Episode 17

The Los Angeles Breakfast Club: ON THE AIR

An unprecedented number of Breakfast Clubbers help make this month's audio time travel expedition our best episode yet!

Ken Hudson gets the ball rolling by welcoming everyone to the Shrine of Friendship before Braden Graeber introduces a couple of special (award-winning) guests!

We then depart to the 1930's where past club President Rufus B. von KleinSmid delivers a stirring speech. legendary conductor Ernest Ansermet appears in a rare English-language recording and past club manager Harold Link introduces the Downey Sisters, who perform two songs.

Then it's back to the recent past as Ken Hudson introduces Dr. Emily Lindsey, who reveals secrets of the La Brea Tar Pits. Nancy Rosen introduces Ken Bernstein, Principal City Planner for the Office of Historic Resources in Los Angeles’ Department of City Planning, who discusses Survey LA. Christopher Hanson introduces Rhett Mauck, Director of Development at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, who describes the type of dogs best-suited to disaster work. Sandi Hemmerlein introduces Christina Morris, the L.A. field director of the National Trust, who describes the efforts underway to safeguard Historic Route 66 and commemorate the role it played in giving safe passage across the country to people of color. Finally, Joe Selph plays "Battleship" and introduces us to Marty Golden, Chief Warrant Officer of the USS Iowa, who describes a particularly fascinating tale of high seas tension aboard that historic ship.

Through it all, club emcee Richard Gilson drops in from time to time to offer some info and inspire some laughs.

Club chaplain Reverend Barbara Adams takes us down the path that leads to our continuing "Adventures in Friendship" giving to the heckling Roosters as good as she gets before providing us all with several thoughtful travel tips (courtesy of the club's resident tour planner Bill Siefke).

Host Phil Leirness gives you the opportunity to get better acquainted with Christopher Hanson by interviewing him about the Disney Barn, the Demille-Lasky Barn, his love of old movies, high-wasted pants, his interest in former President Richard Nixon, and the lunch he once attended with Dr. Henry Kissinger.

Finally, club president Lily Holleman previews all of the June Happenings at the Club of Hospitality as well as special docent-led tours of the Wildlife Waystation for club members and their guests.