The Asheville Citizen-Times will print a newspaper at its Sardis Road location for the last time on Sunday. I don’t know when the first printing press opened in Asheville, but the closure will surely end a run of more than 100 years of having a daily newspaper printed in the community.
I haven’t asked yet for permission to be inside the printing plant to watch the last press run, but I plan to send an e-mail to my former colleagues, Editor Phil Fernandez and Publisher Randy Hammer, asking. If they turn me down, I plan to be on the public right-of-way at the printing plant’s entrance in hopes of talking to some of the 60 employees who won’t be working there any longer starting Monday. I’ll have a camera bag. I’ll be wearing an orange jacket.
I’ve been gone from the newspaper now for nearly a year, but I still might know a few of you guys and gals, so come by and say hello. I’m considering writing something about the closure for the Mountain Xpress, so if you’d like to talk with me, I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can also email me at sweetashvegas@hotmail.com.
I’d also like to invite WLOSers to join me in the stake-out. Why don’t you guys come out and we’ll hold vigil.
3 Comments
we’ll have a camera in there, ash… not me though, way past my bedtime.
Thanks, anon. Guess I’ll be out there Sat. night, then.
The last press run will be Sat night-Sunday morning (3am), I think, with the full crew.