Round the Bend Now and Then

The main intent of this episode is simple: To honor heroes. Specifically, the heroes that served our country: Our United States veterans. This past Saturday, November 15th, 2025, I was humbled to be a part of a Hometown Heroes event that was held at the Indiana Dinosaur Museum. The main purpose of the event was to spend a full day to come together as a community and honor and celebrate the courage of our veterans. As a part of the day's festivities, we recorded an episode of Round the Bend Now and Then, right in the middle of the Indiana Dinosaur Museum. I was honored to interview three local veterans to shine a light on their service and also learn more about what we can do to support our nation’s veterans. I want to thank Bill Krueper, Victoria Molnar, and South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski for sharing their stories. As you’ll hear in the interview, their stories of service may vary, but they’re still the same: All three of them served our country, like millions of others out there, and they ALL deserve our thanks and gratitude. ________________________________________________________INvets: Founded by veterans for veterans, aids in transitioning to civilian life, focusing on job placement and finding the right community for veterans and their families to ensure their success and happiness.https://www.invets.org/________________________________________________________Battlefields to Ballfields: Empowering veterans to transition from military service to community leadership through sports officiating excellence ​https://www.battlefields2ballfields.org/________________________________________________________Stop22: Reducing Veteran Suicide through Education, Legal Support and Community.https://stop22.org/________________________________________________________ALL of our audio podcast episodes are also on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpodLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthenTo contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter or Facebook.For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

This episode is a special one in that I meet with my father, Joel Emery, as he shares his memories from growing up in 1960's River Park. Over the years, my parents have shared multiple stories about growing up in River Park - a neighborhood on the far east side of South Bend, IN. Their stories mirror what neighborhoods were like at that time in our country, absolutely bursting at the seams with kids - kids born in the tens of millions after solders returned from World War II: The baby boom. I’ve always planned on doing an episode about River Park, as there is SO much local history involved in its story. But it would take several episodes to really be able to tell the complete story of the neighborhood so I thought it would be neat to interview my dad and focus on just a slice of its history, growing up in River Park in the 1960s. Thank you dad for your time and memories!_____________________________________________________Thank you to the Portage Township Trustee's Office for sponsoring this episode! Thank you to Jason Critchlow and his team for ALL that you do in our community!Check out their website and Facebook below and discover ALL that the Portage Township Trustee's Office does to meet our community's needs!https://portage-township.com/https://www.facebook.com/share/1786tvftXK/?mibextid=wwXIfr_____________________________________________________Thank you to the Mishawaka Historical Museum for sponsoring this episode! If you're a fan of our content, you'll be a fan of the museum! You'll experience the most comprehensive collection of artifacts and historical background all specific to Mishawaka!Give them a visit at 121 S. Main St. in Mishawaka, just south of the Lincolnway and Main St. intersection. Check out their website to learn more!https://mishawakamuseum.org/_____________________________________________________Thank you to M/T Box Computers for sponsoring this episode! Check out their website below to learn more about what they can do to fit your small business's technological needs!https://www.mtboxcomputers.com/_____________________________________________________ALL of our audio podcast episodes are also on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpodLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthenTo contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter or Facebook.For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

In this episode, I meet with local historian Susanna Ernst. You’ll learn ALL about a neighborhood that you might not find on any national historical registry, but the Mishawaka neighborhood known as Hooligan Heights has a 120 plus year history that is just as intriguing and interesting as any of the more notable local historical sites. I learned SO much about Hooligan Heights from our interview with Susanna as well as from her fantastic article, "Hooligan Heights: Mishawaka's Wild West" - linked below. It once again reaffirms that there is SO much history right under our noses! I’m confident that you’ll learn a thing or two as well. Thank you Susanna for your knowledge and passion for our local history! https://hooliganheights.com/_______________________________________________Thank you to the Mishawaka Historical Museum for sponsoring this episode! If you're a fan of our content, you'll be a fan of the museum! You'll experience the most comprehensive collection of artifacts and historical background all specific to Mishawaka!Give them a visit at 121 S. Main St. in Mishawaka, just south of the Lincolnway and Main St. intersection. Check out their website to learn more!https://mishawakamuseum.org/________________________________________________Thank you to M/T Box Computers for sponsoring this episode! Check out their website below to learn more about what they can do to fit your small business's technological needs!https://www.mtboxcomputers.com/________________________________________________Thank you to the Portage Township Trustee's Office for sponsoring this episode! Thank you to Jason Critchlow and his team for ALL that you do in our community!Check out their website below and discover ALL that the Portage Township Trustee's Office does to meet our community's needs!https://portage-township.com/________________________________________________ALL of our audio podcast episodes are also on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpodLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthenTo contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter or Facebook.For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

CJ's Pub opened their doors near downtown South Bend in 1984 and 41 years later, they are still serving up their legendary pub burgers and cold beer to generations of patrons. In this episode, I meet with the co-owner of CJ’s Pub, Judy Gish. You’ll learn ALL about the story behind CJ's Pub, from 1984 to the present day. I hope that you’ll gain a true appreciation for a local legendary spot. It hasn’t always been easy and CJ's has faced multiple barriers over the years that would probably put a lot of places out of business, but with hard work, tenacity, and a focus on the customers and community, a small business can thrive and positively impact generations of patrons. Be sure to stop by CJ's Pub on the corner of Michigan and Wayne St. in downtown South Bend and enjoy a burger and a beverage. Visit their website: https://www.cjs-pub.com/________________________________________________Thank you to the Mishawaka Historical Museum for sponsoring this episode! If you're a fan of our content, you'll be a fan of the museum! You'll experience the most comprehensive collection of artifacts and historical background all specific to Mishawaka!Give them a visit at 121 S. Main St. in Mishawaka, just south of the Lincolnway and Main St. intersection. Check out their website to learn more!https://mishawakamuseum.org/________________________________________________Thank you to M/T Box Computers for sponsoring this episode! Check out their website below to learn more about what they can do to fit your small business's technological needs!https://www.mtboxcomputers.com/________________________________________________Thank you to the Portage Township Trustee's Office for sponsoring this episode! Thank you to Jason Critchlow and his team for ALL that you do in our community!Check out their website below and discover ALL that the Portage Township Trustee's Office does to meet our community's needs!https://portage-township.com/________________________________________________ALL of our audio podcast episodes are also on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpodLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthenTo contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter or Facebook.For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.Be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

In this episode, I meet with the President and Curator of the Mishawaka Historical Museum, Pete DeKever. We talk about a chapter from his most recent book, LOST Mishawaka. The specific chapter that we discuss is “When Mishawaka was the Power City: The Story of the Twin Branch Dam and Power Plant”I've seen the massive Twin Branch Dam many times, but I definitely was not aware that the dam is only a part of how much local history the land contains. There was a huge area on the north side of the river that contained massive steam plant buildings that once powered the entire city of Mishawaka and beyond. But now.... that complex is but a distant memory. The story behind the Twin Branch Dam and Power Plant is truly remarkable considering how large it became and how much of an impact the power it produced had on local lives. Thank you Pete DeKever for joining us! Check out Pete's new book, LOST Mishawaka, at the link below. https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Mishawaka-Peter-J-Kever/dp/1467157910#detailBullets_feature_div________________________________________________Thank you to the Mishawaka Historical Museum for sponsoring this episode! If you're a fan of our content, you'll be a fan of the museum! You'll experience the most comprehensive collection of artifacts and historical background all specific to Mishawaka!Give them a visit at 121 S. Main St. in Mishawaka, just south of the Lincolnway and Main St. intersection. Check out their website to learn more!https://mishawakamuseum.org/________________________________________________Thank you to M/T Box Computers for sponsoring this episode! Check out their website below to learn more about what they can do to fit your small business's technological needs!https://www.mtboxcomputers.com/________________________________________________Thank you to the Portage Township Trustee's Office for sponsoring this episode! Thank you to Jason Critchlow and his team for ALL that you do in our community!Check out their website below and discover ALL that the Portage Township Trustee's Office does to meet our community's needs!https://portage-township.com/________________________________________________ALL of our audio podcast episodes are also on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpodLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthenTo contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter or Facebook.For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.Be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!