University to Host Master Plan Workshop :: Sewanee Downtown District Final Master Plan Workshop will be Aug. 10–13

The University of the South, working with planning consultants Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC), will host a public design workshop Aug. 10–13, with the purpose of developing a final Master Plan and Implementation Strategy for the Sewanee downtown area. TPUDC has been hired as the University’s town planner and charged with finalizing the Master Plan, overseeing design and development in the Village, and implementing the action items developed in two previous studies, the Sewanee Village Vision Plan (2012) and the Sewanee Village Action Plan (2014).

The multi-day visioning and design workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 10, in Lower Cravens Hall, with an opening session and public presentation on the process. [See full schedule at right.] The workshop will conclude at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 13, when the team will describe the preliminary plan for the area, explain elements of the plan, show illustrations and present findings and work products developed during the workshop. Throughout the workshop, a design studio will be open in Lower Cravens for community members to contribute their ideas.

Brian Wright of TPUDC visited Sewanee in March 2015, when he and Becky Timmons met with various University and neighborhood groups and conducted an open town meeting to gain an understanding of how residents, students and visitors view the downtown area and what they envision for its future. During their three days in Sewanee, they gained an in-depth understanding of what makes Sewanee unique and special. The workshop set for August will be a time for TPUDC’s team of planners and designers to continue this planning process. 

During the August workshop, TPUDC will work with the public and the University to develop a plan that meets the goals of the Vision Plan and Action Plan, including a more vibrant downtown area that attracts increased investment and mixed-use development at a village scale. The Master Plan will emphasize walkability, integration of the campus community, increased housing options at a variety of income levels, and improved streetscape and architecture. Following the workshop, the consultant will refine the master plan that will be used as the road map for future development in the downtown district.

For additional information email <becky@tpudc.com>.

New Monteagle Sewanee Rotary President

The Monteagle Sewanee Rotary Club has selected Haynes Roberts as its president for the 2015–16 year. Roberts, a Sewanee alumnus class of 2000, is the senior director of annual giving at the University. Previously he worked as a counselor with admissions at Sewanee, and he was a political consultant in Washington, D.C. He also lived and worked in Atlanta as a private wealth manager for Credit Suisse. He and his wife, Megan, live in Sewanee with their two daughters.

As incoming president, Roberts said he hopes to see growth and enhanced community partnerships, particularly with the Rotary Club’s two new service initiatives: the Cajun Supper which helps to fund the University’s work in Haiti, and the Hunger Awareness Walk, which benefits the local food banks at Otey Parish’s Community Action Committee and Morton Memorial Methodist Church.

Roberts said he joined Rotary because several influential people in his life are Rotarians; specifically, he credits John Bratton with his decision to join the club. He said that he appreciates that Rotary is a way to meet and work with people of the community that he might not ordinarily know.

Readings By McDermott and Fairchild at SWC

Celebrating its 26th summer session, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference will run through Saturday, Aug. 1, and feature readings, panels and lectures by distinguished faculty and nationally recognized editors, publishers and literary agents. Alice McDermott will read at 4:15 p.m., today (Friday) July 24. 

McDermott is the author of seven novels, the latest of which, “Someone,” was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award. “After This” was a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize. Her book, “Charming Billy,” received the 1998 National Book Award for fiction.

Playwright Paula Vogel will read at 8:15 p.m., Monday, July 27. Vogel’s play “How I Learned to Drive” earned a 1998 Pulitzer Prize, a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award and her second Obie Award. Other plays include “Don Juan Comes Home From Iraq,” “The Baltimore Waltz” and “Desdemona.” Her most recent play, “Indecent,” will be produced in the 2015–16 season at Yale Repertory and LaJolla Playhouse. She is a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

Best-selling and critically acclaimed fiction writers will also offer public readings during the conference: Tony Earley (4:15 p.m., Saturday, July 25); Richard Bausch (4:15 p.m., Sunday, July 26); Erin McGraw (4:15 p.m., Tuesday, July 28); Adrianne Harun (4:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 29); Allen Wier (8:15 p.m., Thursday, July 30); Jill McCorkle (8:15 p.m., Friday, July 31); Kevin Wilson (4:15 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1) and Steve Yarbrough (8:15 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1). 

Award-winning poets’ readings are open to the public: ; B.H. Fairchild (8:15 p.m., Friday, July 24); Mary Jo Salter (8:15 p.m., Saturday, July 25); Maurice Manning (8:15 p.m., Sunday, July 26); Sidney Wade (4:15 p.m., Monday, July 27); Daniel Anderson (8:15 p.m., Tuesday, July 28); Charles Martin (4:15 p.m., Thursday, July 30) and Andrew Hudgins (4:15 p.m., Friday, July 31). 

Acclaimed playwright Dan O’Brien (8:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 29) will also read a selection of his work. 

The Sewanee Writers’ Conference offers instruction to writers through workshops, readings and craft lectures in poetry, fiction and playwriting.

Lectures and readings will be held in the Mary Sue Cushman Room of the Bairnwick Women’s Center on Mississippi Avenue. Admission to all public events is free, but space may be limited. For more information go to <www.sewaneewriters.org/conference/schedule>. 

South Cumberland Community Fund Announces 2015 Grants

New park facilities, a walking path and a community garden for the Grundy County Jail are among the projects being funded by the 2015 grants awarded by the South Cumberland Community Fund (SCCF). 

“Since 2012, one of our core missions has been to cultivate resources by supporting nonprofit organizations across the Plateau,” said Margaret Woods, board president of the Community Fund. “We are thrilled with this newest series of projects, which create opportunities for our youth, build new community spaces and expand local support services for our communities.” 

There will be a reception at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 2, in St. Mark’s Hall, in Claiborne Parish House at Otey Church in Sewanee to celebrate the new grant recipients and to thank the AmeriCorps VISTA members and volunteers.

The City of Coalmont, thanks to a group of volunteers led by Jeff Sholey working in partnership with county government and the South Cumberland Community Fund, now enjoys a public park on the shore of Big Creek Lake. The park was built in 2013 on county-owned land that had not been developed or maintained for recreational uses. The subsequent popularity of the park for families in the area has led to plans to add a 4,000-foot gravel walking trail. The SCCF grant of $10,000 will support the construction of the trail, which is expected to increase community access to safe areas for healthy exercise.

The City of Palmer has a town center where a public park, a museum of mining, the seat of government and the public school are all in close proximity.The park has many features, but lacks a restroom. In cooperation with the Conservation Committee of Grundy County and with the support of a $10,000 grant from SCCF, the community of Palmer will construct an ADA-accessible restroom to serve the park patrons and will extend the uses of the park.

The Grundy County Sheriff’s office, with the assistance of this $9,500 grant from the Community Fund, will construct a greenhouse and raised garden beds. Inmates, jail administrators, youth probationers and the community will maintain the garden and greenhouse, and food grown there will feed the inmates and be shared with the community. Taking care of the mini-farm will be a daily chore for inmates, who will receive training from community partners in planting and storing food. 

The Grundy County Historical Society library and research center holds approximately 1,600 books, photographs, albums and newsletters, as well as thousands of loose historical documents that date as far back as the 1840s, including volumes of records pertaining to the coal, iron/steel, and railroad industries of the region. SCCF’s grant of $7,406 will enable the Historical Society to purchase library software to identify, organize and improve public access to its holdings. In addition, the grant will support the temporary employment of a professional librarian to implement the project and train voluntary staff in managing the Society’s records and special collections in the future.

North Elementary School, operating under the auspices of the Grundy County Board of Education, is working to make its gymnasium a more effective venue for multi-media presentations, programs, assemblies and sporting events. Lacking an auditorium, the gymnasium is the only setting for a variety of school-related and community presentations. The configuration of the gym with side seating makes it difficult for the audience to see and hear many such programs. With this Community Fund grant of $10,000, the school will purchase two automated projection screens, two wireless projectors and the hardware to operate them. In addition, new microphones and speakers will be purchased to upgrade the school’s public address system.

Palmer Elementary School, one of seven public elementary schools in Grundy County, was built in 1927. It is one of only two schools with both a gymnasium and an auditorium. This SCCF grant of $1,600 will enable the school to replace its 15-year-old public address system with Bluetooth and wireless technology to serve both venues. The school has more than 75 events (such as sporting events, spelling bees and holiday programs) during the year, in addition to daily assemblies. The completion of the $2,000 project will be made possible by additional investments by the town and the school, plus local business and individual contributors.

Miracle on the Mountain Play Outside Park (MOM POP) is a year-old organization formed to create a major public recreation area with special emphasis on children with special needs in Grundy and surrounding counties. The park will be constructed on 14 acres located on Highway 108 across from the high school, on land which will be leased from the county. This grant of $10,000 from SCCF will be applied toward the $51,900 cost of Phase I, which will include parking and roadway access, restrooms and a concession stand, an amphitheater, and paved pathways to make the entire area ADA-compliant.

Mountain Heritage Preservation Society was established to educate the community, especially its children, about the unique cultural heritage they inherit from growing up on the Cumberland Plateau. The hope is that people will be strengthened by an understanding of and loyalty to that heritage. The Preservation Society is best known for the annual Mountaineers Day Festival, but the organization is broadly committed to advancing the welfare of Mountain communities. This SCCF grant of $10,000 will enable the Society to partner with the local baseball/softball organization in the construction of batting cages at the current ballfield in Tracy City. The organizers of baseball/softball have renewed energy and stability, and will seek further upgrades and expansion of the facilities in coming years.

Mountain T.O.P. is a 40-year-old, interdenominational ministry dedicated to addressing issues of poverty in the rural Cumberland region. The organization has drawn upon a culture of faith-based social commitment to recruit individuals, families and church groups to work on projects that meet the social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of area residents. The projects are usually organized around the repair of homes and the operation of day camps for children and youth on the Plateau. The Adventure Guild in Chattanooga has assisted Mountain T.O.P. in the construction and operation of two challenge courses (a low and a high ropes course) on the Altamont campus. The Adventure Guild has given the courses to Mountain T.O.P. With this grant of $8,009 from the Community Fund, the organization will purchase equipment and do training for its staff for the ongoing operation of the courses. It is expected that the new arrangement will be more efficient and help Mountain T.O.P. recruit additional retreat groups that are attracted to the area’s wilderness hiking and camping resources.

The Sewanee Children’s Center is a preschool operated by a parents’ cooperative to provide early learning experiences in a full-day program to children ages 2 to 5. The Center also provides after-school care for preschoolers and children through 8 years of age. Under the leadership of new director Harriet Runkle, the SCC has planned a school/community garden to serve as an outdoor classroom to teach students gardening skills, healthy eating habits, life cycles of plants and animals, and good stewardship of natural resources. Produce will be shared with the Community Action Center and used for special events at Otey Parish. This SCCF grant of $9,587 will enable the construction of the 40-foot by 60-foot garden, including a deer-proof fence.

Sewanee Community Chest, organized by the long-standing Sewanee Civic Association (SCA), has raised a million dollars in the last decade to support local organizations serving the public good. During its storied history, the SCA has advanced the welfare of the unincorporated community of Sewanee and the region around it through initiatives as diverse as building the public elementary school in Sewanee, completing a state highway to the Marion County line, and raising money for a black community center. The Parks Committee of SCA has proposed to restore Elliott Park on the campus of the University at a cost of $70,000. The park, open to the public, will have a rich assortment of features to promote physical adventures by children. The Community Chest will raise the funds as a special project; this grant of $10,000 from the Community Fund will be applied to the overall cost of the park. 

Earlier this year, the board of the Community Fund became aware of a plan to create a plateau-wide children’s choir to perform traditional Appalachian folk and gospel songs at the annual Trails and Trilliums spring festival produced by the Friends of South Cumberland State Park. This project was a perfect fit for the Paul S. McConnell Music Grant of $3,500, awarded to the South Cumberland Community Fund to support music programs in our region. The board reached out to the Friends group to offer support for the choir project. The presentation by 130 children in grades 4–8 from five elementary schools was one of the highlights of Trails and Trillium. The hope is that the choir will become an annual program.

Tour Rebel's Rest

“Explore Rebel’s Rest” tours (approx. 30 minutes long) will be available to the public on Friday, July 31, 9 a.m. –2 p.m.  All are welcome to come and hear an overview of the Polk and Fairbanks history of the site, updates on the various research projects related to the site, and see the Rebels Rest excavation in progress.

Children under the age of 15 need to be accompanied by an adult. Sturdy, closed-toe footwear is required. Please meet at the gate at the Rebel’s Rest site, next to Fulford Hall. In the case of heavy rain, the event will be rescheduled.

On July 23, 2014, fire destroyed the second floor of the 148-year-old historic house. The building was in the midst of renovations.

For more information go to <www.sewanee.edu/rebelsrest>; there are opportunities to volunteer on the site and in the lab.

New Principal Named for Sewanee Elementary

Franklin County Director of Schools Amie Lonas announced the appointment of Kimberly Tucker to the position of principal of Sewanee Elementary School (SES). 

After nearly 40 years of service to the children in Franklin County, Mike Maxon announced his retirement earlier this year. 

“We were excited about the pool of candidates who applied for the position, and the quality of those applicants made it a difficult decision. Although each of the applicants had strengths to offer the school, we decided that Mrs. Tucker had the combination of knowledge and skills that best fit Sewanee Elementary School at this time,” said Lonas. 

The selection process involved members of the SES leadership team: Kathryn Bruce (librarian), Rebecca Betancourt (first-grade teacher) and Kim Foster (fifth-grade teacher). 

“We deeply appreciate Dr. Lonas including the school leadership team in the interview process. It was a pleasure to speak with so many talented educators,” said Bruce.

Lonas said that Tucker has worked with many of the school system teachers in her current position as an academic consultant for the South Central Center of Regional Excellence, a division of the Tennessee Department of Education. 

Tucker holds a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a master of arts and an education specialist degree from Tennessee Technological University. She has previously served as principal at both the elementary school and high school levels.

Tucker began her teaching career at Short Mountain Elementary School, where she taught grades five  and six and served as a school-wide Title I remedial reading and math teacher. Between 1992 and 2014, she held the position of principal at both the elementary and high school levels in Cannon County. 

“The school at Sewanee is unique in both its setting and history,” Tucker said, after her appointment. “Due to my past involvement in place-based learning through the Rural Schools and Communities Trust, I see so many wonderful possibilities for Sewanee Elementary.” 

She continued: “I believe in developing strong collaborative relationships with all stake-holders and in having rigorous curricular goals for students. I am looking forward to working with the faculty, staff and students at Sewanee Elementary.” 

Following the selection, the Leadership Team stated, “Mrs. Tucker’s experience as an elementary principal will make for a smooth transition at SES. Her energy and devotion to educating the whole child mirrors that of our faculty. The leadership team is excited to introduce her to the faculty and welcome her to our school family!”

County to Vote on School Debt

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the July 13 Franklin County School Board meeting, Director of Schools Amie Lonas announced that the Franklin County Commission would vote on the debt relief resolution attached to the 2015–16 school system budget. She also announced the appointment of Kimberly Tucker as the principal of Sewanee Elementary School [see adjacent story].

After initially rejecting the debt relief resolution passed by the school board in June, the County Commission’s Finance Committee has decided to put the resolution before the commission for a vote.

The resolution addresses the revenue shortfall in the 2015–16 school budget by relieving the school system from making payments from its operating budget on the new high school debt ($250,000 annually) and the $3 million bond ($260,000 annually). The resolution proposes that instead those debts be repaid with sales tax revenue already earmarked for school system debt service repayment.

The County Commission School Committee meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Monday, July 27, at the Franklin County Courthouse.

In other business the school board voted to approve a revised corporal punishment policy, with board members Chris Guess and Sara Liechty opposing. According to the new policy, at the beginning of the school year, parents (or the student’s guardian) will be asked to sign a Disciplinary Preference form indicating either “I consent” or “I don’t consent” to the school administering corporal punishment. If no form is on file, the school cannot administer corporal punishment.

Revisiting the subject of late fees recently assessed on utility bills for the school system, Lonas said the County Commission would reimburse the school system for the late fees charged by Winchester Utilities. When reviewing utility bills for May, Energy Education Specialist Brian Norwood discovered nearly $1,500 in late fees charged to Townsend School, Clark Memorial School and Franklin County High School. Norwood learned the bills were not received for payment until May 19 and were due on May 20. The Franklin County School System is not the only department in the city being affected by the untimely bill delivery, Lonas said.

The board next meets on Monday, Aug. 3, for a working session.

Writers’ Conference Begins 26th Year

Celebrating its 26th summer session, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference will run from Tuesday, July 21, through Saturday, Aug. 1, and feature readings, panels and lectures by distinguished faculty and nationally recognized editors, publishers and literary agents.

The conference will begin with a reading by author Randall Kenan at 8:15 p.m., Tuesday, July 21, in the Mary Sue Cushman Room of the Bairnwick Women’s Center. 

Kenan is the author of a novel, “A Visitation of Spirits” (Grove Press), and a collection of stories, “Let the Dead Bury Their Dead” (Harcourt, Brace), which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, a nominee for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize for fiction and a New York Times Notable Book. He has written a young adult biography, “James Baldwin: Author” (Chelsea House), and two works of nonfiction, “Walking on Water: Black American Lives at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century” (Alfred A. Knopf), which was nominated for the Southern Book Award, and “The Fire This Time” (Melville House Books). Recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Whiting Writers’ Award, the Sherwood Anderson Award and the 1997 Rome Prize from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Kenan was the John and Renée Grisham Writer-in- Residence at the University of Mississippi. He teaches creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The program will also feature readings by National Book Award winners Tim O’Brien (4: 15 p.m., Wednesday, July 22) and Alice McDermott (4:15 p.m., Friday, July 24), and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel (8:15 p.m., Monday, July 27).

Best-selling and critically acclaimed fiction writers will also offer public readings during the conference: Christine Schutt (8:15 a.m., Thursday, July 23); Tony Earley (4:15 p.m., Saturday, July 25); Richard Bausch (4:15 p.m., Sunday, July 26,); Erin McGraw (4:15 p.m., Tuesday, July 28); Adrianne Harun (4:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 29); Allen Wier (8:15 p.m., Thursday, July 30); Jill McCorkle (8:15 p.m., Friday, July 31); Kevin Wilson (4:15 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1) and Steve Yarbrough (8:15 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1). 

Award-winning poets’ readings are open to the public: A.E. Stallings (8:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 22); founder of the Sewanee Writers’ Conference Wyatt Prunty (4:15 p.m., Thursday, July 23); B.H. Fairchild (8:15 p.m., Friday, July 24); Mary Jo Salter (8:15 p.m., Saturday, July 25); Maurice Manning (8:15 p.m., Sunday, July 26); Sidney Wade (4:15 p.m., Monday, July 27); Daniel Anderson (8:15 p.m., Tuesday, July 28); Charles Martin (4:15 p.m., Thursday, July 30) and Andrew Hudgins (4:15 p.m., Friday, July 31). 

Acclaimed playwright Dan O’Brien (8:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 29) will also read a selection of his work. 

Editors from numerous publications, including Algonquin Books, the American Scholar, Blackbird, Copper Canyon Press, Grove/Atlantic, the Hopkins Review, the Kenyon Review, Knopf, LSU Press, the Oxford American and Poetry, will discuss publishing. Agents participating include Georges Borchardt Literary Agency and Brandt and Hochman Literary Agents, Folio Literary Management, and Renée Zuckerbrot Literary Agency. Representatives from HowlRound and ArtsEmerson and the Alliance Theatre will meet with playwrights. 

A complete conference schedule can be found on page 11, or online at <www.sewaneewriters.org/conference/schedule>. Books are available at the University Book and Supply Store.

Supported by the Walter E. Dakin Memorial Fund established through the estate of the late Tennessee Williams, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference offers instruction and criticism to writers through a series of workshops, readings and craft lectures in poetry, fiction, and playwriting. Lectures and readings will be held in the Mary Sue Cushman Room of the Bairnwick Women’s Center on Mississippi Avenue. Admission to all public events is free, but space may be limited.

Mobile Carillon Enchanting Sewanee

By Katie Lafferrandre, C’15, Special to the Messenger

The semi-truck parked outside of St. Luke’s Hall in Sewanee is more than just a tractor-trailer: it is also a musical instrument. Attached to the back of the truck is what looks like a block of bells. A closer look finds a cab-like space in the center of the bells, where the musician sits pressing the keys of the organ-like structure. This is a carillon, an instrument that usually can’t be accessed unless one climbs up a tall tower. Many Manigault Park frequenters have been surprised to find mid-afternoon bell music coming not from Shapard Tower, but from a musician playing on the ground. Michael Doar, a recent graduate of the University, said: “It was crazy. I thought the chimes were coming from Shapard, and then I turned a corner and there was this big truck!”

University Carillonneur John Bordley has wanted to bring the Chime Master Mobile Millennium carillon to Sewanee for the summer so that people could be closer to the source of the music that they enjoy on a daily basis. Built in 1992, this is one of two mobile carillons in the United States.

Bordley usually has to climb all the way up to the top of Shapard Tower—124 steps, he can assure you—to play the carillon, but now with the mobile carillon, he can see and be seen in the middle of Manigault Park. And he only has to ascend a meager five or six steps via ladder to arrive in the bell cabin. 

The mobile carillon weighs 26,000 pounds and consists of 48 bells. These bells can be played in succession to produce a melody, or sounded together to play a chord. The carillonneur plays by pressing the stick-like keys, or batons, with fists and by pressing the pedal keyboard with his or her feet. The keys connect to metal clappers that strike the inside of the bells according to the amount of pressure applied by the carillonneur. 

Bordley says he first became interested in learning to play the carillon while he was still a chemistry professor at Sewanee. The carillon studio was located above his office so he could hear carillonneurs practicing their craft from below. Bordley says that he knew then he would become involved with the University carillon some day. 

The University carillon is most often played at church services, but that doesn’t mean Bordley doesn’t get to have fun. He recalls arranging “Let it Go” from Disney’s “Frozen” for the carillon, as well as Lady Gaga’s popular song “Bad Romance.” Many students have enjoyed hearing the Harry Potter theme song being played from Shapard Tower on their way to the library. 

Given the regularity with which the carillon’s music pervades the campus, it seems appropriate that residents have the opportunity to learn more about the music and how it is played. Bordley and the big rig are now allowing the public to view from the ground a musical process that is normally very removed from the audience.

The mobile carillon participated in the Fourth of July parade (though the musicians were too busy playing to throw candy), and has also been featured in Sunday concerts and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. 

Charlene Williamson and Parks Greene will play the final carillon recital at 4:45 p.m., Sunday, July 19, in Manigault Park. After that, the mobile carillon will bid farewell to Sewanee and leave on its next adventure.

Appalachian Stories & Songs at duPont

“Appalachian Summer: Stories and Songs for Children” will be held on the porch of the Jessie Ball duPont Library at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 18. The music series is in conjunction with the library’s current exhibit, “Reading Appalachia.”

Musician Cameron Swallow will share songs of Appalachia, along with some special stories. There will be lemonade and a chance to participate in a treasure hunt through the exhibit.

“Reading Appalachia: Voices from Children’s Literature” was developed by the Knox County Public Library and is on loan to duPont Library at the University until mid-September. The exhibit aims to show a more complete picture of the region’s literary heritage and how this literature tells the story of childhood in Appalachia.

Sporting life-size characters from some of the books, the exhibit is designed to create the sensation of walking through the pages of a storybook. Children can stand eye-to-eye with characters from “Journey Cake Ho,” “A Mountain Rose,” “When Otter Tricked the Rabbit,” “When I Was Young” and other stories. The exhibit includes hands-on activities that bring the subject to life for kids of all ages. Children are encouraged to try on masks of storybook characters and find themselves in a story. They are also invited to create their own story of childhood set in Appalachia.

Attendees can view original films and hear the voice of old-time storyteller Ray Hicks, along with some of their favorite authors, including May Justus and illustrators. Each panel includes an interpretation of the text from a child’s perspective.

For more information contact Tim Garner at 598-1265.

Program Serves Thousands of Meals in First Month

After just over a month, the South Cumberland Summer Meal program is already off to a great start, according to Kelly Farina, the VISTA volunteer who is the project coordinator. Working in partnership with the South Cumberland Community Fund, the University of the South and the USDA, the meal program is working with 21 organizations in Franklin and Grundy counties to serve more than 5,500 meals to kids and teens on and off the Mountain. This program is free for any person under the age of 18, and no registration is necessary in order to receive a meal. 

Several new programs have started or expanded services in July on the Mountain. New programs in Tracy City at the Public Library and Christ Episcopal Church are underway. On Mondays and Wednesdays each week, the Crow Creek Valley Community Center in Sherwood now offers lunch. The Grundy Housing Authority is also offering breakfast and lunch three days a week. The last day of the Summer Meal Program will be July 31. 

Meal programs at Christ Episcopal also include programs for kids that range from demonstrations and interactive games on water and energy conservation to visits from park rangers at the South Cumberland State Park. The Rev. Stephen Eichler of Christ Episcopal said, “We are excited to be participating in the summer meal program and to be providing nutritious meals, along with enriching activities!”

The schedule for the remainder of the program is:

Cumberland Baptist Church, Beersheba Springs—6–8 p.m., Monday–Friday, July 27–31

Christ Church, Tracy City —Noon–1 p.m., Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays

Crow Creek Valley Community Center, Sherwood —10 a.m.–1 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays

First Methodist Church, Tracy City—5–7 p.m., Wednesdays

Grundy Housing Authority, Monteagle —9–10 a.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

May Justus Memorial Library, Monteagle —10–11 a.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays

Midway/St.James playground, Sewanee—Noon–1 p.m., Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays

Palmer Public Library, Palmer—11 a.m.–noon, Thursdays

Tracy City Public Library, Tracy City—11 a.m.–1 p.m., Wednesdays

For more information about the South Cumberland Summer Meal Program, contact Farina at 598-1851 or email
<sfpvista@gmail.com>.

Director of Schools Concerned about TCAP Testing Procedures

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

The testing procedure for the new Common Core curriculum is “technology heavy,” said Director of Schools Amy Lonas at the July 6 working session of the Franklin County School Board. Lonas, who began as the director on June 15, was discussing the challenges that the new assessment standard would pose. She also provided an overview of TCAP (Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program) results for the 2014–15 school year.

Under the Common Core assessment standard scheduled to begin with the 2015–16 school year, all testing to measure student achievement will be done on a computer. Lonas said the school system has enough computers to conduct the testing, but she expressed concern there were not enough computers to allow for sufficient “practice.” Schools would need to adjust computer lab scheduling to provide students with practice time, she said.

“Third-graders must be able to type” to take the test, Lonas said, pointing to an additional challenge.

Reviewing statewide TCAP results, Lonas said there were positive gains in math and science at all grade levels, gains in English at the high school level, and gains in language arts for grades seven and eight, but grades three through six showed a decline in language arts skills. Data for individual school systems was still embargoed, Lonas said, but performance in the Franklin County Schools usually followed state trends. Local school system data will be released the week of July 27.

The board reviewed several policy changes proposed by the Tennessee School Boards Association: changing the date of notification for teachers who would not be rehired from June 15 to five days after the last instructional day; providing for reassignment of a student abused by another student; and allowing students suffering from pancreatic insufficiency and cystic fibrosis to self-medicate. These proposed policy changes were added to the consent agenda for approval at the July 13 meeting. Also added to the consent agenda was a revised “use of facilities” form requiring non-school leagues that use the football field on Dinah Shore Boulevard to pay $50 per day.

The board revisited the revised corporal punishment policy scheduled for a second-reading vote at the July 13 meeting. The policy states disciplinary records must contain information on “the type of corporal punishment” used. 

Board member Adam Tucker, who drafted the revised policy, said the original policy contained the same requirement. Tucker suggested school principals be contacted to find out how they had been documenting instances of corporal punishment. The board discussed omitting the reference if there was no legal reason to include it.

Board Chair Kevin Caroland noted that the system was spending “thousands of dollars a year” because of late fee assessments on utility bills. Franklin County Deputy Finance Director Cynthia Latham said frequently the bills were not received until the due date. The board will discuss the issue with Winchester Utilities, in hope of finding a solution.

Lonas announced that interviews would be conducted this week for the position of principal at Sewanee Elementary School (SES). The Sewanee Leadership Team will participate in the interview process. The team consists of SES teachers Rebecca Bentancourt (kindergarten), Katherine Bruce (librarian) and Kim Foster (fifth grade). The team was assembled at the suggestion of retired SES Principal Mike Maxon.

The Cat’s Meow: A Fresh Perspective on the Cat Show

by Creative Nonfiction Students of the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference

If you were sprinting in the rain across the University of the South’s campus in search of the Fourth of July cat show, you just might have missed it. It was a small tent with only a handful of felines.

This year, the contributors to the “Cat’s Meow” cat show were Shelley  Cammack and Joan Hurst. Shelley was the host of the show, as well as the owner of four of the six participants: Diamond, Moses, Pearl, and Callie. Joan, who was also one of the judges, brought Lily, only one of her six cats, to the show. 

These five cats were truly experts at show etiquitte, unflinching as the little hands of children reached through the bars of the cats’ cages to pet and prod them. Though loving owners brought these first few competitors, the sixth and final participant brought himself.

Small and grey, this wandering tabby captured the attention of the whole show as soon as he made his presence known by following a man walking his dogs. Shelley demonstrated how the six-week-old kitten, “just skin and bones,” was small enough to fit in someone’s cupped hands. 

Shelley and Joan were hesitant to show favor to their own cats, as they were the only two owners in the cat show. The sharp little drifter made their jobs far easier. He proved his worth when he demonstrated his natural intuition and intelligence by knowing how to be in the right place at the right time. In fact, he walked away with every single prize the show offered: smallest cat, largest cat, longest hair, most unusual markings, best owner/cat look-alike and best-decorated cat carrier. 

Shelley named the little creature Trump, “after [presidential candidate] Donald” she said, because “He showed up, entered himself into the competition and won.”

However, this cat won more than titles. John Bordley and Carolyn Fitz adopted the stray for their granddaughter Vie Virkhaus. The young girl preferred the name Sandals, so his official name became Sandals Trump. Everyone in the crowd was happy to see him win something even greater than the blue ribbon: a loving home.

This story was written by Sylvia Bosco, Molly-McGill Carter, Julian Chapin, Marc deFontnouvelle, Boe Farmer, Naomi Graver, Norah Madden-Lunsford, Katha Sikka, Lily Snider and Sarah Yang for their creative nonfiction class taught by Marjorie Gellhorn Sa’adah.

One Byte At A Time Fund-Raiser for Uganda

The Friends of Canon Gideon Foundation USA (FOCAGIFO) is hosting a picnic, 6–8 p.m., Sunday, July 12, at St. Mary’s Sewanee. This year’s goal is to raise funds for the Hope Institute near Kampala, Ugangda, to furnish a classroom with desktop and laptop computers.

Sewanee politics department professor Amy Patterson will talk at 6:45 p.m. about her recent trip to Africa and the needs of HIV orphans and other vulnerable youth in Uganda. 

A picnic supper will be served on the porch at 7:15 p.m. Bazzania Girls Band will introduce a new song. 

The event also celebrates the Sewanee community’s increasing involvement with FOCAGIFO. Paige Schneider and Mila Dragojevic, professors in the Sewanee politics department, have visited the school this summer; five Sewanee students are doing summer internships there.

Since last July, funds raised in Sewanee have helped purchase a Toyota van for the Hope Institute. They have also paid for pediatric ophthalmology testing for a child and enrolled her in a special boarding school for the blind near Kampala. 

For more information contact Sally Hubbard at 598-5338 or email <sally@hubbard.net>.

A Crescendo of Activity in Music Festival’s Final Week

Ten concerts in six days promise to make the final week of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival the busiest week of the 2015 season. Small groups of students are also playing “Pop Up” concerts this week, offering unannounced appearances around Sewanee.

The Jacqueline Avent Concerto Concert, featuring the five winners of the concerto competition, will be at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 16, in Guerry Auditorium. The competition finalists are cellist Bethany Bobbs, age 12 from Atlanta, Ga.; percussionist Matt Flanders, age 19 of Houston, Texas; pianist Avendaño Fonseca, age 22 from Bogota, Columbia; trombonist Tom Kelley, age 20 of Appleton, Wisc.; and violinist Beibei Sheng, age 29 from the People’s Republic of China. Walter E. Nance and Mayna Avent Nance established the prize, which makes the awards in the concerto concert in the last week of the Festival.

The seventh annual Bassoon Zoom will be at 4 p.m., Friday, July 17, in Guerry Auditorium. The Festival Brass Concert takes place at 10 p.m., Saturday, July 18, in All Saints’ Chapel. For a complete list of concerts go to <www.sewaneemusicfestival.org>.

The History of the Famous Sewanee Dog Show

 by Matt Petrilla, M.D., Special to the Messenger

On July 1, 1986, Jeanette Hamilton, who was then the crotchety chief of the Sewanee Hospital laboratory, was sitting in the hospital cafeteria, along with other hospital staff, looking out its large glass window. 

“We need to have something for these old folks to celebrate the Fourth of July,” she declared. (At that time the hospital served as a part-time nursing home facility). “I’ve got it! Let’s have a Kids’ Dog Show out here on the grass!” You two new docs—put it together! (Diane Petrilla and I had just arrived on the Mountain three weeks earlier and were “fresh meat,” as Jeanette saw us). And the rest is history.

With two days to advertise and prepare, the first Sewanee Mutt Show consisted of a wooden show ring and an entrance banner (still used to this day). The awards were a squeaky toy, box of dog treats and a leather chew bone. Seven dogs were entered, and three kids went home squealing in delight at their achievement. Hamilton’s post-show evaluation was ruthless. “Not enough kids!” “Terrible prizes!” “That stunk!”

The second year had 15 hopeful kids and dogs, three official-looking generic ribbons for awards and boxes of doughnuts. (And, of course, those copycats started the cat show next door!) Post-show critique by Hamilton was, again, embarrassing. “Terrible turnout!!” “Doughnuts?! Who gives doughnuts as dog show awards?!” she barked.

For the third Sewanee Mutt Show, Sewanee resident jocks were asked to donate their old, dusty trophies stored in attics and basements to be refurbished. Community response was tremendous, and at least 100 trophies dating back to 1930 were converted to dog trophies for the next years, as continues to this day. Twenty dogs entered the third year, and the new prizes were a big hit, as grinning children walked off with trophies taller than they were. Finally, post-show evaluation got a “Not bad”from Hamilton. “But don’t slack off next year—or else!” she cautioned.

Over the years, changes were made to be politically correct, per the adults. The “Mutt” Show was changed to the “Dog” Show. The first categories were: Biggest Dog, Smallest, Ugliest, Best Trick, Owner-Dog Look-alike. 

But Ugly, Biggest and Smallest were felt to be discriminatory and thrown out. The venue was moved to the University football field, then to the site in Manigault Park on University Avenue used today. In 2005, cumbersome paper sign-in sheets were replaced with complex computer sign in, as we “progressed.” Adults got a piece of the action as judges sometimes awarded prizes to the adults’ dogs, but they were redirected to the origins of the show as an event for children. 

The emcee job was alternated until Lizzie Clark Duncan took the microphone. The crowds love Lizzie so much that she is now snagged to do the announcing as often as possible. 

“Best Dog Joke” was added to the show to fill in time as the judges made their decisions. Benches were added to accommodate the growing crowds of people and the ring made bigger to accommodate the great number of dogs participating. 

The highest number of entrants was 70 dogs in 1995, and someone (unofficially) counted 400 onlookers one year. The show was never canceled for rain until the first time in 2013, with organizers facing severe criticism encountered for “wimping out.” [Rain plans for this year’s celebration can be found on page 11.]

The show began raising money a few years ago, with donations going to Animal Harbor for proper care of homeless dogs.

Thank you to Jeanette Hamilton for the original idea and early “direction,” and thank you to the many people over the years that made the Sewanee Dog Show a part of Sewanee’s fantastic Fourth of July celebration.

Otey Parish Calls Lamborn as New Rector

The vestry of Otey Memorial Parish is pleased to announce that its new rector will be the Rev. Dr. Robert C. Lamborn. The news was reported to the congregation on June 28.

“I am very excited to be undertaking shared ministry with this active, thoughtful, and uniquely situated congregation,” Lamborn said. “This is a welcome homecoming for my wife and me, and we are confident our daughter will flourish here.” Lamborn will begin at Otey on August 17.

“We are delighted that Rob will be joining us at Otey Parish,” said senior warden Steve Ford. “With the opening of the renovated and expanded Claiborne Parish House and the energy of our congregation, we are poised for a new chapter in Otey’s rich history in this community.”

Lamborn most recently has been serving as interim rector at St. James the Less Episcopal Church in Scarsdale, N.Y. For close to eight years (2004–12), he was rector at Christ Church Riverdale in the Bronx, where he led a campaign to add handicapped accessibility, build a new pipe organ and address decades of deferred maintenance on the historic property. He was rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Crawfordsville, Ind., 1996–2004. The chief area of growth during his service at St. John’s was Christian Education, including implementation of Godly Play and the Rite 13/Journey to Adulthood program.

Lamborn is a 1994 graduate of the School of Theology in Sewanee, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He earned a Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, in 1987 from University of Georgia. Before coming to Sewanee for seminary, he was in a Ph.D. program in musicology at Indiana University. He earned a Doctor of Ministry in Ministry Development in 2007 from Virginia Theological Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1995.

While in seminary, Rob met Amy Bentley, also a student at the School of Theology. They married and have a daughter, Caroline. Amy is also an Episcopal priest and holds a Ph.D in psychiatry and religion from Union Theological Seminary, New York City. For the past four years she has been on the faculty at General Theological Seminary in New York.

“We offer our thanks to the Search Committee for its fine work,” Ford said.

Boy Named Banjo Begins Weekend Music

Fresh from the stage at Bonnaroo, Boy Named Banjo will perform at 6 p.m., today (Friday), July 3, at the Angel Park Pavilion in downtown Sewanee; if it rains, the concert will move next door to the American Legion Hall. 

This performance marks the band’s third year playing at the Friday Nights in the Park, hosted by the Sewanee Business Alliance. Band members Barton Davies and William Reames are Sewanee students; they are joined on stage by Will Logan, Sam McCullough and Abe Scott.

University Avenue will be closed at 4:30 p.m. so guests can safely enjoy all the activities, including local vendors offering food and drink. 

The annual Fourth of July-eve Street Dance will begin at 8 p.m., at the Sewanee Market. This year’s band is Last Rebel, comprised of Neal Parson (lead vocals), Mike Norman (bass), Tony Green (lead guitar) and David Green (drums). In case of rain, the Street Dance will move to Cravens Hall.

Hike to a Concert

The annual Hike to a Concert, one of the highlights of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, is set for 6 p.m., Friday, July 10. This year’s location is the patio at the Sewanee Inn, where guests can listen to the music and enjoy the view, rain or shine.

Music Festival to Honor Martha McCrory’s Birthday

The Sewanee Summer Music Festival will celebrate the 95th birthday of Martha McCrory on Sunday, July 12. As part of the Sewanee Symphony’s 3:30 p.m. concert, there will be cake, and the orchestra will strike up “Happy Birthday” and invite the audience to join in singing. McCrory served as executive director of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival (SSMF) from 1963 until 1998. 

In 1957, Vice-Chancellor Edward McCrady had a vision of recreating the Cumberland Forest Festival. From the beginning, McCrory served multiple roles: cello faculty, business manager and recruiter, while helping launch SSMF prior to being named executive director.

“It is a joy to celebrate Martha’s 95th birthday, especially as we prepare to mark the 60th anniversary of the Festival,” said Katherine Lehman, SSMF director since 2010. “Martha’s legacy continues to echo through the Mountain.” 

McCrory lives near her family in Quincy, Ill., and will view the celebration via a live stream. A DVD of the occasion will also be sent to her family.