Category: Opinion

Maybe you just have to see it in person to feel the real import of what happens. That seems to be the case in domestic violence in the NFL. The videos of the beheadings by the terrorists have made us sick at our stomaches and outraged. Obama claimed at the UN that “no God would condone” this kind of action. Well, maybe. A friend of my just sent me an email and said that he had been reading the story …

The public part of the 22, September 2014, and the 25 August 2014, City Council meetings were brief especially compared to the long closed door sessions each had. One major announcement came from the closed door session Monday night. Closed Session Mayor O’Geary, said there would be an announcement when the Council returned following the closed door session to discuss two personal matters, a client attorney matter, and an EDC matter. I suspect the mayor and council were unaware of …

Public Safety Committee met to discuss the Fire Marshal EMS Director position that is now vacant as a result of the abrupt resignation of the former Fire Marshal EMS Director. The Public Safety Committee is comprised of three commissioners, Dan Brummitt, Gordon Wilder, and Eddie Wright. Commissioner Wright’s attendance was virtual while Commissioners Brummitt and Wilder physically attended the meeting. Two battalion fire chiefs, Leon Overton and Mike Pitzing, battalion EMS chief Mark Minish, and Darin Small, Townsville Fire Chief, …

A regular reader submitted this article for you consideration. In the virtual world, anonymity and invisibility help us feel uninhibited. Some people are inspired to behave with greater kindness; others unleash their dark side. Trolls, who some researchers think could be mentally unbalanced, say the kinds of things that do not warrant deep introspection; their singular goal is to elicit pain. But then there are those people whose comments, while nasty, present an opportunity to learn something about ourselves.\ Read …

An open letter to the residents of Vance, Warren, and Granville counties that attend the Vance County Regional Farmers Market: Dear Residents: I am the author of a web based bi-monthly newsletter called “Greg’s Garden” that has been published since this past February on the HomeinHenderson.com website. Since the newsletter started I have been trying to promote attendance at the market. I started by putting up constant reminders about when it was to open, where it is located, and what …

Farmers Market Update Tracy Madigan presented to the Board a status report on Vance County Regional Farmers Market. The status reported covered the first eight days the market has been open. The market is open only two days a week for 11 hours weekly. The status report is skimpy on details and the Farmers Market web-site is obsolete. Of the $2,411 gross income, $1,071 (44.4%) is listed as Miscellaneous Income. Why is miscellaneous income nearly half of total gross income …

Several years ago Barbara Tuchman, an American Historian and Pulitzer Prize winner, wrote a book about the “march of folly.”  Her idea was that there are many times when people pursue policies and decisions which are against their best interest in the long run.  The times she pointed to were picked because in those moments there were loud and persistent voices arguing against the dominant direction, but those voices were ignored. Mrs. Tuchman began with the battle of Troy and …

A Special Called Board of County Commissioners meeting and a Henderson City Council Meeting were both scheduled last week on Monday June 23, 2014. One started at 5 pm and the other started at 6 pm. Instead of crafting two separate summaries I thought mixing and matching the two could highlight similarities and dissimilarities of the two governing bodies. Budget Approval The first of the five topics on the Board’s agenda was to approve the 2014 – 2015 budget. The …

Today, June 13, 2014, a full moon and Friday the thirteenth the commissioners finally got down to the work finalizing the budget. It took almost 18 hours of mind numbing time and $500 in taxpayers’ money for meals before the commissioners achieved a consensus on next year’s $44,000,000 budget. The following is a written summation of todays meeting only. This summation focuses on some highs and lows of today’s two hour meeting. An unedited recording of the full two hour …

The City Council’s meeting on Monday was recessed and resumed Wednesday evening to continue seeking a budget consensus. Wednesday’s meeting was prefaced with drama and a meeting saving rescue maneuver by the city manager and mayor. The drama began about an hour before the meeting’s start time. Zeus tossed a thunderbolt into the local power grid leaving city hall in the dark physically not just figuratively. The Peanut Gallery was abuzz speculating that Zeus was displeased with the elimination of …

Monday night’s City Council Meeting agenda included one public hearing, one old business item and five new business items and a scheduled closed session. The public hearing was for the Council to hear the public’s opinion on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 – 2015. The public who took their time to speak only disapproved of one item in the budget. Public Hearing Before the mayor opened the public hearing Mr. Griffin summarized the big ticket changes since the …

Here is the statement I presented at the city council meeting June 9th, 2014 regarding the current city budget proposal that eliminates the Main Street Manager position.  Thanks to Andrea Harris, Tom Church and Stuart Litvin for speaking in favor of keeping the position as well, and thanks to our board members who came and let me speak on their behalf.  John Barnes, Marcus Barrow, David Carroll, Daniel Hendley (and family), Curtis White, Lois Williams.  If I missed anyone please …

Some of us have this vision of a “well-rounded” community. There are parks, there are libraries, there are schools, there are recreation areas, there are places for music and the arts, and there are places for businesses and manufacturing.  It appears that the Republican legislators in North Carolina have eyes for only business. They have no interest in good schools and education. They have no interest in repairing crumbling bridges and roads, harbors, museums. They have no interest in helping …

Old Business Two weeks ago the Council tabled a resolution to sell a city owned building, the “Old SBN Building”. The Council offered no official reason for tabling the resolution two weeks ago. Speculation has been rampant as to the reason. Most observers thought the reason for tabling the sale revolved around hazardous materials such as lead based paint and asbestos insulation within the old building. Tonight the mystery was revealed as nothing more than unpaid back taxes. According to …

I suppose it is a piece of the evidence for most people do not pay much attention. Or maybe it is evidence that some people will believe anything they hear. I did read a poll that said 10% of the population believes that aliens from outer space have stolen the missing far east airplane. But what I find so interesting is that our North Carolina Governor and the Republican legislators believes he can do it in public and get away …

Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2014 – 2015 Mr. Asycue presented the proposed budget to the Board announcing a $0.033 cent (4.22%) increase in property taxes. Mr. Asycue pointed out that the current $0.782 rate has been in place for the past five years and is not sufficient to meet the minimum of county needs. Last year Mr. Asycue recommended that the Commissioners enact a $0.02 (two cent) tax increase. Instead of heeding Mr. Asycue’s recommendation the Board approved last …

Recognition Council Member Daeke introduced Wayne Woody, Scout Master for the Boy Scout High Adventure Group 605. Mr. Woody introduced four “boy scouts” who rescued a family with an elderly woman who had fallen and injured herself while hiking on a trail near Boone. The four “scouts” all over 18 and not all male included two certified EMTs. Although the hiking family included a physician who tended to the injured hiker’s immediate medical needs, the hikers forgot to bring water. …

I generally avoid commenting on commissioner’s committee meetings. Wednesday’s Intergovernmental Committee meeting is an exception. Attending the Intergovernmental Committee meeting from the County were Commissioners Terry Garrison, Tommy Hester, and Archie Taylor and the County Manager Jerry Asycue. The Commissioners guests were City Council Member Michael Inscoe and City Manager Ray Griffin. The duration of the meeting was an hour and fifteen minutes. The purpose of the meeting was for Commissioner’s Intergovernmental Committee to hear the City’s proposal to swap …

Public Hearings The Council meeting opened with three public hearings regarding zoning ordinance changes. The first zoning ordinance change was a perfunctory exercise for the Council. Mr. Zollicoffer explained that the changes had been written and approved by the General Assembly in Raleigh and signed into law by the Governor. The Council’s options where to approve or reject the changes in whole. The Council approved the “government mandated” zoning ordinance changes. The second zoning ordinance change waived the fee charged …

Monday night’s Commissioners’ meeting was long on content, longer on revelations, and did not follow the scripted agenda. The meeting started with recognition of Leadership-Vance participants and a thank you to the members of boards and committees. The presenter for the only scheduled appointment was not on time, opening the floor to the public comments period. Editors Note – This piece references times in the audio, you can listen to the audio file here:  http://homeinhenderson.com/2014/04/09/news/county-business/audio-vance-county-board-of-commissioners-meeting-monday-april-7th-2014/ Water District Board Mr. Lawrence …