04. Bill Hartman Shares His Athens Story. From Dearing Street to Sports Broadcasting Legend.
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
Release Date: 12/30/2025
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
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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
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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
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22. Legendary UGA Women's Tennis Coach Jeff Wallace
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
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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
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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
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18. Dave Mulkey: The History of Beechwood Shopping Center
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
The Man Who Bet His Life Savings on a 1961 Shopping Center. From selling menswear in the late 80s to owning one of Athens' most beloved community spaces, Dave Mulkey's connection to Beechwood Shopping Center runs deeper than business—it's personal. When this former apartment developer decided to invest his life savings in reimagining a tired shopping center, he wasn't just buying real estate. He was accepting stewardship of a place where generations of Athenians had celebrated birthdays at Longhorn, studied at Zims, and created memories that define what community means. Standing where a...
info_outlineBill Hartman Shares His Athens Story.
Growing up on Dearing Street in Athens during the 1950's meant running freely through the neighborhoods where traffic was scarce and friendships formed the foundation of childhood adventures. For Bill Hartman, those early years shaped not only his love for this Classic City but also set the stage for a remarkable broadcasting career that would span decades.
From working the cash register at Hodgson's Pharmacy to assisting Coach Dan Magill in the press box, Bill's Athens roots run deep. His story weaves together personal memories of swimming at the YMCA, taking cross-country trips with Cobern Kelly and the Y Boys on a school bus, and making the pivotal decision to switch from advertising to broadcasting after walking into an air conditioned building with a new television studio on a hot spring day.
What You Can Expect From This Episode
This conversation reveals how Athens shaped one of Georgia's most respected sports broadcasters while offering glimpses into a bygone era when neighbors knew each other and children explored their world with remarkable freedom.
Here are 5 key insights you'll gain from this episode:
*Discover how childhood friendships on historic Dearing Street influenced a future broadcasting legend.
*Learn about the evolution of television sports reporting from film editing to digital technology .
*Hear the touching story of how Larry Munson's voice honored Bill's father at his funeral service.
*Understand how a chance encounter with air-conditioned building and televison equipment changed everything.
*Experience what Athens was like when Five Points was the heart of the community and trust ran deep.
A Legacy That Spans Generations
Bill's connection to Athens extends far beyond his own childhood memories. His family's presence in the community dates back to 1934, when his parents arrived as freshmen at the University of Georgia. His father's football career, coaching tenure, and larger-than-life personality left an indelible mark on Athens history.
From the Old St.Mary's Hospital on Milledge Avenue to the Mathis Apartments on Lumpkin Street, every corner of Athens holds a piece of the Hartman family story.
Whether you're a longtime resident curious about Athens' past or someone new to town seeking to understand what makes this community special, Bill's memories offer a window into a era when life moved at a different pace and connections ran deeper than we often experience today.