At the March 21 meeting, the Sewanee Community Council voted to allocate $9,975 to fund seven community enhancement projects. The Sewanee Community Funding Project Committee, chaired by Sarah Marhevsky, reviewed 18 proposals, as well as “half a dozen informal suggestions” before reaching a decision about which projects to recommend for funding.
“We’re grateful to everyone who submitted ideas,” Marhevsky said. In assessing proposals, the committee took into account community impact, need, cost and sustainability.
The committee recommended and the council approved the following projects for funding.
The Elliott Park playground rebuild, a project of the Sewanee Civic Association, was awarded $5,000 to improve Elliott Park using GameTime Playground Design’s play structure and installation. Civic Association Parks Committee Chair Stephen Burnett requested $7,500; the full cost of this portion of the project will total more than $60,000.
The Sewanee Dog Pound was awarded a $2,000 grant to improve its facilities. Applying on behalf of numerous like-minded community supporters, Lynn Vogel submitted the proposal for the pound, which houses dogs near the Equestrian Center. Plans call for installing K9 Kennel Store’s Pro Line Kennels to help maintenance, safety and sanitation. The pound has not had substantive updates since its creation in the early 1990s. Vogel requested $8,000.
Thurmond Library was awarded $1,000 to outfit its new space in the Otey Parish Claiborne House with equipment and furnishings that will make it attractive, well-stocked, comfortable and electronically up-to-date. Thurman Library board member Karen Keele drafted the application; Keele requested $5,000.
On behalf of the Sewanee Children’s Center, a proposal from the teachers, coordinated by Carrie Mauzy, was awarded $650 for the creation and installation of a Little Free Library in the Sewanee village that will be paired with a butterfly garden. This project will involve both SCC children and the community. The center received the full amount of its request.
The Sewanee Community Center was awarded $610 to turn an under-utilized room into communal space for a variety of community uses, including small group meetings, classes and counseling sessions. Center Manager Rachel Petropolous drafted the proposal. The center was awarded the full amount of its request.
Michelle Calhoun, applying on behalf of the “Moms’ Group,” was awarded $515.95 for a special needs swing for a boy in the community. Physical Plant Services has agreed to install the swing at the Woodlands playground.
Caroline Hiers was awarded $200 for the completion of her Girl Scout Silver Award Project, which will provide structural and informational updates at the kiosks at the University gates, Morgan’s Steep and Green’s View. Hiers was awarded the full amount of her request. She will provide the labor, posthole digger and router.
“We’re excited about the wide range of things we could fund,” Marhevsky said.
In discussion about whether the council would reimburse the awardees after project completion or provide the funds up front, Vice Chancellor John McCardell suggested in cases where the council only agreed to fund a portion of the project, the funds could be provided at the point in the project implementation where the funds were needed.
Members of the Sewanee Community Funding Project Committee were selected by Vice-Chancellor John McCardell and provost John Swallow. In addition to Marhevsky, the committee included Annie Armour, Pixie Dozier, Michael Hurst, Dennis Meeks, Theresa Shackelford, Sarah Sherwood and Adam Tucker. Armour, Dozier, Hurst, Meeks and Shackelford also serve on the Community Council.
—Reported by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
No comments:
Post a Comment