Woodfin – Before the November monthly meeting of the Woodfin Town Council, members of the town staff, former aldermen, and friends of three outgoing council members gathered to say goodbye to the trio.
For these three members, Tuesday’s (Nov. 21st) council meeting was their last, as new members will be sworn in at the first of the December meeting. The town says goodbye to Mayor Jerry VeHaun, Councilman Ronnie Lunsford, and Councilwoman Judy Butler, all of whom chose not to seek re-election.
VeHaun and Lunsford were two of the longest-serving members of the council, with VeHaun having 20 years as mayor and Lunsford having 15 years as a council member.
Asked what he plans after being mayor for 20 years, VeHaun said, “I’ll stay busy doing something, you know. I got a lot of projects to do, and she [referring to his wife, Jenny, seated beside him] got a lot of stuff for me to do.” When asked about the highs of being mayor, he mentioned the Reynolds Village and Blueway/Greenway projects.
“I feel like we’ve done a lot of good things, the old board,” said Lunsford about his time on the board, referring to the council members he served with for a long time until the 2021 election. “Twenty years ago, nobody wanted to come to Woodfin. Now everybody wants to come to Woodfin,” he said with a laugh. “That ought to tell them something. I hope the future [of the town] keeps going good.” He went on to say he’d like to see the town get some affordable housing, and he said he had hopes with Town Manager Shannon Tush that would happen.
Asked what he plans on doing now that he won’t be on the council, Lunsford said playing with his grandkids and still attending council meetings. “I’ll still come to meetings. I still get in fights, but I’ll be on the other side [of the council desk].”
In addressing the crowd gathered in the town council chamber, Tush first thanked Butler for serving on the board and with charitable organizations, as well as helping start the Woodfin Business Association, then presented her with a gift before moving on to Lunsford and VeHaun.
“It’s kind of hard to separate you two. I kinda think of you [VeHaun and Lunsford] as a team -Team Woodfin… I’m sure when I came on staff. You didn’t know what to think, but you were open, you were supportive, you listened to everything I had to say, and you were so encouraging. I couldn’t have asked for better, more supportive council members, and thank you very much for everything you’ve done.” She then gave gifts to VeHaun and Lunsford.
Tush asked anyone if they had anything to say. Lunsford spoke, saying he had enjoyed his time on the board. Area resident Mark Hunt spoke highly of the 2016 board that put the bond on the ballot that made the Blueway/Greenway possible.
Clint Gorman, who worked with VeHaun at Buncombe Emergency Management, recounted a story for the group. More than 20 years ago, Gorman said he had some bumper stickers made up saying “VeHaun for Woodfin.” He said another EMS worker took them to Lacky’s Convenience Store [where Bojangles Express is now].
“Lacky reported those bumper stickers were flying out the door faster than he could get them put up on the counter, so he asked for more. So I guess we made a hundred of those things. Next thing we know, Jerry is running for mayor,” explained Gorman. “He got mad at me when he found out I was the one who made these stickers because he said, then impersonating VeHaun, ‘That’s going to get me in trouble with the campaign finance stuff.'”
Former Alderman Debbie Giezentanner, who was present, said of VeHaun, “He did a wonderful job for the county, and I know Woodfin was so happy when he came here because he didn’t just bring the fact that he was a native of Woodfin, but that he brought the information from Buncombe, which really helped. It really did.”
Former Alderman Jackie Bryson related that she used to babysit VeHaun and took him to a movie to watch the first beach scene with Jane Wyman. “I was scared to death to tell his mother. He spent more time in the floor and eating popcorn, so he forgot the movie.”
“Let me add a thing or two,” said VeHaun when Tush asked for anyone else to comment. “Since everybody else has had their shot. It has been an interesting 20 years. Working for the county, being so much bigger than the Town of Woodfin…it was a good training ground for me to come on and be the mayor. The job I had with the county I had for 47 years; if I hadn’t seen it, it would not have existed.”
He talked about his time at Ground Zero after 9/11 and other national disasters, bringing it back home to the town. “You couldn’t beat the people in Woodfin. I mean the people here, the ones who have lived here, particularly all their lives, the ones I knew are the salt of the earth. You know it is something you don’t ever forget, and even the ones of you who are not from here know how it is with the people of Woodfin. If they come to the board meeting up here and want something, they are going to have their facts and figures pretty much in line, and they are going to know what’s what, but they’re also willing to compromise. Look ahead and get the job done, and I wouldn’t trade ’em for the world.”