I've worked at the Hendersonville Times-News for more than half my life.
Twenty-eight years ago, at age 25, I was hired as a part-time news reporter by Editor-in-Chief Joy Franklin after City Editor Penny Lee decided to take a chance on me. I have been working with this newspaper ever since, and now my journey is coming to an end.
May 17th is my last day. I thought this day would never come, but when I was in my early 20s, I seriously doubted I would even go into the newspaper industry. In 1994, during my senior year at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, I interned at a newspaper company, but there were no job openings after I graduated. I was still working at Kmart, where I had been since I was 15 years old.
I was disappointed. Then sports editor Bob Dalton informed me that they had an opening for a high school sports reporter. I was one of his two finalists, but ultimately the job went to Ron Wagner. However, it wasn't a complete loss. Bob used me as a stringer a few times and I had the ball. I also remember covering the North Henderson High School football team's first championship in 1994.
It wasn't until October 1996 that I finally got a job at a newspaper company. Penny called me and said, “Dean, would you like to be a part-time weekend news reporter?” There wasn't even a job interview. I jumped at the chance.
We had quite a staff at that time. It was a packed newsroom. I'm sure some of you have forgotten, but here we go… The crew consisted of Lee. Reporters Jenny Giles, Harrison Metzger, Amy McGraw, Benny Smith, Jim Wooldridge, Randy Smith. Mitch Sandos, Editorial Page Editor. Features Editor Lisia Gault Correll and the Features Department, which includes Sally Cooke Anderson, Kitty Turner, and Dennis DeMaio. In the sports department, the staff was Dalton, Wagner, and Thomas Goodwin, and the copy desk had Dan Sullivan and Michael Gouge, who had previously worked with me at Kmart.
Photographers are Chris Clevenger and Patrick Sullivan. Patrick and I were on the weekend staff covering the latest news. We kept a cheap walkie-talkie in the car to keep in touch over the weekend. Those were the days.
After a few months, I finally got a full-time job as a newspaper reporter, and in 1997 I was hired as a sports reporter by Ron Wagner, the sports writer whose first opportunity I had missed at the Times-News. After Ron retired in 2006, I was promoted to sports editor, a position I held until 2022, before returning to news as news editor.
It was quite a journey. I met many wonderful people along the way, including many sports celebrities. My first encounter was when I covered my first NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I had never been to the infield before, so the first time I went there was an unforgettable experience.
As I passed through the tunnel under the track and onto the infield on the other side, I stared in awe at the stands. At that moment, I saw a figure in the corner of my vision and suddenly slammed on the brakes. It was a man on a scooter wearing a black trench coat and cowboy hat. I almost hit him. It was the King himself, Richard Petty.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” I said, rolling down the window.
“That's fine, enjoy the race,” he said.
There have been great times and difficult times, but the people have always supported me like family. We have many loyal readers who contact us regularly, including Leah Lyell. I consider her more than just a loyal reader. She is a dear friend of hers forever.
While I've been here, I've been called Deanstar, Deano, Dearie, Cookie, and other names I'd rather not mention. I've written everything from uplifting to controversial stories. But through it all, I cherished every moment and continued to learn a lot along the way. It wasn't just a job for me, it was my life.
While here, my wife and I raised two daughters who are now adults. When my wife and I worked the same hours, we would sometimes have to take our daughters to sporting events, one in a stroller and the other holding hands.
Now we have a granddaughter. I haven't been able to take her on her own mission yet, but I'm sure she would have a great time.
I'm embarking on a new career that doesn't involve print for the first time in my life, but it will still be about news. It's going to be something familiar, but something different, and I'm excited for that challenge.
I would like to thank everyone who has supported me so far. I've been thinking about how to conclude my farewell column for the newspaper, and the opportunity has finally come. So, in the words of Saturday Night Live's Dennis Miller, “What do you think, guys? That's the news. And I'm out of here.”
Dean Hensley is news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. For tips, questions or comments, email Managing Editor Karen Chavez at KChavez@citizentimes.com. For the Henderson County events calendar, email News Assistant Carol Terrell at CTerrell@citizentimes.com. For more information, visit blueridgenow.com.
