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Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
Release Date: 12/02/2025
28. From San Juan to National Championships: Coach Manny Diaz's UGA Tennis Journey
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
If you've ever wondered what it takes to build a legendary sports program this episode of Classic City Rewind will feel like sitting down with an old friend who has quite a story to tell. Host Lesley Platek welcomes Manny Diaz, the former longtime head Mens tennis coach at the University of Georgia, whose journey from a tennis-obsessed teenager in San Juan, Puerto Rico to the winningest coach in SEC history is full of warmth, humor, and hard-earned wisdom. The conversation is especially timely: Diaz was just inducted into the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame alongside an all-star class...
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27. Bertis Downs on R.E.M., Athens, and a Life Built Around Music
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
Bertis Downs' life reads like a map of the last sixty years of American music culture — and if you've ever wondered how a law student ends up managing and giving legal advise to R.E.M. this episode is for you. Downs traces an extraordinary arc: a childhood shaped by his missionary family's years in Taiwan and the sudden loss of his father in a plane crash, followed by his mother raising three young boys alone. He landed in Clarkston, Georgia for his teenage years, then Davidson College, where a college radio show devoted almost entirely to the Allman Brothers Band planted the seed of...
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26. "The Art of Looking: Rebecca Wood (R. Wood Studio) on Color, Clay, and Nature”
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
"The Art of Looking: Rebecca Wood on Color, Clay, and Nature” There's something deeply comforting about sitting down with someone who has spent their entire life following what genuinely brings them joy, and this conversation with Rebecca Wood is exactly that kind of gift. Host Lesley Platek welcomes listeners into a conversation about creativity, patience, and the slow, unglamorous work of building something meaningful from scratch — a reminder that the most beautiful things in life rarely happen on a fast timeline. Rebecca Wood came to Athens in 1975 during the city's legendary...
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25. Terri Moody Hancock, From the Fairway to the Pickleball Court: A Conversation with Athens, Georgia Golf Legend.
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
This episode offers a warm and inspiring window into one of Athens' most celebrated athletes. Host Lesley Platek sits down with Terri Moody Hancock for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from golf fairways to pickleball courts — and reveals the quiet, quilting heart behind one of Georgia's greatest champions. Terri Moody Hancock is a true Athens original — a two-time All-American at UGA, the 1981 Broderick Award winner and National Golfer of the Year, the first woman in Georgia history to earn a full athletic scholarship and the first women at UGA to win a National...
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24. The 90 year History of Dick Ferguson's Clothing Store
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
Dick Ferguson III shares the remarkable story of a family business that has weathered nearly a century of change, beginning with his grandfather Richard John Ferguson, who opened the store on Clayton Street in 1934. When his grandfather passed away unexpectedly, Dick's grandmother Mary Cloud stepped in to run the store — an extraordinary feat for a woman in that era — earning deep respect from the Athens community while raising her family and keeping the business alive. Episode Highlights: Dick's grandmother Mary Cloud ran the store as a widowed woman in the 1940s and '50s, a trailblazing...
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23. Karen Morgan from a Trial Attorney to Nationally Touring Stand Up Comedian
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
This episode is going to feel like sitting down with an old friend. Host Lesley Platek welcomes Karen Morgan, a born-and-raised Athens, Georgia native who has built a remarkable life straddling courtrooms, comedy stages, and now, Hollywood screenwriting. Karen Morgan is a former trial attorney turned nationally touring stand-up comedian, known for her two Dry Bar Comedy specials and her comedy album Shiny Happy People Laughing — recorded in her hometown and aired on four SiriusXM channels — with the title recorded with special permission from R.E.M. Karen and Lesley take a winding and...
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22. Legendary UGA Women's Tennis Coach Jeff Wallace
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
What better way to close out Season One of Classic City Rewind than with this conversation — especially with the NCAA Tennis Tournament coming to Athens May 14th–17th. Classic City Rewind returns with Season Two in July. If you've ever wondered what it looks like when passion, purpose, and place all come together, this conversation is for you. Host Lesley Platek sits down with legendary UGA women's tennis Coach Jeff Wallace — a Portland, Oregon native who arrived in Athens as a transfer student, fell in love with the Classic City, and never left. Jeff's journey from junior tennis player...
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21. Will Glenn – Trees, Tennis, and the Heart of Athens
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
If you've ever wondered what it looks like when a life is built on gratitude, grit, and genuine community, this episode is for you. Host Lesley Platek sits down with Will Glenn, partner and owner of Select Trees Enterprises, a Athens-area business that has grown over four decades into one of the larger tree nurseries in the country — with roots (literally and figuratively) that run deep in the Classic City. Will Glenn grew up in Athens, Georgia, shaped by family, faith, and a love of competition. After being cut from his YMCA soccer team , he found his path on the tennis court — eventually...
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20. Kelly Ward , PA Orthopedic Surgery and Finish Performance Health
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to take control of your health, this episode is a warm reminder that it's never too late — and that the right guide can make all the difference. Host Lesley Platek welcomes Kelly Ward, a longtime Athens fixture with over 30 years of expertise in orthopedic sports medicine, who is now channeling that experience into something deeply personal and forward-thinking: a wellness and longevity practice called Finished Performance Health. Kelly shares the unexpected moment — pushing through a rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike — that crystallized his...
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19. Alex Sams Tells The History Of His Family's Coca-Cola Bottling Company In Athens, Ga
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
Coca-Cola Has Proud Athens History This episode features Athens native Alex Sams, a real estate agent with 5Market Realty and recently moved to Berkshire Hathaway and who served as chair and a member of the Athens-Clarke County Historic Preservation Commission. He shares his family’s deep roots in Athens, dating back to 1922 when his great-grandfather, Walter Sams, became involved in the local Coca-Cola bottling company. Under his leadership, the business expanded across the Southeast and played a key role in supporting the University of Georgia, including helping underwrite the...
info_outlineWelcome to Classic City Rewind! Where we uncover the people, places and events that have shaped Athens, GA. I’m your host, Lesley Platek!
What started as a young girl with an 8-millimeter camera in 1960s Atlanta has become something much bigger—a mission to preserve the stories that make Athens, Georgia extraordinary. When my parents chose to buy a movie camera instead of a couch, they taught me something profound: the only way to stop time is to film it.
After moving to Athens in 1992 with a three-year-old son, a three-day-old daughter, and a car packed with dreams, I discovered this wasn't just another college town. This was home. From teaching tennis at Athens Country Club to creating life documentaries, from competing in the Ironman World Championships to becoming vice president at Grandfather Mountain, every experience led me back to one truth—stories matter.
Classic City Rewind was born from this passion. It's my way of giving back to the community that shaped my family and honoring the voices that built this incredible place we call home.
In this inaugural episode, you'll discover why preserving our community's history isn't just about looking backward—it's about creating a foundation for future generations. From the woods behind my childhood home in Atlanta where Civil War battles once raged to the emotional speeches at Athens Country Club's 100th anniversary, these moments connect us across time.
Every Tuesday, we'll sit down with Athens' most influential voices—historians, business owners, local legends, and neighbors who made quiet but lasting impacts. This season features incredible guests like Charlotte Johnson, Lauren Smith, Dan Aldridge, Gene Dixon, and Peter Dale, each sharing stories that shaped our city's character.
Whether you've lived here forever or just discovered Athens, this podcast is your invitation to rediscover what makes our community so special and timeless. Because the past isn't just history—it's the heartbeat of the community we call home.