Servant Leader

Captain Marie Kemp of Ashland Police Department shares her perspective on the community and her profession.

Captain Marie Kemp has served the Ashland Police Department for 16 years, in addition to service in the Army National Guard. She currently holds a leadership role within the department, responsible for police logistics including special event planning, body cameras, fleet, training, and crime prevention.

She considers the role as a support to coworkers, providing them with the tools needed to help the public. “The ultimate goal of police officers is to help people on their worst day,” explains Captain Kemp.

Captain Kemp is quick to tell you that her favorite thing about Ashland is the sense of community,

 “Ashland is a great place; I love working here. It seems that everyone knows everyone, and people are always willing to help each other, no matter what. With all of the events that happen throughout the year, there’s something for everyone. There’s everything you need in a small place, and people can feel safe.

“I love being a part of this town through my role in the Department. The support we get from our town is awesome and unmatched, in my opinion.

“People are proud to live here and proud to be from here. You can just hear that pride when someone says, ‘I’m from Ashland.’ I hope that everyone here gets to share in that pride.”

Captain Kemp credits her father being in the military and many positive interactions with police officers for inspiring her to join law enforcement. When asked if she recommends a career in law enforcement to young people, Captain Kemp explains,

“That is a tough question, especially for parents. It’s not the safest profession, but it is fulfilling. You get to help people and make a difference. Often, we reach people when they need it most.

“Short answer: Yes. I would recommend this career to young people, but law enforcement is a tough profession. You have to absolutely want to serve; it’s not for just anyone and I feel lucky every day that I get to work with the best police officers.”

Ashland Police Department is currently hiring. You can join the team keeping the “Center of the Universe” safe. For a confidential review of qualifications and realistic job preview, email Captain Marie Kemp by email or call (804) 412-0600, ext. 610.

Ashland Fourth Fridays Volunteer Spotlight

Kitty Barnes is a local business owner and artist who volunteers her time and expertise as Event Organizer for Ashland Fourth Fridays.

Barnes is co-owner of RED VEIN Escape and Ashland Haunted History Tours on Robinson Street in Downtown Ashland. And she is newly elected to the Board of Directors for Downtown Ashland Association.

Beginning in 2020, she began volunteering her time to organize Ashland Fourth Fridays as a showcase of the arts and culture that flourish in our community. Recently, Downtown Ashland Association visited Barnes to learn more about the motivations for her volunteerism.

Q: Tell us about Ashland Fourth Fridays. What will visitors find at the monthly events?

Most of all, we invite people to come and experience the unique and amazing businesses that are here in Downtown Ashland. We have a lot of great restaurants, quirky shops, and unique experiences that we want people to discover.

Start to finish, we want customers to find discovery and excitement. We want customers to have a sense of excitement every time they go into a new shop. People will say, “I didn’t know this was here” or “oh, this place has a new menu. I want to go there!” 

I want customers to have that sense of anticipation when they come to Ashland Fourth Fridays. Hopefully, they discover a new artist. An artist needs to be sought after, and you can’t seek them if you haven’t discovered that they exist.

Q: How did Ashland Fourth Fridays get started?

I began working on Ashland Fourth Fridays in the spring of 2020, shortly after we opened our business in downtown. The event was started in years past, but had gone dormant. We wanted to bring the idea back and expand it to include as many downtown businesses and local artists as possible. 

So, I just started by inviting my neighbors to stay open on a Friday, and then a few more people joined. When Downtown Ashland Association got involved, it really took off! 

Now, I’m able to focus on bringing new and existing artists into the spotlight and on publicizing the event to new customers. It has been a lot of work to get to this point, but it’s rewarding to see the positive results!

Q: Do you consider yourself a promoter of the arts? 

Yes! We at RED VEIN see ourselves as artists. We design immersive visitor experiences and we tell stories. We want what we make to be living art. You walk through and experience what we have created and it sticks with you. Also, RED VEIN tries to partner with artists as much as we can. For example, all of our t-shirts and posters are designed by local artists.

So, when we learned about Ashland Fourth Fridays, I was excited to expand it and make a community celebration of the arts. We really want to encourage the creatives and makers who are already here. It’s intended to be a showcase of our community--a celebration of what makes Ashland vibrant and unique.

Q: Anything else you would like to add? 

Ashland is a destination! It’s not just a quick gas station stop on I-95. There is something to see for everybody. Ashland Fourth Fridays is our way of inviting visitors to come and experience it for themselves.

Welcome Caravati’s!

Friday, June 25 from 4-7pm, Caravati’s Architectural Salvage will celebrate its Grand Opening in downtown Ashland.

201 England Street is the new location of Caravati’s Architectural Salvage and the historic home of Loving Ford dealership, first built in 1921.

The local family business is known across our region for unique and lovingly restored architectural pieces. The new location will offer customers an expanded showroom and restoration services.

Owners Ben, Jimmy, and Elaine Kastelberg are Hanover County residents and the relocation to Ashland is a move home, in many ways. 

“I like the small town feel of Ashland,” says Ben. “It’s a nice historic town and the atmosphere jives with what we do here at Caravati’s.”

“When we talk to people about the relocation, it’s great to be able to tell them Ashland is a destination spot to come shop, eat and sightsee.”

Ben, Elaine, and Jimmy Kastelberg with the full Caravati’s Architectural Salvage team.

Caravati’s provides high-quality antique and vintage architectural pieces salvaged from historic homes, including hardware, woodwork, wrought iron, brick, lighting, and more. “My grandfather was known to salvage everything but the plaster dust. That was the one thing he couldn’t save,” says Jimmy about the business’s founder, Louis Caravati.

The Caravati’s showroom includes historic photographs of the family business.

“We were fortunate grandchildren, my grandfather had plenty of work for everybody. I was one who worked there every summer with him, and I enjoyed it. He had us cleaning brick. We pulled glass out of old windows. He had us stripping paint off of old doors and windows and shutters and mantles; anything that had paint on it.”

By the time Jimmy took on the business in 1983, Caravati’s had grown to fill warehouses in south Richmond. He explains, “the biggest challenge we’ve faced is changing times. We've been through a couple of recessionary periods, back in my grandfather’s time, in the eighties, and with COVID. We’ve had to make adjustments. As the business owner, you have to sacrifice and to adapt. With experience and being really attuned to our market, we’ve overcome some tough times.”

Stained glass and wrought iron displayed in the Caravati’s showroom.

Relocating to Ashland will help Caravati’s continue the tradition. Jimmy and Elaine proudly report that Ben will soon be taking on the leadership role. And it was Ben who envisioned the move to Ashland and adapting during changing times.

Ben explains, “moving to Ashland allows us to delve further into the art of what we do. We can specialize in restoration services and provide installation as well. This location will help us serve our customers and make sure our inventory is fully customized to their needs.” The Ashland showroom is surrounded by workshops for each trade. Caravati’s craftsmen specialize in antique lighting, replication, woodworking and repair, historic glass cutting, and hardware fitting.

Historic doors and fixtures in the Caravati’s showroom.

Even the new location is an historic restoration success story. The Loving Ford Building has graced Ashland’s main street for 100 years. The building is flanked by the iconic Ashland Theatre and just one block from the railroad tracks in the center of town. Following the owners’ renovation, Caravati’s business fits perfectly in the historic space. Today, there are architectural pieces showcased in the picture windows and craftsmen in each garage bay.

Everyone is invited to join Caravati’s Architectural Salvage Grand Opening Celebration on Friday from 4-7pm at 201 England Street, Ashland VA 23005.

Ashland Fourth Fridays will be going on simultaneously. Downtown Ashland is sure to be an exciting destination for customers new and old.

A Note to Customers

Welcome back to Downtown Ashland! Join the recovery.

Local businesses worked to ensure our safety throughout the pandemic. They made adjustments and met new requirements with enthusiasm and determination.

Now that recovery has begun, it is our turn—as customers—to return the favor. Restrictions are lifting, but shortages of inventory and workers remain. Customers can strengthen the sense of community in Downtown Ashland as we return with positivity and patience.

We are all eager to move forward with the recovery. Please help local businesses make the transition by sharing the warmth of Ashland’s community with workers, visitors, and fellow customers.

Thank you,

Maggie Beal Longest
Executive Director

Ashland Train Day Rescheduled to Spring 2022

Downtown Ashland Association announces the next Ashland Train Day will be held on April 30, 2022. The beloved street festival and celebration of trains will become a spring event, to be hosted the last weekend in April annually.

“We look forward to continuing Ashland Train Day’s long history of family-friendly fun in Downtown Ashland,” said Executive Director Maggie Longest. “By moving the event away from the busy holiday season and into the spring, we hope even more families and train lovers will come to Ashland and enjoy the festival.”

In 2019, the 17th annual celebration of Ashland’s love for trains drew more than 10,000 participants. The celebration included 17 model train displays, two kiddie train rides, a touch-a-truck area, arts and crafts, local foods, and live music.

Mark your calendar for the 18th Ashland Train Day on April 30, 2022! Event updates for railfans of all ages will be published on the website, ashlandvirginia.com, and social media channels, Facebook and Instagram.

JOIN THE FUN!

• Volunteers are needed to help with event planning. Please visit ashlandvirginia.com/volunteer.

• Sponsor Ashland Train Day to support a vibrant Downtown Ashland. Business sponsors benefit from high-profile media coverage before and during the event with thousands of visitors, residents, and community leaders. Learn more at ashlandvirginia.com/giving.