Shenanigans Sale Approved at December Lease Meeting

At the Dec. 17 meeting of the Lease Committee, the following items were approved: November minutes; request to change the paint color of the shed, carport and fence and to move the shed on Lease No. 715 located at 12721 Sollace M. Freeman Hwy.; request to tear off the back of the house and put an addition on Lease No. 590 located 630 Alabama Ave.; request to add a split-rail fence on Lease No. 890 located at 215 Proctor’s Hall Rd.; and the request to transfer Lease No. 698 (Shenanigans) located at 12595 Sollace Freeman Hwy. to Bill Elder and Nelson Byrd. A request to change the exterior color of Lease No. 493 located at 68 Mikell Lane was approved outside of the meeting.

There was continuing discussion about fees and services.

Leasehold information is available online at <leases.sewanee.edu> or by calling the lease office at 598-1998. A county building permit is required for structures with roofs; call 967-0981 for information.

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21. Agenda items are due in the lease office no later than Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Historic Lawsuit in Franklin County Celebration in January

by Elizabeth Clark Duncan, Special to the Messenger

On Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, there will be a momentous gathering in downtown Sewanee to mark the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the Franklin County school system, as part of a series of community-wide events surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Last spring, the Sewanee Civic Association (SCA) began working on plans to honor the 50th anniversary as a tribute to the Sewanee community and eight local families who played a major role in the historic integration. During the early to mid-60s, there were numerous lawsuits nationwide regarding desegregation; however, the local suit was unique in that there were four black and four white families working together; for this reason the NAACP and its legal defense fund embraced the suit. Additionally, to further strengthen the case for integration, the Sewanee community banded together to provide funding for construction to enlarge the physical plant of the school, as well as facilitating a tutoring program to ensure that all students would thrive in the newly integrated public school. In 1964, the U.S. District Court issued an order to desegregate the schools and August of that same year saw the system begin to assimilate all children into the classroom regardless of race. 

A permanent and officially sanctioned Tennessee State Historical marker to be placed at the Sewanee Elementary School (SES) was unanimously approved by the SCA as a first step of commemoration. Despite rigid guidelines, the marker and suggested text were endorsed in the first round of subcommittees in Nashville and approved by the full Historical Commission in October. Linda Wynn, assistant director for state programs for the Tennessee Historical Commission and a civil rights educator, indicated the uniqueness of the suit and suggested added language to the marker as a highlight of its importance. The marker is in final production at Ohio-based Sewah Studios and will be erected on University Avenue prior to the January ceremony.

The group that bonded to make history were the African-American families of Hill, Sisk, Staten and Turner and the white families of Bates, Cameron, Camp and Goodstein. In January, members of those families, including Robin Bates, Doug Cameron, Marvin Goodstein, Juliette Larkins and Sandra Turner Davis, are planning to speak, as well as Vice-Chancellor John McCardell. It is hoped that Wynn from the Historical Commission will also be present, along with former Sewanee community member and previous SCA president and fund-raiser for the public school expansion, Felder Dorn from New Jersey. 

Also expressing interest in attending is former University chaplain, the Very Rev. David B. Collins, Dean Emeritus of the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. His daughter Melissa, who was in the seventh grade at the time, has begun work with Barbara Reid Bedford to organize their entire class to reconnect and attend the event. Local school board officials are also expected to be present, along with SES principal Mike Maxon and others.

The program will commence with the majority of speakers inside SES and will move outside for the marker’s unveiling and dedication by McCardell. At the conclusion, all will cross the street to enjoy a reception in Brooks Hall at Otey Parish. 

Otey Parish was instrumental in forging community relationships for the tutoring of many students prior to enrolling at Sewanee Public School (as it was called then), and it was due to devoted School of Theology students and spouses that the adjunct teaching program reached its ultimate success. 

Leading the SCA planning efforts have been Elizabeth Duncan, Susan Holmes and Cameron Swallow, with help from Frank and Barbara Hart and Barbara Schlichting. 

Sewanee Community Chest You Can Make a Difference

The Sewanee Community Chest fund drive has reached 67 percent of its goal to date, $72,608. Since 1908, the Sewanee Civic Association and its precursors have believed in the power of area citizens to help sustain community projects and programs. Through these associations, the community has funded many worthwhile endeavors, such as building and maintaining parks and the elementary school, helping to complete Alto Road, funding a state highway to the Marion County line, and underwriting blueprints for the stone gates.

The Sewanee Civic Association continues to organize the volunteer-led Community Chest, which raises tens of thousands of dollars yearly for local organizations. Through Community Chest funding, these organizations help those caught in the cycle of poverty, improve lives through outreach and community initiatives, and provide support for children with a variety of programs.

This year, the Community Chest has a goal of $108,000 to help fund 28 area programs and initiatives. The money raised in the community goes directly to organizations that support the following: 

$28,000 for Community Aid (for organizations such as Community Action Committee, Folks at Home, Cumberland Center for Justice and Peace, South Cumberland Time Bank and St. Mark’s Community Center); $37,300 for Children (Sewanee Elementary School PTO, Sewanee Children’s Center, Campora Family Resource Center, TigerSharks, Little League and Scouting); $34,500 for Quality of Life (Phil White Dog Park, Fourth of July Celebration, Sewanee Senior Center, Sewanee Community Center, Thurmond Memorial Library, Sewanee Chorale, Sewanee Angel Park, Sewanee Chorale and the Messenger); and $8,200 for Beyond Sewanee (Grundy County Food Bank, Franklin County Humane Society, Blue Monarch, Haven of Hope and Mountain Goat Trail).

Every dollar raised stays in the community, including paying for expenses such as printing and mailing. The Community Chest uses local print, graphic design and postal services. The website and email is staffed by a volunteer. 

The Sewanee Civic Association encourages all of you who benefit from life in this community whether you live, work, or just visit, to give to the Community Chest. The Sewanee Community Chest is a 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are tax-deductible. 

For more information go to <sewaneecivic.wordpress.com>.

SUD Sets 2014 Budget with No Rate Increase in 2014

 by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Dec. 17 meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Sewanee Utility District of Franklin and Marion Counties, the board approved the 2014 budget. The utility plans to complete the automated meter reading (AMR) installation without taking out a loan and with no rate increase until 2015.

At the November meeting, SUD Manager Ben Beavers said SUD had sufficient cash reserves to implement AMR without taking out a loan, although SUD’s cash reserves would drop to approximately $850,000 by the end of 2015. The board asked Beavers if any regulations bound SUD to maintain a set amount in cash reserves. At the December meeting, Beavers reported that the only cash reserve requirement binding SUD was a USDA grant for sewer rehabilitation. The required reserve amount is determined by a formula taking into account SUD’s operating budget and debt payments. By the formula, SUD’s required cash reserve above and beyond the amount already set aside for debt payment is $391,000. SUD’s projected 2015 cash reserve of $842,000 is well within the limit.

The 2014 budget projects $1.375 million in revenue and $1.722 million in expenses. The $347,000 deficit will come from cash reserves. A 3 percent rate increase would have made it unnecessary to draw on the cash reserves. SUD’s long-range plan calls for a 4 percent annual rate increase in keeping with the recommendation of SUD’s consulting firm, Raftelis Financial, Inc. A 3 percent rate increase is projected for 2015.

The board also approved the Modified Safety Plan presented by Beavers. Beavers explained that the plan differed from the current plan only in language and was modified in keeping with the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) decision to adopt international definitions and symbols as the standard for state regulations. SUD has never been cited by TOSHA for any substantial violation.

Updating the board on the Midway pumping station project, which will increase water pressure for Midway customers, Beavers said difficulty getting an easement for property tied up in an estate settlement was preventing the project from moving forward. Beavers will investigate getting an easement on University land so the project can proceed.

Reporting on the pilot Constructed Wetlands project, a joint initiative proposed by University of the South and University of Georgia students who collaborated on a feasibility study, SUD Commissioner Ken Smith said the University of the South is looking into possible corporate funding sources.

Voting in the SUD commissioners election begins Jan. 2 and will continue through Jan. 28 at the SUD office during regular business hours, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. 

Commissioners Randall Henley and Karen Singer are running for re-election uncontested.

Votes will be counted at the next business meeting of the board, scheduled for 5 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28.

Santa Claus and Tree Lighting

Join friends and family at 5:30 p.m., today (Friday), Dec. 13, when Sewanee lights its Christmas Tree in the Sewanee Angel Park and ushers in the holidays on the Mountain with music and fun. Santa Claus will be available for photos with the kids under the music pavilion. There will be cocoa and cookies. University Avenue will be closed to traffic so that children of all ages can enjoy the event safely.

To help families in need in Sewanee, participants are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys for Operation Noel, which will be collected by members of the Sewanee Fire Department for distribution on Christmas Eve. 

The Community Action Committee will also be collecting gifts of money and nonperishable food for the families it serves across the greater Sewanee community. 

The Sewanee Chorale will lead Christmas carols. Refreshments will be served and Santa Claus will be available for pictures with the children. 

Four-Year Tuition Guarantee Continues

The University announced that it will guarantee tuition, room and board for four years for the college class entering the University next fall. The tuition these students will pay will remain level from the Fall 2014 through Spring 2018 semesters. In the Dec. 11 statement, officials noted that no student enrolled in the college next fall who goes on to graduate in four years will have a price increase during his or her time at the University.

The tuition rates for the classes of 2016 and 2017 were already guaranteed for four years, and tuition for rising seniors in the class of 2015 had previously been frozen for next year.

“Sewanee’s tuition guarantee represents a considerable savings over what families might have expected to pay across four years, based on the national trend of ever-increasing college costs,” said John M. McCardell Jr., the University’s vice-chancellor and president. “Yearly tuition increases make it difficult for families to plan. By locking in the tuition cost for four years, Sewanee is offering an element of certainty to students and their families.”

According to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Education, the average price of attending a private four-year college or university jumped $3,900 over the four years from 2008 to 2012. And the College Board reported in October that private four-year college tuition increased 3.8 percent last year, unadjusted for inflation.

This year’s action fully implements the policy of published tuition prices at Sewanee varying between classes. The University has moved to a tiered system of tuition, fees, room and board under which the comprehensive fee for each entering class is guaranteed for four years from that class’s matriculation. For the 2014–15 academic year, these prices will be: $43,920 for the class of 2015; $44,630 for the class of 2016; $45,970 for the class of 2017; and $47,700 for the class of 2018.

Franklin County High Opens Coffee Corner for Students • Focus is on College-to-Careers

Franklin County High School (FCHS) recently had a grand opening for the College-to-Careers Coffee Corner located in the FCHS Library. School board members Kevin Caroland and Christine Hopkins assisted school librarian Rachel Brown and postsecondary coach Jennie Turrell with the ribbon cutting. 

The College-to-Careers Coffee Corner was created with grant funds awarded to Franklin County in 2012 by Tennessee College Access Success Network (TCASN). The two-year grant has put a number of initiatives in place at FCHS to increase the college-going rate, with the Coffee Corner being the grant’s newest endeavor. 

A county’s college-going rate can be a key indicator of future economic growth. A study released in 2012 predicted that by 2018 at least 54 percent of jobs in Tennessee will require postsecondary training. The TCASN grant is aligned with the target of reaching 54 percent by 2018. At the time the grant was submitted the college-going rate for Franklin County was 42 percent, the eighth lowest in the state. The latest data published by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission indicates that Franklin County’s college-going rate is at 48.9 percent. The goal of the Franklin County TCASN grant is to reach a college-going rate of 52 percent by 2016. 

The College-to-Careers Coffee Corner serves multiple objectives. The visiting committee with AdvancED Accreditation recently suggested FCHS consider installing a coffee bar as a way to increase library circulation. The Coffee Corner also serves an identified need related to college-going. In a recent survey, students and parents indicated a need for more college-going information. In response, Franklin County’s TCASN grant known as ProjectYOU (Youth Onward Upward.) has put a number of communication strategies in place including establishing the College-to-Careers Coffee Corner. The design of the Coffee Corner allows it to serve as an information station providing brochures, forms and newsletters from a variety of postsecondary institutions. There is also a computer at the coffee station that is bookmarked with pertinent college-going information. Go to <www.projectyou.org> to learn more about the College-to-Careers Coffee Corner and other support strategies currently in place to help Franklin County students and parents with the post-secondary process.

The Tennessee College Access and Success Network has awarded more than $1.6 million to projects serving more than 60,500 students and families across the state. The TCAS Network aims to establish a college-going culture in communities across the state by removing barriers to higher education, promoting college persistence, and increasing postsecondary completion rates for all Tennesseans. To learn more about the TCAS Network, go to <www.tncollegeaccess.org>, call Wendy Blackmore at (615) 983-6909 or email to <wblackmore@tncollegeaccess.org>. —Special to the Messenger

Sing-Along with Handel’s “Messiah”

Join the “Messiah” Sing-Along at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, in All Saints’ Chapel. The Sewanee Chorale, under the direction of Gary Sturgis, will host the magical event. Come and bring your own score, or borrow one and sing with the Chorale. 

If you are not a singer, come and be a part of the audience. Nothing will bring you the spirit of Christmas faster than to hear Handel’s marvelous work performed in the splendor of the Christmas decorations at the Chapel.

Sewanee Community Chest : Youth Sports

The 2013-14 Sewanee Community Chest Fund Drive is underway. The power of the people helping people makes a difference in the life of the community. Sponsored by the Sewanee Civic Association, the Community Chest raises money yearly for local charitable organizations serving the area. This year’s goal is $108,000. To date, 62 percent of the goal has been reached.

For the next few weeks, the Sewanee Mountain Messenger will focus on some of the organizations supported by the Community Chest. This week we shine the spotlight on youth sports.

The TigerSharks swim team is a local club that provides an organized athletic experience for children ages 4-18 in the spring and summer, develops strong swimmers, builds self-esteem and encourages youth of all ages to work together as a team. The TigerSharks contribute significantly to a safer community by providing excellent swim instruction to children of all ages, regardless of their ability to pay the registration fee. Approximately 90 local youth participated in the swim program last year.

The TigerSharks swim team is requesting $500 to help support scholarship swimmers. The TigerSharks also raise funds through bake sales, T-shirt fund-raisers and parent donations in order to break even. Registration fees of $160 per child are paid directly to the University of the South to cover pool use, insurance and stipends for the coaches. Expenses last year totaled $16,500 which includes 10 scholarships awarded.

Sewanee Little League is affiliated with Little League Baseball, Incorporated, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to promote, develop, supervise and voluntarily assist in all lawful ways, the interest of those who will participate in Little League Baseball and Softball.” 

The Sewanee Little League is requesting $2,500 from the Community Chest to update the baseball equipment. They are also requesting help with field maintenance and to repair the bathroom water leaks. The Sewanee Little League does receive additional funds through registration fees and uniform and banner sponsors. Expenses last year totaled $7,000, the biggest of which was for mandatory Little League dues and insurance.

The goal of the Sewanee Community Chest is to help citizens by funding the community. Through Community Chest funding, 28 local organizations help those caught in the cycle of poverty, improve lives through outreach and community initiatives and provide support for underprivileged children with a variety of programs. 

The Community Chest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible. Send your donation to Sewanee Community Chest, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375. For more information, or to make a donation through PayPal, contact <sewaneecommunitychest@gmail.com> or go to <www.sewaneecivic.wordpress.com>.

School of Theology Receives Lilly Grant

The School of Theology has received a $249,996 grant as part of Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment’s Theological School Initiative to Address Economic Issues Facing Future Ministers. It is one of 67 theological schools across the country to receive funding. 

Lilly Endowment created this initiative to address the issue of how financial pressures are limiting the ability of seminary graduates to accept calls to Christian ministry and are undermining the effectiveness of many pastoral leaders. The initiative’s aim is to encourage theological schools to examine and strengthen their financial and educational practices to improve the economic wellbeing of future pastors. 

The School of Theology will use its funding in three stages to identify and support future seminarians.

1) Conduct a thorough review of current financial aid assets and policies. 

2 ) Engage Episcopalians and diocesan leaders to identify, support and raise funds for qualified candidates for ministry through two new programs: Project Shoulder Tap — a recruitment and merit aid program involving diocesan leadership created in partnership with the Society for the Increase in Ministry and the Mercer Fund; and Living in the Green — a discernment program utilizing the resources of VocationCARE and working with dioceses and congregations.

3) Create a new model of sustainable living/learning with a residential community for 12 seminarians funded with a full scholarship, including living expenses, that will not only allow them to graduate debt-free, but will provide a rich environment for formation.

“We need to shift our discernment and call processes from self-nomination to recruitment. With the receipt of this grant and the formation of these new programs, we will work with Episcopal dioceses and congregants to identify postulants and support their education through a generous financial aid platform,” said the Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander, dean of the School of Theology. 

“Pastors are indispensable spiritual leaders and guides, and the quality of pastoral leadership is critical to the health and vitality of congregations,” said Christopher L. Coble, vice president for religion at the Lilly Endowment. “Theological schools play a critical role in preparing pastors and are uniquely positioned to address some of the economic challenges they face. The Endowment hopes that these grants will support broad efforts to improve the financial circumstances facing pastoral leaders so that pastors can serve their congregations more joyfully and effectively.” 

Local Soldier Surprises Family With Reunion

Special to the Messenger

A Grundy County native serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan was reunited with his family on Thanksgiving during a celebration event in Kansas City, Mo. Sgt. James Bell, a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crew chief, surprised his wife and youngest daughter during a Plaza Lighting Ceremony on Nov. 28 by greeting them onstage after returning home early from Afghanistan for the event.

Bell is a soldier with Company C, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. He is a graduate of Grundy County High School and Tennessee Technology Center in Shelbyville. Before going into the miliyary, he and his brother owned and operated South Cumberland Collision Center.

Before coming on stage to meet his wife, Bell waited in a nearby tent set up to appear as if he was making an internet phone call from Afghanistan. Bell greeted his wife and then said, “I wish I could be there on the stage with you.”

When Bell said that, the camera zoomed out revealing that Bell was not actually alone, but was with actor Rob Riggle, who is also a Kansas City native, and Dustin Colquitt, punter for the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Wish granted,” Riggle said. He and Colquitt then escorted Bell onto the stage where the Bell family was reunited in front of more than 100,000 people who had come to the ceremony. Following the ceremony, the family was taken to a nearby restaurant that had been prepared to receive them. Bell said that he liked having a surprise to give to his family.

“I feel great about it,” Bell said. “I’m grateful to be back in America and to be with my wife and my family.” Bell, who deployed with the rest of the 1st CAB in August, said he was looking forward to being with his family again and that he expected his family to be excited to see him.

Bell’s mother, Elizabeth Bell, said that he was hand-picked from among 8,000 soldiers for this event because of his outstanding service record, his deployments (he was on his second deployment in Afghanistan) and his medals (which include the Purple Heart from his first time in Afghanistan).

Bell enlisted six years ago. His first deployment sent him to the mountainous area surrounding the Korengal Valley. On Christmas that year, his outfit was attacked, and he was hit by a grenade. He recovered at a medical facility very close to his base, returning to his company after only a month of convalescence. After his tour was finished, he returned home with nine pieces of shrapnel and a Purple Heart. In addition to the Purple Heart, he has earned numerous medals and commendations. His current term will not be up until 2016, but he plans to make a career out of the military, his mother said. 

Elizabeth Bell is the humanities chairman and visual arts specialist at Grundy County High School.

Bell and his wife, Trish, make their home in Fort Riley, Kan., now. They have two daughters, Isa and Lottie, and a new baby girl expected in March 2014.

To see the reunion on video, go to <http://youtu.be/M3ZwmgOslKE>.

—by Sgt. Keven Parry, 1st Combat Aviation Public Affairs,
U.S. Army; with staff reporting.

Tour Artists’ Studios on Saturday & Sunday Across the Mountain

The 2013 annual Holiday Tour of Artists’ Studios and Galleries, sponsored by the Craft Artists of Southern Tennessee and Tennessee Arts and Crafts Association, will be Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7–8, at locations across the Mountain. Thirty-five artists will show work for sale at 13 locations around Sewanee and Monteagle. The tour includes clay, metal, fiber, jewelry, painting, wood and soap. 

The tour is open 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, and noon–5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8. Student-designed art, cards and gift items (some of which benefit outreach efforts), will be for sale in the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School art studio, adjacent to the Gallery. 

As part of the event, the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Gallery’s “Full CAST” exhibit features the work of artists on tour, as well as SAS faculty and staff. 

Greg Pond was the juror for the exhibit. Winners of the Merit Awards ($100 each) were Archie Stapleton, Merissa Tobler and Susan Church. Honorable Mention was awarded to Ollie Durant, Claire Reishman and Sanford McGee.

In reviewing the works, Pond said, “This year’s Full CAST exhibition showcases a diverse range of techniques, media and ideas. It contains many impressive works of very high quality. After surveying the exhibition, I determined that the merit awards would go to the artists who matched high levels of technical skill and design with equal measures of ingenuity and experimentation. Each artist seemed to be pushing their own work forward while maintaining high standards for quality in both the craftsmanship and design.”

About the winners, Pond said, “I found remarkable clarity in the formal relationships within each piece. Through their work, each artist displays a certain insight that allows them to exploit the potential of both form and material without the sort of effusive embellishment that often distracts from the essential qualities of both. A successful balance of mastery of technique and material/formal speculation is evidence of sustained and thoughtful attention with the hand and the eye. These works conveyed that their creators were continuing to experiment, and in doing so, contributing to their field.

“Creativity and innovation are born through a rigorous and sustained process of making. Getting your hands dirty breeds artistic invention if you are open to the possibilities your practice reveals and ambitious enough to pursue them. Each of these three artists seems to be sufficiently aware of his or her processes to be responsive to lessons learned while the work is being made. My hunch is that they allowed their intuition to guide them as much as their prior knowledge and experience.” 

The works that received honorable mentions possessed either exceptional formal qualities or novel approaches to working with the given media. 

Follow the bright yellow signs across the Mountain to see the unique variety of artists and artwork on the tour, including works in pottery, jewelry, glass, wood, textiles, paintings, prints and much more. The following artists are part of the tour: 

Bob Askew, watercolor and oil; Becky Braddock, pottery; Tom and Susan Church, wood; Lisa Dorney, fused glass; Olive B. “Lolly” Durant, marbling on paper and fabric; Anne Griffin, knitting; Shore Griffin, jewelry; Barbara Hughes, sculpture and painting; Sherri Warner Hunter, concrete and mosaic sculptures; Carol Kimmons, ceramics;Jasper King, chainsaw-carved wooden bowls;Marjorie Langston, glass; Cheryl Lankhaar, oil on canvas;

Mary L. Lynch, hand-built functional clay; Bill Mauzy, wood; Mary Beth McClure, glass; Mary McElwain, concrete and silver-plate flatware; G. Sanford McGee, etched copper and mixed media; Denise Miller, pastels, collage, watercolor; June B. Miller, lapidary, jewelry; Sherry Nickell, glass; Dan Pate, oil paintings; Ben Potter, cut copper figures; Jan Quarles, textiles and natural dyes; Claire D. Reishman, clay; Thomas Spake, blown glass; Archie Stapleton, ceramics; Jeanie Stephenson, bronze sculpture; Merissa Tobler, pottery; Connie Ulrich, jewelry; Sarah Vance, goat milk soaps; Ursula Vann, clay; Lynne Vogel, textiles; and Linda White, fiber.

MGTA Gets New Challenge Gift for Land Acquisition

Doug Ferris of Memphis and Monteagle has made a challenge gift of $12,000 to the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance for its capital campaign. 

“I have been a proponent of the Mountain Goat Trail, and of what I think will become its positive economic impact, since the beginning. I hope that others will join me in supporting the trail by matching my challenge gift and donating $24,000 to take this campaign to the top,” Ferris said.

This is the second major challenge gift of this type, following the Cammack Family Foundation’s $10,000 donation earlier this year. Both donations are for the Alliance’s Phase III Capital Campaign, in collaboration with the Land Trust for Tennessee. The campaign has a goal of $83,000 for property acquisition between Monteagle and Tracy City, as well as for ongoing programs of the MGTA. To date, only $13,900 remains to complete the project.

“We are honored and thrilled by Doug’s challenge gift to the Mountain Goat Trail. We are sure that it will move others to express their support for the Trail and its mission—to bring economic and recreational benefits to all the communities of the South Cumberland Plateau,” said Janice Thomas, MGTA board president.

The Mountain Goat Trail is a rail-to-trail community outdoor recreation project to convert an abandoned railroad right-of-way into a multi-use recreational corridor between Grundy and Franklin counties on the Cumberland Plateau in middle Tennessee. For more information, visit <www.mountain​goattrail.org>.

Changes for Lessons & Carols

The 54th Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols will take place at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, and at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8, in All Saints’ Chapel.

This year, in an effort to improve the experience for everyone who attends Lesson and Carols at Sewanee, the University encouraged guests to reserve seats for their preferred service. The new process was announced in August. Based on the number of seats reserved, all three services are expected to be at or near capacity.

People who do not have reservations but who would like to try to attend a service in the event that any seats are available should go to Convocation Hall 45 minutes before the start of the service in order to check ticket availability. Convocation Hall is located at the corner of University and Georgia avenues on the Sewanee campus.

Operation Noel : Providing Abundant Holidays for All

In just a few weeks, it will be Christmas. While many are already planning ahead about the gifts to buy and the food to eat, there are those not so fortunate. In our area, there are children who may not get presents and families that may not have an abundant holiday meal.

Each year the Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) in conjunction with FROST (the department’s Fund Raising Operational Support Team) organizes the purchasing and distribution of food and toys for these families. All items are delivered Christmas Eve morning by the SVFD and FROST. 

But this important program cannot happen without help from our community. Please consider making a donation of money, nonperishable food items or new toys to Operation Noel this year and give back to your community this Christmas season.

Families eligible for Operation Noel must live in the following communities: Sewanee, Midway, Jump Off and Sherwood Road to the top of Sherwood Mountain (but not into Sherwood).

Every family needs to fill out a new application, even if they have received from Operation Noel before. An application ensures that organizers have all the pertinent information so they can provide for everyone in need. The application is on page 6 of this week’s issue of the Messenger. The deadline for returning applications is Monday, Dec. 9.

If you would like to make a donation of money, nonperishable food items or new toys, please take items to Fire Chief David Green’s office, located in the Sewanee Police Department building or Print Services in Van Ness Hall. 

For more information call 598-3400 and leave a message.

Council Approves Speed Limit Changes in Sewanee

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Dec. 2 meeting of the Sewanee Community Council, the Council approved a speed limit reduction on two streets and passed a resolution thanking the Sewanee Civic Association for its work to commemorate the desegregation of the Franklin County Public Schools. Domain Manager Nate Wilson reported on the success of the deer cull to date.

The Council passed a resolution of gratitude drafted by council member John Flynn thanking the Sewanee Civic Association for its work to commemorate the 1960s desegregation of the Franklin County Public Schools with a historical marker at Sewanee Elementary School. A lawsuit brought by a coalition of 16 local African-American and white citizens led to the realization of desegregation in the county. Council members plan to attend the Sunday, Jan. 19, commemoration ceremony at SES set to coincide with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 20.

Police Chief Marie Eldridge proposed reducing the speed limit on Green’s View Road from 20 mph to 15 mph and lowering the Kentucky Avenue speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph. Eldridge cited the absence of sidewalks and shoulders on these streets, making travel potentially perilous for pedestrians. The day-care facility on Kentucky added to the risk, Eldridge said.

Eldridge also recommended crosswalk markings on Georgia Ave. at Stirling’s to accommodate high pedestrian traffic due to the library. Crosswalk markings painted on a road indicate pedestrians have the right of way.

Vice Chancellor John McCardell recommended a trial period of four to six months to gauge the effect of the speed limit change. The Council approved the speed limit reduction on both streets and the addition of crosswalk markings on Georgia Ave. Eldridge said the next step was to seek approval from the County Commission and sheriff.

Plans call for speed limit signs at the beginning and end of both streets as well as “Pedestrians Present” and “Slow, Children at Play” postings.

Domain Manager Nate Wilson reported the pre-cull was highly successful, citing the addition of designated “in-town” hunting zones; 171 does had been harvested and 195 deer total, surpassing the goal, the largest harvest since the cull began. In addition to reducing the total number of deer, the goal is to reduce the buck-doe ratio to 2–3:1. Last summer’s assessment showed the ratio had decreased from 9:1 to 5.5:1.

Hunting has been called off until the main cull on Dec. 18–Jan. 5, Wilson said. Archery hunting will be allowed in all zones, but only approved hunters who have harvested at least two deer in “in-town” zones will be allowed to hunt with muzzleloaders and shotguns and only in the outer zones. Of the 65 approved hunters, only 15–16 hunt regularly, Wilson said. Hunting is not permitted in hiking trail areas.

Wilson predicted a decrease in the deer population next year, but cautioned that the challenge was to monitor migration from areas like Lost Cove, where the deer seek refuge.

The next meeting of the Sewanee Community Council is scheduled for Jan. 27.