories about their family, Team Hoyt’s racing career and the Hoyt Foundation, a non-profit organization, founded to help disabled young people through inclusion in all facets of daily life.

In this episode, our host, James Gardner  will be joined by his lifelong friend, John Sellar. Together, they will be sharing memories of their fathers Alistair Sellar and Jack Gardner. 

Al and Jack met in 1925 when they were in second grade in Bloomfield, New Jersey. They had a rare friendship that lasted their entire lives. 

Both men’s lives exemplified the strength, courage and determination of the “greatest generation”. 

John and James will tell stories of how their dads’ friendship continued throughout the years and eventually grew to include their wives and children.  On this Father’s Day, they have the honor of telling about a friendship between their two families that began almost a century ago and continues to this day.

Photo(s): Courtesy of the Sellar & Gardner families

Music: "With Loved Ones", Jay Man

Marty was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His recently released book, “My Brooklyn, My Way From Brownsville to Canarsie in the 1950’s” chronicles his childhood through a series of short stories and poems.

In today's episode, Marty will share some of his most cherished recollections about his early years, including stories about his family, friends, neighbors, local shops, vacations in the Catskills and summertime fun.

Marty is a master storyteller who will transport you to a simpler time and place where people made the most of what little they had and found joy in relationships with each other. 

With enthusiasm and descriptive language, Marty will tell of the wonderful times he had, such as playing stick ball with old broom handles, hot summer days at Betsy Head Pool, trips to Coney Island and hanging around at the local candy stores.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Martin Blumberg

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

“The Measure of Life is not its’ Duration, but its’ Donation” 

In this episode, you’ll hear the story of Nancy Saulter,  a person whose life and legacy of stepping up to meet the needs of others, epitomized the quote by Peter Marshall. 

Tragically losing her father to suicide when she was nine years old, Nancy and her family were comforted by the kindness of their extended family and neighbors.  It was this kindness that inspired her to help and care for others  her entire life. 

Nancy’s daughter, Janet, will tell how her mother opened not only her heart, but her home to others, especially those who were lonely or in need.

The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Janet, like her mother, feels the same passion to step up in many ways, including  donating one of her kidneys to a friend. Since donating her kidney, she has been actively involved with an organization called the Transplant Games of America and participates as an athlete.

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

Photo(s): Courtesy of Janet Saulter-Hemmer