HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — The scheduled speaker was a no-show at the the Henderson County Republican Men’s Club breakfast meeting on Nov. 8, but the club didn’t miss a beat as it called on various attendees — either elected or seeking election or involved in political jobs — to speak of their aspirations and to field questions.

About 50 people attended the 60-minute meeting at American Legion Post 77 in Hendersonville.

The speaker was to be Andrew Murray, who is the district attorney for the counties of Henderson, Polk and Tramsylvania. 

To that end, Bill Fishburne, vice president of the Men’s Club, who led the meeting in the absence of President Bruce Hatfield, speculated tht Murray may have missed the meeting because of a commications breakdown, as Hatfield remains hospitalized with  health problems.

(When the Daily Planet followed up with Fishburne on Murray’s absence mid-afternoon on Nov. 8, Fishburne said he still had not heard from Murray. Fishburne also noted that he could call the DA because he does not have his telephone number.)

However, at the meeting, with a smile, Fishburne then gave a health update on Hatfield, his ailing friend. 

Specifically, Fishburne said, “Bruce is in Duke University Hospital in Durham, after having been transferred there from UNC Pardee in Hendersonville on Oct. 6 morning... Bruce has cancer. As a result, he’s had heart failure and kidney failure... They had to put him on dialysis in the (DUH) intensive care unit,” where he remained as of Nov. 8. “The dialysis is to clean up his blood... So far, so good.”

Next, Fishburne called on club Treasurer Ed Carlyle to give a membership report, during which Carlyle noted that the HCRMC now has 82 members, including 57 men and 25 women. 

At that point, Fishburne noted that he recently read a report stating that “the murder rate in Charlotte is up 200 percent over last year, with (an average of) eight murders per week, mostly unsolved... They also have a habit of releasing suspects.”

In one case, he said it was reported that a 15-year-old boy in Charlotte had been arrested 111 times  over a two-year period. “He’s a juvenile, so he’s out on the street now,” Fishburne said, with decided sarcasm.

Then, Fishburne opened the meeting up to any elected officials, appointed officials or candidates to speak — and answer questions.

Among the first to greet the crowd was Jay Egolf, a member of the Henderson County Board of Commissioners.  

An unidentified woman complained to Egolf about having to fight the kudzu that is overtaking the area around her home — and the difficulty “to get off the mountain.”

Egolf, who admitted that he did not have either paper or a pen with him, asked the woman to “write down your name and number and I’ll have someone give you a call. Sheila (Franklin, another commissioner) and I aspire to be transparent. If you have a problem, let me know. I may not know the answer, but I’ll put you with someone who does know the answer.’

Another unidentified woman asked for an explanation on what she termed “the controversy over money withdrawn from Edneyville.” She also asked Egolf for his thoughts on (state Rep.) Jennifer Balkcom’s alleged poor performance on the removal of funds from the Edneyville sewer project. 

Smiling, Egolf said, “You know, yesterday (Nov. 7) I spoke with Jennifer Balkcom — and he emphasized that they had a “civil conversation” about the issue.

Persisting, the woman asked, “Was she the ‘author’ of it (the loss of state funds for the Edneyville sewer project)?”

Egolf replied, “I don’t want to say she was the ‘author’….”

He then explained that “there’s about 2,000 gallons a day” in sewage” produced by Edneyville Elementary... We’ve got to work out something with Edneyville Elementary.”

While he acknowledged rumors of an Ace Hardware store being planned for the Edneyville area, Egolf said, “Personally, I’m not for … I don’t want to see Edneyville... developed… Everybody’s talking, but that’s it.” 

Egolf then returned to questions about what really happened among local elected officials that resulted in the loss of state funds for the Edneyville sewer, noting, “You can read about it in the newspapers — but a lot of times, they ‘glamorize’ things, like the house is on fire. I’m not saying it’s not” a house fire situation, but “we’re talking — and we’re going to work it out... Money is not unlimited... We’ve got to kill two birds with one stone.”

Egolf added, “What was reported was accurate. But there are also talks, privately,” that have not been reported in the local news media – ‘and that is what we’re working on... 

“There are two types of ARP (American Rescue Plan) money. One is given (directly) to the county and other to the state, which then ‘divvies’ it up to the counties...

“For the Edneyville plan, not everyone liked it, so that money was moved to Etowah… Don’t believe that everone’s mad at everyone — and that nobody’s talking to anyyone. We’re going to work it out, somehow....”

Another woman asked Egolf, “So when a sewer is run out of a corridor… You said you don’t want to get Edneyville developed... But there will be development along I-64….”

Egolf interjected, “Maybe. That’s not guaranteed. You can run a pressurized line (from Hendersonville) only to Edneyville Elementary. But that’s with taxpayer dollars… That’s why we need to talk. We’re also in charge of zoning… We don’t want the City of Hendersonville to talk to someone, then run a sewer line to their place — and then the city turns around and annexes the property...”

Egolf said he is so frustrated with with such problems that “there was a water and sewer committee I was on — and I resigned from it.”

He then reiterated with a smile, “It (the only Edneyville sewer connection) could be a pressurized line that only goes to Edneyville Elementary.” 

In response, the woman told Egolf, “My concern is that you don’t want Edneyville at all developed...”

An unidentified man added, ominously,”Edneyville is going to develop — whether we like it or not”.

 Egolf said, “The problem is we didn’t communicate well... There’s also an argument on how far the government should go to improve your property.”

(After the meeting, when the Daily Planet asked why Egolf does not want to see Edneyville “developed,” he told the newspaper that what he meant is that he does not want to see Edneyville developed into “another Four Seasons Boulevard,” citing Hendersonville’s worst traffic-clogged area.)

Fishburne then ended the questioning of Egolf and asked for other officials and hopefuls at the meeting to speak

Rudd Orr, operations director for B.K. Construction Co. in Mills River, noted that he is “running for county commissioner to replace Bill Lapsley,” who recently announced that he will not be running for another term.

Orr said he is a Henderson County native and “I went to Clemson University and studied agriculture.”

He pointed out that he is a fourth-generation Henderson County resident... My goals are to preserve Henderson County and to protect where we’re coming from and where w’re going. I’m an ‘old soul’ — I think I was born in the wrong time. I don’t want to see it (Henderson County) become like Charlotte....” 

Next, Mike Hager, a Rutherford County resident running for 113th House seat held by state Rep. Jake Johnson, R-Saluda, said that his political career began in 1994 — “that’s when NAFTA got passed. That pushed me together into politics. Businesses that were in business for decades were closing down. Two schools closed down because they couldn’t flush a toilet.

“ Inflation is down, but the prices haven’t gone down. I want to hammer these things out with cutting taxes,” Hager pointed out.

At that point, Desiree Mitchell, a new executive assistant for U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-Flat Rock, introduced herself to the meeting attendees.

An unidentified man asked her to encourage Edwards “to speed up payments to the farmers. We know that, if the government doesn’t write those checks to the farmers, the developers will....”

Mitchell noted that, when our government reopens, hopefully next week, action will happen on the checks.

An unidentified woman added that after Helene, Michael Whatley was named the “revovery czar” for Western North Carolina by President Trump.

“ He (Whatley) was not forthcoming and, in talking to people, instead, he (reportedly) was parsing the money out to NGOs — and then they were giving money to whomever they wanted.” (Whatley is a Trump-endorsed Republican running for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina.)

Mitchell thanked everyone for their comments and assured the meeting attended that “everyone on his (Edwards’) congressional staff is tirelessly working.” 

Fishburne then recognized Henry Mitchell, who escorted his daughter-in-law Desiree to the meeting, noting that he is a former long-time — and succesful — chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party.

In turn, Mitchell thanked his friend Fishburne for his kind words and said it was an honor for him to attend a meeting of what is widely regarded as the area’s top GOP men’s club.