Politics

Quizzed by students, Meadows talks politics and spin

Sally Gross and U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows take a selfie at North Henderson High School.

By Bill Moss, Published: June 1, 2015

Mark Meadows started his day cutting a ribbon for a new crosswalk at an elementary school in Candler and ended it that night at an event promoting the National Day of Prayer.

In between, the second-term congressman visited two Henderson County schools, dropped in at WTZQ for a radio interview and led a treasure hunt at Harry’s & Piggy’s.
When Meadows and his staffers walked into the popular ice cream shop and burger place they looked intently at all the walls. The entourage included his wife, Debbie; his district director, Wayne King; field rep Tate Apodaca, Henderson County sheriff’s captain Steve Carter and, on that day, a reporter for the Hendersonville Lightning.
The object of the hunt was the official 11th Congressional District license plate Meadows had donated to Harry’s. Signs and memorabilia fill every square inch of space at Harry’s & Piggy’s. But no 11th Congressional District tag. Oh, well.
Meadows bites into a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato and talks about his week so far. He’s been visiting schools because it’s Teacher Appreciation Week. A commotion interrupts his description of a town hall meeting with teachers the day before in Lenoir.
Harry’s & Piggy’s owner Todd Thompson walks in and proudly displays the license plate.
Todd Thompson“I had to take it off my mother’s car,” he jokes.
“How many tickets have you avoided?” Meadows asks, before giving that a second thought. “Or how many tickets did you get because of it?”
It’s a day in the life.
A man elected to the People’s House visits schools and praise teachers, blesses a crosswalk, attends a ceremony at East Henderson High School and fields questions from smart kids in an AP history class at North Henderson High School.
Harry’s & Piggy’s, he explains, is the rendezvous point whenever he meets Gov. Pat McCrory before riding in the North Carolina Apple Festival parade.
“I told him if he really wants to understand what Hendersonville’s all about he needs to come eat at Harry’s,” Meadows said.