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Last time we spoke about the fall of Shanghai. In October 1937 a small battalion led by Colonel Xie Jinyuan transformed the Sihang Warehouse into a fortress against the advancing Japanese army. These men, known as the "800 Heroes," became symbols of hope, rallying local citizens who provided vital support. Despite heavy casualties, they held out against overwhelming odds until a strategic retreat was ordered on November 1. As Japanese forces intensified their assaults, they breached the Chinese defenses and captured strategic positions along Suzhou Creek. The fighting was fierce, marked by desperate counterattacks from the besieged Chinese soldiers, who faced an unyielding enemy. By November 9, the Chinese faced a full retreat, their organized defenses collapsing into chaos as they fled the city. Desperate civilians sought refuge in the International Settlement but were met with hostility, exacerbating the terror of the moment. Amidst the turmoil, remaining forces continued to resist in pockets, holding out as long as possible. By November 11, Japanese troops raised their flag in the last stronghold, marking a grim victory.   #163 Crossing Nanjing's Rubicon Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. As the Japanese were mopping up Shanghai, Chiang Kai-Shek wrote in his diary on November 11th “I fear that they could threaten Nanjing”. Over In Shanghai, General Matsui Iwane was dealing with foreign correspondents, eager to learn what Japan's next move would be and to this he simply stated “For future developments, you had better ask Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek”. The correspondents were surprised by this response and pressed him further. He replied . “Chiang Kai-shek was reported to have predicted a five-year war, well, it might be that long. We don't know whether we will go to Nanjing or not. It all depends on Chiang.” At this point Shanghai was falling under Japanese control and now Matsui and his fellow field commanders were thinking, what's next? Nanjing was certainly the next objective. It was a common understanding amongst the Japanese leadership, that if the four main eastern cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Nanjing were lost, Chiang Kai-Shek's government would collapse. Three of these cities had been taken, Nanjing was dangling like fresh fruit. Matsui's staff believed the Chinese units departing Shanghai would mount a stand immediately west of the city, probably a defensive line running from Jiading to Huangduzhen. On the night of November 11th, Matsui issued a command to all units in the Shanghai area to advance west along the railway towards Nanjing. Their first objective would be a line extending from Taicang to Kunshan. Chiang Kai-Shek was not only reeling from military defeats, but also the gradual loss of his German allies. The Germans were increasingly aligning with the Japanese. Chiang Kai-Shek was looking for new external help, so he turned to the Soviets. It was a marriage of convenience, Chiang Kai-Shek signed a non-aggression pact with the USSR that year and wasted no time pleading for aircraft and pilots. Moscow began sending them before the ink touched the paper. 200 aircraft and pilots in return for some essential minerals, wolfram and tungsten. The Sino-Soviet friendship even drew in an unlikely source of support, Sir Winston Churchill. The Soviet envoy to the UK described how during a meeting with Churchill “he greatly praised our tactics in the Far East: maintenance of neutrality and simultaneous aid to China in weaponry.” Soviet pilots found themselves dispatched to Nanjing where they were briefed by Yakov Vladimirovich Smushkevich, the deputy commander of the Soviet Air Force. “The Japanese armed forces are technically superior to the Chinese. The Chinese Air Force is a particular concern. Soviet pilots who have rushed to China's aid are currently in Nanjing. They are fighting valiantly.” Meanwhile back at Shanghai discipline and order that had characterized previous Chinese withdrawal had collapsed. Simply put, there were hundreds of thousands of men trying to retreat across the lower Yangtze region, it was a shitstorm. Many units had to disengage during combat with the enemy and scramble to pull out. Huang Qixiang, the deputy commander of the Chinese right flank in Shanghai, executed a strategic withdrawal moments before his command post succumbed to the advancing enemy forces. Just fifteen minutes after his departure, the area was overrun by Japanese troops. In a desperate bid to avoid capture, another general had to cross a creek, nearly drowning in the process. Rescued while barely clinging to life and drenched in icy water, he was welcomed by a peasant family who aided in his recovery before he resumed his arduous journey westward. The scale of this withdrawal, occurring both day and night, could hardly escape the enemy's notice, and its complexity made the operation increasingly difficult. The execution of the withdrawal exacerbated the situation significantly. Orders to abandon their positions started to trickle down immediately after the upper command made the decision. However, these orders reached the units in a disorganized manner. Many telephone lines had been sabotaged, and when soldiers were sent to relay the orders in person, they faced severe disruptions in the transportation network. Consequently, many units only became aware of the withdrawal when they witnessed the mass movements of their comrades heading westward. Upon realizing what was happening, many soldiers fled in a state of panic. There were no comprehensive plans outlining the retreat, no designated routes for the various units, nor any established timetables. The outcome was a chaotic scramble for survival. Soldiers who had fought side by side for three months suddenly found themselves competing against one another in a desperate race to escape. At bridges and other chokepoints, weary soldiers exhausted their last reserves of strength, brawling with their fellow troops to be the first to cross. Meanwhile, officers traveling in chauffeur-driven cars attempted to assert their rank to gain priority access to the roads, adding to the growing disorder that ensued. The massive army was hindered by its sheer size, resulting in miles of congested roads filled with men unable to move in any direction. This made them easy targets for Japanese aircraft, leading to a bloody cycle of repeated attacks. Planes adorned with the red Rising Sun insignia would emerge from the horizon, swooping down to strike at these vulnerable formations. As commander Chen Yiding recalled “The lack of organization and the gridlocked roads resulted in far more casualties than could have been avoided,”.  On November 12th, the newspaper Zhaongyang Ribao, published an editorial addressing the citizens of Nanjing, to remind them that tough times lay ahead now that Shanghai had fallen. The article stipulated they needed to prepare the city for the upcoming battle,  “Now, all the citizenry of the capital must fulfill their duty in a way that can serve as a model for the entire nation.” Nanjing in 1937 was a city touched by the war, but not enough to change the social fabric just yet. Cinema's remained open, the shopping arcade was crowded as usual, traffic was heavy along Zhongshan Road, order remained. Telephones remained on, except during air raids. Connections to the outside world functioned as they should, given this was the capital. The region had seen a good harvest in 1937, no one was going hungry. However as the front 200 miles away drew closer, bombing raids more frequent, fear of the enemy increased. Contact with the outside world gradually declined. By mid November the train link from Nanjing to Shanghai was severed.  While the fear amongst the populace increased, so did a newfound sense of common purpose against a common enemy. Poster calling for the Chinese to unite against the Japanese invaders were found throughout Nanjing. Residents were conscripted for various fortification efforts, with some receiving basic military training to help defend the city. Those who refused to cooperate faced severe penalties as “traitors,” while the majority willingly participated. Both military and civilian police were deployed throughout the city, diligently checking identities in an ongoing effort to root out spies and traitors. The authorities enforced a strict prohibition against discussing military matters in restaurants and other public venues. Then all the high ranking military officials and politicians families gradually began departing the city in secrecy. This was followed by said politicians and military officials. Twas not a good look. Nanjing soon saw its population decline from 1 million to half a million. Those who stayed behind were mainly the poor, or those anchored, like shopkeepers. Every day saw a steady stream of Nanjing citizens leaving the city over her main roads, fleeing into the countryside with carts full of belongings. On November 12th at 10am orders were issued for the Japanese to advance west. What had been a war of attrition, where inches of land were claimed with blood, suddenly it was a war of movement. As one Japanese soldier recalled “In the course of 50 days, I had moved only two miles. Now suddenly we were experiencing rapid advance”. As the Japanese came across small towns, they found large posters plastered on all the walls. These were all anti-japanese with some nationalist propaganda. The Japanese soldiers would tear them down and paint up their own messages “down with Chiang Kai-Shek!”.  Towns and cities west of Shanghai fell rapidly one after another, each succumbing to a grim pattern: swift conquest followed by widespread devastation. Jiading, a county seat with a population of approximately 30,000, succumbed to a prolonged siege. When the 10st division captured Jiading on November 13, after relentless shelling had leveled a third of the city, they began a massacre, indiscriminately killing nearly everyone in their path, men, women, and children alike. The battle and its aftermath resulted in over 8,000 casualties among the city's residents and surrounding countryside. One Japanese soldier referred to Jiading as “A city of death, in a mysteriously silent world in which the only sound was the tap of our own footsteps”.  On November 14, soldiers from the 9th Division reached Taicang, an ancient walled city designed to withstand lengthy sieges. As they crossed the 70-foot moat amid heavy fire, the Japanese troops confronted the formidable 20-foot-high city wall. After breaching the wall, their infantry swiftly entered the city and seized control. The destruction persisted long after the fighting ceased, with half of the city being devastated, including significant cultural institutions like the library, and salt and grain reserves were looted. It was as if the Japanese aimed to obliterate not just the material existence of the people but their spiritual foundation as well.  Casual cruelty marked the nature of warfare along the entire front, with few prisoners being taken. Ishii Seitaro, a soldier in the 13th Division's 26th Brigade, encountered a mass execution while marching alongside the Yangtze River. Several headless corpses floated nearby, yet three Chinese prisoners remained alive. A Japanese officer, personally overseeing the execution, wore a simple uniform, but the two ornate swords at his belt indicated his wealthy background. Approaching one prisoner, the officer dramatically drew one of the swords and brandished it through the air with exaggerated flair. In an almost theatrical display, he held it aloft, the blade trembling as if he were nervous. The prisoner, in stark contrast, exhibited an unnerving calmness as he knelt, awaiting his inevitable fate. The officer swung the sword down but failed to deliver a clean strike. Although he inflicted a deep gash to the prisoner's skull, it was not fatal. The prisoner collapsed, thrashing and emitting a prolonged scream that sent chills through those present. The officer, seemingly exhilarated by the anguish he caused, began wildly slashing at the figure until the screams subsided. Ishii turned away in horror, his mind swirling with confusion. Why were the Chinese being executed? Had they not surrendered?  Three months into the war's expansion to the Yangtze region, air raids had become an all too frequent menace in Nanjing. The first major raid came on August 15th and increased each week. On the night of August 27, approximately 30 bombs were dropped on Purple Mountain, specifically targeting the Memorial Park for Sun Yat-sen, aiming to hurt the morale of Nanjing's residents. As days melted into weeks and weeks stretched into months, the landscape of Nanjing transformed under the weight of war. Residents began constructing dugouts in courtyards, gardens, public squares, and even on streets. Foreigners painted their national flags on top of buildings and vehicles, attempting to avoid the risk of being machine-gunned by strafing aircraft. Each raid followed a predictable routine: sirens wailed loudly 20 to 30 minutes before the attack, signaling pedestrians to seek shelter and drivers to stop their engines. By the time a shorter warning sounded, the streets had to be cleared, leaving nothing to do but await the arrival of Japanese planes. Initially, the part-US-trained Chinese Air Force posed a considerable threat to Japanese bombers. The 4th and 5th Chinese Squadrons, stationed near Nanjing to defend the capital, achieved early success, reportedly downing six bombers during the first air raid on Nanjing. Much of the credit for these aerial victories belonged to Claire Chennault, a retired American Army Air Corps captain who had become an advisor to the Chinese Air Force, overseeing Nanjing's air defense. Chennault taught his pilots tactics he had developed in the US but had never fully implemented. His strategy was straightforward: three fighters would focus on one enemy bomber at a time. One would attack from above, another from below, while a third would hover in reserve to deliver the final blow if necessary. He instructed the Chinese pilots to target the engines rather than the fuselage, reasoning that any missed shots could hit the gas tanks located in the wing roots. This approach proved successful, leading to the loss of 54 Japanese planes within three days. For Chennault, it validated his belief that air superiority required a diverse range of aircraft, not just bombers. Nighttime raids, however, posed a greater challenge. Chennault, along with other commanders, sought solutions. Chinese General C.C. Wong, a German-trained artillery officer overseeing the country's anti-aircraft defenses, ensured that dozens of large Sperry searchlights were positioned throughout Nanjing in a grid pattern. This setup had a dual purpose: it would dazzle the Japanese bomber crews and highlight their planes in silhouette for Chinese fighters above to target. The bravery of the most skilled Chinese pilots occasionally gained media attention, making them local celebrities amidst an otherwise grim war environment. However, this bright moment faded quickly when the Japanese command decided to provide escorts for their bombers. Consequently, the elite of China's air force, its finest pilots and aircraft, were lost within weeks that fall. All air raids were brutal, but the worst assaults occurred at the end of September. As a radio broadcaster reported on September 25th “Gallons of civilian blood flowed today as Nanking endured three ferocious air raids”. In total, 96 Japanese sorties were launched on that day. Witnesses observed around a dozen Chinese aircraft retreating north across the Yangtze, initially believing they were fleeing, but some returned to confront the enemy. When Chinese fighters managed to down a Japanese bomber, the streets erupted in cheers as civilians momentarily forgot their fear. The primary aim of the September 25 attack appeared to be spreading terror among the civilian population. Chiang Kai-Shek wrote in his diary that day  “The repeated Japanese air raids over the past several days have had no impact on our military installations. Instead, civilian property has sustained significant damage.” Around 20 bombs struck the Central Hospital, one of Nanjing's largest medical facilities, causing extensive destruction and prompting the evacuation of its staff. Two 1,000-pound bombs exploded nearby, leaving large craters. Had these bombs landed slightly closer, they could have resulted in mass casualties among the hospital's 100 patients, including a Japanese pilot who had been shot down earlier that month. The air raids at the end of September prompted protests from the Americans, British, and French governments to Japan. In response, Tokyo issued a statement on September 30, asserting that while they were not intentionally targeting non-combatants, it was “unavoidable” for achieving military objectives that military airfields and installations in and around Nanjing be bombed.   The battle for Jiashan was among the fiercest in the southern Yangtze delta campaign in November 1937. Although Jiashan was a moderately sized town straddling a crucial railway connecting Shanghai to Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. For the Japanese, seizing Jiashan was imperative for their westward advance; without it, their military progress would be severely hampered. Jiashan had endured three days of relentless bombing by the Japanese Air Force, driving most residents to flee into the surrounding countryside. Only about 100 remained, those who were too old or too sick to escape, abandoned by family or friends who lacked the means to assist them. The Japanese troops brutally bayoneted nearly all of these individuals and buried them in a mass grave just outside the town's northern gate. Jiashan was captured by the 10th Army, a division fresh from victories and eager to engage in combat, unlike the weary forces of the Shanghai Expeditionary Force further north. With less than a week of combat experience, the 10th Army's soldiers were hungry for a fight. The martial spirit of the 10th Army was exemplified by its commander, Yanagawa Heisuke. Born near Nagasaki in 1879, he was among a group of retired officers called back to active service as the war in China escalated unexpectedly. Having served in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and taught at the Beijing Army College in 1918, Yanagawa had considerable experience in military affairs. However, his past exposure to China did not cultivate any empathy for the enemy. He was determined to push all the way to Nanjing, and once there, he intended to blanket the city in mustard gas and incendiaries until it capitulated. While Japanese commanders debated the value of capturing Nanjing, the Chinese were equally preoccupied with whether it was worth defending. Most military professionals viewed the situation as a lost cause from the start. After the fall of Shanghai, Chiang Kai-shek summoned one of his top commanders, Chen Cheng, to Nanjing for discussions. “How can Nanjing be held?” Chen Cheng shot back “Are you ordering me to hold Nanjing?” Chiang replied “I am not”. Chen Cheng stated frankly, “I believe Nanjing should not be held at all.” By mid-November, Bai Chongxi, one of China's most respected generals, advocated for declaring Nanjing an open city. He argued that defending it was not only unnecessary but also impossible. All available forces had been deployed to Shanghai and were now exhausted. Furthermore, no reinforcements would be forthcoming if they made a stand in Nanjing. Instead of stubbornly clinging to fixed positions, he preferred a more flexible defensive strategy. Zhang Qun, Chiang's secretary, supported Bai's stance, believing that while Nanjing should ultimately be abandoned, political considerations were paramount. If the Chinese simply withdrew and allowed the Japanese to occupy the city, it would undermine China's position in any future negotiations. The Japanese would not be able to present themselves as victors who had triumphed in battle. Similarly, Chiang's chief military advisor, General Alexander von Falkenhausen, was against attempting to hold Nanjing. He deemed it “useless from a military perspective, suggesting it would be madness.” He warned that if Chiang forced his army into a decisive battle with their backs to the Yangtze River, “a disaster would probably be unavoidable.” Chiang's head of the operations bureau Liu Fei argued Nanjing could not be abandoned without a fight as it would crush the NRA's morale. He believed that defending the city could be managed with as few as 12 regiments, although 18 would be feasible. Most at the meeting agreed and Chiang understood Nanjing's international recognition necessitated some form of defense, doomed or not. A second meeting was formed whereupon, Tang Shengzhi, a general staff officer whose loyalties were, lets be honest very flip floppy. During the warlord era, he routinely switched sides, especially against Chiang Kai-Shek. At the meeting Tang stated in regards to Nanjing's international prominence and being the final resting place of Dr Sun Yat-Sen “How can we face the spirit of the former president in heaven? We have no choice but to defend the capital to the death.” Chiang's commanders were all well aware of his intentions. The generalissimo was eager for a dramatic last stand in Nanjing to serve propaganda purposes, aiming to rally the nation and convey to the world that China was resolute in its fight against Japan. His commanders also recognized the rationale behind fighting for Nanjing; however, very few were inclined to embark on what seemed a likely suicide mission. The third meeting occurred the day after the second. Chiang opened by asking, as many anticipated, “Who is willing to shoulder the burden of defending Nanjing?” An awkward silence followed. Then Tang Shengzhi stepped forward. “Chairman, if no one else is willing, I will. I'm prepared to defend Nanjing and to hold it to the death.” Without hesitation, Chiang accepted his offer. “Good, the responsibility is yours.”A little refresher on Tang, he had played a role in Chiang Kai-shek's efforts to unify China by force in the 1920s, when the nation was a patchwork of fiefdoms. However, their relationship had soured on two occasions, forcing Tang into temporary exile, first to Japan and then to Hong Kong. The Japanese invasion of northeastern China in 1931 prompted a loose reconciliation, and since then, Tang had held several important positions, notably organizing war games simulating a Japanese assault on Nanjing. However Tang had often suffered from illness, and crucially, he had not led troops in the field against the Japanese since the onset of full-scale war that summer. Hailing from Hunan province, he was a typical provincial soldier and would likely face challenges commanding respect among elite divisions loyal solely to the central government in Nanjing. He was definitely not the first choice for such a significant task.  Amazingly, while tens of thousands of Chinese and Japanese were killing each other, while Japanese planes relentlessly bombarded Chinese cities including the capital, and while Japanese soldiers committed heinous atrocities against Chinese civilians, the two nations maintained diplomatic relations. China had a fully operational embassy in Tokyo, led by Xu Shiying, a 65-year-old diplomat. This surreal arrangement persisted because neither side was willing to officially declare war. In the fall of 1937, as Japanese armies were heavily engaged on two fronts within mainland China, Xu met with Japanese Foreign Minister Hirota Koki to propose a non-aggression treaty. The proposal was swiftly rejected in Nanjing. By November 1937, Xu was no longer at the forefront of events, and foreign observers shifted their focus from the capitals of the warring nations to Belgium. While large-scale battles raged along the lower Yangtze, representatives from 19 countries convened in Brussels to search for a way to end hostilities. Although China participated in the conference, Japan did not. Japan had received two invitations to join the talks, with its response to the second arriving in Brussels on November 12: a firm rejection. Japan asserted that it preferred direct bilateral negotiations with China, dismissing the Brussels conference held under the auspices of the Nine-Power Treaty, a pact signed in 1922 aimed at ensuring China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Japan argued that intervention by a collective body like the conference “would merely stir national sentiments in both countries and complicate efforts to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution.” The League of Nations had called for a Nine-Power conference a month earlier, which ultimately became a 19-power conference as other nations with interests in East Asia joined. From the outset, Japan opposed the assembly and was absent when the first plenary meeting commenced in Brussels on November 3. Japanese leaders feared that China might attempt to leverage the conference against Western powers, recalling how, in 1895, Japan had been denied its spoils following its first modern war with China due to the intervention of Russia, France, and Germany, who blocked Japan from claiming the strategic Liaodong Peninsula adjacent to Korea. China also exhibited a lukewarm attitude toward the conference. While Japan feared the potential outcomes, China was concerned about the lack of significant results. The proposal to transition discussions from the League of Nations, perceived as ineffective, to the even less authoritative Nine Powers, which lacked formal organization. Nonetheless, the Chinese chose to participate in Brussels, maintaining the pretense that something meaningful could be accomplished. Shortly after Japan's second rejection of the invitation, Wellington Koo made an impassioned plea in Brussels, stating, “Now that the door to conciliation and mediation has been slammed in your face by the latest reply of the Japanese Government, will you not decide to withhold supplies of war materials and credit to Japan and extend aid to China?” In reality, Koo understood that significant Western aid to China was highly unlikely, aside from token gestures. Previous international discussions had momentarily halted Japanese advances in the past; for instance, in 1932, Japanese troops had paused their movements in the Shanghai area just hours before the League of Nations General Assembly commenced. However, that was nearly six years earlier, and circumstances had changed dramatically since then. Rogue states had grown bolder, while democracies seemed increasingly timid. Thus, the Chinese agenda in Brussels was not primarily driven by hopes for substantial Western concessions. Instead, the delegates had been tasked by Nanjing to anticipate the post-conference landscape and to actively seek ways to encourage Europe and America to support Soviet military action against Japan.   China, long reliant on Germany as a diplomatic partner, increasingly felt betrayed, not just by Germany, but also by its fascist ally, Italy. Consequently, it began looking more favorably upon the Soviet Union, Japan's archrival in Northeast Asia, as its main source of international support. The Soviet Union exhibited a firmer stance than the Western democracies at the Brussels conference, joining China in advocating for collective security in Europe and Asia. On November 15th, a small group of officers from the 10th Army gathered for late-night discussions in an abandoned building north of Hangzhou Bay, where they would effectively decide the fate of China. Yanagawa Heisuke, the commander of the 10th Army, presided over the discussions. Fresh from the battlefield since the beginning of the month, he was eager to escalate the fight, a sentiment echoed among the others. It was an unusual meeting, where officers as low in rank as major were making decisions typically reserved for the highest echelons of political power. The agenda included a pivotal question: Should they adhere to Order No. 600 received from Tokyo a week prior, which instructed them to halt their advance along a line from Suzhou to Jiaxing? Or, should they disregard these explicit orders and push forward to seize Nanjing? While the Japanese Army had failed to completely annihilate the Chinese forces around Shanghai, there was a consensus that their adversary was now reeling from recent setbacks, presenting an opportune moment to strike decisively and secure a swift victory. The only remaining question was how aggressively to pursue this goal. Colonel Terada Masao, a senior staff officer within the 10th Army, spoke first. “The Chinese Army is currently retreating toward the capital. We should cross that line and pursue the enemy straight to Nanjing.” Major Iketani Hanjiro, a staff officer recently attached to the fast-moving 6th Division, then offered his input “From a tactical perspective, I completely agree with Terada that we should cross the line, but the decision to attack Nanjing should be considered not just tactically, but also politically. It's not that field commanders can't create a fait accompli to pressure our superiors in Tokyo. However, we must proceed with great caution”. A staff officer raised this question  “What if Tokyo orders us to pull back those smaller units?” Iketani responded “In that case, we will, of course, withdraw them to this side of the line”. Ultimately, Iketani's cautions were set aside, and Terada's aggressive approach prevailed. The majority agreed that the tactical circumstances presented a rare opportunity. Japanese troops in the Shanghai area were poised to advance west, not through small, individual skirmishes but with a substantial deployment of their forces. Officers estimated that if a decisive push was made immediately, Nanjing could fall into Japanese hands within 20 days. However Colonel Kawabe Torashiro, the newly appointed chief of the Army General Staff's Operations Section suddenly arrived at the theater. He was sent on a mission to assess whether the Central China Area Army should be granted greater operational freedom. It was well known in Tokyo that field officers were eager to capitalize on the momentum created by the collapse of Chinese defenses around Shanghai. Kawabe's task was to explore the possibility of allowing forces to cross the line from Suzhou to Jiaxing and move westward in pursuit of the retreating enemy. However, Kawabe was staunchly opposed to further military adventures in China. Kawabe was part of the dwindling faction of "China doves" within the Japanese military. As early as the summer of 1937, he had become alarmed by a letter from a civilian Japanese visitor to the Chinese mainland, warning that Japanese officers were attempting to engineer an “incident” with China to provoke open conflict. This would provide Japan with a pretext to expand its influence in northern China. Kawabe had attempted to alert his superiors, but his warnings fell on deaf ears. They had been lulled into a false sense of security by reports from China that dismissed all talk of war-mongering as baseless and alarmist. When he arrived to the front he stated “I am here to inspect conditions on the ground so that a final decision can be made on where to establish the operational restriction line”. Alongside him came General Akira Muto, recently appointed the commander of the Central China Area Army. He also happened to be one of the architects of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Muto responded promptly: “The line currently stretches from Suzhou to Jiaxing, but we should consider crossing it. This will help us achieve our overall objectives in the theater.” Muto continued, arguing that the 10th Army should be permitted to advance to Huzhou, south of Lake Tai, effectively cutting off communications between Nanjing and the strategic city of Hangzhou. He further claimed that the Shanghai Expeditionary Force should be allowed to capture the vital city of Jiangyin, suggesting, perhaps overly optimistically, that its loss could lead to the fall of Chiang Kai-shek. Ultimately, Muto insisted, Nanjing should also be seized, which he asserted would bring an end to the war. Kawabe listened patiently, a practice he would repeat in the following days as other field officers echoed similar sentiments, eagerly expressing their desire to advance all the way to Nanjing. Yanagawa and his 10th Army exemplified this aggressive mindset. Nevertheless, just as the hawks within the Japanese military and the nation's political leadership appeared to be prevailing in the struggle over China policy, they faced unexpected challenges from a different direction. Germany, a power with ambiguous sympathies in East Asia, was quietly engaged in negotiations aimed at bringing peace. Oskar Trautmann, Germany's ambassador to China, had maintained an objective and neutral stance when he met with Chiang Kai-shek in early November to relay Japan's conditions for initiating peace talks. These conditions included extensive concessions in northern China, such as the withdrawal of all Chinese troops to a line south of Beijing and the establishment of a pro-Japanese regime in Inner Mongolia, bordering the Soviet-controlled Mongolian People's Republic. Chiang dismissed these demands outright, but Trautmann and his superiors in Beijing continued their top-secret efforts. Germany's motivation for seeking an end to the Sino-Japanese War was not rooted in a genuine love for peace, but rather in their embarrassment over witnessing their old Asian ally, China, fighting against their new partner, Japan. Herman Göring, president of the Reichstag and a leading figure in the Nazi party, told a Chinese visitor, “China and Japan are both friends of Germany. The Sino-Japanese War has put Germany between Scylla and Charybdis. That's why Germany is ready to seize the chance to become a mediator.” Germany also feared that a prolonged conflict in China could jeopardize its commercial interests in East Asia and weaken Japan's capacity to confront the Soviet Union, potentially freeing Moscow to allocate more resources to a fight in Europe. In essence, continued hostilities could significantly harm Germany. Japanese field commanders were frustrated by Germany's mediation efforts.  When news of Trautmann's mission leaked, the German diplomat faced severe criticism in the Chinese media, which deemed any negotiation with the "Japanese devils" unacceptable. Additionally, there was the matter of China's ties with the Soviet Union; employing a German mediator raised the possibility of cooperation among China, Japan, and Germany, potentially expanding the anti-Soviet bloc, which would, in turn, pressure Moscow to increase its support for China. By mid-November, however, the complexities of this diplomatic game started unraveling and then Japan took action. At 7:00 am on November 19, Yanagawa issued instructions to his troops in the field. “The enemy's command system is in disarray, and a mood of defeat has descended over their entire army. They have lost the will to fight. The main Chinese forces were retreating west of the line stretching from Suzhou to Jiaxing, and this withdrawal was soon likely to spiral into a full-scale retreat. We must not miss the opportunity to pursue the enemy to Nanjing.” I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Shanghai had fallen, and the Japanese forces pursued their fleeing enemy further west. However they had orders to halt, but would they? Officers from top down deliberating on the issue, with the vast majority pushing for a drive to Nanjing. They thought it represented the end objective of the conflict. They would all be very wrong. 

Dalbey Park (better known as the Fishing Lake in Gillette) became a part of the city in the late 50's, and has been a big part of life here ever since. On this Let's Talk Gillette, we explore the history of Dalbey Park, why it was created and by whom, and what changes it's seen over the years.  Dalbey Park Bridge Removal and Reinstallation Timelapse Chapters (00:00:01) - Gillette's Dalbey Memorial Park(00:09:37) - Mayor Dalbey's Memorial Park(00:10:37) - Let's Talk Gillette

In this episode of "Building Texas Business," I sit down with Molly Voorhees, the president of Beck's Prime, Winfield's Chocolate Bar, and Agnes Cafe. Molly shares her journey from Silicon Valley back to her roots in Houston's culinary scene. She talks about how her passion for food and community has shaped her approach to running family-run businesses and the importance of customer service. We explore the challenges of maintaining a successful family business, emphasizing the importance of respecting individual expertise and fostering a collaborative environment. Molly discusses how she integrates technology into operations, which can be challenging for mid-sized companies. Her experiences provide insight into the practical hurdles of implementing new systems while maintaining efficiency. Molly also reflects on the entrepreneurial spirit in Texas, particularly in Houston, where local businesses benefit from a supportive community. She shares how this environment has been beneficial, despite the uncertainties and challenges in the business world. Her approach to leadership involves patience and listening to her team, allowing them to voice their opinions and ideas. The conversation also touches on the importance of authenticity and resilience in business. Molly shares how facing challenges early on, like financial struggles and an empty restaurant, taught her valuable lessons. She emphasizes the importance of mental health awareness in corporate culture and maintaining open dialogue about success and failure. As Molly looks forward to upcoming projects, she invites listeners to experience the culinary adventures that celebrate innovation and community. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS   Molly shares her journey from Silicon Valley back to Houston, taking on leadership roles in Beck's Prime, Winfield's Chocolate Bar, and Agnes Cafe, emphasizing her passion for food and community. The episode explores her innovative approach to maintaining high standards in Beck's Prime while expanding into the chocolate business, highlighting the importance of customer service and community connection. Listeners gain insights into managing a family-run business, where respecting individual expertise and fostering collaboration are essential for effective decision-making and business success. We discuss the integration of technology in operations, acknowledging the challenges faced by mid-sized companies and the potential for improved efficiency through technological advancements. The supportive entrepreneurial spirit in Houston is highlighted, showcasing how local businesses benefit from a community eager to see them succeed, even amidst ongoing challenges and uncertainties. Her reflections on entrepreneurship emphasize authenticity, resilience, and mental health awareness in corporate culture, encouraging open dialogue about success and failure. Excitement for upcoming projects is shared, inviting listeners to join in a culinary adventure that celebrates innovation and community in Houston's vibrant food scene. LINKSShow Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Beck's Prime GUESTS Molly VoorheesAbout Molly TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Chris: In this episode you will meet Molly Voorhees, president of Beck's Prime, winfield's Chocolate Bar and Agnes Cafe. Molly shares her passion for bringing people together over quality food and service and how, in difficult times, she looks for the next right thing to do to keep the company moving forward. Molly, I want to thank you for coming on Building Texas Business. Thanks for coming in today. Molly: Thank you for having me Excited to be here. Chris: So we have a lot to talk about with you because you cover a lot of areas. So let's start Just tell everyone kind of what it is you do, the companies that you're involved in and what they're known for. Molly: So we started Beck's Prime back in 1985. I was just 10 years old so I did not start it, but my dad, a lawyer, winn Campbell, and an operating partner, a guy named Mike Knapp, started it together. And really my dad, winn, loves food and grew up in the burger business in Dallas. Chris: Ok, what was the burger place in Dallas? Molly: It was golf. Chris: I've had lots of golf, yeah, so he was 14. Molly: He tells some fantastic stories about, you know, his first day on the job, cutting onions and being a human trash compactor and sort of all the love, and ended up getting a law degree. But always loved the food industry, always wanted to be in it and came up with the concept of Vex Prime in 1985. I convinced a lot of people to gamble with him and invest and that was the very first Vex Prime on Kirby. Chris: OK. Molly: I was 10, just kid watching, watching it all happen, while I, you know, played sports and did all the things you do and went to college, ended up in um tech out in silicon valley for a long time during the the boom and bust period okay and which was fun went to business school and then wanted to to come back and be in the restaurant industry and grow it. Food is fun. It's very personal. I had sold being in tech. You're not selling something that brings necessarily as much moment-to-moment joy as feeding people Okay, necessarily as much moment to moment joy as feeding people. And I really felt like with Beck's Prime we had something great and then it was time to grow it and so I've moved back here in 2006, back to Houston, and we started growing and building more Beck's Prime and then we took over the management five years ago, chocolate bar and rebranded that Winfield's chocolate bar and built a factory and new stores and now we're selling wholesale and corporate gifting. And then we have a little side concept that I did with a friend called Agnes. Chris: Okay. Molly: Agnes Cafe and Provisions. Chris: Oh, we're off the internet, right. And that was my crazy covid baby I was. Molly: I thought everyone wanted to get back to work and we needed to create jobs and he's desperate for community and the restaurant industry to come back. And there was a restaurant that had closed there and decided to open up a neighborhood cafe with a friend who was crazy enough to say yes when I brought her the idea and we opened Agnes four years ago in June and it is a local neighborhood favorite. Chris: That's great. That's great. So original inspiration, I guess obviously is your dad, and being exposed to the business Great. So original inspiration I guess obviously is your dad and being exposed to the business. What was it that got you to kind of branch into chocolate, because that's much different than kind of a full service meal concept. Well, in theory it was going to be easier. Molly: Famous last words. Famous last words. You know, I love how food brings people together and what we do at Beck's Prime is really hard, which is, you know, you walk up to the window or you drive through our drive-thru and I mean we are cut, grinding and patting all the burgers every day. Nothing's frozen. I mean we're cutting those French fries it is busy back there and we're going to get you a made from scratch meal in eight to ten minutes. And that's hard. So I thought, okay, let's be in the food business, but let's scoop ice cream and cut cakes and sell chocolate. Um, well, when we took the business, they weren't doing the highest quality version of that. So I was like, okay, well, I'm going to apply the Beck's Prime model to it and I'm going to make it all really high quality and we're going to make all of our own cakes and ice cream. And so now I've made it as hard or harder than go back to your roots. I mean, nothing is easy. Chris: Right Molly: But yeah, I think they're similar in the sense of how you manage a restaurant, all of the different services, and how you buy food and how you work on cleanliness and operations. So there's a lot of similarities. Chris: And, I would think, critically important to people you hire to be customer-facing. Right, to make that experience, the food's got to be great, but if the people aren't great as well, right, you have to get both right. Molly: Yeah, and there's actually some evidence that the people matter more than the food. So you'll be surprised the number of text messages I get and there's some science behind this too, not just anecdotal. But oh my gosh, that guy over at Memorial Park. Or the cute drive-thru cashier over there at Kirby who always gets my sandwich right and says, hello, I love her so much, she loves my dog. There's nothing about what they ate or if they enjoyed their meal or it tasted good. It's the people. So you know, I think that part we've done well, which is why we're still in business. Chris: So let's kind of go down that route a little bit. What is it that you have done? I guess it that you have done, I guess first at Beck's and now at Winfield chocolate to focus on getting the hiring right, the processes you put in place, what did mistakes you made that you learned from, kind of. To me that is the key to the kingdom and I think our listeners could learn a lot from what you've done to put such a good system in place to get the right people. Molly: So it's interesting. I think the basics matter right how we treat people every day. I think we've always done that really well inside of our team how we hire. So when we hire managers, we will never hire a general manager for a store. We will only hire an assistant manager and then they can move up to a general manager. But when we hire, we actually take a team member through a number of different steps. You know. Obviously they interview with our management team, they interview with other managers, they interview with the other managers, then they'll do a shadows shift where they'll come and work a shift with the team. So we're really trying to make sure we get people who see themselves working in our environment. Chris:Right. Molly: Right. If you don't, if you want to be a white tablecloth restaurant manager or employee, we're not the right place. So sometimes people will come and they'll spend a shadow shift with us and they don't want to be in the environment. And then we'll also ask them. We'll give them dinner passes and we'll say bring a loved one to lunch or dinner with you here. And we'll say bring a loved one to lunch or dinner with you here. And that test is does somebody who's close to you see you working here? Chris: Oh yeah. Molly: You know, and so we try to help employees find a couple touch points so that they know whether or not, culturally, we're a good fit for them. But from my perspective it's really interesting. I think we have incredibly loyal long-term team members who've been with us forever. If you ever go in one of our stores, you'll see these posters that celebrate, you know, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 years of with us. People are like, oh my gosh, those people have been with you for so long and I'm like, well, those are just the people on the poster that year. Right, and really I think it comes down to basic manners, boundaries, respect, helping each other. But just treating people as you would want to be treated goes a really long way. Chris: Yeah, like I said, that's the basics right, and to have that longevity in your industry is remarkable. Molly: Transparency, kind but also clear. Hey, this is how this needs to happen, Not having policies. We're not a big policy company. Chris: I love that because. I feel, the same way. I think. As soon as you create a policy, then all you're dealing with is all the reasons there should be an exception to the policy. Exactly so just treat people humanly, and humanely and reasonably. Molly: Yeah, and if we need to figure it out we will. But you know, if we had a policy that you know you can't take care of a customer if it's going to cost us more than $15. Let's say we had some limit, or something. And that would just be such a buffer. And it turns out the manager who's trying to take care of the customers all of a sudden handcuffed Right Right, and they just want the ability to do the right thing. Chris: Right. Molly: They're in the service business. People don't go into the service business unless you enjoy serving people. Chris: Well, and if you know, I think if you're watching your business, if someone's abusing a system, you'll see it and that's not a policy issue or lack of policy issue, that's a character issue, right, that surfaces, that you maybe didn't catch in the hiring process. I also like what you said because I think I'm hearing more of this in the corporate world the experimental part of the interview process where you you put someone in a skills assessment situation. So you said the shadow session or whatever. I know we're trying to do that and assessing skill. You know it's one thing to ask questions and be you know in a conversation, but people's skill sets matter in these jobs, right, that's how they're going to sink or swim. So I think that you've incorporated that is something that I see more and more people trying to do. Yeah, and I love to bring the loved one in. Molly: We try to do the same as well. Chris: It's like do something social with your spouse or significant other, because you're going to be away from them with us a lot. Molly: you're going to be away from them with us a lot they're going to spend more time with us than they are, you know, with you so? Do you see them and you know? Chris: okay with us, yeah do you like? Molly: do you like us? Yeah? Chris: so let's let's back up a little bit, because you mentioned, obviously, dad and a partner started VEX Prime. At some point you come in and kind of take over. What was that kind of transition? Molly: like it's still in transition. Chris: Okay so. Molly: I would say we certainly do not have a policy of nepotism in our business, policy of nepotism in our business, but to say that we don't have a lot of dads and daughters and family members and cousins and aunts and uncles all working together, we would have a long laugh. So my dad is still involved in the business. He's still a full-time lawyer. He's still a full-time lawyer and he is, you know, he helps us with all sorts of higher level finance, legal type ideas. I mean he's all over the map there, Our chief operating officer, Mike Knapp, the original partner. He's still working and he manages all of our managers and operating team. His daughter is our HR director and we have a marketing director who's been with us for almost 20 years and her husband is a project manager for us. So, and then on our you know extended family, I mean we really we have have tons and tons of family members working together and we actually view it as a real asset because we're all so passionate and deeply engaged in the business, because we're looking for it to be as best as it can be, but we are also, I would say, have investors from our community and our friends and family. We've raised a lot of money and so we are very careful because we're trying to make money for all of our investors. We have a fiduciary duty to that. So, I think in many ways, part of our culture is we are a family business, but we're not run like a family business at all Right. So how was it? I guess? Chris: you coming back in and you know I guess dad and his partner letting go of some things, and I mean you know, I know from experience. You know we have clients that go through this and I've had some guests on the podcast. You know everyone experienced a little different. What can you share about maybe some of the things that, looking back, probably could have done better or things that actually went well? ADVERT Hello friends, this is Chris Hanslick, your Building Texas business host. Did you know that Boyer Miller, the producer of this podcast, is a business law firm that works with entrepreneurs, corporations and business leaders? Our team of attorneys serve as strategic partners to businesses by providing legal guidance to organizations of all sizes. Get to know the firm at boyMillercom, and thanks for listening to the show. Molly: Yeah, I mean, I think one of the things I mean it's always hard and I think that there's an ebb and flow to it. And you know, one of the things I think we did really well and we still do really well is we stay in our lane and I think we're really good at the active debate and listening and having hard conversations but listening to each other's points and coming together to make a decision that is methodical and thoughtful, versus well, you know, it's going to be my way, or the highway, like we very rarely would let someone just take something and run with the decision. We're very consensus oriented but we also stay in our lane. So, if you know, I've probably my strongest background is in marketing. If I feel really passionate about something related to marketing and and I've got my reasons and I'm, you know, persuasively getting everyone on board everyone's gonna be like, okay, cool, cool, yeah, you got it, got it, you know. Or my dad's like the contract needs to read this way. You know, with the Cisco vendor, we're like, okay, cool, great, you got it. So I think one thing we've done well is we. We have a lot of people with very specific expertise and we're able to learn from each other, but not stomp on each other. And so, like Mike Knapp, who's our chief operating officer, and we have got some other great operators on our team they know how to run a restaurant. Well, if I go in there and tell them how to do it, like I'm way overstepping them my lane. Chris: Right. Molly: Right. But if I go in there and I'm like, hey, I noticed like this seemed inefficient, what's going on there? They'll either be like oh gosh, we got to go fix that, Thank you. Or well, this is why we're doing it this way and I can learn from that. Chris: I think there's a lot of humility in that for the whole team Right. Molly: Yeah, you know, or feedback, that happens. Chris: Yeah, you know, no egos. Molly: Yeah, I mean we all have egos. But yeah, I mean I can say to my dad, if we cross that out, we're never going to make this deal, Like, stop being a lawyer. Chris:Right. Molly: I mean you know how it goes. It's like there's always the lines there, but I think we do a good job of being honest, transparent, giving feedback and then, when we cross the line which family members can do, we do a good job of like coming back together. Chris: Good, so there's grace too, right. Molly: Forgiveness grace. That wasn't my best moment, I'm sorry. Chris: Yeah, okay, wasn't my best moment, I'm sorry, yeah, okay. So let's talk a little bit about you know you're, you've grown this business and you've added to it. What are you think about like technology or innovation? Are there things in that realm that you've implemented to kind of help either with the growth or, once the growth has happened, help kind of manage and make it more efficient? Molly: So I came from tech right in Silicon Valley, so it's like, okay, let's get some platforms on this business right. 2000 was the year, and so I've now been through a lot of point-of-sale changes and QuickBooks to Great Plains Accounting, all these Clover, uber, online ordering, and we have tended to actually be pretty early adopters. We probably had online ordering off your phone earlier than most companies in Houston, and it's interesting because they're so great and, in theory, they're going to make your life so much easier and everything is going to be faster and more efficient. I don't always feel that it has worked out that way. Oh okay, feel that it has worked out that way. Okay, you know, I think the layers, the layers can add just more work or buffer or time, even in how long it maybe takes to place an order. And I think we went through. If we go back a decade, I think that was the painful era of technology in the restaurant space, I think. Where we are now with some of the point of sale systems and how they're integrating, how can I let me explain this when a decade ago, or even five years ago, you would be in our restaurant and you would see we'd have our point of sale system, we'd have the drive-thru speaker, we'd have an Uber iPad, a DoorDash iPad, a Favor oh wait, favor called in and then paid with a real credit card. So just imagine. All of that is like just messy. Chris: And you'rust trying to keep up. Molly: Right, we're just coming at you and all we want to do is take the order, take your money and send you on the way with your food right. So, like that transaction, for us that 20 years ago was you walked up to the counter, you paid and you left. Now we've got all these things right and and if the DoorDash order comes in on this tablet, I've got to enter it in this system on the cash register, or it won't go to the kitchen and then the kitchen doesn't get a ticket. So it seems like, in theory, we should all love all of this. And for the consumer who's like beep, beep, beep. Chris: On the sofa at home, right. Molly: Great. It's great for them. For us, it's been hard, you know, and and it has taken a lot of time. And now what? What? My point with technology now is that all those systems are finally talking to each other, and so we were taking more orders through a single unit. There's less double entry. Chris: So technology is catching up right Kind of with the innovation, all the innovation of all that. Now technology is catching up, so it's integrated. Molly: And then behind the scenes is like how our accounting and everything flows over whether it's from our vendors that we're buying food from, and finally everything is catching up. But I think we all take for granted how easy that integration is, and when you're a mid-level size company, like we are, you don't have the financial resources to spend money on the consultants that you really need to hire to help you integrate that, and so it just can be hard. Yeah. Chris: Well, that's a great point, I think, with aspiring entrepreneurs, right, that you you've got to face these challenges and sometimes the only way through them is you know it's going to be extra time and hours on you to figure it out because you don't have the capital to just go hire a consultant to come fix it. And that's one of those lessons learned, right? It sounds easy, sounds fun, but when you're in the middle of it it's either you're going to do it or it's not going to happen yeah, and you get. Molly: I mean, there's so many great ideas out there and great technologies and great marketing ideas, but the the thought process around implementation and execution typically isn't thought through by many companies that we're partnering with. Right. You know, oh, you just do this, this and this, which is a trigger for all of us. We always laugh when we're in a meeting. It's like, oh, it's no problem to switch from this point of sale system, this point of sales, and we're like right they're never there. Chris: That's sweet they're never there past the sales delivery. Right, it's just like. Then they're gone. You're off to sell someone else, that employee will quit if if I say we're gonna switch yeah well, let's talk a little more about. I guess you know you're born and raised here. Becks started here Chocolate Bar. Winfields now, what are some of the advantages that you feel like that you've experienced as a result of being a Texas based? Molly: company. I think Texans are unique in that we embrace entrepreneurs. In Houston, I have, in particular, found this to be an incredibly warm and receptive and we believe in you, molly attitude. I'm out there hustling chocolate so hard. I'm out there selling to businesses and people want to see us succeed. It's not like being in a part of the country where I feel sometimes like well, we'll see if she can make that happen, where they kind of mock you, whereas here I feel like people are behind us and that's such a positive that happen. You know where they kind of mock you, whereas here I feel like people are behind us and that's such a positive place to work, whether it's people who you're partnering with or buying from you or, you know, just giving you money to go make it happen. Right, it's hard to make a business happen without the ability to raise money. Chris: Sure. Molly: And there's faith involved in someone giving you their money to go make something happen. I mean, you never know, right, right. Chris: No, it makes sense. I couldn't agree more. I don't think what you described as kind of that spirit of Houston, houstonia, just kind of a very entrepreneurial, very welcoming and supportive community, love to see others succeed. So you know, let's talk about the contrast of that as we sit here today, and you're in the middle of it, and you're in the middle of it. Molly: What are some of the headwinds that you are dealing with or that you kind of see around the corner, that you're trying to prepare for? You know, I think everything feels a tiny bit chaotic right now, and I think it doesn't matter. You know where you are on any sort of belief system as a business person, you're sort of like what's happening right? And I think our hr director always says this. She's like what's the next right thing to do? What's the next right? And I think, with all the challenges and headwinds, and I think, with all the challenges and headwinds which I have to just globally say I can't specifically mention I'm like, oh, I could be like, oh, the tariffs are this or that. Maybe the tariff goes away tomorrow. It's not really a worry, but it could be a worry. It's just the uncertainty. Yeah, and uncertainty can be a significant economic headwind. Uncertainty can be a significant economic headwind because when we go into uncertainty mode, we are stuck. And we just. It's like we're all of a sudden we're standing on the Galveston beaches and our feet are sinking in that squishy sand. That's so warm right now and lovely. Chris: And we literally can't come out of it we don't do anything. Molly: It creates paralysis. We just go into, like, and so I think what's hard as a leader and as a texan and as an entrepreneur, is to not let that stop us from making decisions and moving forward. Yeah, so I go back to my hr director and says okay, what's the next right thing I need to do? Chris: let that stop us from making decisions and moving forward. So I go back to my HR director and says, okay, what's the next right thing I need to do? Yeah Well, I mean, I think it's one good you have a partner, whether it's any officer or not, but someone that you can lean on and have that. What's great about that is it's simple right. It's how you eat the elephant right, one bite at a time. So big picture can be overwhelming, create a lot of uncertainty, could create paralysis. So, okay, let's go back to the basics and what's the next right step, right, and then maybe with one step, it's easier to take the second step which leads to the third step and all of a sudden you've built some momentum. Molly: Yeah, and you can do something with that. Chris: Yeah. Molly: But it is you know, and at the same time as you take the next step, you've got to kind of know where you're driving towards. Chris: Yeah, so let's talk a little bit about leadership styles, and how would you describe your leadership style? How do you think that's evolved over time? Molly: You know I think I'm not very patient and I think that's hard, and I think it's hard to probably work with me, because we all have a tendency of we've got a great idea. We wanted to have happened two weeks ago. Chris: Right. Molly: Right, not just, not just an idea. It's like oh, that's a great idea, why don't? Why aren't we already doing it? Chris: And why is it already? Why isn't it done already? Molly: Like what's the problem? And so I think one of the things I've really had to work on is patience as a leader, and it's far more fun to be part of a team with a patient leader versus a chaotic always and and I don't do this perfectly well, and so either. I would believe you if you said you did, yeah, you wouldn't you know me for half an hour and you can tell this, but I think I love being a leader that people can say no to now. I think I love being a leader that people can say no to now. I think, it's really hard sometimes to be. You can be the type of leader people can't say no to because they're scared of you or they don't want to say no. But when my team has now in a place where we're close enough and capable enough, where they can say molly, that is a great idea, and if we try to do that right now, we will fail yeah like, okay, I can be mature enough to hear that now and I appreciate you saying that. So I think, I think I don't want to stop pushing us, but I've tried to learn as a leader where kind of thinking of an organ? Right now right, which pedals I should be pushing harder on or less hard? Chris: I think you raise a great point, because I think it's like anything. I think if there's too much of one thing, it's not good. It's that statement of everything in moderation, and I think one of the challenges of a leader is to know when to push and when to back off. So you had to when to be a little forceful versus empathetic and, you know, maybe demonstrating some more grace. But every situation is a little different. So a good leader assesses it and go okay, what type of leadership does this moment call for? Yeah, and it's that awareness, almost right, and learning to be a little bit versatile, because I think if you're all one all the time, you're not going to be as successful as you want. To be right, you will be in some moments, but you're going to fail miserably in others. And again, that's much easier said than done in practice, right? Molly: I mean, it's much easier said than I don't know. You know, I'm so critical of my own leadership skills. It's hard to even walk in here right now and be positive. And yet I would say I'm doing so much better than I was, and, in part, I think it's having people around me who have helped coach me to be a better leader. I've hired coaches, or I have people who've helped me through how to handle certain situations. I think tools help. It's interesting Six months ago, about a year ago we implemented this easy calendar tool so we could watch our projects and hold each other a little more accountable, and we got so crazy. We got off of using that tool and the team was like, hey, can we bring that back? Oh yeah, why do we stop doing that? And so I think when you do have tools that help you as a leader lead, they can be really useful. If they become a way for you to stop having, I think, the productive conversations and you're just kind of using it as a checklist, I think it can be dangerous, but there's ways to use all this technology and tools out there to benefit us as leaders. Sure, and I think that's something I've learned to do a little bit better in recent years. Chris: Any anything you can point to. I always like to ask this is not the fun question but failure or mistake that you experienced or encountered, that you learned from that. You're like that was a growth moment. In hindsight, man, it felt terrible, whatever I look back. And what a growth moment for me, anything you can share there, because I always find that that's such a great learning and it hopefully dispels for listeners, right, because you feel like you're the only one out there failing and he's like, no, you're not. Molly: Oh my gosh, you're going to learn from it. Yeah, and I think you know there's so much shame we only talk about our successes or people only talk about their successes, right, or it's more fun. I mean, I don't want to walk around talking about all the things I've done wrong, and this was a little while ago and I rely on it now because not everything we try. We've just released product at Central Market in June. We just yeah, super exciting. Chris: A chocolate product, a chocolate bar. Molly: We've got truffles and boots and some go to Central Market and buy our products. But also at the airports in the market, we've got some great fun Texas themed products at Intercontinental Airport. So if you're going through the airports, buy some Winfield's chocolate. So you go out there and I'm so excited right now to tell you about this. Right, we're in these great new major retailers and we're in 12 Kroger's. Well, what I'm not telling you is I've been in 15 Kroger's and now we're in 12 because we only find those. I'm not going to tell you about the three that we're not in anymore because they're not. You know, the others are doing great. Go find us at the Buffalo Kroger or the West Gray, go find us at the airport, and I'm not going to come back and be like, well, that didn't work. They never bought from us again. Which is, you work so hard to make those deals happen and get out there in the world and there's so much hustle and it may just not work. So, going back in time, I had an investor and this was a decade ago and we had opened some stores in Dallas, some Bex Prime restaurants, and one of them had failed and we were going to close it and I mean, I was devastated, ashamed, sad, all of the things, and I'd gone out and raised $2 million and I had lost that money. It was over and I had to call our investors and let them know what had happened. Phil Plant, he says so you stubbed your toe for the first time. I was like I did. He's like, yeah, you're going to keep stubbing your toe if you keep at this long enough. Chris: If you keep trying hard enough, right? Molly: If you keep trying hard enough and you keep putting these projects together and businesses. He's like you're going to have some wins and you're gonna have some losses and you're gonna stub your toe but keep going. And it meant I can't. I'm gonna cry thinking about it. He's a really great person and but that meant so much to me in that moment because I mean I had failed big time. I had the. Chris: It didn't work, you know talk about the value of having the right people around you, right? Wow, that's pretty cool. Molly: You know and with Agnes I mean that restaurant took a solid two years to take off. You know I had to go borrow some money to keep it going and now it is a place where our community meets and people love it and then it is neighborhood joy and connection. I could not be more proud of it. But I'm telling you, walking into a restaurant on a Friday night, that you have opened and convince people to give you money to open, and there there's not a single soul in the place not a single soul. Very humbling. Chris: Right, you wanted to go walk the neighborhood streets, going, come on. Molly: Yeah, and so I think you know now with my team I can, we can take the wins and the losses with a little more grace. Chris: Yeah. Molly: You know well, that didn't work. What are we going to try next? Chris: Yeah Well, I think you know it sounds like part of the culture, right, is you said? The one thing about you said as a leader is people aren't afraid to tell you no. And it sounds like you've created a culture where people aren't afraid to fail and learn from it and keep going, and that's to me a sign of a really strong culture. Molly: Well, and it's okay to say like well, that sucked. I screwed that up pretty bad. Chris: Well, we're conditioned to, like I said, we don't talk about failures. I think we're conditioned that, oh, don't talk about that, because it's got to look like it looks on Facebook and everybody's smiling and happy when we know that's not reality. And so we can get past that and just be transparent. Molly: Yeah, authentic. Chris: I think the better off we're all. Molly: But don't you think being more authentic has happened as part of post-COVID? Chris: era. Molly: Don't you think people are more open about their wins and losses? Chris: I think, so I don't know. It's kind of the chicken or the egg. I think Brene Brown started talking about it a lot more and it caught on in the corporate world and that was happening pre-COVID but close to COVID, and then with that the world goes upside down. I don't think anybody knew what. So about uncertainty, no one knew. So I think it did create a feeling of I don't know what's next and this okay to be authentic. And as we started coming out of that, then there's a lot probably exposed more in the sports world about mental health and all that kind of just built on itself, where I think we're learning it's okay and it's more acceptable to be more authentic. Right, it's a good thing, it's a great thing. Molly: It's way more fun to live in this world. I think I'm not. Fun is not the right word, it's just grounding. Chris: Yeah. Molly: It's more real. Right, I meet more real people. Chris: Agreed, agreed. So well, let's turn to a little bit more of a light side, okay, okay, so what's your favorite vacations place? Molly: Oh my gosh. Well, I'm a, I love adventure. So you know, skiing, hiking, colorado one of those Texas and Colorado type people for sure Love going down to Galveston and fishing and being on the beaches down there, and then we love to scuba dive. So hit the Caribbean. Chris: Awesome, that's all great things. Molly: I can identify with that Stay out of the sun. Chris: You're in the food business, but, and so this is my favorite question to ask every guest Do you prefer Tex-Mex or barbecue? Oh man Hardest question of the podcast. Molly: This is so hard that I might have to Gosh. You know I'm probably a barbecue person. I think I'm going to go. Chris: We have a lot of good barbecue around here. Look, it's a hard question for a reason we have a lot of good barbecue, a lot of good tex-mex. You know, I've even had people try to answer it by combining both there's not. Molly: you know, look at levi good, he's got his tex-ex and his barbecue. He's sort of doing it right, that's right, that's right. Chris: So well, I want to, you know, just wrap this up by saying thank you for coming on and sharing your journey, excited to see what you're doing. Obviously, we watched the Becks on Kirby get redone because we're right around the corner, but what you're doing with the windfield chocolate sounds exciting and uh. Hopefully, now people hear this, they'll know more about agnes and yeah, come to all of ours. Molly: You can do breakfast at agnes, lunch at beck's, dessert at windfields. Chris: You hit them all I like it, yeah, so there you go, uh kind of a full service yeah, integrated, you can do it. Them all love it it Well, Molly, thank you for coming on. Molly: Thank you for having me. Chris: Really appreciate you taking the time. Special Guest: Molly Voorhees.

A 17-year-old Oneida girl was taken into custody following a shooting at Pulaski's Memorial Park on Friday night.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Westchester buyer to pay $1.8 million for Mase station Beacon officials have entered into a contract to sell the city's decommissioned Mase Hook & Ladder fire station for $1.8 million. The buyer, Michael Bensimon, signed an agreement on June 24 to acquire the property at 425 Main St., including the three-story brick firehouse that has stood there since 1911. Bensimon, who lists a Port Chester, New York, address on the agreement, made a down payment of $180,000. According to the sale contract, which was provided to The Current, he has a 45-day due-diligence period during which the sale can be canceled and the down payment refunded. City Attorney Nick Ward-Willis said he expects the transaction to close by the end of August. Bensimon and his attorney each declined to comment. Dutchess County records show that an LLC with the same Port Chester address owns 475 Main St. in Beacon, next to the Howland Cultural Center. Although Dutchess records incorrectly combine three parcels - the Memorial Building at 423 Main St., Mase at 425 Main and the adjacent municipal parking lot - into one, Bensimon plans to purchase only the fire station property. It is in Beacon's Central Main Street zoning district; Planning Board approval would be required to bring a commercial or residential use to the building. The city will retain the parking lot, which it intends to restripe for a more efficient layout. Bensimon will receive three spaces. Verizon Wireless will retain its lease to place an antenna on the firehouse roof and equipment in a fenced area behind the building. The site is also part of Beacon's protected historic district, which means that substantial exterior changes to the building would require a "certificate of appropriateness" from the Planning Board. According to the contract, Bensimon must apply for permits to begin interior renovation of the building within six months of closing, and obtain certificates of occupancy, compliance or other municipal approvals within 18 months. Mase and the former Beacon Engine Co. firehouse at 57 East Main St. were listed by the city for sale in May. Both became surplus after a $14.7 million centralized fire station opened near City Hall last fall. Accessory dwellings Homeowners earning up to 120 percent of the Dutchess County median household income ($97,273) can apply beginning Monday (July 14) for grants of up to $125,000 to create or upgrade an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Beacon and nine other municipalities in Dutchess County were awarded $6 million earlier this year through a state program designed to help low- and moderate-income residents build ADUs. The program is being administered locally by Hudson River Housing, a Poughkeepsie nonprofit. See hudsonriverhousing.org. The City Council on July 7 also adopted amendments meant to simplify regulations of accessory apartments. The law now permits ADUs in all zoning districts but only on lots with a single-family residence. One of the structures must be owner-occupied, and the ADU cannot be used for short-term rentals such as through Airbnb. A maximum size was removed from the law, but Planning Board approval will be required if the unit is greater than 1,000 square feet and its floor area is greater than 50 percent of the primary building's floor area. No off-street parking is required. Capital plans The City Council on Monday (June 7) unanimously adopted a five-year capital plan that details $29 million in equipment purchases and infrastructure upgrades for 2026 to 2030. The plan authorizes $6.5 million in spending for 2026, a year that will be highlighted by the renovation and greening of the southwest corner of Memorial Park, estimated to cost $400,000. The city plans to resurface the basketball courts, install pickleball courts, construct a softball batting cage and renovate the bathroom at that end of the park for public use. The adjacent skateboard park has been repaved, with new skating elements and an "art wall" installed. Phase 2 o...

The Weekend Whassup for Friday, 7/11/2025 is powered by Pleasant View Realty’s Jen Littmann! The Point keeps you connected to the top 15 things happening around Sheboygan (and beyond) this weekend! It’s New Holstein Firefighters Picnic weekend with three days of food, fun, music and fireworks! https://www.facebook.com/events/3617842731854009 Mill Street Live is celebrating its 17th year of fantastic performances Friday nights at 7:30 at the Plymouth Arts Center! Mill Street Live is a summer music series that showcases local performers! 90 minutes of music from the past seven decades! https://www.plymoutharts.org/Events.php The SCIO Farmer’s Market is tomorrow (Saturday)! The market makes fresh, native produce and products available directly from farmers to residents every Wednesday and Saturday from 8-1 in Fountain Park in Downtown Sheboygan. https://www.sheboygancountyinterfaith.org/farmers-market/ The 11th annual Salvation Ride is the lakeshore’s premiere cycling event with 5 different distances from 10 to 100 miles! Support stops and fun for a great cause, tomorrow (Saturday) morning from Sheboygan’s King Park! https://www.thesalvationride.org/ The Sheboygan A’s play home games at Wildwood Baseball Park in Sheboygan tonight (Friday) at 7:30 and tomorrow (Saturday) at 3pm. https://sheboyganbaseball.org/events/category/home-games/ Elkhart Lake’s Farmers & Artisans Market in the Village Square is a Saturday morning tradition. Pick up fresh seasonal vegetables, flowers, cheese and specialty products from approximately 50 vendors! https://www.elkhartlakechamber.com/farmers-market Plymouth invites you to the Cheesehead Chase and Mill Street Festival tomorrow (Saturday) on Mill Street in Downtown Plymouth! Vendors of all kinds, food, family fun and live music! https://www.plymouthwisconsin.com/events/mill-street-festival/ The 2025 Random Lake Fireworks Beach Bash happens tomorrow (Saturday) at Lakeview Park in Random Lake. Kid's Celebration Area, Food Trucks, vendors, Live Music and Fireworks! https://www.randomlakeassociation.com The 5th Annual Autism Fundraiser is Saturday at 11 at Butch and Anne’s Pine Grove! Brats, Meat Raffle, Darts and great prizes for an awesome cause! https://www.facebook.com/events/574198482245938 Plymouth Dirt Track Racing hosts Vintage Mods tomorrow (Saturday) night at the fairgrounds in Plymouth. Gates at 4:30. Dirt flies after 5:30! https://www.plymouthdtr.com/schedule.html Barks and Brats is Sunday from 11-4 at Harbor Lights in Sheboygan. It’s a fundraiser for Circle Of Souls Animal Rescue. https://www.facebook.com/events/1653582645347146/ KIds From Wisconsin present “The Heat Is On” as they make a tour stop at Plymouth High School Sunday afternoon at 3. https://www.facebook.com/events/4018840475060081 A Million Dreamz, Sheboygan’s 24/7 Childcare Facility hosts their annual carnival fundraiser Sunday, from 11-5 at 3 Sheeps in Sheboygan. Brats, balloons, a bouncy house, raffles and family fun. https://www.facebook.com/events/1032553498945159 The Howards Grove Riverdogs Vs. St. Cloud play Sunday at 1 at Memorial Park in Howards Grove! https://www.facebook.com/events/664459479710386 Food trucks are back at Vollrath Park Monday evenings from 4-8 through the summer! https://visitsheboygan.com/event/sheboygan-food-truck-mondays/2022-06-06/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday's show: The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld an historic penalty against ExxonMobil for pollution at its Baytown oil refinery. We hear from the group behind the long-running lawsuit on behalf of those who lived near the plant.Also this hour: In April, Houston police called ICE agents on a woman who'd dialed 911 to report domestic abuse. We learn the details of that case and discuss the effect it might have on people's willingness to report crime.Then, the Chris Larkin ALS Act is now law and takes effect immediately. It allows some people under 65 to purchase Medicare supplement benefit plans. We talk with the Houstonian it's named for, Chris Larkin, about his journey with ALS and about the emotional moment in the legislature he credits with getting the bill passed.And we go on a walk through the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center in Memorial Park with writer Isobella Jade to learn how to connect with nature in the heart of the city -- and how doing just that helped her deal with a divorce after moving here to Houston, as she details in her book, Heart Trail.

Episode 399 of Boss Hog of Liberty is out! It's an ensemble show this week. Jeremiah Morrell, Bones Harcourt, and Zach Burcham are your voices. A $30,000 fireworks show is happening at Memorial Park, Jeremiah caught himself a Facebook ban. Lots of state news this week; Governor Braun made some big changes on the IEDC board including some major donors to his campaign. He also froze tuition at all Indiana universities for the next two years. Four years at IU Bloomington is 48, Purdue 40k. The Indiana DNR is eliminating State Park maps, saving $110,000 a year. Response has been mixed. The NBA season is over, it's a disappointment for the Pacers fan. Our program is community supported on Patreon. Do your part by chipping into the cause by donating monthly at any level at www.patreon.com/bosshogofliberty and receive even more BONUS coverage and content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's this Friday!  Ringo Starr and his All-Star Band headline the Memorial Park free concert and fireworks show.  Want to go?  Here are the details.

The Weekend Whassup for Friday, 6/27/2025 is powered by Pleasant View Realty’s Jen Littmann! The Point keeps you connected to the top 20 things happening around Sheboygan (and beyond) this weekend! The Town of Sheboygan Lions Fest is this afternoon and evening (Friday) from 2-11 at Firehouse Park. A family fun event featuring live music, food and fun! https://visitsheboygan.com/event/town-of-sheboygan-lions-fest/169/ The Howards Grove Riverdogs Fireworks game is tonight (Friday) after 5! Join them for a fireworks display sponsored by the Village of Howards Grove after the game at Memorial Park! https://www.facebook.com/events/1440157730683226 The Plymouth Arts Center presents their 17th year of their Summer Musical Series: "Mill Street Live'' tonight (Friday) at 7:30 at the Arts Center! 90 minutes of music from the past seven decades, there is something for everyone! https://www.plymoutharts.org/Event.php?s=mill-street-live-06-20-2025 It’s Sheboygan’s Greek Fest Weekend this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Deland Park. Fabulous Authentic Greek Food - Family Friendly Atmosphere. Enjoy the Deland Park Jungle Gym and more! https://sheboygangreekfestival.weebly.com/ The third annual Plymouth Cheese Capital Festival is this tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) at Stayer Park in Plymouth! Cheese eating contest, foam cheese race, bounce house, petting zoo, vendors and more! https://visitsheboygancounty.com/event/cheese-capital-festival-3/2025-06-28/ There’s a Cancer Care Benefit Brat Fry and Raffle for Cheryl Jacobson tomorrow (Saturday) from 11-7 at Elks Lodge 1943 on Erie Ave in Sheboygan. Brats, Burgers, Beans, German Potato Salad and Baked Goods! https://wxerfm.com/events/488771/ Sheboygan County Pride Picnic is tomorrow (Saturday) from Noon-7 at Sheboygan’s City Green! Live music, art, performers, food, fun and community! https://www.sheboyganlgbtqalliance.org/event-details/pride-picnic-2025 The 2025 Jr. Coho Fishing Derby is tomorrow (Saturday) from 6-Noon at Jeff's Tackle / The Wharf in Sheboygan. Fishing, food and fun! https://www.facebook.com/events/jeffs-tackle-the-wharf/2025-jr-coho-fishing-derby It’s the “Cheese Capital Cup featuring Trans Am SpeedTour” weekend at Elkhart Lake’s Road America! Three days of racing action dating back to 1966! https://www.roadamerica.com/trans-am-speed-tour The first annual Plymouth & Glenbeulah Fire Department Golf Outing Fundraiser is tomorrow from 10-3 at Crystal Lake Golf Course! Brat fry, raffles and more too! Stick around for free live music at 8! https://wxerfm.com/events/488779/ The SCIO Farmer’s Market is tomorrow (Saturday)! The market makes fresh, native produce and products available directly from farmers to residents every Wednesday and Saturday from 8-1 in Fountain Park in Downtown Sheboygan. https://www.sheboygancountyinterfaith.org/farmers-market/ There’s a Craft & Vendor Fair tomorrow (Saturday) from 9-4 at M&T’s Gibbsville Orchard! Pick some cherries, visit the store and relax with some live music! https://gibbsvilleorchard.com/events The “Walk On The Wild Side” 5k nature hike is tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 9 at Sheboygan’s Maywood Environmental Park. A shorter prairie loop will also be available. https://gomaywood.org/events/walk-on-the-wild-side/ The Sheboygan A’s play home baseball games this weekend at 4 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday at Sheboygan’s Wildwood Baseball Park! https://sheboyganbaseball.org/events/ June-A-Palooza for Fresh Meals On Wheels is tomorrow (Saturday) from 4-9:30 at Christopher Farm and Gardens in Sheboygan. Enter the world of Oz. Find heart, brain and courage all for a great cause! https://wxerfm.com/events/488773/ Elkhart Lake’s Farmers & Artisans Market in the Village Square is a Saturday morning tradition. Pick up fresh seasonal vegetables, flowers, cheese and specialty products from approximately 50 vendors! https://www.elkhartlakechamber.com/farmers-market Direct From Sweden: The Music of ABBA makes a tour stop tomorrow (Saturday) night at 7:30 at The Weill Center For The Performing Arts in Downtown Sheboygan. https://wxerfm.com/events/477687/ Plymouth Dirt Track Racing’s action-packed summer revs up at the Plymouth Fairgrounds again tomorrow (Saturday) evening! Gates after 4:30. Racing after 5:30! Weather permitting! https://www.plymouthdtr.com/schedule.html 4 Miles Of Fitness happens every Monday and Wednesday from 6-8 at Elkhart Lake’s Road America! Bike, walk, or run Road America’s legendary 4-mile, 14-turn road course in beautiful Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. $5 per person. https://www.roadamerica.com/4-miles-fitness Food trucks are back at Sheboygan’s Vollrath and Kiwanis Parks on Monday evenings (through the summer) from 4-8pm! https://visitsheboygan.com/series/sheboygan-food-truck-mondays/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Originally released in December 2024, I take a closer look at the unsettling case of 30-year-old Debra Melo, who vanished on June 20, 2000, under deeply suspicious circumstances. Debra had been trying to leave a controlling relationship with her husband, Luis Melo. According to him, they argued on the way home from her doctor's appointment in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and she asked to be let out of the car on busy Route 18. He claimed he returned to find her gone—but Debra's pocketbook, wallet, ID, and phone were left behind, something that made no sense to the people who knew her best.The episode features an interview with Steve Demoura, Debra's brother-in-law and a tireless advocate for her case. Together, they explore the emotional toll on the family, the eerie timing of her disappearance—just a week before Molly Bish went missing—and the haunting legacy of Taunton's Silver City Galleria Mall, a place tied to both memories and mystery.It's the first in a two-part series, and it's as much about justice and advocacy as it is about the crime itself.On Friday, June 20, 2025, we will gather at Memorial Park in Debra's hometown of Taunton, Mass, in remembrance of Debra, to share memories and a message of hope.Follow Where is Debra Melo on Facebook Boston 25 News coverage of the 25th anniversary of Debra's disappearance by Bob Ward, June 2025The Boston Globe's Cold Case Files by Emily Sweeney about Debra's case 25 years on Support the show: patreon.com/crimeofthetruestkind Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's been a part of so many iconic songs, from Tom Petty to Don Henley to his latest band, the Dirty Knobs.  Jim Minge of the Dispatch and I get to talk with Mike Campbell before he opens next Friday's free Memorial Park concert before Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band take the stage.

On Flag Day, hundreds gathered in Wenatchee’s Memorial Park for a “No Kings” protest—honoring American democratic ideals while mourning political violence and calling out authoritarian overreach.Support the show: https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/site/forms/subscription_services/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textUtilities Engineering Manager, Mary Stahl discusses some of the public improvement projects happening throughout Arvada to replace aging water and sewer systems. Much of Arvada's underground utilities were installed in the 1960s-70s and now, 50-60 years later, they need to be replaced to maintain public health and prevent service disruptions.In this episode:Sheridan sewer line replacementTennyson sewer line replacementIndiana Street water line projectSierra Vista water line replacementWater treatment plant replacementVisit arvadaco.gov/publicimprovementprojects for a map of current infrastructure projects throughout the city.News & events: 4th of July Fireworks Display at Stenger Sports ComplexAnnual Kids Fishing Contest is Saturday, June 14 at the Arvada-Blunn ReservoirMovies Around Town starts Friday, June 27 at Memorial Park with The GooniesBike to Work Day is Wednesday, June 25 with several stations around ArvadaFall Garden in a Box pre-sale with Resource Central begins Wednesday, June 18Visit us at ArvadaCO.gov/Podcast or email us at podcast@arvada.org.

Council considers next five years of capital projects Beacon's five-year schedule of capital projects, presented to the City Council on May 27, includes more than $6.5 million in equipment and infrastructure upgrades planned for 2026. The city updates a five-year plan annually; it includes projects scheduled for the coming year, along with conceptual blueprints for the four subsequent years. Council members must approve capital spending for the coming year by the end of July. A public hearing on the 2026 plan is scheduled for June 16. The most visible project will likely be the renovation and greening of the southwest corner of Memorial Park, estimated to cost $400,000. The city plans to resurface the basketball courts, install pickleball courts, construct a softball batting cage and renovate the bathroom at that end of the park for public use. The adjacent skateboard park has been repaved and will have new skating elements and an "art wall" installed. Phase 2 of that work, including new lighting, is expected to cost $57,500. The parking lot in front of the skate park will be reconfigured, with tree cover added, and numerous trees will be planted in that corner of the park. Further improvements being considered for Memorial Park, if budget allows, include exercise stations and tennis courts. In addition, the city could contract with a food truck to cater to teenagers and young adults. "We've heard over and over again that they're not always welcome in a lot of the restaurants, and they can't afford the local places," said City Administrator Chris White. "People say they don't have a place to go, and the thought is that might be a place to go." Earlier this year, the city was tentatively awarded a $3 million federal grant to rehabilitate Beekman Street. If the funding comes through - confirmation is expected this month - the city plans to spend $245,000 next year on design and engineering. Later, in addition to repaving, crews would repair sidewalks, crosswalks and curbs and add sidewalks where there are gaps. A bike lane would be added on the uphill side of Beekman. The most expensive project planned for next year is the $1.6 million construction of a water storage tank on Mount Beacon. Other high-dollar expenditures include a vacuum truck for the Water Department ($670,000), the ongoing milling and paving of streets and installation of Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible curb ramps citywide ($500,000), replacement of a sanitary sewer pump station near Monell Place ($400,000) and a street sweeper for the Highway Department ($340,000). The city anticipates using about $1.73 million of its savings on the 2026 projects, which, if approved by the council, would leave a combined fund balance between the general, water and sewer funds of more than $15 million. State and federal aid is expected to contribute $1 million, while $200,000 from a recreation fund that developers pay into will be applied to the Memorial Park improvements. The city would borrow the rest, $3.59 million, through bonds. Notable expenditures in subsequent years include nearly $3.5 million to complete the Beekman Street project in 2028 and $1.6 million in upgrades to Seeger Riverfront Park in 2027, although timing there will depend on whether a transit-oriented development at the Metro-North station proceeds, White said. Replacement of aeration tanks at the wastewater treatment plant is expected to cost $2.6 million in 2028. As in the 2024 plan, the five-year schedule pushes a $5.25 million community center to its last year, now 2030. White cautioned that for it and other long-term projects, such as splash pads at Riverfront and Memorial parks and a new municipal pool, "we're not sure how they fit right now, or, frankly, how we afford them." Realistically, he said, a community center could cost up to $15 million and, Mayor Lee Kyriacou added, that's only if the city upgrades the Recreation Department building at 23 West Center St. "This is $10 million ...

Of all the guests we've had on the WICC Brown Roofing Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour, there's been no guest that was more requested than the folks at Boothe Memorial Park. So we obliged and welcomed Doreen Jaekle, the Boothe Coordinator for the Friends of Booth Park. Image Credit: Logo by Meghan Boyd, Edit by Eric Urbanowicz

On Today's SceneStop, we visit W.O. Hart Park in Orange, CA where such bands as Uniform Choice, Doggy Style, and other luminary acts did their thing. This video takes you into the park, gives you a general overview of its history, and gives more information on some bands that played there. If you have any information to share about shows at W.O. Hart Park, please put them in the comments!These videos are part of an ongoing video series chronicling the hardcore punk music scene. They are an addendum to the film Orange County Hardcore Scenester. This is a documentary I made that chronicles the 1990s hardcore punk scene. You can watch ORANGE COUNTY HARDCORE SCENESTER here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/ochsOr, pick up the Orange County Hardcore Scenester DVD here:https://revhq.com/products/evanjacobs-orangecountyhardcorescenester-dvdSubscribe to ANHEDENIA FILMS UNLIMITED and watch every Anhedenia Film as many times as you like for $2 a month: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/afunlimitedLearn more about W.O. Hart Park here:https://villapark.co/hart-park/#google_vignette#hartpark#wohartpark#uniformchoice#doggystyle#orange #orangecalifornia#orangecountypunkrock #punk #punkrock#hxc #orangecounty#punkmusic #straightedge #sxe#orangecountyhardcore#ochs#ochardcore

Honoring Sacrifice: Veterans Reflect on Their Service and the Meaning of Memorial Day.  This poignant discussion on Memorial Day with two distinguished Vietnam War veterans, Vincent (U.S. Navy) and Steve (U.S. Air Force). They share their personal enlistment stories, experiences in Vietnam, and the profound significance of Memorial Day. Vincent and Steve reflect on the sacrifices of fallen comrades, the importance of educating younger generations about patriotism, and the camaraderie that helped them through tough times. The episode underscores the need to honor and remember those who served, particularly through community events like the Grayslake Memorial Day Parade. Honoring the Sacrifice: A Deep Dive into Memorial Day with Vietnam Veterans In this special episode of "Discovering Grayslake," we delve into the profound significance of Memorial Day through the eyes of two distinguished Vietnam War veterans, Vincent Mark Taranto and Steve MacInnis. Hosted by Speaker 1, this episode offers a heartfelt exploration of the personal experiences, reflections, and insights of these veterans, shedding light on the true meaning of Memorial Day.  Understanding Memorial Day: More Than Just a Day Off The True Meaning of Memorial Day Speaker 1 opens the discussion by emphasizing that Memorial Day is not just a day for barbecues and leisure but a solemn occasion to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Vincent Mark Taranto (Speaker 2) underscores this by highlighting the importance of educating others about the distinction between Memorial Day and other patriotic holidays like Independence Day. He stresses that saying "Happy Memorial Day" misses the point, as the day is meant to honor those who are no longer with us. Personal Reflections on Service and Sacrifice Vincent shares his poignant experiences from his time in Vietnam, reflecting on the young lives lost during the war. He recalls the emotional weight of seeing caskets draped in flags and the impact of losing friends in combat. One particularly moving story involves his college roommate, Michael D. Oliver, a lance corporal in the Marine Corps, whose obituary he heard on the Armed Forces Radio. This moment prompted him to pay tribute to Michael during a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, capturing a powerful photograph pointing at Michael's name on the wall. Steve MacInnis (Speaker 3) adds to this by sharing his own experiences of returning home from Vietnam and the lack of support and understanding from society. He describes how he and other veterans were met with hostility and indifference, leading to feelings of isolation and frustration. The Journey to Enlistment: Different Paths, Same Destination Vincent's Story Vincent recounts his decision to enlist in the U.S. Navy after realizing he would likely be drafted. He chose the Navy based on the uniforms and enlisted on November 17, 1965, going active in January 1966. His journey took him to various locations, including the Philippines and Danang, where he worked with the Marines and experienced the intense atmosphere of a combat zone. Steve's Story Steve's path to enlistment was different. After a year at Oregon State University, he decided to enlist in the Air Force to avoid being drafted into the Army. Despite trying to avoid the physical exam, he ended up passing and joined the Air Force, eventually serving in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. His entry into Vietnam was marked by a sobering realization as he witnessed the return of bodies from the war, a stark reminder of the reality of combat. Camaraderie and Humor: Coping Mechanisms in Difficult Times Building Bonds Both veterans emphasize the importance of camaraderie in coping with the challenges of military service. Steve recalls playing softball after shifts and engaging in social activities to unwind and support each other. Vincent agrees, highlighting how they looked out for one another regardless of their backgrounds, forming strong bonds that helped them through tough times. Moments of Humor Humor also played a crucial role in maintaining morale. The veterans share anecdotes of light-hearted moments that provided much-needed relief from the stress of combat. These moments of levity were essential in fostering a sense of unity and resilience among the troops. Honoring the Fallen: Personal Tributes and Community Involvement Remembering Friends Both veterans share stories of specific individuals they honor on Memorial Day. Vincent remembers his close friend, James Edward Hays, a chopper pilot who lost his life in Vietnam. He recalls the profound honor of being a pallbearer at James's funeral. Steve reflects on the importance of remembering those who served bravely and the impact they had on their lives. Community Events The discussion highlights the significance of community events in honoring the fallen. The Grayslake Memorial Day Parade is mentioned as a key event that brings the community together to pay tribute to veterans. Zoe (Speaker 4) describes how the parade culminates in a ceremony at Memorial Park, where the names of local veterans who lost their lives are read aloud, serving as a poignant reminder of their sacrifices. Educating Future Generations: Instilling Patriotism and Respect The Role of Veterans Both Vincent and Steve emphasize the importance of educating younger generations about the values of patriotism and service. Vincent shares his experiences speaking to youth about the realities of military service, urging them to appreciate the sacrifices made by veterans throughout history. Steve highlights the need for veterans to share their stories to provide a more accurate understanding of what Memorial Day represents. Engaging the Community The veterans encourage listeners to participate in local events, such as parades and memorial services, to honor fallen soldiers. They also suggest simple acts of kindness, such as displaying flags and memorials in their yards, to remind the community of the sacrifices made by veterans. Conclusion: A Message of Hope and Resilience As the episode draws to a close, the host thanks the veterans for their service and encourages listeners to engage in acts of kindness, particularly towards veterans. He challenges everyone to show appreciation for those who have served, whether through a simple thank you or by participating in community events that honor their sacrifices. This episode of "Discovering Grayslake" serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of Memorial Day and the need to honor the sacrifices of veterans. Through their personal stories, Vincent and Steve shed light on the challenges faced by veterans and the need for society to recognize and support them. By educating future generations and participating in community events, we can ensure that the memories of fallen soldiers are kept alive and inspire pride in our nation.

The news from Northfield, Minnesota on Thursday, May 8th 2025;Northfield City Council Approves Ice Arena Project; Guaranteed Maximum Price Set At $26 MillionDundas Dukes Host Home Opener This Sunday; Field Renamed to Bill Nelson Field at Memorial Park

Dundas City Administrator Jenelle Teppen discusses the April 28 City Council meeting. Topics include approval of the request from the Dundas Dukes to name the baseball field at Memorial Park “Bill Nelson Field at Memorial Park”, and approval of a quote for the watermain project. The Council also discussed policy relating to sidewalk repair during […]

 Dundas City Administrator Jenelle Teppen discusses the April 28 City Council meeting. Topics include approval of the request from the Dundas Dukes to name the baseball field at Memorial Park "Bill Nelson Field at Memorial Park", and approval of a quote for the watermain project. The Council also discussed policy relating to sidewalk repair during a work session. 

This Wednesday episode focuses on two scandals currently unfolding across the sports world. Andy and Brendan! are disappointed to miss out on a First of the Month recording, but are fired up about the field construction for the Valero Texas Open. The field was expanded to 156 players with full status, but would need to shrink to 144 before allowing any alternates into the field. Andy wonders how players on major medicals, career money exemptions, or sponsor exemptions could reasonably jump an alternate such as Hayden Springer, who's currently ranked 78th in the FedEx Cup. From there, the two discuss some fallout from last week's Houston Open after seeing some unfounded criticism of Memorial Park. Picks are made for Valero, as PJ looks to stay hot following his winning selection of Dr. Chipinski. Brendan then prompts Andy for more thoughts on the torpedo bat "scandal" in baseball and how the technologically-advanced equipment can relate to golf. The Schedule for the Week is laid out with an ANWA preview, some LPGA scheduling thoughts, and some groundwork for LIV and Champs Tour discussions on Friday. In news, Dallas is in talks to get a TGL franchise, filling the Luka-sized hole in the city's heart, and Billy Boy picks up a new partner for the Zurich.

Major League Baseball is underway and for many fans of the Athletics, it's a bittersweet season. That's because the team used to be known as the Oakland Athletics, until they left Oakland last year. The A's are now set to play at least three seasons in their new home in West Sacramento, while the team prepares for a permanent move to Las Vegas. Reporter: Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED Nearly 60,000 workers across the University of California are walking off the job again Tuesday. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Almost 60 years ago, Cesar Chavez ended a 25-day fast at Memorial Park in Delano. He was protesting the treatment of farmworkers across California. On Cesar Chavez Day, thousands of people marched from that same park, to continue in the legendary labor leader's footsteps. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After building a 5 stroke lead in the final round, Min Woo Lee avoided a major meltdown and a birdie barrage by world number one Scottie Scheffler to secure his first PGA Tour victory at Memorial Park in Houston. Besides Lee and Scheffler, Rory McIlroy made a Sunday charge with 8 straight 3's on the scorecard to come roaring back from a slow Thursday round for a top 5 finish. We will discuss all the events topics from Min Woo Lee's drive on 16 to Alejandro Tosti's antics in the final group. In the wildest event of the week on the DP World Tour, the Hero Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club only had 3 players finish under par and almost 70 rounds at 80 or above. We will talk all about this wild event on a crazy golf course. Tim breaks down this week in YouTube golf, including the Wes Bryan vs. Jason Day match. With LIV Golf having a creator classic this week, we look at the question, will the creator classics need to adjust to be sustainable? Subscribe to the Break80 Podcast on Apple, Spotify & YouTube for weekly golf content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy National Fold Laundry Day!Hard to believe but March Madness is coming to a close, as all four 1 seeds make the Final Four. We have our final look at the mascot break down throughout the tournament. There is still plenty to talk about around the sports world with Torpedo baseball bats, more NFL Movies, and Much More!Also, The Houston Open was at Memorial Park this weekend, and what a show! Min Woo Lee finally wrangles a win in Texas! The G.U.Y.S are back and we didn't get skunked this weekend for DraftKings DFS! We will still throw out some Hang The Banners, Salute Your Sports, and talk Other Relevant Sports News. We've got it all, including a mall debate, let's laugh!Look alive folks!Follow us on:HOF Bets: https://hof-bets.app.link/millygoats (Promo Code: MILLYGOATS)Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/MillyGoatsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/TheMillyGoatsYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheMillyGoatsTwitch - https://www.twitch.tv/TheMillyGoatsPodcastTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@TheMillyGoatsApple Pod - https://rb.gy/0meu1Spotify Pod - https://t.ly/ZUfObWeb - https://themillygoats.godaddysites.com/

La carisma de Min Woo Lee por fin le brinda frutos, con su primer título en el PGA Tour, al quedarse con el Houston Open en el Memorial Park. En el capítulo de esta semana, los Caimanes calientan el próximo inicio de abril y lo que se avecina para el Masters, el rendimiento de Scottie Scheffler y más sorpresas rumbo al Augusta National. También, no te pierdas todos los descuentos que tenemos para ti en Adidas y súmate a nuestro ‘golf trip' a Bogotá.

Happy National Nougat Day!We begin this show with an absolutely ICONIC special guest who captivated the hearts of March Madness fans and Colorado State! That leads us into the Sweet 16 Preview, followed by what are the New York Giants doing, & NFL has a new glove and shoe partner; Let's Laugh!Also, We head to Memorial Park in Texas for The Houston Open, where a $1.7 million winner will be crowned at this long distance track. The G.U.Y.S list is BACK for our "models" in our DraftKings lineups (NOT ADVICE); ALSO, the new 6 Tier Winners pack and MDTC Parlay. We're gonna talk a little bit about Memorial Park golf course and look at some golfers, and pick out a few below the radar studs.We have got all the segments: Salute Your Sports/Headlines, Water Cooler Debate, How Dare You's, 3 minutes of NBA, and Other Relevant Sports. Also, it would not be a show without the Dad Joke and which one of us Yahoos is leading our inter-squad WOAT-A-MAKER challenge. Look alive, folks!Follow us on:HOF Bets: https://hof-bets.app.link/millygoats (Promo Code: MILLYGOATS)Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/MillyGoatsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/TheMillyGoatsYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheMillyGoatsTwitch - https://www.twitch.tv/TheMillyGoatsPodcastTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@TheMillyGoatsApple Pod - https://rb.gy/0meu1Spotify Pod - https://t.ly/ZUfObWeb - https://themillygoats.godaddysites.com/

The gang is back. DB has bones to pick with Pat and the guys teach Matt Every a big lesson in golf betting as the PGA TOUR heads to Memorial Park for the Texas Children's Houston Open. The guys discuss their approach to the strange betting board, early outright leans for now, and a handful of Top 20s. *TJ Ryder Cup 2025 Experience | https://eliteeventsandtickets.net/tour-junkies/ *Join our DISCORD w/ over 1000+ golf loving, DFS & Betting fans | https://discord.gg/tourjunkies *Join BET THE NUMBER with code “TJ” at checkout & leverage the most powerful golf handicapping analytics site on the internet | https://www.betthenumbergolf.com/ *Get elite betting content vetted and served just the way you like it on SoBet. Make sure you use referral code "TJ2025" at sign up to get 1st month at $1 | https://sobet.io/register?referral_code=TJ&promo=TJ2025 *Get Deposit Bonus & Sign Up for UNDERDOG Pick em' & Best Ball Drafts | https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-tour-junkies *Sign up for the “Chalk Bomb” emails for free that hit your inboxes every Tuesday & Wednesday | https://www.tourjunkies.com/chalkbomb/ Linktree for social follows & more | https://linktr.ee/tourjunkies Enjoy more free golf betting content on the Tour Junkies website! | https://www.tourjunkies.com Leave an honest iTunes Review. DB & Pat love reading all of these. It improves the show. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tour-junkies-pga-tour-betting-dfs/id1047779421 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0c50TtMGTMxYY88p3KQeIK?si=J5eCzz1kQJ-StbOtlub7Ig Enjoy more free golf betting content on the Tour Junkies website! https://www.tourjunkies.com

The boys are bringing the DFS show back for the next couple of weeks leading up to Masters as the Milly Makers are right around the corner. DB & Pat discuss DFS observations and takeaways from Valspar, and guess at the chalk this week for Memorial Park. Plus, the guys make their selections in each range in search of a few good pivot options for this week's contests. *TJ Ryder Cup 2025 Experience | https://eliteeventsandtickets.net/tour-junkies/ *Join our DISCORD w/ over 1000+ golf loving, DFS & Betting fans | https://discord.gg/tourjunkies *Join BET THE NUMBER with code “TJ” at checkout & leverage the most powerful golf handicapping analytics site on the internet | https://www.betthenumbergolf.com/ *Get elite betting content vetted and served just the way you like it on SoBet. Make sure you use referral code "TJ2025" at sign up to get 1st month at $1 | https://sobet.io/register?referral_code=TJ&promo=TJ2025 *Get Deposit Bonus & Sign Up for UNDERDOG Pick em' & Best Ball Drafts | https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-tour-junkies *Sign up for the “Chalk Bomb” emails for free that hit your inboxes every Tuesday & Wednesday | https://www.tourjunkies.com/chalkbomb/ Linktree for social follows & more | https://linktr.ee/tourjunkies Enjoy more free golf betting content on the Tour Junkies website! | https://www.tourjunkies.com Leave an honest iTunes Review. DB & Pat love reading all of these. It improves the show. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tour-junkies-pga-tour-betting-dfs/id1047779421 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0c50TtMGTMxYY88p3KQeIK?si=J5eCzz1kQJ-StbOtlub7Ig Enjoy more free golf betting content on the Tour Junkies website! https://www.tourjunkies.com

Will Doctor gives you the sharpest card for the Texas Children's Houston Open. -Discussing Top 5 favorites on the odds board -2 matchups -2 t20's -2 outrights (35/1 & 175/1) -Sleeper, 2 FRP, 2 lineups -Scoring, best bet For the latest as far as the world of golf, follow Doc on X @drmedia59

We're only a few days away from the Texas Children's Houston Open! Former champion Tony Finau joins the show to discuss his 2023 win at Memorial Park and how his game is shaping up ahead of The Masters. Johnson Wagner is a former champ here himself, his first PGA TOUR win came at this event in 2008 and punched his ticket to Augusta National for the first time! We catch up with Johnson for this week's "Past Champs Chat." In the amateur ranks, Lottie Woad is gearing up for her next run at the Augusta National Women's Amateur! The defending champion stops by the program to discuss her ascendant career and just how excited she is to have another crack at the finest track in the game. Not to mention the LPGA is in action this week! Beth Ann Nichols gets us up to speed ahead of Nelly Korda's title defense at the Ford Championship Tony Finau (3:34) Lottie Woad (27:44)

On this episode, we give a full break down of this week's PGA Tour stop, the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open. We discuss the course itself (Memorial Park) and its characteristics, we take a look at the relevant data for the week and build a custom model, we take a look at the board and try to identify the best DFS plays and best bets, and then we discuss One and Done Strategy for the week.Link to One and Done spreadsheet (Make a copy for your own): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BuRtLkmOWj08P-KN4VnSd1zApAPHwpy0CNg8nH7hXpY/edit?usp=sharingUse code MCONNOLLY88 on UnderDog to get your first deposit matched! https://t.co/FXNtrz6ZBpLink to Patreon: https://t.co/oKODToDCdOFor all of the best offers and promo codes for DFS sites, Player Props sites, and Sportsbooks, use my site at https://signupexpert.com/mikespicks Link to the Fantasy Corner Discord: https://discord.gg/bUCB6aqQed

Cutmaker Jeff is breaking down the field at the Texas Children's Houston Open as we inch closer to the first major of the year. Jeff looks at the odds board and offers some plays, best bets and also dives into some of the DFS market for the event at Memorial Park.

Today – We’re covering a recent rally at Memorial Park, where more than two hundred people gathered on Sunday to show their support for Ukraine. Supporters Rally for Ukraine Amidst Concerns Over U.S. Commitment And later – The Wenatchee School District is poised to accept a resignation agreement from David Vasquez—an educator charged (and later dismissed) with attempted rape. Wenatchee School District Considering Agreement with Former Educator Accused of Attempted RapeSupport the show: https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/site/forms/subscription_services/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're diving into a discussion that took place at the Pybus Public Market, where nearly 200 people gathered for a forum on the proposed expansion of Mission Ridge Ski and Board Resort. The event, hosted by The Wenatchee World, brought together community members, ski resort executives, and environmental advocates to debate the future of the beloved resort. And later - Community members gathered in Lincoln Park and Memorial Park over the weekend to take a stand against mass deportations.Support the show: https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/site/forms/subscription_services/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to series 13, episode 2 of In Suspense - a podcast for fans and writers of crime fiction. Today we're chatting to the fabulous Rob Parker about his latest book; The Troubled Deep and our topic today which is Juggling Multiple Roles as an author. We have book recommendations for:-Son by Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger, The Tomorrow Project by Heather Critchlow, Memorial Park by Louisa Scarr, It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara, The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey and The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

We're back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, Canadian Premier League, Northern Super League, and World Cup chat. The Whitecaps got their preseason action on the pitch underway last week in Spain with a narrow loss to Polish championship contenders Raków Częstochowa. We delve into what we gleaned from the match, the addition of Canadian winger Jayden Nelson to the team, talk Brian White's good week for his country, and find out just what is Sebastian Berhalter's Favourite Jam! Our feature interview this episode is with the man that got a goal and an assist in that first preseason match, Whitecaps centre back Tristan Blackmon. We chat with Tiki about his time in Vancouver so far, life under a new coach, his footballing heroes, and his new found love of darts among other things. Plus we look at what might be the legacy in Vancouver from the 2026 World Cup as the plan to improve Memorial Park gets shelved by the city, and we talk a busy preseason week in the CPL and NSL, as Vancouver Rise add more players and try out a few local and experienced faces. All of this plus Hot Chocolate Boy is back, the Rakes wrap up their residency as Album of the Month, we've another Britpop song, and Wavelength features a song all about Ajax, as we debate - is football art? Here's the rundown for the main segments from the episode: 01.28: Intro - drama on the stage and late drama off the pitch 11.45: Hot Chocolate Boy - Dough Girls and 49th Parallel 21.27: Vancouver's legacy from the 2026 World Cup - or lack of? 46.20: Whitecaps preseason gets underway with a narrow loss 50.56: Jayden Nelson joins the 'Caps 58.16: Brian White - an American hero 63.50: Sebastian Berhalter's Favourite Jam 69.46: Tristan Blackmon interview 99.55: Vancouver Rise add players and try out many more 114.15: CPL news of the week 127.25: Wavelength - Robbie and the Kock - Ajax Is Art

Episode 377 of Boss Hog of Liberty is out! Jeremiah Morrell, Travis Weik, Kaeden Riggs, and Zach Burcham are the voices. Kaeden just released a new album under his creator name “RIGGz”, Travis is the editor of the Courier Times. We talk about content creation, and why paywalls exist. Lots of local news this week around Memorial Park, a “Blizzard”, and last week's guest just got his big break in Daytona! Our program is community supported on Patreon. Do your part by chipping into the cause by donating monthly at any level at www.patreon.com/bosshogofliberty and receive even more BONUS coverage and content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary and Frank give the scene rundown for this week including the Moore County Skate Park opening in Memorial Park.

Interview with Marco Cevolani, Pinegrove Memorial Park's Community Relations Manager, about the blessing of the Armenian Lawn, which is the first section within the new ‘Tranquility Gardens' burial area at Pinegrove Memorial Park. Հարցազրոյց Pinegrove Memorial Park գերեզմանատան համայնքային յարաբերութիւններու ղեկավար Marco Cevolani-ի հետ, գերեզմանատան հայկական բաժնի հողի օրհնութեան վերաբերեալ:

Celebrating Life at the Legacy Chapel at Arlington Memorial Park, with David Hass, Service Corp. International (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 817) In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray discusses the innovative new Legacy Chapel at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with David Haas, Senior Managing Director of the Eastern […] The post Celebrating Life at the Legacy Chapel at Arlington Memorial Park, with David Hass, Service Corp. International appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

Celebrating Life at the Legacy Chapel at Arlington Memorial Park, with David Hass, Service Corp. International (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 817) In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray discusses the innovative new Legacy Chapel at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with David Haas, Senior Managing Director of the Eastern […]

Part 1 - Neville James receives the weekend outlook from the National Weather Service. Neville connects with Shamari Moorehead President of Our Town Frederiksted Inc. invites the community to Rhythms at Sunset, Friday, November 15th, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Verne I. Richards Veteran's Memorial Park. The series is free to the public and will continue the third Friday of every month.

Esperanza and Irwin leave their usual comfort zone and head into more uncharted territory. Calverton has the last, large swath of Long Island grassland, and has been protected to a degree. If you visit the area, there doesn't seem to be much development or planning, although proposals exist. It's home to an enormous FedEx distribution center, a large recycling business, along with tiny farmhouses and farms. We''ll tie in the Calverton Executive Airport, the Grumman Corporation's impact on LI, and its Memorial Park on 10 adjacent acres.

Bill Nelson and Dale Fredrickson discuss the Mill Town Marathon to be held on Sunday, October 13. The marathon, half marathon and 10K all start and finish in Memorial Park in Dundas. Profits from the event support Project Purple and its funding of pancreatic cancer research and aid for people battling the disease and Bill […]

Jessica Fuentes and Gabriel Martinez discuss the Surrealist century and the slate of upcoming shows celebrating this influential movement. "It was important for María Elena Ortiz (curator of "Surrealism and Us") to use the term surreal because she was talking about this worldwide conversation. This is a movement that spanned great distances across the world." See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2024/10/06/art-dirt-a-century-of-surrealism/ This week's podcast is sponsored in part by Prospect.6. The triennial exhibition is just around the corner, and registration for programming and events is officially open! From October 30 to November 3, experience the rich culture and dynamic art scene of New Orleans with VIP and public events across multiple venues. Plus, Gala tickets are now available! The P.6 Gala is a can't-miss event, offering an unforgettable night of art, celebration, and giving back. This year, the event will honor luminaries in the art world with fantastic food, drinks, and live entertainment throughout the evening. It's the perfect opportunity to support Prospect's mission while enjoying a memorable evening with artists, curators, and art enthusiasts. Head to the Prospect New Orleans website now to secure your spot and grab your Gala tickets before they're gone! https://www.prospect6.org/events This week's podcast is also sponsored in part by the Bayou City Art Festival in Houston's Memorial Park, happening Friday through Sunday, October 11, 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Meet and purchase art from more than 250 artists working in 19 different disciplines. Enjoy live entertainment stages, food trucks, a craft beer and wine garden, a VIP hospitality lounge, the Active Imagination Zone with activities for all ages, and more. The festival benefits several local nonprofits and offers something for everyone. Buy your tickets today at www.bayoucityartfestival.com

Today we are discussing the Festival in the Park in Cushing, OK.         Hosted by the Cushing Chamber of Commerce, this fun event is held annually on the last Saturday in September in Cushing's beautiful Memorial Park, corner of 5th Street and Little Ave, from 9 am - 2 pm. Bring the whole family out to enjoy free rides and attractions, watch displays by a roaming magician, eat amazing homemade foods provided by local NonProfits for fundraisers, shop at all the diverse & eclectic vendor booths, and get engaged with local artists and at some artist booths, create your own art!   The City of Cushing is centrally located in the State of Oklahoma, making us the best location to be the "Pipeline Crossroads of the World" for the Oil & Gas Industry.  They are 75 minutes North of Oklahoma City, 60 minutes West of Tulsa, and 20 minutes East of Stillwater.  Also discussed Dicintio's, Rush Springs, Marlow, Huey's & Travelok. Subscribe to the Only in OK Show. #TravelOK #onlyinokshow #Oklahoma #podcast #traveloklahoma #cushingok #festival #marlowok #familyfun #historic #travel #tourism #fallfestival #oil #rushsprings

Scottie Scheffler's win streak is no more as Stephen Jaeger wins in Houston by a shot over Scheffler and four others for his first PGA Tour win. KVV, Randy and Cody make sense of Jaeger's win, Scheffler's putting down the stretch and the comps to Tiger. We also talk Alejandro Tosti and Memorial Park before we shift gears to the LPGA Tour (39:00) where Nelly Korda won for the third time this year. We look at the dominant start to the year for Nelly, Lexi's close call, and some other news and notes from Phoenix. We also touch on Chris DiMarco and Bryson making news this week(1:06:30), and wrap the pod with a fun exercise from the mind of KVV (1:21:00) - constructing our own golfer hoops squads based on personalities and athletic abilities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wake up, wake up, wake up it's the first of the month! Andy is back with Brendan for this Monday and first of the month recording. He shares a couple of amusements from vacation, laments the Illini loss, and has some questions about Danny Hurley amidst what's still a Victory Monday for Brendan (big college hockey fan). Then they get to the Houston Open and an eventful weekend in which Ale Tosti went mainstream. They discuss the coverage of the Tosti One, Jaeger's breakthrough win and what happens to his AAAA status, and that last putt by Scottie Scheffler in an otherwise great week. There's also plenty of praise for Tom Doak's Memorial Park and pleas to let him design a full major championship test. After an EXCITING announcement about a new sponsor but returning product, they relay an all-time Tosti Tale following his big breakout weekend. Elsewhere in golf, they discuss Nelly Korda's dominant spring and how it will work for the LPGA and the rise of Japanese winners on the DPWT, including at DLF this weekend. They close with news on Bryson DeChambeau's video playing a rolled back ball and how it unintentionally makes a compelling argument for the rollback.