May 23, 2025 • 39 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and guests on topics we thought you might like to learn more about!
Bruce Percelay, Chairman of the Kennedy Institute - discussed the sixth installment of The Senate Project series, which will feature US Senators John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) and David McCormick (R-Pennsylvania). The discussion will be held Monday, June 2 at 9AM/ET in the Kennedy Institute’s full-sized replica of the United States Senate Chamber.
Chris Carosa – Hamburger Historian & Author of Hamburger Dreams: How Classic Crime Solving Techniques Helped Crack The Case Of America’s Greatest Culinary Mystery checked in.
Justin Greene with the 4th annual Minis with A Mission coming to Hyde Community Center in Newton Thursday May 29 from Noon-1 pm.
Marcus Dowling - lead country music reporter for The Tennessean discussed The Grand Ole Opry’s milestone 100th anniversary! The history of the legendary music venue & how they are celebrating by releasing their top 100 country songs list!
Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!
Bruce Percelay, Chairman of the Kennedy Institute - discussed the sixth installment of The Senate Project series, which will feature US Senators John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) and David McCormick (R-Pennsylvania). The discussion will be held Monday, June 2 at 9AM/ET in the Kennedy Institute’s full-sized replica of the United States Senate Chamber.
Chris Carosa – Hamburger Historian & Author of Hamburger Dreams: How Classic Crime Solving Techniques Helped Crack The Case Of America’s Greatest Culinary Mystery checked in.
Justin Greene with the 4th annual Minis with A Mission coming to Hyde Community Center in Newton Thursday May 29 from Noon-1 pm.
Marcus Dowling - lead country music reporter for The Tennessean discussed The Grand Ole Opry’s milestone 100th anniversary! The history of the legendary music venue & how they are celebrating by releasing their top 100 country songs list!
Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice size We've did.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Ray I'm going you Mazy Boston's News Radio. Thank you
very much, Madison. Hope you have a nice weekend. Hope
everyone has a great weekend. As the weather we hope
will improve throughout the weekend. It's better today than it
was yesterday. Hopefully better tomorrow, even better on Sunday and Monday.
Happy Memorial Day weekend. Hope everyone takes a moment this
(00:24):
weekend to perhaps remember someone who served, or someone who
served and never returned home, who basically gave everything for
the defense of this nation. My name is Dan ray
I the host of Nightside, heard every weeknight right here
on WBS, Boston's News Radio. And we are going to
begin our program as we do every night here at
(00:47):
eight o'clock, and we're going to talk with well not
every night with Bruce Percilla, but we start with four
guests who provide information about events and developments that we
all should be aware of. And welcome Bruce personally back
to Knightside. Bruce is the chair of the Edward M.
Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. Hi Bruce Ider said,
(01:08):
you just got off an airplane. How are you I'm
glad the plane landed on time.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
It didn't take off on time, but it did land
on time.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Well, you you would have had a sweat. I'm glad
I didn't know that in advance. So there is what
we call the Senate Project Series at the EMK Institute
for the US Senate, and this is it's first of all,
it's a great facility out by the Kennedy Library of
Maybe someday we'll say that Kennedy Library is near the
(01:35):
EMK Institute for the US Senate. Why don't you describe it,
because there may be some people in my audience who
are unaware that we have the actual life size replica
of the United States Senate, which we can visit here
in Boston and don't have to go all the way
to Washington, DC. Let's talk about the facility itself and
then we'll talk about the program.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah, it's pretty remarkable. We have one of two US
Senate chambers in the world, and one obviously is in Washington,
but ours is an exact replica. And when we have
a former or sitting US Senators come to our facility,
(02:18):
they walk in and invariably they pause and they look
there and they're they're in disbelief because it is exact,
and it is It's definitely worth a trip, particularly if
you're going to the JFK Library. This is it's quite
a site, and we have a this is one hundred
million dollar building. This is a this is a very
(02:40):
elaborate facility and it's a great asset for the city.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I'd be honor hosting an event with Inton Sharansky several
years ago at the at the e MK Institute. It
is an impressive building. So this event that is coming
up on Monday, June second, not this coming Monday, but
a week from Monday, is at nine o'clock in the morning,
and it is going to feature the sixth presentation of
(03:05):
a couple of senators, often a senator from each party.
So far we've gone through, you've gone through about twelve senators,
and this is the first time you will have two
US Senators from the state from the same state. And
in this case we're talking about two Senators, John Fetterman,
a Democrat from Pennsylvania and David McCormick, a Republican from Pennsylvania.
(03:27):
What will be discussed on Monday morning, June second, at
nine o'clock.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Well, just really quick background. The Senate Project is designed
to get right leaning, left leaning or Democrat and Republican
sitting senators in debate and the goal is to create
dialogue and reach common ground. And our partners the Hats
(03:55):
Foundation in Utah, because Arn Hatch and Ted Kennedy this
very strange relationship that turned into a very deep friendship.
And what we are all about is bipartisanship. One would
think that a building named Kennedy and Boston houses a
heavily left leaning organization. That is not the case. We
(04:18):
are absolutely a bipartisan We have eight US Senators former
US centators on our board for Republicans, four Democrats. We
have a serious maga Republican on our board, and so
we are all about balance and the debate or the discussion. Actually,
(04:38):
I think it's going to be more that with John
Fetterman and David McCormick.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah, it's kind of important because of all the controversy
around Center Fetterman.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
There there was a very in depth and critical article
in New York Magazine that suggested he was not fit
to serve. There are many who are suggesting that perhaps
the Democrats are trying to undermine center Fetterman because he
(05:23):
is has shown a proclivity to vote on both sides,
and there's a lot of questions about him. He has
not had a major appearance like this since that article
was written, so it adds to the interest in this event.
But both senators are bipartisan, both respect each other, both
(05:47):
have differences, and those will be aired at the Institute
in a live debate which will be broadcast by Fox
and moderated by Shannon Breem who will and this will
be aired on Fox a number of times next week
and on their live stream.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Now, is this event Monday morning? Is this open to
the public? I know the media is invited to cover it,
but is there an opportunities?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Unfortunately, unfortunate, it's not because we only have one hundred
seats on our Senate floor, as you can imagine, and
it's a replica, you know, the of the Senate, So
we we have specific people who will be attending. But
it is not open to the public. However, it will be.
(06:41):
It will be live streamed on our website and it
will be available on Fox throughout the week.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Now, certainly, John Fetterman is a senator cut from a
different cloth literally.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
And secretively.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
That's a great line.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Every once in
a while a blind squirrel finds in none. But you know,
he has shown a level of independence which I think
is discomforted some in the Democratic Party. McCormick is more
of a I guess what you'd call a Northern Republican senator,
(07:22):
maybe not quite cut in the mold of Arl in Spector,
but probably not necessarily what you would think of as
a mega senator. So it should be really interesting exchange.
I don't know if there's any particular issue in Pennsylvania,
whether it's the coal industry or or you know, alternative
forms of energy which will be discussed. Any idea about
(07:46):
what sort of topics will be broached. I mean, I
would love to put together the talking points for this conversation,
because I think the two of them would be a
whole bunch of Pennsylvania centric and North Eastern centric topic
talking points would be would be possible.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah, I mean, they will talk about the economy. They
will uh, they will absolutely talk about the impact of
of terrorists and uh, the Pennsylvania has a lot of
manufacturing and the question is will we be able to
onshore in to to offset the impacts of the terroriffs. Uh.
(08:29):
They have a very different view on the on the
big beautiful tax build that, and so they have a
very different view of that. They have very different view
on labor. I think they have a similar view on
on on Israel. And I think that and that has
(08:49):
you know, been somewhat controversial on the Democratic side. But
it's very interesting because a lot of the press and
and a lot of the discussion about Fetterman has come
from the Democrats. And the word that we hear is that,
(09:11):
you know, John Fetterman is a different kind of character.
But he was like that when he was elected. It
was just it was just that at that time the
Democrats assumed he was going to vote in lockstep. And
he is not. And all of a sudden his perception
has changed. And we're going to find out whether uh,
(09:34):
you know, whether his uh he had a stroke and
it did have some impact on him, but whether he
is fit to serve or he is not. And that
is what will make this event I think particularly interesting.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yeah, well, I think he is fit to serve. He's
sort of a I think is because has morphed into
kind of a Joe Mannion, a Democrat from his from
the neighboring state, Bruce Persley, thank you so much for
home getting here in time, remotely getting your plan on
the ground and keep us posted. It's a great institute,
(10:09):
the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
And I think that Senator Kennedy, where he alive today,
would be very proud of what this institute has transformed into.
And I really appreciate you taking the time tonight.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Thank you so much, Thanks much.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Talk again, thank you very much. When we get back.
We're going to talk about something that is probably more
has a broader appeal maybe than an Oxford type debate
at the Kennedy Institute. Hamburgers, the history of Hamburgers, where
hamburgers have come from. We're going to talk with a
(10:44):
very interesting guest. My name is Dan Ray. This is Nightside.
We will also talk later on tonight about Minni's with
a mission, little mini horses and little minie donkeys and
they are cute as anything. But will also talk with
a reporter from Tennessee about the one hundredth anniversary of
the Grand Old Opry. Country music reporter Marcus Dowling with
(11:06):
a great newspaper down there called The Tennessee. And so
we have wats to talk about. And then coming up
at nine o'clock, we'll be interviewing Frank Baker, longtime Boston
City councilor who stepped away from the council a couple
of years ago, and he's about to step back onto
the political scene. We'll talk about that, and we'll talk
about Donald Trump's seeming ongoing and never ending battles with
(11:30):
Harvard and why he is spending so much time focused
on Harvard. My name's Dan Ray. This is Nightside. We'll
be back right after this quick break.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Delighted to be joined by Chris Carosa, a Hamburger historian
and author of Hamburger Dreams. I Love Hamburger's. How classic
crime solving techniques helped crack the case of America's greatest
culinary culinary mystery. Chris Carrosa, that is a long title
for a book. How are you?
Speaker 4 (12:07):
I'm good? How are you?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I'm doing just great? So you have spent a lot
of time looking into Hamburgers. I always assumed they were
a product that was developed in a city called Hamburg, Germany.
I guess I was wrong.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Yeah, you and and even McDonald's was wrong. At one point,
Ray Kroc sent a vice president of McDonald's to Hamburg,
Germany with a certificate saying thanks for being the Hamburger.
And Mayer looked at the certificate that said, we didn't
do it. You guys did it in America. So how
did you?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
So? What prompted you other than a love for a
good hamburger? And by the way, even though it's bad
weather up here in New England and cold and rainy,
there'll be a lot of Hamburgs grilled around New England
this this this holiday weekend, the start of summer, the
unofficial start of summer. What got you interested in this?
(13:07):
I mean, you are a Hamburger historian.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Well, I didn't start off as a Hamburger historian. I
actually started off as an astrophysicist. And I well.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
I think those are fairly similar. To be really honest
with you, Chris, I mean it's the same level of intellect.
I think. Tell us about it.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
I was I had room to take another class, and
my classmates convinced me to take a class about the
study of the city. They were architects, and they thought
it would be fun, and they sold me on the idea.
And they said, there's no final exam, you just have
to write the biography of the city you were born in.
I was born in Buffalo, New York, and as I
(13:50):
was researching, I came across an old newspaper article that
said the hamburger was invented.
Speaker 5 (13:55):
There knew that.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
So I ran down and I talked to one of
my classmates and it's very excitedly and I said, hey,
the hamburger was born in Buffalo. He says, no, it wasn't.
It was made right here in New Haven, Connecticut. And
he promptly took me to Louis Lunch and I had
Hamburger there, and so I said, okay, well that was
a start, and I learned that since then there were
several other Hamburger origin stories, and I decided at one point,
(14:22):
since people seem to be interested when I would talk
about this, I just figure it out. I'd become the
Hamburger sleuth, the detective that tried to solve this classic
cold case of who sold the first Hamburger.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
So I don't want to give away the ending here
but it sounds to me like maybe there are several
communities who have a legitimate claim. How did you discern
which one had the most legitimate claim?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Well, it was next two step process. So first I
was Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes says, eliminate the impossible. All
these stories have dates associated with them. So the first
thing I did is I went to old newspaper articles
to find the first mention of what was then called
a Hamburg sandwich, and anything that occurred after that date,
(15:14):
any origin story that started after that date, was obviously eliminated.
Then I took that hat off and put on my
CSI hat, and I had to look into forensics to
try to determine which ballot, And for that I picked
a part the facts that each story had, and then
I tried to arrange them in a way so that
(15:37):
they could be proven or disproven feriary data. So again
I went to the newspaper articles around those dates where
that story was supposed to have happened to determine whether
or not that story could have been true.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
So here's a little bit easier. It dropped out of
me there for a second. Let me let me I
hate to do this to you, but you are connection
you dropped on me. Are you looking at microfiche newspapers
or are you figuring this out by googling on computers,
Because there's probably a lot of newspapers that have not
been transposed in stories from microfiest to the internet.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
So there are a lot of newspapers that are online
in several different databases. Okay, and they were originally microfiche,
which is a different problem because the quality is not
that good. So I'm doing research now in a totally
different topic and it's unreadable. It's unreadable, so that's too
bad because they usually destroyed the newspapers after they'd converted
(16:41):
to the microfies. But it's it is. You can get
access to a lot of newspapers. The ones you can't.
You do have to go and look at the physical
copies wherever they are.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Okay. So the book, the book is Hamburger Dreams, The
True Story of the Origin of the Hamburgh I Gimberger
history expert Chris Carosa. I don't want you to give
away the ending, but is there a definitive ending?
Speaker 4 (17:09):
There is no, but the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong
that the Hamburgers were sold I might as well tell
you on Friday September eighteenth, eighteen eighty five, at the
Erie County Fair just out Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
So not only did you set out on this, but
you came up with a conclusion that probably coincided. Happily,
it was a happy, happy coincidence with your own origin
story Buffalo, New York. That's great, Well, that ends well.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
The amazing thing is I never heard about it well
when I was there, so well.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Everybody can hear about it now. The book is out,
I assume, and it's available Amazon. Do you have a
website you'd like to plug?
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Sure, you can go to Hamburger Dreams dot com and
it'll tell you the latest that I've been finding out
about the hamburgers.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Perfect Chris Corossa, Chris, thanks very much. I really enjoyed
the conversation. I consider myself something of a hamburger connoisseur
because frankly, it's the only thing I'm able to cook
on a grill, and I do like hamburgers. Lots of ketchup,
lots lots of relish, mustard, tomato slices, slice of cheese,
(18:25):
everything with the hamburger. Are you just a plain Hamburger guy.
I'm assuming you're more of a purist.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
No, I'm I'm not playing hammer. I just don't. I
don't like putting cheese on it, but I like putting
that other stuff on it. I do like putting lots
of spices in my hammergroup, because as an Italian, I
guess that's just the way it is.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yeah, I do purple onion. I do purple onion and
pumperinnakle rye bread to kind of beef it up. It's good.
It's a good burger. Chris Carosa, Thanks very much. We'll
get you on again sometime. Thank you. I enjoyed this
conversation a lot. Happy Memorial Day.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Happy Memorial Day to you too. Thanks thanks Chris. Chris
crosa Hamburger historian. When we get back, we when we
talk about a really neat program that is available here
in Massachusetts. It's called Minis with a Mission. We've talked
about it before, but I think particularly as we move
into the summer, it's good to talk about it. Tonight,
(19:23):
We're going to have Justin Green with us on the
other side of the break in a little bit. Later on,
I'm going to talk about the one hundredth anniversary of
the grand old Operator. Back on night Side right after this.
And by the way, I want to encourage you if
you haven't gotten the brand new, new and improved iHeart
app get it down on all of your devices. Make
(19:43):
us your first preset, so.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
WBZ will only be a fingertip away on whatever device
you have wherever you are in the world at any
given point. My name's Dan Ray. I'll be right back.
Stay right there.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Well, we have interviewed this gentleman before. His name is
Justin Green. Justin Green, Welcome back to Nightside. How are you?
Speaker 6 (20:10):
Thank you so much Stan for having me on again.
This is wonderful.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Now I know that you are really invested emotionally in
all sorts of ways in this program with which is
called Minis with a Mission. Now, let's let's explain to
people exactly what Minis with a Mission is.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
Sir. Mini Mission is a nonprofit It's based in Ipswich
and in Newbery. It's miniature donkeys and miniature horses and
the simple goal is the dread happiness. They go to
senior centers, they go to school, elementary and high schools
(20:54):
and they go to the College Salem State. The first
day of school, they bring the milture horses and miniature
donkeys to the fair class to help ease the stresses
of some of the new students. And it's really Yeah,
that's the main goal is the donkeys and horses love to.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Be So how long has Minis with a Mission been around?
Has it been around a while? And how did it
start it? Uh?
Speaker 6 (21:24):
We we had a program called Equine Rescue and that
saved horses and donkeys from slaughterhouses. And then the too,
Mary Ann and Laurie, they've both got donkeys and miniature
horses and they opened up their own program Minis with
(21:45):
the Mission and they just wanted to show people that
miniature horses can really make people feel better about themselves,
like being happiness. And that role was blood pressure and I.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Think all of need need a blood pressure lowered occasionally.
So how long has it been around?
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Has it been around for I'd say about ten years?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Ten years? Okay? And where do the horses? You said
that they're up in the Newburyport area if I'm not mistaken, Yeah,
the Newberry and okay, and they it's stationed on a
farm or two up there.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
I mean they're the Mitchell horses are out of state
in a stable. Mister donkeys are Actually the woman who
lives in Newberry has a lucky enough to have a
very big backyard and a barn sized garage, and the
donkeys live in a backyard.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Okay, And how old are these When you think about horses,
you think about they, I think horses live like twenty
years or so. How old are these little guys.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Tough on that?
Speaker 6 (22:58):
Uh, he's a senior statesman, he's about twenty seven. Who
and and we we thought, and we thought Romeo, who's
now about eight or nine, we thought he's been boyfriends
with Pixie, who's a young six year old. But Romeo
enjoys eating grass more than uh relations, and more than
(23:22):
having fun with Pixie. So now has Puffinutter has because
he has a young girlfriend Pixie.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
And yeah, kind of like Bill Belichick. Actually, when you
think about.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
It, yes, fluff is first and uh yeah, but yes,
pluff pluffs. He's wonderful. He's a white, he's white, hence
the name Flufferutter. And we paint him and like the
Gay Pride Week, he gets the rainbow colors on him
and Saint Patrick's dage, he gets green and on the
(23:56):
fourth of July he'll be red.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Red and blue was gonna get red. Fuing flow. So
now the question that I'm sure a lot of people
are going to have is how far do the minis
with a mission travel? Because I know that you visit,
they visit, you know, some elderly communities, they have some
retirement communities. You mentioned some schools.
Speaker 6 (24:19):
What they like to keep it. They like to keep
it under an hour because the driving kind of tires
them out. I'm lucky enough to come to Newton, but
if the need advises, they've gone all the way to Blockton.
Because there was a World War two that was near unfortunately,
(24:40):
was near death, and his goal was to see a
donkey from the re live his childhood. So the Minis
with the mission stepped up to the plate and they
drove all the way to Brockton. And he loved it,
and he died a week later. He did die with
a smile, because you really love hanging out with the donkeys.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Okay, So so then the question is if there are
people out there, is there a cost? I mean, there
must be some sort of a cost associated with this
to travel distances and take care of these. Is it
a nominal fee. You don't have to get into specifics,
but I assume there is at least a nominal fee
associated with this.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Yeah, it's it doesn't take the best. Like I'm hosting
an event in Newton and I'm fortunate I'm able to
afford it myself. But for like, if they have like
a block party, yeah, they come and they have for
two hours. You can really enjoy. It'll make everyone. It
(25:45):
makes you feel like a child. The way I describe it,
it's seeing a rainbow. Everyone loves seeing a rainbow. Like
take pictures, you see all ages rainbows.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
So is this is this the event that that you
spawned string at the Hide Community Center in Newton on Thursday? Yeah,
twenty ninth, So coming up this Thursday, Okay, Yes, and
that's open that's Is that open to the public or
do you have to be a member of the Hide
Community Center.
Speaker 6 (26:18):
It's open to the public. I do it on behalf
of the Senior Center.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (26:23):
Because when my grandpa was dying, he told me he
had no more friends. The last thing he ever told
me was that Babe Ruth was a good soul. He
might have been a womanized on a drunk. But he
was a sports writer and he met Babe Luth for breakfast.
And he also told me he had no more friends left.
They all died and he wasn't being sad, it was
(26:44):
just true.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Well, it's it's one of the problems if you lived
to a really ripe old age, you look around and
there's no one, no one left. But by by having
the minis with a mission come up, it puts a
smile on everyone's face.
Speaker 6 (26:58):
So right, So, how can people to have a friend?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
How can you how can people who may be in
the Newton area, whether what did they have to do?
They have to get in contact with the High Community
Center in Newton. Is that the deal?
Speaker 6 (27:12):
It'd be great if they could contact the Senior Center,
the activities director Alana Stedeman, she's wonderful and just tell
them that they're interested in coming and we're not going
to turn you away if they get But she's with.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Again, I'm just getting a little tight here in time.
Justin she's with the Newton Council on Aging. So I'm
sure that if they contact the Newton Council on Aging
at Newton City Hall, uh and ask about Minis with
a mission, which will be on Thursday, May twenty ninth,
from noon until two o'clock. They can, I'm sure that
they will have an opportunity to.
Speaker 6 (27:51):
Attend, and can I meet you with one quote?
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Sure, but we're a little tight on time and don't
want to short change our next guest. Go right ahead
as long as.
Speaker 6 (27:58):
It's quick, oscar. While it says the smallest active kindness
is worth more than the grandest intention, and I say
this to people, don't you don't have to do a
big thing like myself doing the minis dors a lot
of joy. So if there's something you like, don't make
it perfect, just do something and it's well, but it yep.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
But if they say better to light one candle than
curse the darkness, absolutely justin greed. Thank you very much,
And hopefully there'll be a lot of folks who are
listening tonight who will find their way over to the
High Community Center in Newton on Thursday, May twenty ninth
again this coming Thursday, from noon to two and they
can meet all of the noon to one.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
Was that noon to one?
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Oh, it's noon to one. I'm sorry, I'm looking at
a piece a schedule here that says noon to two,
noon to one, Okay, noon to one at the High
Community Center. Thanks very much, justin appreciate what you do.
Thank you very much. When we get back, we're going
to talk a little bit about another location that everyone's
heard of, but not too many people that have actually visited.
(29:03):
The Grand Old Opry celebrating its one hundredth anniversary this year.
Marcus Dowling of a great newspaper down there called the Tennessee,
and he's the country music reporter there, and he'll tell
us all about the Grand Old Opry. Coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WA Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
All right, welcome back everyone. The Grand Old Opry is
an institution. It's celebrating its one hundredth anniversary. I'm sure
that everyone has heard about the Grand Ole Opry, but
many of us have never visited. Marcus Dowling knows it
very well. He's the lead country music reporter for the
Tennessee and a great newspaper in Tennessee. Marcus Dowling, welcome
(29:42):
to Night Side. How are you?
Speaker 7 (29:44):
I have a fantastic How about yourself, sir?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Doing just great?
Speaker 6 (29:47):
So?
Speaker 2 (29:47):
How long have you been a reporter covering this this
very venerable institution.
Speaker 7 (29:54):
I've been a reporter for twenty years, have been a
reporter based out of Nashville for about five I've been
a fan of country music. I'm forty seven, so I've
been a fan of country music for forty years.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
So one of the to give you a sense, yeah,
go ahead, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
To give you a sense. That's that's generally what we're
looking at.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Yeah, you are in one of the great cities in
America right now, and I think many people have said
it's like the hottest city in America. And nothing says
Nashville more than the Grand Ole Opera.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Uhh, unquestionably.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Just give us you know, we we have the Boston
Symphony Orchestra here, uh, Symphony Hall in Boston, which is
a very different vibe. I'm sure give us a sense
of the Grand Ole Opry. What it's like on any
given Friday or Saturday. Is it every is it open
every night.
Speaker 7 (30:41):
Or is it is it a venue that it has
opened five nights of a week currently, So imagine that
you're going to a variety show that initially and still
is broadcast on the radio. It's a radio program broadcast
on WSM six fifty AM nationwide worldwide now as well,
and you're getting five to six decades of country music stars.
(31:06):
So when you see the news talking about somebody getting
inducted into the Grand Ole Opera, you're essentially adding a
member of the rotating cast of the opery. The opera
has been on for one hundred years, so you can
imagine there's like two hundred and fifty people who have
or two hundred and fifty acts that have had the
opportunity to be rotating regularly appearing members of the Grand
Ole Opry. That's everybody from the CMA and ACM Entertainer
(31:30):
of the Year Laney Wilson, all the way through to gosh,
let's go all the way back to Marty Stewart. If
you're a fan of you know, the nineties country, we
have a guy like Vince Gill who's a member of
the opry. You know, there's it's it's every single era,
the peak era. Superstars of those eras are all presented
(31:50):
on the show. And then you have stars of the
current day who may not be members, but they may have,
you know, songs that are relevant to the radio.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
How do you become, so you become a member, if
you're inducted into the Hall of Fame. Is that what's
called what's called no number.
Speaker 7 (32:05):
You become a member. You become a member if the
Opry members and the Opry ownership and the Opry leadership
decides that you're a person that respects the history and
the culture of country music. So it's actually it's it's
it's a it's a very serious act to be inducted
(32:25):
into the Opry as a member, because essentially, as people
from all over the world who are coming to Nashville,
Tennessee and coming to you know, twenty eight oh four
opry Land drive to watch a show, and you want
people to go to that show and feel like they're
getting the honest, authentic core of what country music is.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Now does one in order to be a member, does
one have to be a performer or can you be
a member if you are in effect a patron of
season ticket holder of the Grand Old.
Speaker 7 (32:56):
Opry, that is that is not the case. If you're
if you're a if you're a ticket holder, you're just
coming to a lot of showsky. The only people who
are not regularly members of the opera who are performers
are oftentimes you have comedians and stage acts who reflect
the culture of the genre. So a comedian like Gary
mule Deer, a lot of people may remember from the
(33:17):
seventies and eighties of appearing a lot on the Johnny
Carson Show. He's a member of the Grand Ole Opery.
He's a great comedian. I mean, Pearl was a member
of the Grand Ole Opera. She never sang a song,
but she was oftentimes the host and also hilariously funny.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Okay, so now the next question. Again, I'm just trying
to learn here, so bery no problem.
Speaker 6 (33:35):
I love doing this.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
How big is the capacity? What the old Boston Garden,
which hosted the Celtics and the Bruins for many years
and from the twenties through the end of the twentieth century,
the attendance was always it was thirteen nine oh nine.
That number was emblazoned on the mind of every young
(33:57):
New Englander who liked hockey or basketball.
Speaker 7 (33:59):
I'm off it is college alone, So I am very
aware you're aware.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Of thirteen nine oh nine. Okay, so you're a foe,
fair enough, Okay, yes I am.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
Yes, it was thirty four hundred peopley four hundred people
with thousand, four hundred, okay, and then give us a
sense of if someone's going to Nashville, Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Uh, you know, three four or five months out, how
tough is it to procure tickets to the Grand Ole Opry.
And what is the standard fee, meaning what is the
cost the range of the tickets unless you're going to
buy them on what we would call the secondary market
up here we called scalpers.
Speaker 7 (34:41):
But go ahead, oh, I know, I know, so Opry
tickets range anywhere from eighty dollars to eighteen hundred dollars roughly.
To sit in the very front row of the Grand
Ole Opry, like you know, you're literally two and a
half feet away from you know, your your favorite country music.
You're two and a half half feet away from Carrie
Underwood for instance. Wow, you're right there, or you're at
(35:01):
the top of the building, which is actually a beautiful seat.
There's not a bad seating the house at the Grand
Ole Opry. It was constructed in nineteen seventy four in
order to reflect country music at that time experiencing extraordinary popularity.
So you really wanted to be able to offer people
this kind of venue that's similar to the Ryman Auditorium
where it was held as a program from nineteen forty
three to seventy four. The same kind of idea that
(35:23):
there's not a bad seat in the house, and it's
also intimate but also spacious.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Yeah, there were bad seats in the house at the
Boston Garden. If you've got.
Speaker 7 (35:30):
Plus sat behind a pool, I know absolutely you got it.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
So how many venues have there been it's been one
hundred years. You've given me at least two. I'm assuming
it's at least three venues over the years.
Speaker 7 (35:43):
Yeah, gosh, somewhere around somewhere around a half dozen or
so have held the Grand Ole Opry at various points.
There was a flood in twenty ten, so they held
it at the warm Memorial and other spaces. They go
back to the Ryman every year in January because they
do have to clean the Grand Ole Opry, so they
do go to the Ryman. It's a historical home for
thirty years to hold operate programs on the weekends for
(36:08):
the first month of the year. Then it's back into
the space over at ap Brillium Drive.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
I'll tell your enthusiasm, Marcus is fabulous here and it's
a it's a great newspaper. We're familiar with the Tennesseean,
and you are really a reporter. I guess there's nowhere
else your your love of country music could take you.
I mean, you are at the equivalent of the Baseball
Hall of Fame in many respects, and also really at
(36:37):
the equivalent of the Fenway Park or Wrigley Field.
Speaker 7 (36:41):
There these every every time I walk into a venue
in this town, I feel it like you walk into
the Ryman Auditorium, the mother Church of country music, and
there's stained glass windows that at the right time, at
the right at the right time of the perfect day,
you have the lights streaming through the stained glass and
you're watching, say like the Fisk Jubilee singers on stage
singing you know, two hundred year old gospel hymns, and
(37:02):
you're just like, Okay, this is really my life. Like
when you're watching like Ricky Skaggs playing bluegrass and you're
just like, I do this for real, this is actually
my life. I do this job and I love it,
so I can't complain.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Yeah, I can identify with that. As a little kid
going to Fenway Park, you go when you're first time
you're six or seven or eight years old, and it
just is so overwhelming. And then when I worked as
a TV reporter, I would be playing catch with the
governor of Massachusetts or the mayor of Boston out on
Fenway Park at five point thirty six am on opening
(37:38):
day the lights.
Speaker 7 (37:39):
That's amazing. Oh yeah, yeah, I've sat next to Pesky's poll.
So that's my that's my contribution.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
Yeah, I hope you set the.
Speaker 6 (37:47):
Second semester as a friar.
Speaker 7 (37:49):
You can drive right up, you can get student tickets
and always.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Yeah. I don't know how much the student tickets.
Speaker 7 (37:54):
Are these days, but again they were not I can
assure you they're probably much more expensive now.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
No, there's no doubt the Red Sox. They have had
great success. They had some success. Today they clap it
the hapless Baltimore Orioles by the nineteen to three or something.
It was from a Baltimore perspective, it was a very ugly,
ugly afternoon. I can only imagine bed Way Park, Marcus.
I love your enthusiasm. Whenever you talk to someone who
(38:23):
loves what they do, you have never worked a day
in your life, That's what they say. If you love
what you do. You never work a day in your life,
and I can identify with that philosophy. So thanks very
much for giving us some real insights into the grand
old Opry. It's one hundredth anniversary. Thanks Marcus. I hope
to meet you someday.
Speaker 7 (38:42):
Absolutely checking out it on opry dot com in the
Tennessee and is at tennesseean dot com. Marcus K. Dillen,
check me out.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
Sounds great? All right, Marcus Stolling. When we get back,
we're going to talk with a gentleman who is making
a very interesting political comeback. Frank Baker was a Boston
City councilor from Dorchester for six terms twelve years. He
stepped away from politics a couple of years ago, but
he's getting back in the ring this time running this
(39:09):
year as a counselor at large. Big step for Frank Baker,
and we're going to talk with Frank, who I think
was always a voice of reason on the Boston City Council,
just as I'm a voice of reason on WBZ, Boston's
news radio. We'll get back with Frank Baker right after
the nine o'clock news. You stay right there. He's going
to be a great guest,
It's nice size We've did.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Ray I'm going you Mazy Boston's News Radio. Thank you
very much, Madison. Hope you have a nice weekend. Hope
everyone has a great weekend. As the weather we hope
will improve throughout the weekend. It's better today than it
was yesterday. Hopefully better tomorrow, even better on Sunday and Monday.
Happy Memorial Day weekend. Hope everyone takes a moment this
(00:24):
weekend to perhaps remember someone who served, or someone who
served and never returned home, who basically gave everything for
the defense of this nation. My name is Dan ray
I the host of Nightside, heard every weeknight right here
on WBS, Boston's News Radio. And we are going to
begin our program as we do every night here at
(00:47):
eight o'clock, and we're going to talk with well not
every night with Bruce Percilla, but we start with four
guests who provide information about events and developments that we
all should be aware of. And welcome Bruce personally back
to Knightside. Bruce is the chair of the Edward M.
Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. Hi Bruce Ider said,
(01:08):
you just got off an airplane. How are you I'm
glad the plane landed on time.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
It didn't take off on time, but it did land
on time.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Well, you you would have had a sweat. I'm glad
I didn't know that in advance. So there is what
we call the Senate Project Series at the EMK Institute
for the US Senate, and this is it's first of all,
it's a great facility out by the Kennedy Library of
Maybe someday we'll say that Kennedy Library is near the
(01:35):
EMK Institute for the US Senate. Why don't you describe it,
because there may be some people in my audience who
are unaware that we have the actual life size replica
of the United States Senate, which we can visit here
in Boston and don't have to go all the way
to Washington, DC. Let's talk about the facility itself and
then we'll talk about the program.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah, it's pretty remarkable. We have one of two US
Senate chambers in the world, and one obviously is in Washington,
but ours is an exact replica. And when we have
a former or sitting US Senators come to our facility,
(02:18):
they walk in and invariably they pause and they look
there and they're they're in disbelief because it is exact,
and it is It's definitely worth a trip, particularly if
you're going to the JFK Library. This is it's quite
a site, and we have a this is one hundred
million dollar building. This is a this is a very
(02:40):
elaborate facility and it's a great asset for the city.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I'd be honor hosting an event with Inton Sharansky several
years ago at the at the e MK Institute. It
is an impressive building. So this event that is coming
up on Monday, June second, not this coming Monday, but
a week from Monday, is at nine o'clock in the morning,
and it is going to feature the sixth presentation of
(03:05):
a couple of senators, often a senator from each party.
So far we've gone through, you've gone through about twelve senators,
and this is the first time you will have two
US Senators from the state from the same state. And
in this case we're talking about two Senators, John Fetterman,
a Democrat from Pennsylvania and David McCormick, a Republican from Pennsylvania.
(03:27):
What will be discussed on Monday morning, June second, at
nine o'clock.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Well, just really quick background. The Senate Project is designed
to get right leaning, left leaning or Democrat and Republican
sitting senators in debate and the goal is to create
dialogue and reach common ground. And our partners the Hats
(03:55):
Foundation in Utah, because Arn Hatch and Ted Kennedy this
very strange relationship that turned into a very deep friendship.
And what we are all about is bipartisanship. One would
think that a building named Kennedy and Boston houses a
heavily left leaning organization. That is not the case. We
(04:18):
are absolutely a bipartisan We have eight US Senators former
US centators on our board for Republicans, four Democrats. We
have a serious maga Republican on our board, and so
we are all about balance and the debate or the discussion. Actually,
(04:38):
I think it's going to be more that with John
Fetterman and David McCormick.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah, it's kind of important because of all the controversy
around Center Fetterman.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
There there was a very in depth and critical article
in New York Magazine that suggested he was not fit
to serve. There are many who are suggesting that perhaps
the Democrats are trying to undermine center Fetterman because he
(05:23):
is has shown a proclivity to vote on both sides,
and there's a lot of questions about him. He has
not had a major appearance like this since that article
was written, so it adds to the interest in this event.
But both senators are bipartisan, both respect each other, both
(05:47):
have differences, and those will be aired at the Institute
in a live debate which will be broadcast by Fox
and moderated by Shannon Breem who will and this will
be aired on Fox a number of times next week
and on their live stream.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Now, is this event Monday morning? Is this open to
the public? I know the media is invited to cover it,
but is there an opportunities?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Unfortunately, unfortunate, it's not because we only have one hundred
seats on our Senate floor, as you can imagine, and
it's a replica, you know, the of the Senate, So
we we have specific people who will be attending. But
it is not open to the public. However, it will be.
(06:41):
It will be live streamed on our website and it
will be available on Fox throughout the week.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Now, certainly, John Fetterman is a senator cut from a
different cloth literally.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
And secretively.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
That's a great line.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Every once in
a while a blind squirrel finds in none. But you know,
he has shown a level of independence which I think
is discomforted some in the Democratic Party. McCormick is more
of a I guess what you'd call a Northern Republican senator,
(07:22):
maybe not quite cut in the mold of Arl in Spector,
but probably not necessarily what you would think of as
a mega senator. So it should be really interesting exchange.
I don't know if there's any particular issue in Pennsylvania,
whether it's the coal industry or or you know, alternative
forms of energy which will be discussed. Any idea about
(07:46):
what sort of topics will be broached. I mean, I
would love to put together the talking points for this conversation,
because I think the two of them would be a
whole bunch of Pennsylvania centric and North Eastern centric topic
talking points would be would be possible.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah, I mean, they will talk about the economy. They
will uh, they will absolutely talk about the impact of
of terrorists and uh, the Pennsylvania has a lot of
manufacturing and the question is will we be able to
onshore in to to offset the impacts of the terroriffs. Uh.
(08:29):
They have a very different view on the on the
big beautiful tax build that, and so they have a
very different view of that. They have very different view
on labor. I think they have a similar view on
on on Israel. And I think that and that has
(08:49):
you know, been somewhat controversial on the Democratic side. But
it's very interesting because a lot of the press and
and a lot of the discussion about Fetterman has come
from the Democrats. And the word that we hear is that,
(09:11):
you know, John Fetterman is a different kind of character.
But he was like that when he was elected. It
was just it was just that at that time the
Democrats assumed he was going to vote in lockstep. And
he is not. And all of a sudden his perception
has changed. And we're going to find out whether uh,
(09:34):
you know, whether his uh he had a stroke and
it did have some impact on him, but whether he
is fit to serve or he is not. And that
is what will make this event I think particularly interesting.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yeah, well, I think he is fit to serve. He's
sort of a I think is because has morphed into
kind of a Joe Mannion, a Democrat from his from
the neighboring state, Bruce Persley, thank you so much for
home getting here in time, remotely getting your plan on
the ground and keep us posted. It's a great institute,
(10:09):
the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
And I think that Senator Kennedy, where he alive today,
would be very proud of what this institute has transformed into.
And I really appreciate you taking the time tonight.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Thank you so much, Thanks much.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Talk again, thank you very much. When we get back.
We're going to talk about something that is probably more
has a broader appeal maybe than an Oxford type debate
at the Kennedy Institute. Hamburgers, the history of Hamburgers, where
hamburgers have come from. We're going to talk with a
(10:44):
very interesting guest. My name is Dan Ray. This is Nightside.
We will also talk later on tonight about Minni's with
a mission, little mini horses and little minie donkeys and
they are cute as anything. But will also talk with
a reporter from Tennessee about the one hundredth anniversary of
the Grand Old Opry. Country music reporter Marcus Dowling with
(11:06):
a great newspaper down there called The Tennessee. And so
we have wats to talk about. And then coming up
at nine o'clock, we'll be interviewing Frank Baker, longtime Boston
City councilor who stepped away from the council a couple
of years ago, and he's about to step back onto
the political scene. We'll talk about that, and we'll talk
about Donald Trump's seeming ongoing and never ending battles with
(11:30):
Harvard and why he is spending so much time focused
on Harvard. My name's Dan Ray. This is Nightside. We'll
be back right after this quick break.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Delighted to be joined by Chris Carosa, a Hamburger historian
and author of Hamburger Dreams. I Love Hamburger's. How classic
crime solving techniques helped crack the case of America's greatest
culinary culinary mystery. Chris Carrosa, that is a long title
for a book. How are you?
Speaker 4 (12:07):
I'm good? How are you?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I'm doing just great? So you have spent a lot
of time looking into Hamburgers. I always assumed they were
a product that was developed in a city called Hamburg, Germany.
I guess I was wrong.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Yeah, you and and even McDonald's was wrong. At one point,
Ray Kroc sent a vice president of McDonald's to Hamburg,
Germany with a certificate saying thanks for being the Hamburger.
And Mayer looked at the certificate that said, we didn't
do it. You guys did it in America. So how
did you?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
So? What prompted you other than a love for a
good hamburger? And by the way, even though it's bad
weather up here in New England and cold and rainy,
there'll be a lot of Hamburgs grilled around New England
this this this holiday weekend, the start of summer, the
unofficial start of summer. What got you interested in this?
(13:07):
I mean, you are a Hamburger historian.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Well, I didn't start off as a Hamburger historian. I
actually started off as an astrophysicist. And I well.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
I think those are fairly similar. To be really honest
with you, Chris, I mean it's the same level of intellect.
I think. Tell us about it.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
I was I had room to take another class, and
my classmates convinced me to take a class about the
study of the city. They were architects, and they thought
it would be fun, and they sold me on the idea.
And they said, there's no final exam, you just have
to write the biography of the city you were born in.
I was born in Buffalo, New York, and as I
(13:50):
was researching, I came across an old newspaper article that
said the hamburger was invented.
Speaker 5 (13:55):
There knew that.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
So I ran down and I talked to one of
my classmates and it's very excitedly and I said, hey,
the hamburger was born in Buffalo. He says, no, it wasn't.
It was made right here in New Haven, Connecticut. And
he promptly took me to Louis Lunch and I had
Hamburger there, and so I said, okay, well that was
a start, and I learned that since then there were
several other Hamburger origin stories, and I decided at one point,
(14:22):
since people seem to be interested when I would talk
about this, I just figure it out. I'd become the
Hamburger sleuth, the detective that tried to solve this classic
cold case of who sold the first Hamburger.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
So I don't want to give away the ending here
but it sounds to me like maybe there are several
communities who have a legitimate claim. How did you discern
which one had the most legitimate claim?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Well, it was next two step process. So first I
was Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes says, eliminate the impossible. All
these stories have dates associated with them. So the first
thing I did is I went to old newspaper articles
to find the first mention of what was then called
a Hamburg sandwich, and anything that occurred after that date,
(15:14):
any origin story that started after that date, was obviously eliminated.
Then I took that hat off and put on my
CSI hat, and I had to look into forensics to
try to determine which ballot, And for that I picked
a part the facts that each story had, and then
I tried to arrange them in a way so that
(15:37):
they could be proven or disproven feriary data. So again
I went to the newspaper articles around those dates where
that story was supposed to have happened to determine whether
or not that story could have been true.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
So here's a little bit easier. It dropped out of
me there for a second. Let me let me I
hate to do this to you, but you are connection
you dropped on me. Are you looking at microfiche newspapers
or are you figuring this out by googling on computers,
Because there's probably a lot of newspapers that have not
been transposed in stories from microfiest to the internet.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
So there are a lot of newspapers that are online
in several different databases. Okay, and they were originally microfiche,
which is a different problem because the quality is not
that good. So I'm doing research now in a totally
different topic and it's unreadable. It's unreadable, so that's too
bad because they usually destroyed the newspapers after they'd converted
(16:41):
to the microfies. But it's it is. You can get
access to a lot of newspapers. The ones you can't.
You do have to go and look at the physical
copies wherever they are.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Okay. So the book, the book is Hamburger Dreams, The
True Story of the Origin of the Hamburgh I Gimberger
history expert Chris Carosa. I don't want you to give
away the ending, but is there a definitive ending?
Speaker 4 (17:09):
There is no, but the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong
that the Hamburgers were sold I might as well tell
you on Friday September eighteenth, eighteen eighty five, at the
Erie County Fair just out Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
So not only did you set out on this, but
you came up with a conclusion that probably coincided. Happily,
it was a happy, happy coincidence with your own origin
story Buffalo, New York. That's great, Well, that ends well.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
The amazing thing is I never heard about it well
when I was there, so well.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Everybody can hear about it now. The book is out,
I assume, and it's available Amazon. Do you have a
website you'd like to plug?
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Sure, you can go to Hamburger Dreams dot com and
it'll tell you the latest that I've been finding out
about the hamburgers.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Perfect Chris Corossa, Chris, thanks very much. I really enjoyed
the conversation. I consider myself something of a hamburger connoisseur
because frankly, it's the only thing I'm able to cook
on a grill, and I do like hamburgers. Lots of ketchup,
lots lots of relish, mustard, tomato slices, slice of cheese,
(18:25):
everything with the hamburger. Are you just a plain Hamburger guy.
I'm assuming you're more of a purist.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
No, I'm I'm not playing hammer. I just don't. I
don't like putting cheese on it, but I like putting
that other stuff on it. I do like putting lots
of spices in my hammergroup, because as an Italian, I
guess that's just the way it is.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yeah, I do purple onion. I do purple onion and
pumperinnakle rye bread to kind of beef it up. It's good.
It's a good burger. Chris Carosa, Thanks very much. We'll
get you on again sometime. Thank you. I enjoyed this
conversation a lot. Happy Memorial Day.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Happy Memorial Day to you too. Thanks thanks Chris. Chris
crosa Hamburger historian. When we get back, we when we
talk about a really neat program that is available here
in Massachusetts. It's called Minis with a Mission. We've talked
about it before, but I think particularly as we move
into the summer, it's good to talk about it. Tonight,
(19:23):
We're going to have Justin Green with us on the
other side of the break in a little bit. Later on,
I'm going to talk about the one hundredth anniversary of
the grand old Operator. Back on night Side right after this.
And by the way, I want to encourage you if
you haven't gotten the brand new, new and improved iHeart
app get it down on all of your devices. Make
(19:43):
us your first preset, so.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
WBZ will only be a fingertip away on whatever device
you have wherever you are in the world at any
given point. My name's Dan Ray. I'll be right back.
Stay right there.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Well, we have interviewed this gentleman before. His name is
Justin Green. Justin Green, Welcome back to Nightside. How are you?
Speaker 6 (20:10):
Thank you so much Stan for having me on again.
This is wonderful.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Now I know that you are really invested emotionally in
all sorts of ways in this program with which is
called Minis with a Mission. Now, let's let's explain to
people exactly what Minis with a Mission is.
Speaker 6 (20:32):
Sir. Mini Mission is a nonprofit It's based in Ipswich
and in Newbery. It's miniature donkeys and miniature horses and
the simple goal is the dread happiness. They go to
senior centers, they go to school, elementary and high schools
(20:54):
and they go to the College Salem State. The first
day of school, they bring the milture horses and miniature
donkeys to the fair class to help ease the stresses
of some of the new students. And it's really Yeah,
that's the main goal is the donkeys and horses love to.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Be So how long has Minis with a Mission been around?
Has it been around a while? And how did it
start it? Uh?
Speaker 6 (21:24):
We we had a program called Equine Rescue and that
saved horses and donkeys from slaughterhouses. And then the too,
Mary Ann and Laurie, they've both got donkeys and miniature
horses and they opened up their own program Minis with
(21:45):
the Mission and they just wanted to show people that
miniature horses can really make people feel better about themselves,
like being happiness. And that role was blood pressure and I.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Think all of need need a blood pressure lowered occasionally.
So how long has it been around?
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Has it been around for I'd say about ten years?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Ten years? Okay? And where do the horses? You said
that they're up in the Newburyport area if I'm not mistaken, Yeah,
the Newberry and okay, and they it's stationed on a
farm or two up there.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
I mean they're the Mitchell horses are out of state
in a stable. Mister donkeys are Actually the woman who
lives in Newberry has a lucky enough to have a
very big backyard and a barn sized garage, and the
donkeys live in a backyard.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Okay, And how old are these When you think about horses,
you think about they, I think horses live like twenty
years or so. How old are these little guys.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Tough on that?
Speaker 6 (22:58):
Uh, he's a senior statesman, he's about twenty seven. Who
and and we we thought, and we thought Romeo, who's
now about eight or nine, we thought he's been boyfriends
with Pixie, who's a young six year old. But Romeo
enjoys eating grass more than uh relations, and more than
(23:22):
having fun with Pixie. So now has Puffinutter has because
he has a young girlfriend Pixie.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
And yeah, kind of like Bill Belichick. Actually, when you
think about.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
It, yes, fluff is first and uh yeah, but yes,
pluff pluffs. He's wonderful. He's a white, he's white, hence
the name Flufferutter. And we paint him and like the
Gay Pride Week, he gets the rainbow colors on him
and Saint Patrick's dage, he gets green and on the
(23:56):
fourth of July he'll be red.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Red and blue was gonna get red. Fuing flow. So
now the question that I'm sure a lot of people
are going to have is how far do the minis
with a mission travel? Because I know that you visit,
they visit, you know, some elderly communities, they have some
retirement communities. You mentioned some schools.
Speaker 6 (24:19):
What they like to keep it. They like to keep
it under an hour because the driving kind of tires
them out. I'm lucky enough to come to Newton, but
if the need advises, they've gone all the way to Blockton.
Because there was a World War two that was near unfortunately,
(24:40):
was near death, and his goal was to see a
donkey from the re live his childhood. So the Minis
with the mission stepped up to the plate and they
drove all the way to Brockton. And he loved it,
and he died a week later. He did die with
a smile, because you really love hanging out with the donkeys.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Okay, So so then the question is if there are
people out there, is there a cost? I mean, there
must be some sort of a cost associated with this
to travel distances and take care of these. Is it
a nominal fee. You don't have to get into specifics,
but I assume there is at least a nominal fee
associated with this.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Yeah, it's it doesn't take the best. Like I'm hosting
an event in Newton and I'm fortunate I'm able to
afford it myself. But for like, if they have like
a block party, yeah, they come and they have for
two hours. You can really enjoy. It'll make everyone. It
(25:45):
makes you feel like a child. The way I describe it,
it's seeing a rainbow. Everyone loves seeing a rainbow. Like
take pictures, you see all ages rainbows.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
So is this is this the event that that you
spawned string at the Hide Community Center in Newton on Thursday? Yeah,
twenty ninth, So coming up this Thursday, Okay, Yes, and
that's open that's Is that open to the public or
do you have to be a member of the Hide
Community Center.
Speaker 6 (26:18):
It's open to the public. I do it on behalf
of the Senior Center.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (26:23):
Because when my grandpa was dying, he told me he
had no more friends. The last thing he ever told
me was that Babe Ruth was a good soul. He
might have been a womanized on a drunk. But he
was a sports writer and he met Babe Luth for breakfast.
And he also told me he had no more friends left.
They all died and he wasn't being sad, it was
(26:44):
just true.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Well, it's it's one of the problems if you lived
to a really ripe old age, you look around and
there's no one, no one left. But by by having
the minis with a mission come up, it puts a
smile on everyone's face.
Speaker 6 (26:58):
So right, So, how can people to have a friend?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
How can you how can people who may be in
the Newton area, whether what did they have to do?
They have to get in contact with the High Community
Center in Newton. Is that the deal?
Speaker 6 (27:12):
It'd be great if they could contact the Senior Center,
the activities director Alana Stedeman, she's wonderful and just tell
them that they're interested in coming and we're not going
to turn you away if they get But she's with.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Again, I'm just getting a little tight here in time.
Justin she's with the Newton Council on Aging. So I'm
sure that if they contact the Newton Council on Aging
at Newton City Hall, uh and ask about Minis with
a mission, which will be on Thursday, May twenty ninth,
from noon until two o'clock. They can, I'm sure that
they will have an opportunity to.
Speaker 6 (27:51):
Attend, and can I meet you with one quote?
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Sure, but we're a little tight on time and don't
want to short change our next guest. Go right ahead
as long as.
Speaker 6 (27:58):
It's quick, oscar. While it says the smallest active kindness
is worth more than the grandest intention, and I say
this to people, don't you don't have to do a
big thing like myself doing the minis dors a lot
of joy. So if there's something you like, don't make
it perfect, just do something and it's well, but it yep.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
But if they say better to light one candle than
curse the darkness, absolutely justin greed. Thank you very much,
And hopefully there'll be a lot of folks who are
listening tonight who will find their way over to the
High Community Center in Newton on Thursday, May twenty ninth
again this coming Thursday, from noon to two and they
can meet all of the noon to one.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
Was that noon to one?
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Oh, it's noon to one. I'm sorry, I'm looking at
a piece a schedule here that says noon to two,
noon to one, Okay, noon to one at the High
Community Center. Thanks very much, justin appreciate what you do.
Thank you very much. When we get back, we're going
to talk a little bit about another location that everyone's
heard of, but not too many people that have actually visited.
(29:03):
The Grand Old Opry celebrating its one hundredth anniversary this year.
Marcus Dowling of a great newspaper down there called the Tennessee,
and he's the country music reporter there, and he'll tell
us all about the Grand Old Opry. Coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WA Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
All right, welcome back everyone. The Grand Old Opry is
an institution. It's celebrating its one hundredth anniversary. I'm sure
that everyone has heard about the Grand Ole Opry, but
many of us have never visited. Marcus Dowling knows it
very well. He's the lead country music reporter for the
Tennessee and a great newspaper in Tennessee. Marcus Dowling, welcome
(29:42):
to Night Side. How are you?
Speaker 7 (29:44):
I have a fantastic How about yourself, sir?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Doing just great?
Speaker 6 (29:47):
So?
Speaker 2 (29:47):
How long have you been a reporter covering this this
very venerable institution.
Speaker 7 (29:54):
I've been a reporter for twenty years, have been a
reporter based out of Nashville for about five I've been
a fan of country music. I'm forty seven, so I've
been a fan of country music for forty years.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
So one of the to give you a sense, yeah,
go ahead, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
To give you a sense. That's that's generally what we're
looking at.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Yeah, you are in one of the great cities in
America right now, and I think many people have said
it's like the hottest city in America. And nothing says
Nashville more than the Grand Ole Opera.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Uhh, unquestionably.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Just give us you know, we we have the Boston
Symphony Orchestra here, uh, Symphony Hall in Boston, which is
a very different vibe. I'm sure give us a sense
of the Grand Ole Opry. What it's like on any
given Friday or Saturday. Is it every is it open
every night.
Speaker 7 (30:41):
Or is it is it a venue that it has
opened five nights of a week currently, So imagine that
you're going to a variety show that initially and still
is broadcast on the radio. It's a radio program broadcast
on WSM six fifty AM nationwide worldwide now as well,
and you're getting five to six decades of country music stars.
(31:06):
So when you see the news talking about somebody getting
inducted into the Grand Ole Opera, you're essentially adding a
member of the rotating cast of the opery. The opera
has been on for one hundred years, so you can
imagine there's like two hundred and fifty people who have
or two hundred and fifty acts that have had the
opportunity to be rotating regularly appearing members of the Grand
Ole Opry. That's everybody from the CMA and ACM Entertainer
(31:30):
of the Year Laney Wilson, all the way through to gosh,
let's go all the way back to Marty Stewart. If
you're a fan of you know, the nineties country, we
have a guy like Vince Gill who's a member of
the opry. You know, there's it's it's every single era,
the peak era. Superstars of those eras are all presented
(31:50):
on the show. And then you have stars of the
current day who may not be members, but they may have,
you know, songs that are relevant to the radio.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
How do you become, so you become a member, if
you're inducted into the Hall of Fame. Is that what's
called what's called no number.
Speaker 7 (32:05):
You become a member. You become a member if the
Opry members and the Opry ownership and the Opry leadership
decides that you're a person that respects the history and
the culture of country music. So it's actually it's it's
it's a it's a very serious act to be inducted
(32:25):
into the Opry as a member, because essentially, as people
from all over the world who are coming to Nashville,
Tennessee and coming to you know, twenty eight oh four
opry Land drive to watch a show, and you want
people to go to that show and feel like they're
getting the honest, authentic core of what country music is.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Now does one in order to be a member, does
one have to be a performer or can you be
a member if you are in effect a patron of
season ticket holder of the Grand Old.
Speaker 7 (32:56):
Opry, that is that is not the case. If you're
if you're a if you're a ticket holder, you're just
coming to a lot of showsky. The only people who
are not regularly members of the opera who are performers
are oftentimes you have comedians and stage acts who reflect
the culture of the genre. So a comedian like Gary
mule Deer, a lot of people may remember from the
(33:17):
seventies and eighties of appearing a lot on the Johnny
Carson Show. He's a member of the Grand Ole Opery.
He's a great comedian. I mean, Pearl was a member
of the Grand Ole Opera. She never sang a song,
but she was oftentimes the host and also hilariously funny.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Okay, so now the next question. Again, I'm just trying
to learn here, so bery no problem.
Speaker 6 (33:35):
I love doing this.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
How big is the capacity? What the old Boston Garden,
which hosted the Celtics and the Bruins for many years
and from the twenties through the end of the twentieth century,
the attendance was always it was thirteen nine oh nine.
That number was emblazoned on the mind of every young
(33:57):
New Englander who liked hockey or basketball.
Speaker 7 (33:59):
I'm off it is college alone, So I am very
aware you're aware.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Of thirteen nine oh nine. Okay, so you're a foe,
fair enough, Okay, yes I am.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
Yes, it was thirty four hundred peopley four hundred people
with thousand, four hundred, okay, and then give us a
sense of if someone's going to Nashville, Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Uh, you know, three four or five months out, how
tough is it to procure tickets to the Grand Ole Opry.
And what is the standard fee, meaning what is the
cost the range of the tickets unless you're going to
buy them on what we would call the secondary market
up here we called scalpers.
Speaker 7 (34:41):
But go ahead, oh, I know, I know, so Opry
tickets range anywhere from eighty dollars to eighteen hundred dollars roughly.
To sit in the very front row of the Grand
Ole Opry, like you know, you're literally two and a
half feet away from you know, your your favorite country music.
You're two and a half half feet away from Carrie
Underwood for instance. Wow, you're right there, or you're at
(35:01):
the top of the building, which is actually a beautiful seat.
There's not a bad seating the house at the Grand
Ole Opry. It was constructed in nineteen seventy four in
order to reflect country music at that time experiencing extraordinary popularity.
So you really wanted to be able to offer people
this kind of venue that's similar to the Ryman Auditorium
where it was held as a program from nineteen forty
three to seventy four. The same kind of idea that
(35:23):
there's not a bad seat in the house, and it's
also intimate but also spacious.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Yeah, there were bad seats in the house at the
Boston Garden. If you've got.
Speaker 7 (35:30):
Plus sat behind a pool, I know absolutely you got it.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
So how many venues have there been it's been one
hundred years. You've given me at least two. I'm assuming
it's at least three venues over the years.
Speaker 7 (35:43):
Yeah, gosh, somewhere around somewhere around a half dozen or
so have held the Grand Ole Opry at various points.
There was a flood in twenty ten, so they held
it at the warm Memorial and other spaces. They go
back to the Ryman every year in January because they
do have to clean the Grand Ole Opry, so they
do go to the Ryman. It's a historical home for
thirty years to hold operate programs on the weekends for
(36:08):
the first month of the year. Then it's back into
the space over at ap Brillium Drive.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
I'll tell your enthusiasm, Marcus is fabulous here and it's
a it's a great newspaper. We're familiar with the Tennesseean,
and you are really a reporter. I guess there's nowhere
else your your love of country music could take you.
I mean, you are at the equivalent of the Baseball
Hall of Fame in many respects, and also really at
(36:37):
the equivalent of the Fenway Park or Wrigley Field.
Speaker 7 (36:41):
There these every every time I walk into a venue
in this town, I feel it like you walk into
the Ryman Auditorium, the mother Church of country music, and
there's stained glass windows that at the right time, at
the right at the right time of the perfect day,
you have the lights streaming through the stained glass and
you're watching, say like the Fisk Jubilee singers on stage
singing you know, two hundred year old gospel hymns, and
(37:02):
you're just like, Okay, this is really my life. Like
when you're watching like Ricky Skaggs playing bluegrass and you're
just like, I do this for real, this is actually
my life. I do this job and I love it,
so I can't complain.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Yeah, I can identify with that. As a little kid
going to Fenway Park, you go when you're first time
you're six or seven or eight years old, and it
just is so overwhelming. And then when I worked as
a TV reporter, I would be playing catch with the
governor of Massachusetts or the mayor of Boston out on
Fenway Park at five point thirty six am on opening
(37:38):
day the lights.
Speaker 7 (37:39):
That's amazing. Oh yeah, yeah, I've sat next to Pesky's poll.
So that's my that's my contribution.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
Yeah, I hope you set the.
Speaker 6 (37:47):
Second semester as a friar.
Speaker 7 (37:49):
You can drive right up, you can get student tickets
and always.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Yeah. I don't know how much the student tickets.
Speaker 7 (37:54):
Are these days, but again they were not I can
assure you they're probably much more expensive now.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
No, there's no doubt the Red Sox. They have had
great success. They had some success. Today they clap it
the hapless Baltimore Orioles by the nineteen to three or something.
It was from a Baltimore perspective, it was a very ugly,
ugly afternoon. I can only imagine bed Way Park, Marcus.
I love your enthusiasm. Whenever you talk to someone who
(38:23):
loves what they do, you have never worked a day
in your life, That's what they say. If you love
what you do. You never work a day in your life,
and I can identify with that philosophy. So thanks very
much for giving us some real insights into the grand
old Opry. It's one hundredth anniversary. Thanks Marcus. I hope
to meet you someday.
Speaker 7 (38:42):
Absolutely checking out it on opry dot com in the
Tennessee and is at tennesseean dot com. Marcus K. Dillen,
check me out.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
Sounds great? All right, Marcus Stolling. When we get back,
we're going to talk with a gentleman who is making
a very interesting political comeback. Frank Baker was a Boston
City councilor from Dorchester for six terms twelve years. He
stepped away from politics a couple of years ago, but
he's getting back in the ring this time running this
(39:09):
year as a counselor at large. Big step for Frank Baker,
and we're going to talk with Frank, who I think
was always a voice of reason on the Boston City Council,
just as I'm a voice of reason on WBZ, Boston's
news radio. We'll get back with Frank Baker right after
the nine o'clock news. You stay right there. He's going
to be a great guest,
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