General Elections Tuesday : Ballot Information & Amendment Overview

The 2014 general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters will need a valid government-issued identification card to participate. 

The Franklin County general election ballot includes: governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives 4th Congressional District, Tennessee House of Representatives 39th District, and four amendments to the Tennessee state constitution. A description of the amendments follows. 

The general election ballot is at <www.franklincotn.us/departments/election_commission/>. 

In Sewanee voters will be selecting seven new members of the Community Council. Voting for Community Council will be in the Sewanee Elementary School library, adjacent to the SES cafeteria, where the electronic voting machines will be located.

The only contested election is in District 3. Annie Armour, Pixie Dozier and Paul Evans are the candidates for two seats. Armour is seeking re-election in this district.

In District 1, David Coe is running unopposed for re-election. In District 2, Bill Barton and Theresa Shackelford are running for the two vacancies; Shackelford is an incumbent in District 2. In District 4, Dennis Meeks and Andrew Sampson are both unopposed in their bid to return to the Council. 

The town of Monteagle will be voting on whether to allow the sale of wine at grocery stores. 

Residents of Tullahoma are voting on the same measure for that community.

After the polls close, CCJP is hosting its annual election night party and potluck, 7–9 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4, at the home of Susan Holmes and Greg Maynard, 230 Tennessee Ave. Please bring a dish or snack and drink to share as the group watches the election results on television. For more information contact Charles Whitmer at (931) 636-7527 or email <charles.whitmer@gmail.com>.

The four proposed amendments on the ballot this year are complicated and confusing, full of legalese that requires an understanding of U.S. tax code and the Tennessee constitution. Since most of us aren’t ready for such a quiz, here’s some information.

Passage of any of the amendments depends on the statewide vote for governor. An amendment must receive a majority of votes cast in the gubernatorial election, no matter how many people vote on the amendment itself. Fewer votes for governor means fewer votes needed to pass an amendment.

Amendment 1 

BALLOT TEXT: Shall Article I, of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by adding the following language as a new, appropriately designated section: 

Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion. The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother. 

Yes or No

The Tennessee constitution currently provides some of the strongest privacy protections of any state, protections the state Supreme Court ruled more than a decade ago specifically extended to women seeking abortions. 

Abortion opponents have fought for 13 years to get Amendment 1 on the ballot. They say Tennesseans don’t want to live in a state that’s known as an abortion destination and that lawmakers should not have their hands tied in making “common sense” abortion policy decisions.

Abortion rights supporters say the fight over Amendment 1 is about securing the rights of Tennessee women to make a deeply personal decision without onerous restrictions. 

A “yes” vote on Amendment 1 gives Tennessee lawmakers the ability to pass, change or repeal state laws regarding abortion. The U.S. Constitution still ensures a woman’s right to an abortion. 

A “no” vote on Amendment 1 leaves the state’s protections of privacy, and the present laws on abortion, to remain as they are. Abortion is legal in Tennessee currently, with some legislatively approved restrictions, such as parental consent required for a minor’s abortion.

Amendment 2

BALLOT TEXT: Shall Article VI, Section 3 of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by deleting the first and second sentences and by substituting instead the following:

Judges of the Supreme Court or any intermediate appellate court shall be appointed for a full term or to fill a vacancy by and at the discretion of the governor; shall be confirmed by the Legislature; and thereafter, shall be elected in a retention election by the qualified voters of the state. Confirmation by default occurs if the Legislature fails to reject an appointee within sixty calendar days of either the date of appointment, if made during the annual legislative session, or the convening date of the next annual legislative session, if made out of session. The Legislature is authorized to prescribe such provisions as may be necessary to carry out Sections two and three of this article. 

Yes or No

Amendment 2 provides that if the Legislature does not act to confirm within 60 days, the governor’s appointment for appellate court judges is automatically confirmed. If the Legislature is not in session when the governor makes an appointment, the judge takes office anyway, and the “clock” on the 60-day period—giving legislators a chance to reject—begins when the Legislature comes back into session.

A “yes” vote accepts the current selection system for selecting the Supreme Court and appellate court judges: appointed by the governor, confirmed by the Legislature, then retained or rejected by voters in a general election.

A “no” vote on Amendment 2 means that the voters of the state want to elect the judges for the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal, believing that electing judges is a better system than appointing judges.

Amendment 3

BALLOT TEXT: Shall Article II, Section 28 of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by adding the following sentence at the end of the final substantive paragraph within the section: 

Notwithstanding the authority to tax privileges or any other authority set forth in this Constitution, the Legislature shall not levy, authorize or otherwise permit any state or local tax upon payroll or earned personal income or any state or local tax measured by payroll or earned personal income; however, nothing contained herein shall be construed as prohibiting any tax in effect on January 1, 2011, or adjustment of the rate of such tax. Yes or No

Tennesseans will consider whether to ban any new state or local personal income or payroll tax in the state.

Amendment 3 would add an explicit prohibition on enactment of a general income tax on wages and salaries by the state and local governments. The operative phrase in Amendment 3 says “the Legislature shall not levy, authorize or otherwise permit any state or local tax upon payroll or earned personal income or any state or local tax measured by payroll or earned personal income ...” 

Supporters of Amendment 3 want a ban on any state income tax; they believe that the absence of a state income tax has been beneficial in bringing jobs to Tennessee. 

Opponents of Amendment 3 argue that banning an income tax in the state constitution would limit future options and lead to higher taxes on sales and property.

A “yes” vote on Amendment 3 forbids state, city and county governments,from imposing a payroll or income tax.

A“no” vote on Amendment 3, leaves the issue of a state general income tax unchanged; the constitution does not specifically allow an income tax or bar it.

Amendment 4 

BALLOT TEXT: Shall Article XI, Section 5 of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by deleting the following language:

All other forms of lottery not authorized herein are expressly prohibited unless authorized by two-thirds vote of all members elected to each house of the General Assembly for an annual event operated for the benefit of a 501(c)(3) organization located in this state, as defined by the 2000 United States Tax Code or as may be amended from time to time, and by substituting instead the following language:

All other forms of lottery not authorized herein are expressly prohibited unless authorized by a two-thirds vote of all members elected to each house of the General Assembly for an annual event operated for the benefit of a 501(c)(3) or a 501(c)(19) organization, as defined by the 2000 United States Tax Code, located in this state. 

Yes or No

Because of the language used in Amendment 4, a voter needs to know the U.S. Tax Code’s designation for nonprofit veterans’ service organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Amendment 4 seeks to change Article XI, Section 5—the same section approved by voters in 2002 to authorize the Tennessee Lottery—to add veterans’ groups to the list of charitable organizations whose tax status allows them to hold annual gambling fund-raisers.

Supporters of Amendment 4 believe this change fixes an unintentional omission of veterans organizations from the 2002 amendment; veterans-related organizations would be able to seek legislative approval for annual lottery or game-of-change fund-raisers just like other charitable organizations.

Opponents of Amendment 4 argue that gambling in any form goes against the core values of the people of Tennessee.

A “yes” vote on Amendment 4 supports allowing veterans’ groups to be able to seek approval for annual lottery fund-raisers.

A “no” vote on Amendment 4 continues the prohibition of veterans organizations to hold lotteries as fund-raisers.

Sesno to Discuss Politics, Election Results & Media

Award-winning journalist Frank Sesno, now the director of George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, will visit the Sewanee campus Thursday, Nov. 6. He will give a talk, “Reflections on the 2014 Elections,” at 2 p.m. in Convocation Hall, and is expected to cover both politics and the media. During his visit, Sesno will also meet with students and with Sewanee’s representatives in the Planet Forward Consortium.

With more than 30 years experience reporting from around the world, Sesno is well-known as anchor, White House correspondent and talk show host with CNN; he is also a nationally renowned moderator who has engaged some of the world’s leading personalities.

Sesno joined CNN in 1984 and for seven years was White House correspondent before moving to the anchor chair. From 1996 until 2001, he served as the network’s Washington, D.C., bureau chief.

Sesno created and hosts <PlanetForward.org>, a user-driven Web and television project that brings students and experts together to examine innovations in sustainability and global food security. 

At GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, Sesno leads nearly two dozen faculty members who research and teach journalism, political communication and the impact of digital media in international affairs. He teaches classes on journalism ethics, sustainability reporting and “the art of the interview.”

“Little Things” Save Big Money for County Schools

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

On some nights Brian Norwood roams the halls of darkened schools searching for wasted energy.

His efforts and that of personnel throughout Franklin County schools have saved more than $1 million in utility costs since the inception of a systemwide conservation program.

Franklin County schools hired national energy conservation firm Cenergistic about three years ago and tabbed Norwood, a former Franklin County High School teacher, as the system’s new energy education specialist.

“When the audits first started, they were kind of atrocious,” Norwood said.

He tracks utility usage and performs school audits, day and night, to look for ways to save, including making sure thermostats are properly set, nonessential lights and other electricity sources are turned off, and windows and doors are weatherized.

“The success of this program rides on the shoulders of the people who are in these buildings: the teachers, custodians and building administrators,” he said. “I can walk through this building and do audits all day long, but the savings come from the folks in the buildings who are taking care of business day after day.”

On Oct. 29, Norwood audited Sewanee Elementary school. He first used a psychrometer to measure temperature, humidity and dew point. A temperature gun helps him read the temperatures through cracks in the doors of locked classrooms. If it is plus or minus two or three degrees of the target, he’ll go in and see if the thermostat is correct or if the room is holding the temperature.

“During break times we shut buildings down to the bare bones, almost nothing,” Norwood noted.

Compared to where they were before the energy program, some county schools have reduced utility costs by 40 percent, and the system is now spending about 19.5 percent less on utilities.

“Working with Cenergistic has helped us all be more conscious about our energy usage,” said Rebecca Sharber, director of schools. The savings have “helped keep us from cutting our budget even more than we have. It has also helped improve the environmental footprint,” she said.Norwood noted that the school system has reduced CO₂ emissions by 4,237 metric tons, the equivalent of taking 883 cars off the road. They have also reduced BTU use by 37,000.

As the SES audit continued, he found weather stripping on a door near the SES playground that needed repair. He checked water fountains to make sure coolers weren’t running and offered greetings to the workers in the cafeteria as he bragged about their efforts. He turned off computer monitors, looked for water leaks, checked window temps and applauded one teacher for using ambient lighting in her classroom.

He said Sewanee Elementary has a tradition of conserving energy and is now spending two percent less on utilities since three years ago. 

“They were doing everything right to begin with,” he said.

SES principal Mike Maxon, who taught math to Norwood in middle school, said he encourages teachers to be conscientious of their energy use and reminds them that we are all taxpayers.

During the week of Oct. 27, Norwood’s onsite audits also included South Middle School. South is challenged by having much of the original equipment from 1968, when the school was built, but is now spending 15 percent less than three years ago.

“It’s like the saying, ‘I’m analog living in a digital world.’ South is kind of like that,” Norwood said.

At South, because the main lights are on one switch, all nonessential lights can’t be cut off at night because the school’s security cameras won’t work in the dark. And the air handlers, because of their age, also can’t be shut down completely.

There have been many behavioral and procedural changes throughout the system since the program’s inception, such as keeping buildings at 58 degrees at night and encouraging teachers not to plug in personal appliances at school.

A $1.2 million grant from Excel Energy Group in 2010 also made it possible to upgrade school lighting, said Cindy Latham, Franklin County deputy finance director.

The savings in utility costs does more than offset both Norwood’s salary and the annual payment to Cenergistic, but the real savings will come at the end of the contract with Cenergistic. The payments end after no more than five years, and Cenergistic will still be available to help in a reduced consultation role.

Latham said the school system pays $201,000 annually to Cenergistic for its services.

The school system has also partnered with TVA and Winchester Utilities on a program to install smart electricity meters at Franklin County High School, which accounts for one-third of the school system’s utility costs, Norwood said. FCHS is the second largest high school in the state at more than 300,000 square feet. The meters allow Norwood to closely monitor energy usage—even using his cell phone—and helps avoid additional demand charges from TVA if the electricity load reaches a certain level at one time.

Cenergistic will present Franklin County School System with its Energy Excellence Award at the Nov. 3 school board work session.

SUD Votes to Move Wetlands Project Ahead

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Oct. 28 meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Sewanee Utility District of Franklin and Marion Counties, the board voted on three issues necessary for the design phase to move forward in a trial wetlands project at the SUD Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The board also announced a new election protocol and discussed the budget.

The trial wetlands project, a research effort undertaken jointly by the University of the South and the University of Georgia, will study wetlands’ effectiveness in cleaning wastewater. The board approved a location, allowing researchers and contractors access to the site, and sharing SUD operating data with project engineers.

SUD had no future use planned for the location selected and will not lose income from tree harvest at the site. Cost-efficiency benefits include convenient access and close proximity to electricity and pumping capacity. Tentative plans call for SUD to assume ownership of the wetlands after one year. Project funds needed to be set aside to decommission the site if the project did not continue, SUD manager Ben Beavers said.

A recent review of SUD bylaws by Beavers revealed a change needed to be made in the commissioner election process. According to the bylaws, the commissioners must select three nominees whose names will be placed on the ballot. Other candidates seeking election need to submit a nominating petition with the signatures of ten SUD customers residing in the county where the commissioner vacancy occurs. In the past, SUD used only the nominating petition method.

In Jan. 2015, a vacancy will occur for a Marion County commissioner. SUD President Cliff Huffman’s term will expire; Huffman is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. Prospective nominees should contact the SUD office by phone, 598-5611. Nominees must be SUD customers who reside in Marion County.

Reviewing the 2014 capital improvements budget, Beavers said the budget shows an anticipated withdrawal of $341,000 from cash reserves, but he said, “We won’t need to take that much, if anything.” Beavers expects the automated meter reading (AMR) project to come in $50,000 under budget, because SUD employees were able to provide much of the labor. The AMR technology greatly reduces time employees spend reading meters and frees them to perform other tasks.

Citing other 2014 expense savings, Beavers said the service truck cost less than expected, and some wastewater collection repairs were postponed. A pressure-boosting station planned for Midway will not be constructed, Beavers said. Only 20 customers would benefit. Beavers hopes to find some other means to help Midway customers with low water pressure concerns. SUD no longer anticipates needing to boost pressure to sell water to Monteagle, since recent expansion at the Tracy City water utility will adequately serve Monteagle residents.

Beavers will present the 2015 budget for review at the next meeting.

Reporting on operations, Beavers said the recent Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation inspection at the WWTP “was one of the best ones we’ve had in a long time,” with no violations reported and only minor recommendations related to record-keeping and monitoring.

The SUD board will meet a day early next month, on Monday, Nov. 24. In December, the board will meet a week early, on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

Halloween Activities on Oct. 31

The Monteagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce is hosting a free community-wide Halloween Festival, 5–8 p.m., at the pavilion behind Monteagle City Hall. There will be food, pumpkin carving, fortune telling and lots of fun. The costume contest registration is at 5:30 p.m.; judging will start at 6 p.m.

Parks Greene and John Bordley will play carillon music selected especially for Halloween at 6 p.m. 

The Sewanee Symphony Orchestra and the University Jazz Ensemble present their second annual Halloween concert at 7:30 p.m., in Guerry Auditorium. Costumes are encouraged for this evening of musical delight.

The University Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Prakash Wright, will perform first; Halloween-themed selections will include “How High the Moon” and “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” (Vince Guaraldi; arr. Prakash Wright).

The Sewanee Symphony Orchestra, with artistic director César Leal will perform after the intermission. Leal has selected a program of Halloween music including “March to the Scaffold,” by Berlioz; “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns; and “A Night on Bald Mountain,” by Mussorgsky/Rimsky Korsakov. This concert is free and open to the public.

Panel Talks About the Percys at Brinkwood

Sewanee School of Letters and Rivendell Writers’ Colony will present a panel discussion, “The Percys at Brinkwood and Beyond,” at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 29, in Gailor Auditorium. 

The panel will be led by Richard Howorth, owner of Square Books in Oxford, Miss. On the panel will be John Grammer, director of the Sewanee School of Letters; Wyatt Prunty, director of the Sewanee Writers’ Conference; and Billy Percy, nephew of Walker Percy.

“We’re truly fortunate to have such an accomplished panel of Percy scholars and experts. Rivendell is proud to sponsor events which highlight the history and literary accomplishments of the Percy family,” said Carmen Thompson, director of Rivendell Writers’ Colony. 

Rivendell Writers’ Colony adjoins the historical Brinkwood property once owned by William Alexander Percy, and later his novelist cousin, Walker Percy.

“Brinkwood, Sewanee and Lost Cove played fairly small parts in the lives of William Alexander Percy and his cousin, Walker, but large parts in both their imaginations,” said Grammer. “Why was this? The panel should be a great chance to shed light on the question.” For more information go to <www.rivendellwriterscolony.org> or <letters.sewanee.edu/readings>.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed: A Call for Empathy

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

For the poor to rise out of poverty, “there must be a consensus between the poor and the elite, a functional elite who understand the poor and their needs,” insists Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of BRAC, a nonprofit formed in 1972 to aid refugees returning after the Bangladesh war for independence. On Oct. 17, Sir Abed delivered the Founder’s Day address at the University.

In 40 years, Abed’s highly successful and unique approach to ending poverty made BRAC the world’s largest developmental organization with more than six million members, 100,000 employees and an annual budget over $7 million.

Yasmeen Mohiuddin, Sewanee’s Ralph Owen Distinguished Professor of Economics, brought Sir Abed to the attention of the University. Serving as a consultant for the World Food Program, Mohiuddin evaluated BRAC in conjunction with a study that examined vulnerable and disaster-affected populations. Sharing a belief in the effectiveness of microfinance loans to aid the poor, Mohiuddin and Abed went on to collaborate on poverty relief efforts. In 2010, when Mohiuddin founded the Social Entrepreneurship Education program, Sewanee students began visiting Bangladesh to learn about BRAC firsthand.

Born into a prominent family in a region of British India (now part of Bangladesh), Abed became profoundly aware of the frailty of human life in 1970, when a devastating cyclone killed 300,000 Bangladeshis. Abed made survival the top priority when he formed the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee to aid in the refugee relief effort. BRAC addressed basic needs: plows and draft animals for farmers, nets and boats for fisherman, and shelter. BRAC built 10,000 houses in the first year.

Quick to realize that along with a stable food supply, health care and education figured prominently in the equation, Abed made a long-term commitment to end poverty that began with understanding, as he described it, “power relations, who gets what and why, and why some get more.”

As a senior executive and head of finance for Shell Oil Company in the 1960s, Abed learned, “It was possible to be big and still be effective, possible to be responsive to the needs of the staff without being bureaucratic.” Following this model, Abed sent anthropologists and sociologists into village communities to study how poor people behaved and how they perceived famine, sanitation, hygiene and credit.

When developing a relief program, BRAC begins with a limited population, honing its effectiveness and efficiency, and then expands the program to the entire country. In a project to reduce infant mortality by teaching women how to treat diarrhea, the negative attitudes of men impeded the program’s success. BRAC sent workers to meet one-on-one with men in village markets and places where men congregated, successfully turning the tide of negative opinion.

To develop productivity and income in Bangladesh, BRAC functions at times like a business, starting a company to process surplus milk into butter and cheese, and opening a department store to sell handmade garments fashioned by village women.

Evaluating the effectiveness of making microfinance loans to women wanting to start a business but lacking capital, BRAC discovered the “poorest of the poor” didn’t benefit from loans, because they were marginalized and mistrusted in the community. BRAC responded with the “ultra-poor program,” offering participants cash grants, rather than loans, and providing health care and education to reintegrate the grant recipients into village life. BRAC also began making loans to the “missing middle,” those not poor enough for microfinance loans, but not sufficiently financially stable to qualify for bank loans.

Abed started BRAC with the proceeds from the sale of his home in London, earning him the trust of donors. BRAC’s success record soon showed it to be a good investment, and other donors were quick to follow.

Abed is convinced gender equality is key to eradicating poverty. Women have received 100 percent of BRAC’s microfinance loans. But financial assistance is not enough, Abed insists, stressing “the importance of how the elite behave toward those who have less.”

More than 90 percent of children in Bangladesh now attend school, thanks in large parts to BRAC’s efforts. Abed wants to incorporate “empathy training” in education, so the young people BRAC educates will grow up to be a “functional elite” who understand the poor and their needs.

Asked how he would address poverty in the United States, Abed said, “To break the cycle you must start with the children, provide them with a quality education and give them a sense of purpose.”

Details for Upcoming Election on Nov. 4 : Council Candidates Named, Early Voting, Photo IDs

The Tuesday, Nov. 4, general election is 10 days away. Voters will need a valid government-issued identification card to participate. The candidates for the Community Council have been announced, and plans are being made to celebrate on election night.

Early voting for the general election is at the Franklin County Election Commission, 839 Dinah Shore Blvd., Winchester. The office is open 8 a.m.–noon on Saturday, Oct. 25; and 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., weekdays until Thursday, Oct. 30. 

For the election of new members to the Sewanee Community Council, early voters should go to the Provost’s Office, 8 a.m.–noon, and 1:30–4:30 p.m., weekdays, Oct. 24–Oct. 30.

In Sewanee voters will be selecting seven new members of the Community Council. 

The only contested election is in District 3. Annie Armour, Pixie Dozier and Paul Evans are the candidates for two seats. Armour is seeking re-election to represent this district.

In District 1, David Coe is running unopposed for re-election. In District 2, Bill Barton and Theresa Shackelford are running for the two vacancies; Shackelford is an incumbent in District 2. In District 4, Dennis Meeks and Andrew Sampson are both unopposed in their bid to return to the Council. 

The Franklin County general election ballot includes: governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives 4th Congressional District, Tennessee House of Representatives 39th District, and four amendments to the Tennessee state constitution [see the Oct. 17 issue of the Messenger for details about the proposed amendments]. A link to a copy of the general election ballot is at <www.franklincotn.us/departments/election_commission/>. 

A photo ID is required to vote early at the Franklin County Election Commission, and on Nov. 4 at polling places. Since 2011 all voters in Tennessee are required to show a current government-issued photo ID: acceptable IDs are a current driver’s license or DMV-issued ID card, military ID, or U.S. passport; school-issued IDs, library cards, birth certificates or other forms of ID do not meet the requirement. 

The voting rights committee of the Cumberland Center for Justice and Peace (CCJP) is offering assistance for registered voters who do not currently have a valid ID. Registered voters with fixed or low incomes may be able to get an ID for no cost. For more information or to schedule assistance call CCJP at 598-9979.

After the polls close, CCJP is hosting its annual election night party and potluck, 7–9 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4, at the home of Susan Holmes and Greg Maynard, 230 Tennessee Ave. Please bring a dish or snack and drink to share throughout the evening as the group watches the election results on television. For more information contact Charles Whitmer at (931) 636-7527 or email <charles.whitmer@gmail.com>.

Byamugisha to Preach and Talk About Kampala

The Rev. Canon Gideon Byamugisha, an Anglican priest from Uganda and a former Brown Foundation Fellow at the University, will be speaking in two venues this week.

On Sunday, Oct. 26, he will be the preacher at the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. services  in All Saints’ Chapel.

At 4:30 p.m., on Monday, Oct. 27, there will be a panel discussion of “Ugandan Stories: Faculty and Student Experiences in Kampala, 2014.” This will be in Convocation Hall.

Sewanee students and faculty who worked in Uganda with the Friends of Canon Gideon Foundation during summer 2014 will discuss their experiences. Canon Gideon will also answer any questions about student internship opportunities with his organization during summer 2015.

In 1992, Byamugisha became the first religious leader in Africa to state publicly that he had tested positive for HIV. In 2000 he helped found the Africa Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS and is currently the executive director of the Friends of Canon Gideon Foundation (FOCAGIFO), a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS and reducing stigma and shame related to this disease.

In 2009, Byamugisha received the 26th annual Niwano Peace Prize “in recognition of his work to uphold the dignity and human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.” In 2012, he received the Cross of St. Augustine from the Archbishop of Canterbury for his distinguished service in the Anglican Communion. This month, he was one of the keynote speakers at the Thistle Farms National Conference in Nashville.

For more information about Canon Gideon and his work go to <www.focagifo.org/>.

Civic Association Learns Housing Sewanee History; Group Debates Classifieds Use Policies

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Oct. 15 Sewanee Civic Association dinner meeting, the membership reviewed responses to a survey taken by the group about the use policy of the Classifieds email list. After hearing diverse opinions about the number of weekly posts by for-profit businesses, the membership voted to leave the policy unchanged. Following the business portion of the meeting, Dixon Myers talked to the group about Housing Sewanee, a local nonprofit formed to build affordable homes for low-income residents in the community.

The Civic Association administers the Sewanee Classifieds email list. Forty percent of Classifieds users responded to the use-policy survey. At issue were the no-political-messaging rule and the rule allowing three posts per week by for-profit businesses. An overwhelming majority, 92 percent, agreed with the no-political-messaging rule. Results were mixed on the use by for-profit businesses rule, but the largest number of those responding preferred only one post per week by for-profit businesses, fewer than the three posts the policy allows. After much discussion, no changes were made: the no-political-messaging rule and three-posts-per-week by businesses rule remain in effect. 

For detailed survey results see the Civic Association website, <www.sewaneecivic.wordpress.com>.

Dixon Myers, coordinator of outreach ministries at the University, described how Housing Sewanee works to address the problem of substandard housing in the community. When Myers came to Sewanee in 1991, he was appalled by the prevalence of dilapidated homes in certain areas. “Parts of the community were embarrassing,” Myers said.

They explored an affiliation with Habitat for Humanity, but there were issues of concern: Habitat had no experience working with leased land (such as on the Domain), and Habitat was interested in a three-county effort. Myers wanted to address the housing problem in the Sewanee community.

Since 1993, Housing Sewanee has built 15 homes, ten on the Domain and five off the Domain. The clients include senior citizens, single mothers and people with chronic health conditions. Five of the homes built replaced house trailers. One project was a rebuild of a home that burned.

Myers said that the two top predictors of a young person going to college are whether the parents are college-educated and if the family owns its own home. He was happy to report that the son of a single mother aided by Housing Sewanee 10 years ago became the family’s first college graduate.

Volunteers, often University students, do most of the labor on Housing Sewanee homes. Housing Sewanee is financed by Community Chest gifts (a Civic Association project), mortgage repayments, selling concessions at football games, summer groups who want to become part of the Housing Sewanee experience and pay to help build a home, and donations by individuals and groups. Donations can be made to Housing Sewanee, P. O. Box 3152, Sewanee, TN 37375.

It costs Housing Sewanee about $50,000 to build a home, with the structure valued at approximately $90,000 on completion. Clients pay for their homes with a 30-year, no-interest mortgage. For homes on the Domain, the lease fee and ground rent are waived for the first 10 years.

“When we select a family, it’s a gamble,” Myers conceded, acknowledging sometimes clients get in a financial bind and can’t make their payments on time. But for Myers, taking risks is part of what Housing Sewanee is about. He once told the Housing Sewanee board, “If we’re not building houses for risky situations, we’re not doing our job.” 

In other business, the Civic Association voted to approve Cameron Swallow as secretary and Aaron Welch as member-at-large. The Civic Association’s next meeting is Nov. 19.

SAS Players Present Godzilla

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Players will present “Godzilla,” an original John Holleman production, Oct. 24–26, in McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts. Performances will be at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24–25, and 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 26.

Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children under 10. SAS students attend free. 

“Like Dracula, Godzilla is more than a monster,” said John Holleman, SAS theatre director and playwright. 

“It is an entire modern mythology including sequels, spin-offs, remakes, novelizations, comic books, cartoons, television series and parodies. In Godzilla’s case, the origin was ‘Gojira,’ an ambitious horror film from a Tokyo film studio in 1954. This movie about a giant monster, ‘kaiju’ in Japanese, was a celebration of destruction in which the first audience got to see the very building they were sitting in being monster-crushed in the film. 

“Beneath the surface, the story reflected many real anxieties and tragedies of the people of that time and place. The film was a monster hit in Japan, and a year later American producers invested in the film. They presented in America an audacious and unprecedented refashioning of the film, retitled ‘Godzilla, King of the Monsters.’”

The SAS Players are proud to contribute to the mythology of Godzilla with their creation of a live theater reinterpretation of “Gojira” and “Godzilla, King of the Monsters.” The production features bold movement-theater, and a 35-member ensemble aesthetic that includes every cast member playing roles and serving as stagehands. The play recreates the joy of a good horror film, while reflecting a bit of Japanese culture and the American culture of the 1950s.

Sewanee Community Center Enters its 13th Year : Organizers Remember Early Challenges

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Now in its 13th year, the Sewanee Community Center (SCC) is a shining example of what can be accomplished through determinism, volunteerism and follow-your-dream passion. Unique in its no-fee policy, the center is available free of charge to any individual or group hosting a program or event open to the public. Users charging for lessons or classes pay a modest $5 per hour. For private parties, a $10 donation is suggested, but many give more.

Thirteen years ago, the SCC was an unused building with broken windows, buckled floors, a collapsing foundation, and a foul sewage odor permeating the premises. SCC manager Rachel Petropoulos describes the building today as “bright, sunny and friendly.” More than 800 people of all ages and walks of life pass through the doors each month, with activities scheduled on every day. The diverse array of programs include Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, dance lessons, yoga and a weekly farmers market.

The structure previously housed the University ROTC program and before that, served as an Army barracks. Moved to its present location on Ball Park Road in 1969, the building became the home of the Sewanee Senior Citizens’ Center and a Youth Center offering free after-school care. Attendance declined as after-school care became more widely available, and when Sewanee Elementary School began offering free after-school care, the Youth Center closed.

In early 2002, Cumberland Center for Justice and Peace (CCJP) board member Lisa Rung proposed CCJP lease the vacant building and turn it into a community center. Past president of the Youth Center board, Rung saw the potential in the building which offered a large, open room for activities and a small room for a CCJP office.

Much sighing and head-shaking followed when the CCJP board inspected the building, but in June 2002 the board voted to lease the building from the University for $10 per year and test-drive the community center idea.

CCJP sent out a survey asking the community what activities they wanted to see at the Center, met with the Sewanee Community Council to discuss the project and applied to the Community Chest for operating expenses based on the budget of the Youth Center, which the Community Chest had fully funded in the past. CCJP received less than a fourth of the requested amount.

Robin Hille Michaels, CCJP director in 2002, said, “One of the biggest challenges was convincing the community the center was not for CCJP’s benefit, but for the community’s benefit.”

In Sept. 2002, CCJP established a Community Center steering committee including non-CCJP board members. To help fund repairs, CCJP paid the center for office space, contributed its budget surplus and hosted a spring music festival to benefit the center from 2003 to 2005.

The center received gifts of paint, a phone, answering machine, ceiling fan and light fixtures. Volunteers cleaned, carted off trash from under the building, painted, refinished the floors, installed a gravel walkway and landscaped the entrance.

“They said it couldn’t be done,” Rung remembered, citing opposition to the no-fee use policy and the debate over whether the center should offer programs or merely provide an affordable facility and let the community decide what it wanted. Those arguing for community-determined use of the facility won the debate. From 2002 to 2005 the Community Chest annually increased its funding, eventually contributing $7,700 for repairs. Another generous $4,000 gift for repairs came from the University, along with many cash gifts from individuals and organizations.

By early 2007 the center had earned nonprofit status and its own bank account, separate from CCJP. The center hosts fund-raisers to pay for repairs and improvements like new windows and upgrading the kitchen for commercial kitchen use. An annual Community Chest gift pays most operating expenses and the manager’s salary. Donations cover other needs.

Asked what she’d like to see in a new facility, Petropoulos said, “What we need is what we have, but a little bigger, a little more polished.” A conference or meeting room would be nice, she added.

“The center is serving the community well. It’s very low stress, budget-wise and program-wise. We want to keep those things going.”

To schedule use of the center, contact Petropoulos at 598-9979 or email <rpetropo@gmail.com>.

Award-Winning Actress Cherry Jones to Visit

Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Cherry Jones will give a talk at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 22, about her role as Amanda in the highly acclaimed Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.” The event will be in the Tennessee Williams Center; admission is free and open to the public.

Jones will also discuss her notable performance in “Night of the Iguana.”

Nominated for a Tony for her role as Amanda, Jones received praise from New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley: “Ms. Jones, a two-time Tony winner, gave a wonderful performance in Cambridge. What she’s doing now [on Broadway], though, is one for the ages, an Amanda that may someday be spoken of with the awe that surrounds Laurette Taylor’s creation of the part nearly 70 years ago.”

Jones, a native of Paris, Tenn., is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University and a founding member of the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard. Her work on Broadway includes “Doubt” (Tony Award), “The Heiress” (Tony Award), “A Moon for the Misbegotten “(Tony nomination), “The Glass Menagerie” (Tony nomination), “Faith Healer,” “Angels in America” and “Our Country’s Good” (Tony nomination).

She won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of President Allison Taylor on “24.” Film credits include “Ocean’s Twelve,” “Cradle Will Rock,” “The Horse Whisperer,” “The Perfect Storm,” “Erin Brockovich,” “Signs,” “The Village” and the upcoming film “Knight of Cups.”

SACA Artist & Craft Fair Saturday

The Sewanee Arts and Crafts Association is having its Fall Craft Show on Saturday, Aug. 18, in Shoup Park, across the street from the University Book & Supply Store. The fair, which will happen rain or shine, will be 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

Scheduled participants include:

Bob Askew, watercolor and oil painting; Susan Church, wooden boxes; Coyote Cove, bath and body products; Phyllis Dix, painted decorations; Reilly Earle, scroll-saw puzzles and ornaments; Wanda Everett, handmade jewelry; Mitchell Garner, candles; Sandy Gilliam, photography; Burki Gladstone, clay; Mary Beth Green, encoustic boxes; 

Enid York Hancock, silversmithing; Jasper King, wood carving, canned goods; Bill Knight, wooden toys; Marjorie Langston, lampwork glass beads; Cheryl Lankhaar, oil, pastel and watercolor paintings;

Miss Pokey’s lemonade; Bill Mauzy, wood lathe work; Mary McElwain, jewelry; Luise Richards, sewing; Darlene Seagroves, crochet; 

Harry Simmons, welding; Jeff Simmons, watercolors; Lainie Simmons, fiber art; Jeanie Stephenson, bronze sculpture; Ron Thomas, fused glass; Merissa Tobler, pottery; Carl and Glenn Vandenbosch, mosaic art; Maggie Vandewalle, watercolors; Debbie Welch, candles; Laurel York, hand printing.

Walk Through Abbo's Alley

Take part in a Sewanee Family Weekend tradition. Meet at 7:45 a.m. at the corner of University and Georgia Avenues to join professor emeritus George Ramseur for an easy one-hour walk in the Abbott Cotten Martin Ravine Garden. All are welcome.

Board Begins to Focus on Defining Criteria for New Director of Schools

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

Many parents are familiar with Rebecca Sharber’s voice on the automated messages announcing that Franklin County schools are closed due to weather. Next year a new voice will make that dreaded phone call to anxious parents. For now, the school system leaders are defining the type of person they want to lead the county’s 11 public schools. 

Sharber, current director of schools, will retire at the end of June 2015 after six years; the Franklin County Board of Education plans to hire a new director by March. At the Oct. 13 board meeting, the members of board outlined the desired characteristics of the next director.

“It was reassuring that there was significant overlap from board members on the top criteria for a new director,” said board member Adam Tucker.

School administrators are now drafting the precise wording of the criteria, but the most prominent attribute a candidate must have is a “child-first philosophy” in all school matters. The board also wants to hire a technology-savvy visionary and motivator with strong analytical, problem solving and fiscal skills.

“The candidate…(must) be able to inspire the trust of employees, parents and the community, (and have) a demonstrated ability to improve and sustain employee morale,” according to the unofficial draft wording.

The board has hired the Tennessee School Board Association to conduct a search and find five or six candidates that fit their specifications by February 2015. The board will then begin the interview process.

In other business, the school board approved a letter from Kevin Caroland, board chairman, to Franklin County Mayor Richard Stewart questioning the Board of Commissioners’ School Committee, which is comprised of five county commissioners. The letter states there is no published agenda for the public meetings, and meetings have been non-productive with issues being discussed publicly that should be solved internally.

“Unless and until we understand the purpose of the committee and have a commitment to supplying the agenda, no school board member nor the director of schools will be attending School Committee meetings,” Caroland wrote. The next county School Committee meeting is at 6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 27, at the Franklin County Courthouse.

International Development Leader to Give Founders' Day Address

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairman of the world’s largest development organization, will deliver the Founders’ Day address and receive an honorary doctor of civil law during the Oct. 17 Founders’ Day Convocation at the University of the South. The Founders’ Day ceremony, at noon in All Saints’ Chapel, will include the conferral of two additional honorary degrees and the induction of new members into the Order of Gownsmen.

The University will confer upon the Rt. Rev. Rayford High, provisional bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, an honorary doctor of divinity; U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Wright will receive an honorary doctor of letters.

Undergraduate students will join the Order of Gownsmen, Sewanee’s academic honor society body responsible for maintaining the spirit, traditions and ideals of the University. Because the Convocation falls at the beginning of Family Weekend, many parents will be on campus to see the “gowning.”

Leading up to the Convocation, Abed will give a public talk Oct. 15, and Wright will read from his work Oct.16. [See related story on page 6.]

Sir Abed is the founder and chairperson of BRAC. Formerly the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, BRAC supports lasting change by giving the poor the tools to lift themselves out of poverty. Under Sir Abed’s leadership, BRAC grew in the span of four decades to become the largest development organization in the world. Educated at both Dhaka and Glasgow universities, Sir Abed was a senior executive when the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War changed his life. He left his job and devoted himself to Bangladesh’s war of independence. After the war, Sir Abed returned to the newly independent Bangladesh, and established BRAC to serve refugees returning to Bangladesh. BRAC now operates in 12 countries, reaching more than 135 million people through its development interventions, which range from primary education, essential healthcare, agricultural support, human rights and legal services to microfinance and enterprise development. 

Sir Abed has been honored with numerous national and international awards for his achievements. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George by the British Crown. In 2014, he was included in Fortune’s list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.

The Rt. Rev. Rayford High Jr., a member of Sewanee’s class of 1963, has served as the provisional bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth since November 2012. Prior to serving as provisional bishop, he was the retired bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, where he served for eight years. He was formerly canon for pastoral ministries and the diocesan liaison to St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System. As suffragan bishop, he oversaw 44 congregations in the Northeast, Northwest and Southeast Convocations and managed the pastoral care of clergy and their families as well as renewal and prison ministries. He served in parishes for 32 years during his early ministry. He received a B.A. from the University of the South and obtained his M.Div. from Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Mass. He was elected to represent the diocese as a deputy at General Convention on eight occasions and was named Humanitarian of the Year in 1997 by the Waco Conference of Christians and Jews.

Charles Wright was recently named by the Library of Congress Poet Laureate of the United States. Wright was born in Pickwick Dam, Tenn., and educated at Davidson College. He began to read and write poetry while stationed in Italy during four years of military service. A degree at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop followed, along with a Fulbright fellowship in Italy. His third collection of poems, “Country Music: Selected Early Poems,” received a National Book Award. Wright’s influences range from the work of Ezra Pound and Italian modernist Eugenio Montale to that of ancient Chinese poets, along with his education at Episcopal boarding schools. In 2011, he told PBS that the content of all of his poems, no matter their precise subject, is “language, landscape and the idea of God.” He is the author of more than 20 books of poetry and two volumes of criticism. His poetry has won the Pulitzer Prize, the Griffin International Poetry Prize (Scar Tissue), the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Black Zodiac) and the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets (Chickamauga). Wright had a distinguished career at the University of Virginia as the Souder Family Professor of English. His many honors include the 2013 Bollingen Prize, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award of Merit Medal and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize.

Meet & Greet with Trustees on Wednesday

The Trustee Community Relations Committee and Sewanee Community Council invite the public to a “meet and greet” gathering at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the American Legion Hall. 

Come visit with Trustee representatives who are keenly interested in the Sewanee community and the people who serve as representatives on the Sewanee Community Council. 

Williamson Hosted by Library Friends & Finding Your Place

Friends of the Library of Sewanee and the Finding Your Place program are hosting a public lecture by historian and former Vice-Chancellor Samuel R. Williamson, at 3:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 17, in Convocation Hall. Williamson will talk about “The Start of the First World War: What Happened and Why It Still Matters.” A reception will follow the lecture.

Williamson, the 14th vice-chancellor of the University of the South (1998–2000) and professor of history emeritus, has written extensively on the origins of the First World War. His books include “The Politics of Grand Strategy: Britain and France Prepare for War, 1904–1914,” “Austria-Hungary and the Origins of the First World War” and “July 1914—Soldiers, Statesmen and the Coming of the Great War: A Brief Documentary History.” He has lectured often on the topic at Cambridge, Oxford, Vienna, Harvard and most recently as a keynote lecturer at Queen Mary University in London at an international conference on the start of the First World War. 

Williamson is also the author of “Sewanee Sesquicentennial History: The Making of the University of the South,” the first comprehensive history of the institution. Making full use of the University’s rich archival resources and of many interviews, the book examines and re-examines Sewanee’s past: from the original concepts underlying its creation to the desperate struggle after the Civil War to become a distinctive and effective Episcopal university in the South.

For more information about the event or Friends of the Library, contact Judy Rollins at 598-1265 or email <jrollins@sewanee.edu>.

Turrell Creates Kid’s Guide to Worship

Jennie Turrell started drawing sheep on bulletins to entertain her young son in church a few years ago. And together they created a full-fledged book that is a prayer book for children, one that mirrors the Book of Common Prayer, with accurate liturgical language and rhyming poems for young ears. 

“I wanted Will to worship with me,” Turrell said recently. “When he was little, I didn’t want to send him away to the nursery. I wanted him to experience the service.” So she created “Let Us Pray,” a children’s guide to the Eucharist, which Church Publishing issued in July.

On Sundays, Turrell is, as she describes it, “not a single parent, but I am often alone with a child in church.” Her husband, Jim, is a professor of liturgy at the School of Theology and a priest associate at All Saints’ Chapel, where the family worships.

“The project started with me whispering in Will’s ear—there’s the choir... here’s the cross... what color are the vestments?—to keep him engaged. But there’s only so much ‘I Spy’ you can play during the service, so I started drawing pictures for him on the bulletins. Sheep became the people in my drawings,” she said. Keeping Will engaged in the service was important to her and to Jim because the other ways of keeping a child quiet in church were unsatisfying.

“I came home on Sundays knowing a lot more about the T-Rex than I did about Jesus because we’d spent the hour looking at dinosaur books,” Turrell said. “I realized that he wasn’t worshiping in the fullest sense, nor was I.”

It began with sheep sketched on bulletins, then sheep on pieces of plain paper, then the service loosely sketched out on a stack of paper illustrated with the sheep. Over time, Turrell said she realized that she wanted to continue creating this book. She began by painting the sheep, and it evolved from there into the mixed-media digital collage that adorns “Let Us Pray.” 

Turrell’s initial plan was to self-publish the book for family and friends. But after people saw it, they encouraged her to seek a traditional publisher.

There were Episcopal books about children’s worship, she said, but there were no Episcopal books for kids and worship. “I wanted to create something that reflected how we worship and what we believe,” she said.

“Let Us Pray” is having great success in its early months. Churches are using it in a variety of ways: in the pews for worship, as a gift for new families, for Sunday School classes to learn the prayers and  in “quiet bags” churches often have for children. “People are using it in ways I could never have imagined,” she said. And Turrell is now making the sheep artwork available on T-shirts and “onesies” for babies. 

During its creation, Turrell said that Will’s continued influence was a great help. “He would notice things that I never thought about, ‘Mama, you don’t have the napkin just right in the section about communion,’ he said. 

“But I couldn’t have the sheep holding the chalice and the purificator [the napkin] because sheep don’t have opposable thumbs!” she said.

Her liturgically learned husband also gave her advice. “I asked him things such as ‘When does the sheep have his arms up? Which way does the deacon’s stole go?’” she said. “I wanted to make sure it was technically correct. It was important to us that it honor the Book of Common Prayer and the tradition of our worship.”

Will is now a first-grader at Sewanee Elementary and is happy to talk about what he calls the “sheepie” book. “I like it, and I’m proud of my mom,” he said.

A graphic designer by training, Turrell teaches visual art at Franklin County High School, where she also works to create opportunities for her students to pursue further education after graduation. She has a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Sewanee and a master’s degree in elementary education from University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Next on the horizon for Turrell is a similar book about baptism. But not for a bit. “I’m still surprised, and a bit exhausted by the impact of this first book ,” she said.

“Let Us Pray” is available in area stores and the University Book and Supply Store, as well as at online booksellers. Turrell’s website for the project is <www.welcometotheflock.com>.

Mountain T.O.P. Awarded Grant for Home Repairs

Mountain T.O.P. (MTOP), based in Grundy County, has been awarded a grant of $46,304 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program.

The funds will be used in Grundy County to do minor and major home repairs using volunteer labor. MTOP and USDA Rural Development have an established relationship and have worked with many families in Grundy County to make home improvements. Because of MTOPs use of volunteer labor, all grant funds are used for materials, allowing them to help more families.

Since 2007 MTOP has been awarded a total of $266,304 in HPG grants. During these same years, MTOP leveraged HPG funds with volunteer labor and additional donations at an estimated value of $701,333. At the end of this grant cycle, MTOP will have assisted approximately 42 families with necessary repairs to their homes.

“While these numbers are impressive, the really impressive marker is the value of the volunteer,” said Julie Willems Keel, MTOP’s program manager of the HPG. “These numbers show that over 70 percent of the value that is put into homes in this area comes from the volunteers. Through purchasing materials, the dollars that come from the HPG unlock the ability for us to use the skills of willing individuals. Without the HPG, we wouldn’t be able to utilize volunteers.” 

The HPG allows MTOP to work with families who otherwise would not qualify for assistance. Because MTOP is a partnership ministry and not a charity, each family gives something toward the completion of their project. 

“This news gives us hope that we can continue helping our neighbors in real, life-altering ways,” said the Rev. Ed Simmons, MTOP executive director. “We are grateful to all who are involved in the selection process.”

Sondheim Musical Opens Oct. 17

Theatre/Sewanee will present “Side By Side By Sondheim,” a musical revue celebrating the wit and genius of Stephen Sondheim, one of musical theatre’s most influential artists.

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, October 17–18; 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 19; and 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 23–25. All performances are in the Tennessee Williams Center.

The review features music from “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”

The production will feature 10 student singers. “Side By Side By Sondheim” is directed by Peter Smith, with musical direction by Katherine Anderson, scenery and lighting by Dan Backlund, costumes by Jennifer Matthews, choreography by Courtney World, Chase Brantley and Josie Guevara-Torres, and technical direction by John Marshall.

Admission is free, but seating is limited. Reservations are available by email, <mcook@sewanee.edu>.

Community Council Seeks Candidates

Sewanee residents are encouraged to consider running for election to the Sewanee Community Council. The election will be on Nov. 4; the new term begins on Jan. 1, 2015.

A petition containing 10 signatures of residents in the candidate’s district must be returned by Oct. 15. Petitions are available at the Sewanee post office, the Provost’s office or by calling 598-0422.

The community is partitioned into districts. District 1 will elect one seat; Districts 2,3 and 4 will elect two seats each. All future council terms are two years.

To run for a seat, the individual must have been a resident for a minimum of two years. After this election, district lines will be evaluated and redrawn. 

Members of the Community Council are: District 1:David Coe (term ends Dec. 2014), John Flynn (term ends Dec. 2016) and Michael C. Hurst (term ends Dec. 2016); District 2: Pamela Byerly (term ends Dec. 2016), Chet Seigmund (term ends Dec. 2014) and Theresa Shackelford (term ends Dec. 2014);

District 3: Annie Armour (term ends Dec. 2014) and James Kelley (term ends Dec. 2016). There is a vacancy in a third District 3 seat. 

District 4: Dennis Meeks (term ends Dec. 2014), Drew Sampson (term ends Dec. 2014) and Phil White (term ends Dec. 2016).

Appointed by Vice-Chancellor John McCardell are: John Swallow, Barbara Schlichting,Shirley Taylor and Frank Gladu. McCardell is an ex officio member of the council.

Rather than meet every month except July, the council has revised its calendar to meet every other month, while reserving the option to meet during the intervening months if the agenda demands. 

Tick Bites, Mammals and a Mysterious Allergy

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Consuming the flesh of mammals sets off a life-threatening allergic reaction for some area residents. This may sound like something from of a science fiction movie, but since the “Lone Star Tick Red Meat Allergy” was first identified in 2006, reported cases have increased dramatically, especially in the southeastern United States. A Lone Star tick bite causes the allergy.

At least six people in the Sewanee community have been diagnosed with the condition, also known as the alpha-gal allergy (see related story on page 6). Eating the meat of mammals (beef, pork, lamb), and sometimes dairy products, can trigger allergic symptoms characteristic of anaphylactic shock: hives, itching, a drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, and potentially unconsciousness and death. 

Diagnosis of the allergy is complicated because the reaction happens after digestion. Rather than like a typical food allergy, which causes an immediate reaction, alpha-gal presents itself between four and six hours after ingestion. According to researchers at Vanderbilt’s Asthma, Sinus and Allergy Program, there are several cases reported to them each week.

Once the reaction has begun, quick treatment is crucial: an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to begin treatment, followed by epinephrine. A blood test is necessary to diagnose the allergy. 

Foods triggering the allergic reaction vary from individual to individual. After she was diagnosed with the allergy, Jami Thorpe of Midway was told by her doctor to avoid only beef and lamb. After Thorpe ate a pork egg roll, she experienced her worst instance of anaphylaxis.

The adult Lone Star tick is reddish-brown and about three millimeters long. The female has a white dot on her back (see photo). Lone Star larvae, or seed ticks, which appear as small, one-millimeter black spots, can also cause the allergy.

In the past five to 10 years, Monteagle physician Dr. Chounzom Tenzing has treated at least three cases of ehrlichiosis, a flu-like bacterial infection caused by the Lone Star tick. Dr. Tenzing stresses prevention for all tick-borne diseases: covering up when in weedy and wooded areas, and removing ticks immediately using tweezers. “Risk of infection is low if a tick is removed in the first 24 hours,” Tenzing says. Treating clothing with Permethrin can kill ticks, and the product DEET repels them.

The length of time between the tick bite and the onset of the allergy varies. The redness and itching from the Lone Star tick Jami Thorpe extracted lasted for weeks but eventually healed. Less than three months later, she developed severe diarrhea after eating meat. Unaware what was causing the reaction, she nursed herself with vegetable beef soup, causing her symptoms to get progressively worse and landing her in the hospital.

People experiencing symptoms typical of anaphylactic shock should call 911 or have someone take them to an emergency room immediately. In less than an hour, symptoms can progress from hives to swelling of the tongue, lips, and throat and the inability to breathe. Without treatment, death is a very real possibility.

Vanderbilt Medical Center sees one or more new cases of the alpha-gal allergy each week. The number of cases in the Southeast is believed to be in the thousands, but the exact number of cases is unknown since physicians are not required to report the malady. No one with the allergy is known to have died from an allergic reaction to meat, but several patients died as a result of an allergic reaction to a cancer drug containing alpha-gal.

Some researchers believe alpha-gal sufferers may eventually stop having an allergic reaction, but many people with the allergy are skeptical. A Facebook group of more than 750 alpha-gal allergy sufferers has no reports of anyone whose allergy went away. Until a cure is found, avoidance is the only solution for people who have the allergy, and staying tick-free is the safest solution.

Disability Insurance Kept for School Employees

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

The Franklin County Board of Education decided at its September meeting to continue paying for long-term disability insurance for classified employees despite the county’s decision to cut the benefit. 

The school board voted 5-2 with one abstention to keep paying for long-term disability. Board members Mike Holmes and Lance Williams voted to stop paying the premium, and representative Gary Hanger abstained, citing lack of information.

Both the county government and county Highway Commission will no longer pay for long-term disability after the end of October, but that money will be given to employees as a pay raise. Cindy Latham, county deputy finance director, said it amounts to 10 to 14 cents per hour. The money would have been presented as a raise for school employees, as well.

She said she recommended the change because county employees rarely receive cost-of-living raises.

One of the reasons officials have cited for cutting the benefit is paying too much to the insurance company with very little paid in employee claims. The school system paid $44,600 for long-term disability insurance in 2013–14, according to county budget records. 

The numbers presented at Monday’s meeting from the insurance company showed only about $11,000 in paid claims since 2004. School board representative Adam Tucker said the claims information presented seemed extremely low and was unclear. Latham said the numbers are questionable, and county officials are scheduled to meet with the insurance company to solve the confusion.

Tucker noted that there are other reasons that he supports paying for the benefit besides the questionable numbers.

“As someone whose father had to go on long-term disability when he was in his mid-40s due to a chronic health condition, I recognize the value of having a safety net for employees and their families who are unable to work through no fault of their own,” he said. “Second, I am reluctant to eliminate employee benefits absent fiscal hardship or compelling evidence that the benefit is unnecessary or is not actually helping employees.”

Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber said the school system has about 375 classified employees.

Although the school system will continue to pay, officials are concerned that the reduction in the pool of county employees receiving the insurance will mean a higher premium.

VISTA Volunteers Work Across the Plateau

Nine VISTA volunteers are beginning their work with five local organizations. The AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program, co-sponsored by the South Cumberland Community Fund and the University of the South, is sending volunteers to work for one year or more with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank’s mobile food pantries, Discover Together, the Grundy County Health Council, Mountain T.O.P. and the South Cumberland Community Fund.

McKenzie Liegel and Zach Berry are working with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank in Grundy and Marion counties. Liegel grew up in a small town in rural Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the VISTA mobile food pantry coordinator for Grundy County. 

Berry is from Chattanooga and studied literature and philosophy before graduating with a B.A. in 2013. He is the VISTA mobile food pantry coordinator for Marion County. Liegel and Berry will work to develop mobile food pantry programs and delivery systems with a local support network in their respective counties.

VISTAs working with Discover Together are Chris Paff and Michelle Thibodeaux. Paff, from Portland, Ore., worked as a computer programmer for a year before serving in Tanzania for three years with the Peace Corps. As VISTA community workforce development coordinator, he will build workforce development activities for parents of young children participating in Discover Together, and potentially for other adults in the community. 

Thibodeaux is a recent Sewanee graduate, originally from Atlanta, Ga. As a student, she worked with multiple schools in Grundy County and now plans to pursue a career in education. She is the VISTA community ambassador coordinator for Discover Together, and will develop a network of trained volunteers to better engage families in Discover Together programs and the community.

The Grundy County Health Council will be working with VISTAs Lacey Oliver and John-David Wheeler. Oliver was raised in the local area and graduated from Sewanee in May. As the VISTA school health activities coordinator, she will develop trainings for students and other volunteers in all seven schools in Grundy County and will develop a school anti-tobacco program. 

Wheeler is originally from Union City, Tenn. He served in the U.S. Army, then graduated from University of Tennessee-Martin. He is the VISTA health network coordinator, and will expand GCHC’s partnerships with local social service agencies and churches to develop a community-wide health information and education network.

Ida Zago and Melanie Pozuc are working with Mountain T.O.P. Zago grew up in Michigan and New York City, and also graduated in May from Sewanee. She is the VISTA weatherization coordinator, and will create a new low-income housing weatherization program that will help improve the economic well-being of area families. 

Pozuc is a recent graduate of Kent State University. She has experience with Mountain T.O.P. and is looking forward to working with the organization in a new capacity. As the VISTA communication and assessment coordinator, she will develop a volunteer networking and communication system in support of Mountain T.O.P. programs, determining community needs and assessing the results of programs.

Franklin County native Charles McClain is working with the South Cumberland Community Fund. Serving in his church has been important to him, and last year he entered into the discernment process. He is the VISTA grant-writing coordinator and will help build the capacity of community organizations by developing a grant-writing and management network for them.

For more information contact Jim Peterman, director of Community Engagement at Sewanee, at 598-1482 or by email to <jpeterma@sewanee.edu>.

Sewanee Herbarium Hosts Wildflower Walk at Lake Cheston on Oct. 11

Join Yolande Gottfried at 1:30 p.m., Sat., Oct. 11, to look at some of the last wildflowers of the season. 

Meet at the picnic pavilion for this easy one-hour walk around the lake’s shores. Falls colors will be showing, and the group will look for blooming ladies’ tresses and perhaps turtlehead. 

The Sewanee Herbarium is sponsoring other noteworthy events this fall. 

On Saturday, Oct. 18, George Ramseur will guide a one-hour walk through the Abbott Cotten Martin Ravine Garden. This event has become a tradition of Sewanee’s Family Weekend.

Looking ahead: On Sunday, Nov. 9, Gottfried will lead an easy, two-hour walk on the paved section of the Mountain Goat trail.

The nature journaling group coordinated by Mary Priestley continues to meet, 9–11 a.m., every Thursday. In nice weather, they gather at Stirling’s Coffee House; otherwise, they meet in room 171 of Spencer Hall.

The Sewanee Herbarium is involved in education, research and conservation. It acquires and maintains plant specimens with emphasis on the flora of the Sewanee Domain and the four-county area. For more information go to <sewaneeherbarium.wordpress.com/>.