Claude Call was born and raised on the north shore of Long Island, in a hamlet so obscure that even other Long Islanders don’t know where it is. (For those in the know: it wasn’t far from Callahan’s Saloon.)
As he neared high school graduation, he developed an interest in radio, and he majored in Broadcast Communications in college, spending the bulk of his time at the now-dearly-departed WBAU. But as graduation loomed, the handwriting was already on the wall for radio (this was the mid-80s; it’s been a slow death), and he sought his fortune elsewhere, eventually getting a Master’s degree in Special Education and moving to Baltimore, Maryland.
But he never lost the bug and finally in the summer of 2017 he combined his radio skills with his teaching skills and launched his first podcast, How Good It Is. That show is still running, if you’re curious. A couple of years later he helped launch Words and Movies, a film criticism podcast, where he takes on more of a sidekick role. He spent a chunk of 2024 working with Mike Messner to put together Acroasis Media and the 250 and Counting podcast.
Mike Messner is a high school history educator who got into podcasting in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he found a few people were interested in talking about the music of the late great Canadian artist Gordon Lightfoot. He continues to operate that program, Carefree Highway Revisited, and has also produced the podcasts Writing The West and Fait La Force. Mike also has adapted the novella series In The President’s Service by Arkansas author Ace Collins into a radio drama, which has several seasons under its belt. (If you hadn’t figured it out, he’s a complete audiophile.)
When Mike isn’t teaching or working in the audio world, Mike can be found seeing movies and plays, reading, cooking meals, trading options, or just relaxing with his wife and son at his home in Mountain View, California. Oh yeah — he also listens to podcasts, including Claude’s How Good It Is. Mike refuses all awards and recognitions for his work, except when asked politely.
Serena Gaylord is a college student in Claremont California studying psychology and dance. When she’s not in the library or dance studio, she’s likely washing vegetables at her local farmshare, or cooking up a new concoction with said vegetables. On top of sustainability, Serena is passionate about community arts, creative journalism, and mental health care. She hopes to get her masters in dance/movement therapy after graduating from Pitzer college.
While a student at Los Altos High School, Serena performed with Broken Box Theater company, where her love of acting, improvisation & performance bloomed. She will always be a performer at heart, and is excited to meld many of her passions with 250 and Counting.
Lorene Childs is a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in History. She enjoys learning about the past, and is always eager to expand her knowledge of historical events and figures. In her spare time, she enjoys reading novels, playing video games, and being a cat mom.