Stories from the Center of the Universe

Paul talks to Collette and Tom Miranda for another Downtown Ashland Association episode. They are the owners of The Ashland Dance Academy and 110 Thompson. Collette has danced since she was nine and taught dance since she was fifteen. They started the business in 2020 amid the pandemic and said it was tricky, but it was the right time and right thing to do for the community. They discussed with Pa...

Tom Greco is back (episodes 4 and 215) and he's still thinking about starting his own podcast. For this second installment, he joins Stories to talk about how a Disney movie from decades ago inspired Disney to buy an NHL franchise by the same name. The underdog storyline with sub-plots of redemption really stuck with Tom. With the recent release of the documentary E:60 movie, Once Upon a Time in A...

In the latest Downtown Ashland Association episode, Paul talks to Courtney Caldwell. Courtney was involved in Round 1 of the DAA episodes because she hosted us at the Ashland Theatre. Courtney is the manager at the iconic Ashland landmark which is celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year. Courtney and Paul talked about the types of events at the theatre and one in particular that was inspired by...

Bill Gatewood joins Paul for a Downtown Ashland Association episode. Bill and Paul talked about how he got involved with the organization which led a discussion about Train Day in Ashland. They also discussed what brought Bill to Ashland originally and then how he served the town as a police officer for almost thirty-five years. Bill continues to volunteer in the Center of the Universe and told Pa...

Carlene Bass has lived in Ashland for 87 of her almost 90 years on this earth! Her Dad, a traveling salesman (and a great gardener,) moved the family from Caroline to Ashland in 1935. Paul and Carlene talked about growing up post Depression, graduating from Henry Clay High School and going to what is now Mary Washington University to become a teacher. They also discussed memories about World War 2...

Ashland Icon Barclay DuPriest joins the podcast. Barclay was born in Richmond, but grew up on a farm in Burkeville, Virginia. She told stories about the farm including the first time she ever saw Rob DuPriest. She talked about Crewe HS, attending Randolph Macon Women’s College and then marrying Rob and moving to Ashland. She told Paul about living in Ashland and included a story about a time capsu...

Jeremy Simmons comes to the podcast courtesy of Helen Emerson (Episode 205). Paul met Jeremy at Jeremy’s studio in Richmond where Jeremy plays and produces music. Growing up, Jeremy played some sports, but he was playing music at the early age of six and has been ever since. Paul and Jeremy spoke about talking with strangers and he quoted Dr. Seuss. Jeremy plays in and manages two bands while also...

Kate Chenery Tweedy, cousin of Silent Rob, joins the podcast to discuss Secretariat for Virginia and her story. Kate’s mom was Penny Chenery who was the force behind all things Secretariat who many consider the greatest race horse of all time. Kate talked about growing up in Colorado, but visiting Virginia often. She talked about going to boarding school, college and she told Paul the story of The...

Paul and Rob take a look back at a larger grouping than in the past .. Episodes 151-220.

In the third installment of the Downtown Ashland Association series, Paul welcomes Teresa Lopez De Ocanas to the podcast. Teresa, her husband, Edgar, and their family run Los Regios which is a Latino market located at 109 S. Washington Highway in town. Teresa said they started the business about a year ago and they have multiple items from several different countries. They’ve also added a food tru...

Erika Johnson lived in the east end of Henrico and then her family moved to Hanover when she was in elementary school. Erika and Paul know each other from working together a while ago at a large Richmond area employer. They discussed her career path from start to now and her love for music and how it helps put you in the moment. They are both UVA grads and they talked about Erika’s experience at U...

In the first installment of a 3 part series, Rich Dalton joins Paul to tell his story. They talked about growing up across the east coast, losing his dad at an early age and what a typical day is like for him currently. They touched on his journey from high school to the U.S. Marine Corps to law enforcement. In the second installment, we’ll dive into other topics of a man who has lived several liv...

Don Willis and Paul haven’t seen each in a while, but had a great time catching up and hearing Don’s story. They talked about serving in the National Guard, his second career in Emergency Management and Don’s youth. Don talked to Paul about losing a daughter and how he and his wife, Lisa, are raising their grandsons. Don finished by talking about Lisa (his super hero) and their grandsons.

He was born in the Kingdom of Lesotho, raised in South Africa and came to the United States to go to high school in Connecticut. Tom Guo joins the podcast to talk about his youth and then his experiences going to college on the west coast. Paul and Tom briefly discussed work and finished by talking about how Tom travels around the world to follow a passion of his … rock climbing.

Manoli Loupassi joins Paul and they talked about high school at St. Christopher’s, Manoli’s dad, college and law school and his time as a radio sports show host. They discussed his career as a prosecutor, being on the Richmond City Council as well as being a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. They finished by talking about his wife Stewart and their three kids.

Jason Wells joins the podcast to talk about Mechanics of Faith. Before that, Paul and Jason spoke about him growing up in Hanover, extreme sports and his early passion for working on cars. Nowadays, Jason works, has a great family and he runs Mechanics of Faith which helps people in the community who need repairs for their vehicles. They finished by talking about Jason’s family and how to donate (...

Tom Greco is back (episode 4) and he's thinking about starting his own podcast. For his initial episode, he joins Stories to talk about how NBA basketball captured his attention in the late 80s and early 90s. The NBA Eastern Conference playoffs really grabbed him as he watched the Pistons, Bulls, Celtics, Pacers and Knicks battle during his formative years. With the recent release of the movie, Ai...

Chris Freemott joins the podcast from Chicagoland. They discussed Chris’ favorite sports teams and that led to a discussion about Chicago politics and why Chicago became important. Paul and Chris then starting discussing his passion which is wine glasses. Chris stated how he likes fine dining, fine wine and he hopes to turn his passion into a “job” in the next few years. Chris gave Paul some wine...

Carrie Allen was born in Louisville and moved to Richmond when she was ten. She attended a Catholic private high school that doesn’t exist anymore and went to a college that has since changed its name. A double major in two very different disciplines led to several interesting career paths. Her husband Krister (who knew Paul at UVA) served as an unofficial co-host of this episode. Paul and Carrie...

George Dunston and Paul were in the same class at St. Christopher’s and met at StC to record this episode. George is a lawyer, lives in New Jersey and works in New York. They talked about George losing his Dad at an early age and the influence his mom and grandmother had on him. They discussed weight lifting, being in NY during 9/11 and why he is visiting Richmond.

Colin is from the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. Paul and Colin served in the National Guard together, mostly out of Fredericksburg. Colin talked about growing up, playing sports and attending and graduating from The Ohio State University. Colin started with the National Guard while he was in high school and served proudly for well over 3 decades. They finished by Colin talking about fishing, what he’...

Tom Baker says he was born a “Gator Born, Wahoo Bred”. Born in Florida, his family moved to Richmond, Va. when he was young. He attended St. Christopher’s and then the University of Virginia. Paul and Tom talked about his time as a manager for the UVA Basketball program and the lifelong relationships it fostered. Tom told Paul about his career path which took him for a time back to both his alma m...

Renowned artist Jocelyn Russell joins Paul and Rob because she was in Ashland to take her latest sculpture on a tour. This sculpture is of what many people consider the greatest race horse of all time, Secretariat. Paul and Jocelyn discussed her growing up in southern Colorado and her career as an artist. They finished by talking about what the next two months will hold as she takes Secretariat on...

Tommy Dew is from Richmond, Va. and went to the College of Charleston and he never left. Paul and Tommy talked about his experience at CofC and his music career from college and beyond. They then discussed his career as a tour guide where he walks his guests through historic downtown Charleston. [tommydewswalkingtour.com](http://tommydewswalkingtour.com "‌")

Vern Inge spent a lot of time growing up in Ashland, Virginia. He attended the University of Richmond and then UVA for law school. He also told Paul and Rob his secret for academic success. Paul asked Vern about his law career and he said the type of law you practice finds you more than you find it. He finished by talking about his three boys, Trey, Bailey and Cal.