OTL: Episode #344- Peterson Garden Project, A new local fest called Bellwether, The Scott Emo Show

TO HEAR THE SHOW, PRESS THE “PLAY” BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST… (podcasting from the studios in the OTL Bunker, somewhere in Chicago) (broadcasting on the “urban gardening is fun” radio station WLUW-FM (88.7) Chicago) Mike Stephen visits the Peterson Garden Project, previews the Bellwether event at The Hideout, and visits with the host of The Scott Emo Show.   LaManda Joy – Block Captain for the Peterson Garden We pay a visit to this organic community vegetable garden at Peterson and Campbell in the 40th Ward. Peterson Garden   Susie Daly– Co-host of Bellwether This new series kicks off at The Hideout on June 8-9.  We get a preview of this even that’s billed as Market + Happening + Feast all in one.         Scott Emo– Host of The Scott Emo Show This show is a combination local talk show, webisode series, and podcast.  The next live taping takes place on May 22 at Stage 773 (1225 W. Belmont) at 8pm.   OTL #344 local music provided by The Bingers…  

OTL: Episode #342- The “To Be Demolished” series, Being a bike messenger in Chicago, Broken sidewalks with Chicago Stumbler

TO HEAR THE SHOW, PRESS THE “PLAY” BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST… (podcasting from the studios in the OTL Bunker, somewhere in Chicago) (broadcasting on the “watch where you walk” radio station WLUW-FM (88.7) Chicago) Mike Stephen gets an update on the “To Be Demolished” series, learns what it’s like to be a Chicago bike messenger, and discusses the Chicago Stumbler blog.   David Schalliol– Creator of the To Be Demolished series and Managing Editor of GapersBlock.com Every year there are hundreds of Chicago buildings are threatened with demolition.  David reflects on his efforts to document 100 of these buildings online over the last year. Photo courtesy of David Schalliol   Jeff Kidder– Assistant Professor of Sociology at Northern IL University, author of Urban Flow: Bike Messengers and the City What’s it like being a bike messenger in Chicago?  We explore this question and many others related to this risky job.         Mike Reilley– Founder of Chicago Stumbler, The Red Line Project, and Online Journalism Instructor at DePaul’s College of Communication We learn about this new site that documents broken sidewalks near Red Line El stops. Photo courtesy of The Chicago Stumbler   OTL #342 local music provided by Paul Leonard…  

OTL: Episode #339- A year without buying anything update, Connecting the Near North Side, Uncontested elections in 2013

TO HEAR THE SHOW, PRESS THE “PLAY” BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST… (podcasting from the studios in the OTL Bunker, somewhere in Chicago) (broadcasting on the “connecting Chicago” radio station WLUW-FM (88.7) Chicago) Mike Stephen checks in with a Chicagoan who isn’t purchasing anything for a year, discusses bringing together the Near North Side, and analyzes the number of uncontested elections in Cook Co.   Joe Basilone– Co-owner of Thrift & Thrive resale shop Could you go a whole year without buying anything?  That’s what Joe and his family are attempting in 2013.  We check in with him to see how it’s going so far.   Abu Ansari – Content manager of connectnearnorth.org Randall Blakey- Facilitator of the Near North Unity Program The Near North neighborhood has gone through many changes over the years.  We learn about efforts to bring that community closer together through local social programs and technology.           Patrick McCraney– Investigator at the Better Government Association Recently Patrick wrote this article talking about how Cook County voters aren’t facing many candidate choices in elections.  He joins us to explain his analysis.       OTL #339 local music provided by The Chandeliers…  

OTL: Episode #335- Ald. Joe Moreno, Dying the Chicago river green, Mike Houlihan’s “Our Irish Cousins”

TO HEAR THE SHOW, PRESS THE “PLAY” BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST… (podcasting from the studios in the OTL Bunker, somewhere in Chicago) (broadcasting on the “Irish cousin” radio station WLUW-FM (88.7) Chicago) Mike Stephen talks Chicago issues with Ald. Joe Moreno, learns about dying the Chicago River green, and chats with Mike Houlihan about his new film, “Our Irish Cousins.”   Happy St. Paddy’s Day! Proco “Joe” Moreno– Alderman, 1st Ward Ald. Moreno joins us to discuss various local issues such as liquor moratoriums, LED billboards in neighborhoods, and Chicago school closings. Ald. Joe Moreno   OTL Rewind– Mike Butler, Head of the Green Chicago River Crew With this being St. Patrick’s Day week, we thought it’d be cool to dig into the OTL audio archives to hear a clip from OTL #25 that includes learning about the history of turning the Chicago River green.   Dying the Chicago River Mike Houlihan– Local author, comedian, filmmaker, Irishman Mike’s latest film, Our Irish Cousins, is an exploration of the Irish-American experience.  We discuss the film and the lessons he learned from visiting his homeland. Our Irish Cousins OTL #335 local music provided by Safe Haven..