News

THE TOP 10: 10, 9, 8

By Bill Moss, Published: December 26, 2023

Welcome to the 2023 edition of the Lightning's Top 10 newstories of the year. We'll count 'em down in the coming days, starting with 10, 9, 8.

10. Departures

This year brought to an end several long and effective careers in and out of elective politics. In a surprise to many people, longtime Hendersonville City Council member Jerry Smith announced his resignation from the council in October. He made a big change in his professional life, too, leaving his teaching job at Hendersonville High School to change schools — to East Henderson — and subjects — from civics to English. One of the council’s staunchest defenders of neighborhood rights, Smith also was vocal in support of the city’s right to maintain authority over its water-sewer system despite efforts by the Henderson County Board of Commissioners to exert more control and consistently advocated for spending on parks and greenways. In Fletcher, Bob Davy left the town council after 21 years of service. His service to his adopted hometown predated his elective office tenure. He was an original organizer of the town park and a founder of the town’s incorporation. Flat Rock lost a longtime public servant, too, when Mayor Nick Weedman announced that he would retire when his second term as mayor expires a year from now. First elected to the Village Council in 2003 and elected mayor in 2019, Weedman will have served 21 years as a board member and mayor when he gives up the gavel. As finance officer for most of that time, Weedman had a lead-pipe determination for collecting every penny the village was owed. “Our collection rates have been 100 percent for every year in which we had property taxes,” he said. “There is not a single delinquent property tax since we started collecting in 2005.” Also leaving their seats were Kristin Dunn in Laurel Park and Randy Austin in Mills River. A beloved leader in nonelected public service bowed out as well. Bobby Wilkins retired as HHS principal and a career as a teacher, coach and principal that spanned 44 years. “He's one of the strongest school leaders I've ever been around in terms of really making it about kids first and trying to lift that up, and being relentless in his attention to that,” former schools Superintendent John Bryant said.

9. Opportunity knocks

The Opportunity House could become home to a clearinghouse serving the area’s growing homeless population and people in mental health crises. After years of turmoil and a five-year journey through the courts, Opportunity Group Inc. was formally dissolved as a nonprofit agency. Chief Resident Superior Court Judge Peter Knight OK’d a sale of the Asheville Highway property for $505,000 to the city of Hendersonville, which would convey 70 percent ownership of the building to the Connections Center to lead the multi-agency service partnership. The deal is not done yet, though. As the year closed, City Council members were raising questions about the arrangement and seeking assurances that the effort would be sustained.

8. Back to the future

A year from now, the Historic Seventh Avenue District will boast some features that resemble Main Street’s landscaping, including brick-paver crosswalks, trees, planters and street furniture. Penciled into the city’s downtown work plan since 2017, the improvements had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, supply-chain delays and an absence of bidders when the city advertised the work — twice. Delay of game is no more. Last Thursday, the City Council OK’d a $3.5 million contract for the work, which should be done by late fall next year. Private investment has kickstarted the Seventh Avenue resurgence before the public investment came along. Since 2020, the district has attracted more than $1.5 million worth of property sales and renovation, and 11 new restaurants or shops opened.