For 23 years, most of my hello’s have followed this script: “Hi, I’m Heather from the Chronicle.”
Chronicle is practically my last name!
I’ve answered to all sorts of names, really. I was confused with a former staffer named Jennifer a few times. Someone decided I was Helen, once. I have four different aliases set up for my email because folks had a hard time with the way I spelled my last name, just slightly different than the Cumberland County version.
Someone emailed once for the “Faceless Newspaper Person,” and while collecting my dinner from a local fast-food place once, the server said, “Hey, aren’t you the Newspaper Lady?”
Newspaper Lady may be my favorite.
But Friday, I have to find a new
identity when I leave the Crossville Chronicle for the last time as a member of its dedicated and hard-working staff.
I have accepted a new job that I’m so very excited about. But change is hard, and I’m a little nervous about leaving the place where I grew up.
I came to Crossville in August 2000, fresh out of college. Over the years, I’ve worn a lot of hats for the Chronicle, and I loved most of them — even a stint on the sports beat!
I began as editor of the Glade Sun publication. Then, I moved over to the Chronicle as a beat reporter covering schools. I’ve spent a lot of time at school board meetings over the years, but I also had the chance to go into our schools and help celebrate the successes of our students.
A couple of years later, I was promoted to assistant editor. I hung up my notepad for a while and worked on layout of the paper and special sections.
I left briefly to work at a daily newspaper in Cookeville. The work was interesting and the colleagues were great, but I missed Cumberland County. I called my former editor and mentor Mike Moser one day, and he asked, “Are you ready to come home?” I was.
I was promoted to editor in 2018.
There have been good days and hard days. The good days outnumbered the bad days, and for that I am thankful.
I’ve had some professional recognition, which is nice. Everyone likes to have a plaque from time to time.
But more than that, I’ve had words of thanks and appreciation from the community.
I once joked that I keep my hate mail. The facts of life are that someone in my position will receive hate mail. It is going to happen. I have a folder of some of the more creative comments, emails and letters.
But there’s another box, filled to the brim with thank you notes — from people I wrote about, from people I helped with a problem, from people I led on a tour, from people I took the time to talk with, even if I couldn’t help with their problem.
I go through those notes from time to time when it has been an especially difficult day. They help me remember that what I do matters very much to people of the community.
I’ve always said that working in a community newspaper comes with the highest level of reader accountability. I have been stopped out and about in the community, certainly not “on the clock,” to be told about something someone liked, or didn’t like, or given a tip on a potential story.
I have appreciated all of those conversations.
Not long ago, I was at the grocery store, talking with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while, when a man, who I do not know, passed by and said, “You are such a good writer.”
Sir, you made my day!
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many interesting people, all who make their home in Cumberland County, and sharing how they’re helping make our home a better place. It’s one of the highest callings I can imagine.
But I’ve been at this for 23 years, and there’s some other things I’d like to try my hand at.
So I’m packing up an office filled with memories, giving my colleagues hugs and trying to remember all the little tips and tricks I’ve used to make some piece of equipment work or to get around some stumbling block at the office.
Goodbyes are hard.
But I know the folks here have everything well in hand and they’re going to do amazing things.
And I’ll still be around to see the great job they do. So I don’t have to say goodbye — to them or to you.
I’m just going to say “See you later!”