OTL: Episode #505- Chicago storyteller Jack Zimmerman, Visiting the Bike a Bee apiary

Mike Stephen talks with:   local renaissance man and raconteur Jack Zimmerman about his deep Chicago roots and his latest show FAMILY PHOTOS — six stories of fathers, sons, barkeeps, and philosophers; and   Bike a Bee creator and head beekeeper Jana Kinsman at the apiary at Plant Chicago about starting a business and keeping honeybees in the city.   Meanwhile, we discuss inequities in the dress code at an upscale pizza joint in Chicago.   This week’s local music is provided music by Jackie Islands.   Chicago raconteur Jack Zimmerman shares a story from his show “FAMILY PHOTOS — six stories of fathers, sons, barkeeps, and philosophers” with OTL host Mike Stephen.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.   OTL host Mike Stephen visits the Bike a Bee apiary on the roof of Plant Chicago in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

OTL: Episode #503- Coyotes in Chicago, Wilson Underline project, Visiting the Near North Farmessori

Mike Stephen talks with:   Urban Coyote Research Program principal investigator Stanley Gehrt about wildlife ecology and the upswing of the Chicago coyote population;   Wilson L Public Space Committee co-chair Julianne Scherer about the proposed Wilson Underline plan to beautify CTA space in Uptown; and   The Farmessori urban farm coordinator Joe Phillips about teaching sustainability to students of the Near North Montessori School.   Meanwhile, we play a voicemail from #1 OTL fan Mrs. Stephen… who was looking for her son at the Cubs game!   This week’s local music is provided music provided by Gallery-81.   OTL host Mike Stephen III’s son Mike Stephen IV is impressed with the goat roaming The Farmessori grounds of the Near North Montessori School.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #502- Draining Chicago, Turning Asian carp into pet food, The Secret History of The Bare Facts

Mike Stephen talks with:   Richard Lanyon, former executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, about the history of Chicago’s sewer system as detailed in the second book in his four-book series Draining Chicago: The Early City and the North Area;   BareItAll Petfoods co-founders Logan Honeycutt and Michael Cody about saving the environment by turning invasive Asian carp into dog treats; and   Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about 1960s Indiana-based horn rockers The Bare Facts for this week’s edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music.   Meanwhile, we how the CTA is renting parking spaces under the Brown Line.   This week’s local music is provided music provided by Walcot.   Future OTL producer Andy Hermann and host Mike Stephen cruise the Chicago River post-flow reversal and pre-Asian carp threat. [circa September 2005]   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #494- WikiProject Women Scientists, The Secret History of Andrew Brown, Towing and vehicle emissions testing in Chicagoland

Mike Stephen talks with:   WikiProject Women Scientists founder Emily Temple-Wood about her mission to make sure the world knows the contributions of female scientists;   Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about soulful multi-instrumentalist Andrew Brown for this week’s “Post-Winter Blues” edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music; and   The Expired Meter blogger The Parking Ticket Geek about the latest on towing and emissions testing issues in Chicago.   Meanwhile, we flashback to OTL #362 and play an excerpt from an interview with filmmaker Will Robson-Scott about his 2013 pre-Spike Lee short Chi Raq.   This week’s local music is provided music provided by Will Mackie-Jenkins.   OTL host Mike Stephen in an undated file photo   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.