Round the Bend Now and Then

In the early hours of January 10, 1935, at the corner of Colfax Ave & Michigan St in South Bend, IN, bomb blasts rocked the fancy Palais Royale building. The target was the Palace Cafe, which was lo…

Imagine how hard it would be to have a son or daughter overseas fighting in a war. Now imagine that multiplied by SIX! SIX of Ethel & Howard Hardman's sons left their Corby St. home to serve our co…

In the 1970s, students at Notre Dame organized multiple blues festivals that brought students, locals, rich, poor, African American and white folks together, to share their common love of the blues. 

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The History Museum has seen many changes in its almost 150 year existence, but one thing is for sure, the entire area is blessed to have one of the oldest and largest historical societies in our stat…

In this episode, I meet with LONGTIME South Bend Tribune columnist Bill Moor.  Bill started at the Tribune in 1973 and spent almost 50 years serving in numerous roles including a sports writer, edito…

“The Lake” is a nickname for the LaSalle Park neighborhood on the far West Side of South Bend, IN. The history of the neighborhood and everything it has experienced are so unbelievable, the story s…

Four Winds Field & the South Bend Cubs are a thriving minor league baseball stadium and franchise! Many fans probably do not know how close we came to losing baseball in South Bend altogether.

In t…

In this episode, I meet with author Lisa Kelly. Lisa has written numerous Notre Dame related books, including the Echoes from Notre Dame series, cookbook Domer Dishes, and her new children's book, C…

In this episode, I meet w/Mishawaka High School head football coach Keith Kinder deep in the bowels of historic Steele Stadium. Hear how he balances the rich tradition of the program with today’s ki…

In this episode, our listeners and I learn all about how a mid 1930s Great Depression era program created by President Roosevelt’s administration to provide jobs to the unemployed, was used to build …

In this week’s episode, we try a first: I recorded an entire interview on site away from my basement studio. I felt that this would be the best way to authentically shine a spotlight on one of the S…

In this episode, Roger Parent joins us again & shares his memories leading the city in bringing professional baseball to South Bend, IN.

In what started as a meeting pushed by a very insistent Michi…

In this episode, former South Bend Mayor Roger Parent, who was mayor at the time the East Race Waterway was built in the early 1980s, joins me and shares his memories of what it was like to collabora…

On this episode, I meet with the first coordinator of the Michiana Crime Stoppers program, retired South Bend Police Lieutenant Sam Walsh.

Michiana Crime Stoppers turns 40 years old this year! Many …

In this episode, I meet with author Gabrielle Robinson and we discuss the story behind her book, Better Homes of South Bend: An American Story of Courage.

The book's description, says it all:

"In 19…

In this episode, I meet with the author of the More People article series, Joe Molnar. His series detailed how South Bend grew every decade up until the 1960s and then explained our unprecedented po…

In this episode, you will hear stories behind why the 1200 block of W. Washington street in South Bend, IN was nicknamed, "The Block." The area around the intersection of Washington & Walnut Streets…

In this episode, you will hear all about the brand new Mishawaka Historical Museum as I meet with Pete DeKever, the President and Curator. People from our area would be amazed at the array of Mishaw…

In this episode, I meet with Allie's Cafe & Catering's owner Betty Sulok. Over the quarter century that she and her husband Chuck have owned Allie's, it has become a beloved breakfast & lunch spot f…

In this episode, I meet with RJ Connors and Jonathon Morrison of the South Bend Lions' Supporters Group, The 6 Districts Coalition. The 6DC are a passionate, mighty group of fans, who support our lo…