Regents Define Process for University Avenue Decisions :: Will Gather Data, Ideas & Opinions

The University of the South board of regents concluded two days of meetings on Sept. 22; among other actions, the board unanimously adopted a statement defining the process for locating a new University Commons. No decisions have yet been reached about this complex issue.

In the statement [see page 7], the regents expressed the need for additional data as they continue to deliberate the best long-term uses of various sites along University Avenue. Along with professional reports, the board and the vice-chancellor will solicit additional community input. Vice-Chancellor John McCardell will establish a process, including both public meetings and written comments, for gathering ideas and opinions.

The board of regents will review possible sites for the Commons that include the Rebel’s Rest site, the Fulford Hall site, and the space immediately adjacent to the University Supply Store to the north of the pathway through Elliott Park, in addition to the Thompson Union site as well as other sites that may emerge in the course of the study. The board reiterated that its focus will remain on providing an excellent learning environment for Sewanee students.

AngelFest Tonight

Sewanee’s AngelFest will kick-off at 4:30 p.m., today (Friday), Sept. 25, with kids’ activities including games, science demonstrations, a bounce house and face painting, wild animals, helium balloons, arts and crafts, marshmallow poppers and a Canine Musical Sit contest (musical chairs with dogs and owners).

For adults, this year there will be a Beer Flight at local restaurants. After purchasing a $10 ticket, participants can taste selected beers at different locations. A portion of the proceeds from this event will go toward funding the Elliott Park playground.

The children’s activities will finish by 7 p.m.; area restaurants and mobile food vendors will be serving food.

Jason Eskridge will take the stage at 7:30 p.m., under the kite at Angel Park. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and sit under the stars to enjoy the rest of the evening.

AngelFest is organized and sponsored by Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions. For the full schedule of event activities, go to <www.sewaneeangelfest.blogspot.com>. The Angel Park and Pavilion were created by the Sewanee Business Alliance.

“Blow Ye the Trumpet” Hymn Festival

The University Choir will host a hymn festival at 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, under the direction of Richard Webster, director of music at Trinity Church Copley Square, in Boston. He will be joined by organist Colin Lynch, associate director of music at Trinity Church, and 10 members of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra brass and percussion sections. Other participating choirs will be coming 

from Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Murfreesboro, South Pittsburg, Fort Ogelthorpe, Ga., and Huntsville. 

“The exuberance of singing hymns alongside enthusiastic musicians and non-musicians alike, accompanied by the majestic Casavant organ and a splendid brass ensemble, all in the glorious acoustics of Sewanee’s All Saints Chapel, is an experience not to be missed,” said Robert Delcamp, professor of music and university organist. “As group singing is increasingly rare in our time, don’t miss the joy, fun and transcendence this occasion promises for all involved.” 

Pamela Macfie, professor of English at Sewanee, will read selections from poems, scripture and spiritual writings between the singing of the hymns. 

All are invited to attend this festival and make a joyful noise by singing some of your favorite hymns for the church year. 

SUD Midway Booster Site Selected

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Sept. 22 meeting, the Board of Commissioners of the Sewanee Utility District of Franklin and Marion Counties received encouraging updates on the Midway pressure boosting station and the constructed wetlands project, two initiatives that had suffered some setbacks.

Commissioner Randall Henley has met repeatedly with affected property owners to select a site for the Midway pressure boosting station. Plans now call for locating the station on the corner of Midway Road and Leaky Pond Road. The location change will slightly increase electrical line costs, SUD manager Ben Beavers said, but more Midway residents will benefit from the increase in water pressure. SUD hopes to complete the project this fall, weather permitting.

Sewanee biology professor Deborah McGrath reported on the constructed wetlands project (being undertaken jointly by the University of the South and the University of Georgia) to examine using wetlands to treat wastewater. Plans call for installing the wetlands at the SUD wastewater treatment plant. The site first proposed had deeper soil, McGrath said. The site finally settled on had shallower soil and surface rock. As a result construction costs increased by $2,000 due to the need to move more dirt. The researchers have decided to scale down the project site from one acre to slightly over one-quarter acre to save money. 

McGrath said she’s pleased by the design revisions. The smaller wetlands will be “easier to manage” and “look more natural,” making it more attractive to visitors. She stressed the goal of “educating people about water and water needs.” Plans call for breaking ground this fall and to begin planting in February. There may be an opportunity for community members to participate in the planting process.

Reviewing operations, Beavers said unaccounted for water loss has decreased to 18 percent from an average of 22–23 percent prior to SUD installing automated meter reading technology (AMR) in 2014. Unaccounted for water loss is the difference between water produced and water registered as passing through customer meters, meaning SUD is not paid for the water. The new AMR meters more accurately record water use.

Beavers’ goal is to reduce unaccounted for water loss to 15 percent. To aid in detecting water leaks in the main service lines, SUD recently installed zone meters in Sewanee Summit and Jump Off. Plans call for a zone meter in Midway, as well. Beavers said the 28 miles of line in the Jump Off community appear to be leak free.

Looking at budget considerations for 2016, Beavers cited two sewer-system related expenses in the capital improvement budget, repairing leaks in the sewer line and rebuilding the Mikell Lane pumping station. A recent video camera inspection of sewer lines revealed numerous leaks. Repairing the sewer line “is going to be a long, expensive process,” Beavers said. To save money, SUD plans to rebuild the Mikell Lane station at a cost of $50,000 rather than replace the station entirely which would cost $200,000. On the operations budget side, Beavers noted an increase in health insurance costs.

Beavers anticipates a 2016 rate increase of 2.5 percent or less, “depending on the capital improvements SUD undertakes.” SUD’s consulting firm Raftelis Financial recommends an annual rate increase of 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent to cover the cost of capital improvement needs.

The SUD board next meets on Oct. 27.

University Sequesters Carbon and Conducts Research in Haiti

By Duncan Pearce C’17

Special to the Messenger

Earlier this year the University of the South made its first payments for carbon sequestration to farmers in Haiti’s Central Plateau. This represented a milestone for Zanmi Kafe (Haitian Creole for Partners in Coffee) and a Zanmi Agrikol (Partners in Agriculture) to develop the first payment for ecosystem services program in Haiti, a project initiated by students working with Sewanee biology professor Deborah McGrath. 

Launched in 2013 with the establishment of a 15,000 seedling nursery in the mountainous region of Bois Jolie, Zanmi Kafe promotes carbon sequestration through the planting and care of trees. The project has developed into a large collaborative effort aimed at improving livelihoods by reversing the negative impacts of deforestation. The project involves outreach students and interns from Sewanee, as well as Haitian interns, agronomists and farmers.

For many rural Haitian families, cutting trees to grow crops or produce charcoal is a primary source of income. However, this practice of forest-clearing erodes hillsides and subsequently lowers soil productivity, which exacerbates poverty and poor health in the region. After examining reforestation efforts in the developing world for more than a decade, McGrath concluded that breaking this vicious cycle would require some form of financial incentive that could offset the opportunity cost of maintaining trees in lieu of making charcoal. 

The idea behind payments for ecosystem services is that companies or universities desiring to offset their carbon footprint purchase credits from sellers engaging in carbon sequestration activities, such as tree planting. The payments are made to landowners to maintain ecological services such as carbon sequestration, watershed protection and biodiversity provision. 

When the idea of planting trees was discussed with the farmers of Bois Jolie, they wanted to grow coffee like their parents once did. Because coffee grows well in a shaded understory, it encourages the planting of a diverse agroforestry system that provides fruit and other products. Paying farmers to sequester carbon encourages them to plant and protect seedlings as well as maintain existing trees that provide shade for the coffee. 

Unlike most carbon-offset programs (in which credits are purchased on the open market), Sewanee students directly support tree planting. The Sewanee Student Government Association agreed to use part of the student Green Fee for sustainability projects. Last spring, following her outreach trip to Haiti, student Mary Cash led an effort to raise awareness about how students can pledge their fee to support reforestation efforts in Haiti. Nearly 400 students pledged their fee, and it was from these funds that 45 Haitian farmers were paid for planting seedlings the preceding summer. On a March 2015 Spring Break outreach trip led by Dixon Myers, Sewanee students hiked to each farm to count, measure and assess the health of every seedling that could be found. This exhaustive survey provided data necessary to calculate the carbon payments for the farmers and furnished a baseline for future monitoring. On-farm research conducted by Sewanee and Haitian student interns provides information that will help farmers manage the system more sustainably. A baseline survey of ant, beetle and bird diversity will be used to assess the impact of the agroforestry system on the region’s ecology. Photosynthesis measurements help determine the optimal light level for coffee productivity and health. 

A sister project, Zanmi Foto, started by Sewanee art professor, photographer Pradip Malde, trains Zanmi Kafe families to document their lives in a way that stimulates conversation among friends, and neighbors. The Zanmi Foto archive already has about 20,000 photographs. 

For folks who have been participating in this project for years, the first distribution of carbon payments was more than just another step down the long road to reforestation; this day was the culmination of years of hard work. The payments connecting Sewanee students to farmers demonstrate Sewanee’s care and commitment to the well-being of its Haitian friends. Zanmi Kafe and Zanmi Foto are about integrating outreach, sustainability and hands-on problem-solving to create respectful, long-lasting relationships that better the lives of all those involved. 

The Sewanee-Haiti Institute would like to thank the Sommer and Harris families as well as the global outreach program at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School for their generous support. To learn more go to <www.haiti.sewanee.edu>. 

Jason Eskridge at AngelFest on Sept. 25

Singer Jason Eskridge will perform at the fifth annual AngelFest on Friday, Sept. 25, in the Angel Park in Sewanee. Family-friendly activities will begin at 4:30 p.m.; this year’s plans include face-painting, inflatables, hands-on building projects and wild animal presentations.

Eskridge and his band will begin at 7:30 p.m. He is a native of Tennessee and is known for his soul-acoustic-folk music. Later this year Eskridge will be touring with the Zac Brown Band.

AngelFest is organized and sponsored by Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions. For the full schedule of event activities, go to <www.sewaneeangelfest.blogspot.com>. The Angel Park and Pavilion were created by the Sewanee Business Alliance, which is committed to developing the downtown area as a center for families, businesses and nonprofits to enjoy the lifestyle Sewanee offers and to build relationships throughout the community.

DuBose Lectures Begin on Wednesday

Sarah Coakley, the Norris-Hulse Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University, will deliver three lectures during the School of Theology’s 2015 DuBose Lectures, Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 23–24. At 9 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23, she will talk on “Return to Sacrifice? Biblical and Historical Mandates for a Messy Metaphor”; at 1:45 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23, she will lecture about “Repressing Sacrifice? Freudian and Feminist Critiques in a Modern Era”; and at 9 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 24, her topic will be “Rescuing Sacrifice? The Irreducible Significance of Sacrifice in a Théologie Totale.”

The DuBose Lectures are open to the public and free of charge, made possible by the DuBose Lecture Fund.

Coakley is a systematic theologian and philosopher of religion with wide interdisciplinary interests. She is currently writing a four-volume work in systematic theology, the first volume of which (“God, Sexuality and the Self: An Essay ‘On the Trinity’”) was published in 2013. Her related apologetic work spans the divides between natural science, social science and philosophy of religion. In her writings for the church she is especially concerned with the tight connection of spiritual practice, asceticism and contemporary theories of gender and race.

The annual DuBose Lectures feature prominent theologians from around the world and are based on the lectures given by William Porcher DuBose in 1911. Beginning in 1871, DuBose served the University of the South for more than 37 years in various positions and is widely regarded as being the most influential American theologian of the Episcopal Church. 

School Board Asks County to Release Funds :: Monies Would Pay Off Debt from New High School

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Sept. 14 meeting of the Franklin County Board of Education, the board approved a letter addressed to the Franklin County Commission, county mayor and county attorney asking the county to release $2.5 million in funds reserved for school system debt service to pay off the debt for the new high school. The board also elected officers and approved a contribution to the health savings plans of school system employees.

Summarizing the history of the request for release of the debt service repayment funds, board chair Kevin Caroland said in 2011 the county commission passed a resolution capping annual sales tax revenue released to the schools at $3.9 million, reserving the excess for debt service repayment. Law stipulates the school system receive 50 percent of sales tax. According to the school district’s attorney, the county does not have the right to determine how the school district spends sales tax revenue.

The amount held in reserve is sufficient to pay off the debt for the new high school, Caroland said, a debt the school system has been paying off at the rate of $250,000 annually. The letter asks the county commission to abolish the sales tax cap and release the debt-service funds held in reserve for high school debt repayment.

Caroland and CleiJo Walker were re-elected to serve as board chair and vice chair, respectively, for the 2015–16 school year.

Franklin County Deputy Finance Director Cynthia Latham reviewed the Health Savings Plan insurance option recently approved by the state and now available to school system employees. Premiums are significantly lower, Latham said, but employees considering a Health Savings Plan needed to take into account the significantly higher deductible and maximum out-of-pocket expenses, totaling $4,850 annually for a family. The school system would see an average savings of $165 per month for each employee who adopts the plan. The board voted to contribute the savings to employees health savings accounts if they switched to a health savings plan.

Addressing the concern of school principals that their schools did not have the technology resources needed for students to practice for the new Common Core testing protocol, in which all testing is done on the computer. Franklin County Director of Schools Amie Lonas said she would work with Latham to try to find money in the budget to address the need. Lonas estimated the cost at $140,000.

Updating the board on the status of the Air Force Junior ROTC program, Franklin County High School Principal Greg Mantooth said currently the school system funded the program which had one instructor and 49 students. To qualify for ROTC funding the program needed two instructors and 100 students.

The ROTC will terminate the program at the end of the year if the school system did not meet the criterion, Lonas said. Caroland asked Lonas to investigate ways of boosting enrollment if the school system hired an additional instructor.

Huntland girls soccer coach Brian Norcross asked the board to consider purchasing six acres across from Huntland School for use as a playing and practice field. The team currently practices on the baseball outfield, hampering the team’s performance when they compete on a standard size field at games. The board expressed provisionary approval for the purchase and asked for more information on drainage needs and rezoning.

On the recommendation of a middle school coach, Lonas asked the board to consider revising the student-athlete drug testing policy and to switch to using urine analysis or fingernail analysis instead of hair sample analysis, which some students find objectionable. The analysis requires 40–50 hairs cut from the scalp line, 1.5 inches in length. Lonas will draft a revised drug testing policy and present it to the board for review.

In keeping with Lonas’ decision to give the board the opportunity to visit area schools, the board met at Broadview Elementary School. Lonas congratulated Broadview for earning TCAP Reward School designation.

The board scheduled a working session on Oct. 5 and the next regular meeting on Oct. 12.

Playing Big Chess in the Realm of Angels

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer
A flock of chimney swifts sweep the sky above the chess board as dusk approaches—occasionally one of them darts into the Lemon Fair’s chimney.

Freddy Saussy watches the swifts’ frenzy as his opponent, Charles Whitmer, studies the three-foot high chess pieces and ponders his strategy.

Big chess, with oversized plastic pieces weighted with sand bags that sometimes require two hands to move, is an event that occurs every Wednesday evening at Angel Park in Sewanee. The set belongs to Charles, who has a vision of Sewanee becoming “the destination for big chess” in the world. He imagines big chess boards at different points on the Domain.

“That is a mighty exposed king there,” Charles chides Freddy after a series of moves. “But he’s got space. I like space,” Freddy laughs. “That’s the only rationale I can come up with to why he’s exposed there.”

Charles discovered the big chess set at an antiques store in Cowan, and it called to him, not unlike the “needful things” from Stephen King’s novel. “I had an ‘I’ve got to have that’ feeling stronger than I’ve had in a long time,” Charles says. “I thought, ‘If they want my kidney they can have it, or I can pawn my (wedding) ring.’” 

Later, Charles’ parents tell him about a picture of when Charles was 3 years old, hugging a giant queen chess piece in Finland. “Apparently this (fascination) has been buried deep in my psyche for 40 years,” he says.

Charles didn’t offer any vital organs or the symbol of his vows to his wife Kelly Whitmer, a Sewanee history professor. He did strike a deal to make payments on the set and a few months later he hauled it up the Mountain in the back of his pickup truck. While parked on University Avenue, a couple of log cabin assemblers from Kentucky took an interest and started pulling the pieces out of the truck.

“Can we play with these?” they asked when Charles returned to his truck.

“I was just planning on taking it home and playing in the backyard,” Charles recalls. “Then some kid started showing them how to play.” Thus, Wednesday evening big chess was born.

Stephen Carter, a local handyman, climbs the steps to Angel Park to watch the Saussy–Whitmer match. He tells them they’ve got the board set up all wrong, “white always on right and the Queen takes her color.” 

A little later, Tom Phelps stops by the match. He is a Sewanee resident and a physician in Tullahoma who is a sleep disorder specialist.

“Chess is really good because the brain can relax for a moment while it’s working,” Tom comments.

Freddy started strong and a handful of Charles’ captured pieces sit along the Angel Park wall, but now Charles is coming back and decorates his side of the wall with two white pawns and a rook.

“Big chess has sort of a “Wee!” factor that’s missing from regular chess,” Charles says.

The knights waiting patiently all have goofy grins on their faces, maybe because Charles complains that the grease from the hamburger he’s eating makes it hard to move the pieces.

Freddy totes a captured pawn with two hands and walks it from the board to the wall of death. A donation jar also perches on the wall, stuffed with greenbacks that Charles hopes will eventually grow to be enough to purchase a 5-foot-tall community chess set.

Tom has left, but Susan Holmes of Sewanee arrives with her two black Labrador retrievers on leashes. One of the puppies runs around the board and its leash hits a rook but the stately castle barely budges. Susan asks Charles if he’ll watch the dogs while she places an order at the Blue Chair across the street. With one black lab in his arms, and Carter watching the other puppy, Charles needs help.

“Can you kill your own guy for me?” he asks Freddy. Freddy captures his own pawn. 

Darkness has fallen. Someone utters checkmate and Freddy is finally victorious. He also wins the next match. A small knot of brew-bolstered onlookers have gathered; Freddy and theology student Paul Schutz play to a stalemate.

With the hour late, the small but hearty team of men load big chess back into Charles’ truck. Any resolutions or revenge matches will have to wait until next Wednesday, when Angel Park hosts another clash between two armies. 

IONA Opens New Season of Readings & Art

The Autumn Assembly of Authors at IONA: Art Sanctuary opens this month with a full slate of readings and art exhibits. The public is welcome, all events are free, and parking is available.

At 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 18, there will be an exhibition of photographs by Sewanee native Elizabeth Core. Readers will be Lynn Cimino-Hurt, Chris McDonough and Laura Willis. Cimino-Hurt is a local writer and artist; she will read poetry. McDonough is a professor of classics at Sewanee who blogs regularly at <www.uncomelyandbroken.wordpress.com>.

At 2 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, there will be a tribute to Fulford Hall. Leslie Richardson will offer an introduction to poetry by David Landon and Richard Tillinghast. Billy Terrell will provide music. Core’s photography will also be on display.

On Friday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m., there will be readings of poetry and verse by Virginia Craighill and Camila Hwang-Carlos. Bill Yelverton will accompany on guitar. 

At 2 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 27, Eugene Ham will talk about Fayetteville history; there will be readings by Alric McDermott, Jennifer Michael and Stephen Feeley.

On Oct. 2 and Oct. 4, Rachel Malde will have an exhibit of her photography; Alston McCrady will also exhibit photographs. Readers will include April Berends, Yolande and Robin Gottfried, Robie Jackson and Waring McCrady.

On Oct. 9 and Oct. 11, there will be a painting exhibit by Addison Willis. Readers will include Kiki Beavers and John Beavers, Kevin Cummings, Noah Feeley, Luann Landon, Leslie Lytle and Bran Potter. The theatre students of St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School will also perform at IONA that weekend.

IONA: Art Sanctuary, founded by Sewanee artist Ed Carlos, exists “to offer a place for writers and artists to share their creative work with each other and the community, and our emphasis is the source: creativity and spirituality.”

Refreshments are served after each program. These events are free and open to the public. Additional dates and readers will be announced throughout the fall. IONA: Art Sanctuary is located at 630 Garnertown Rd., Sewanee.

Sewanee Fog Creates Bonds and a Little Magic

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

The Fog was finished. Down 9-2 in the bottom of the last inning, the Sewanee Fog, the community’s coed softball team, had very little hope for a win on that sticky July night in Winchester.

Leadoff man Kevin Hiers hit a liner, and first baseman Michelle Thibodeaux followed with a hit, and suddenly the team had life. The Fog capitalized on a few lucky breaks, and kept hitting and hustling. McKenzie Liegel ran through a stop sign from third-base coach Jimmy Wilson to score, and a short time later the stage was set, down 9-8, two outs, Freddy Saussy at third and Melanie Pozuc—the winning run—on second.

A base hit to right field, and Pozuc scored just ahead of the throw to the plate to complete the miracle comeback.

“I can’t believe what I just saw,” an elated Wilson kept repeating as he walked off the field.

Third baseman Brian Owens, who got a key hit in the rally, said he’ll never forget that game.

“The runner on third scored easily, and little Melanie is flying around third as fast as she can go, and I’m yelling, ‘Go! Go! Go!’” Owens recalled. “A close play at home, but she is safe, 10-9. History in the making, Sewanee wins!”

The post-game celebration was a bit raucous after the big win, which came two days after the Fog’s first victory of the season on July 21, a 28-1 hit parade. Although those were the only two wins this year, the team stayed upbeat throughout the season.

Head coach Mike Murrah, who now has a combined 2-59 record as Fog coach (he is assistant coach of the University of the South softball team), was known for rousing post-game speeches at the Village Tavern (the team’s sponsor), where he hailed the Fog as “just below awesome.” 

“We were dedicated to the proposition that all softball players were created equal, but it did not always pan out on the field. Oddly enough, when it came to after-game celebrations, we were clearly superior to other softball players,” Murrah said proudly.

Indeed, this team, comprised of players of different skill levels, ages and occupations, bonded in the grass and pebble-filled dirt on the field, and after, amongst the cold beer, bloody knees, bruises, sweat and camaraderie, it was impossible to tell if they had won or lost.

The team’s solidarity was especially on display in early August, when Owens had to miss several games while he visited his mom, who was dying in Billings, Mont. After Shirley Owens passed away, the Fog sent flowers (which included purple and white team colors) to the funeral service and a message of love to their teammate in Montana.

“I just want to thank you all for the awesome flowers you sent, and more importantly, caring enough about me to do that. The only tears I shed today was when I saw those flowers and card from you all,” Owens wrote his teammates in an email.

Outfielder Marcia Medford shared her thoughts on the team’s bond. 

“When I joined the Sewanee Fog, I only knew one person on the team,” she said. “I now have a lot of new friends. What could be better than that?”

Second baseman Caroline Holmes, a Sewanee junior, echoed Medford’s feelings. “I was a little concerned about being the youngest player on the team, but I was overwhelmed by the amount of support and sense of community that we developed as a team throughout the season. I look forward to seeing those friendly faces around town,” Holmes said.

The Fog ended its season on Aug. 13 with a 15-5 loss in the league tournament. After the game a player on the opposing team emphasized how great it was to see a Sewanee team playing in Winchester again after a long absence. 

“I thought that was a cool thing to say,” said outfielder Sally Krebs. “Let’s see if he has the same feeling after we beat them next year. I’m kidding, but hopefully we can build on the magic and experience from this season.”

Sarah and Jimmy Wilson are co-owners of the Village Tavern, and they helped make the team possible. Jimmy said the Fog is about community, not wins and losses, and they will sponsor another softball team next year.

Fog players this season also included Cindy Geick, Ida Zago, Justin Campbell, Sandy Bryant, Osei Hill, Will Overton, Kevin Cummings, Sarah Brown, Ellis Mayfield, Kate Stucke, Rob Zeitler, Haynes Roberts and Kelly Farina.

VISTA Program Announces 2015–16 Team

Five new volunteers are joining three continuing members for the second year of the South Cumberland Americorps VISTA Program.

“The first-year team of VISTA volunteers can be proud of what they accomplished in partnership with community organizations all across this area. We think this new team will build on those successes by continuing to build community, organizational and leadership capacity here on the Plateau,” said Jim Peterman, director of community engagement at the University of the South, which is the organizational home for the VISTA program. 

The volunteers (who include four Sewanee graduates) and their assignments in the community are Elaine Babb Taylor, C’15, community ambassador coordinator, Discover Together; Jennifer Horton, C’15, communication and assessment coordinator, Mountain T.O.P.; Spike Hosch, C ’12, economic development coordinator, Babson Center; Erica Teasley, C’11, economic development coordinator, Grundy County Mayor’s Office; 

Kelly Farina, healthy living coordinator, Sewanee Dining; McKenzie Liegel, school health activities coordinator, Grundy County Health Council; Bobby Luffman, health network coordinator with Grundy County Health Council; and Hilda Vaughan, grant writing and nonprofit management coordinator with South Cumberland Community Fund.

In 2014–15 the VISTA program members organized and implemented mobile food pantries, partnered with USDA to develop a summer meal program, secured funding for school garden projects and health activities in schools, created a local weatherization network, and researched and developed best practices for community ambassador, work force and economic development programs.

The VISTA program, a collaboration between the South Cumberland Community Fund, the University, and community partners, has started programs on the South Cumberland Plateau to address community-identified needs and pressing issues such as food security, education and economic development. By partnering with the VISTA program, local nonprofit groups are leveraging their resources to provide better outcomes for themselves and the clients they serve.

VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Authorized in 1964 and founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993. VISTA has been on the forefront of ending poverty in America for 50 years.

For more information, visit <www.southcumberlandcommunityfund.org/capacity-building> or contact Nicky Hamilton, VISTA director, at <nhamilto@sewanee.edu>.

Council Learns About “Trial” Crossing Lights :: County Studied Traffic Flow Before Installation

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Joe David McBee, Franklin County highway commissioner, told the Sewanee Community Council that the new crosswalks and lights in downtown area are “a trial” at their meeting on Aug. 31. 

“The crosswalks are a trial, but we hope they will be permanent,” McBee said. McBee attended the meeting to address the concerns in response to the two crosswalks and the solar warning lights installed in mid-July, one on University Avenue at the Blue Chair and Angel Park, and the other on Ball Park Road next to the Senior Citizens’ Center. The push-button style crosswalk warning lights were installed after traffic flow studies and two years of research by the Franklin County Highway Commission, McBee said.

On behalf of the Sewanee Business Alliance, council member Theresa Shackelford brought the need for a crosswalk in the Angel Park area to the council’s attention in June of 2014. Police Chief Marie Eldridge concurred, saying street-side parking posed hazards for pedestrians. After considering options, the council voted to approve a raised crosswalk and asked Eldridge to communicate the request to the highway commission.

The installation of the crosswalks and their accompanying warning lights came as a surprise to the council and the community when they were installed in July.

“Council members were at a loss to explain [to constituents] where the crosswalks came from and why,” Vice-Chancellor John McCardell said.

McBee said the Highway Department rejected the request for a raised crosswalk due to the difficulty of snow removal and the hazard to bicyclists. Stressing the need for the crosswalks, McBee said research and traffic flow studies showed motorists did not stop for pedestrians in these two locations, street-side parking often made it impossible to see children crossing, and motorists tended to speed in the area. The highway commission chose not to include an audible warning device on the crosswalks because of possible disturbance to people dining outside.

McBee said other options were considered, but the discussion and decision-making process did not take place at the public highway commission meetings.

“We want to be involved in discussions before decisions are made,” McCardell said, echoing the frustration of many council members. McBee agreed and said, “I think communication should be better.”

Highway superintendent Johnny Woodall brought to the council’s attention that many crosswalks in Sewanee were not marked with the regulation signage and had not been approved by the Highway Commission.

In 1969, the Franklin County Commission designated all roads in Sewanee as county roads, McBee said, making the county responsible for their maintenance. All signage, crosswalks and other highway markings must meet county regulations and be approved by the county. The county does not maintain and regulate roads in the incorporated communities of Cowan, Decherd and Winchester, McBee said.

Forty-eight community members have contacted McBee about the crosswalks, with only eight residents raising strong objections, he said. Some parents expressed concern the button was too high for small children to reach. State guidelines determine the height, McBee said, and smaller children should be accompanied by adults. Similarly, the button height meets compliance guidelines for ease of use by people in wheelchairs.

Council representative Barbara Schlichting asked if a “smaller, less obtrusive” design was an option, voicing a frequently overheard community complaint.

Woodall replied signage needed to be at least 30 inches by 30 inches to meet state statutes, and there were also concerns about motorists colliding with and destroying less sturdy signs. 

McCardell asked for details about how long the crosswalk trial period would last, what was being tested and on what basis would it be evaluated.

McBee said a one-year trial was planned, and he intended to revisit the issue with the council in a year to determine the community’s response.

“I don’t think anyone objects to the crosswalks,” McCardell said. “It’s an aesthetic discussion.”

McCardell encouraged residents to communicate their views through their council representatives and to the Sewanee Mountain Messenger. “This is the beginning rather than the end of a public discussion,” he said.

In other business, the council voted to appoint Pam Byerly and Dennis Meeks as Lease Committee representatives.

Responding to a question about the traffic roundabout proposed for the intersection of University Avenue and Highway 41A, Michael Gardner, director of physical plant services, said plans were “heading away from a roundabout to a simplified intersection. The state wants to keep traffic moving.” Although referred to as Highway 41A, the main highway passing through Sewanee is actually State Route 15, so it is subject to state regulation.

Schlichting reminded council representatives of the meeting with the Trustees Community Relations Committee on Oct. 14 and encouraged council representatives to be in communication with constituents so they could convey any community concerns. A community meet and greet will follow.

The council meets next on Oct. 19.

Community Chest Applications Due Sept. 12

The Sewanee Community Chest fund drive announces the beginning of the 2015–16 fund-raising campaign. Sponsored by the Sewanee Civic Association, the Sewanee Community Chest raises funds for local organizations that serve the common good. Funding applications are now being accepted. The deadline for submission is Saturday, Sept. 12. 

Please contact <se​waneecom​mu​nitychest@gmail.com> to have an application either emailed or mailed to your organization. 

A downloadable request for funds form is available at <https://sewanee​civic.wordpress.com/community-chest/funding-request/>.

Nonprofit organizations serving the Plateau are encouraged to apply. The Sewanee Community Chest does not allocate funds to organizations discriminating on the basis of race, creed, sex or national origin.

Last year the Sewanee Community Chest was able to help 27 organizations with a total of $101,400. 

The Sewanee Community Chest is a 501(c)3 organization, and donations are tax-deductible.

Folklorist David Brose in Sewanee for Three Events

John C. Campbell Folk School folklorist David Brose will make three presentations while in Sewanee on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 9–10. 

Brose will perform at the EQB Club on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at St. Mary’s Sewanee; the public is invited at 12:30 p.m. He will talk at the Monteagle Sewanee Rotary meeting, 8 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Sewanee Inn. His final presentation will be at the Academy of Lifelong Learning at noon, Thursday, Sept. 10, at St. Mary’s Sewanee. (Academy dues are $12 per year or $1 per meeting.) 

Although all three presentations will be different, at each event Brose will talk about the origin of the John C. Campbell Folk School and its current offerings, perform musical numbers and entertain the audiences with stories. 

Brose holds a bachelor’s degree in folklore from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in ethnomusicology from Indiana University. During his folkloric fieldwork, he collected musical selections of elder masters of the banjo spanning the 1970s to today, as well as traditional music in the American West and South.

He was the state folklorist in Colorado and Iowa and has done research for the Smithsonian Institution. Brose has played banjo since 1963; has produced many videos and radio documentaries, including radio programs for NPR; and has been folklorist at the Folk School since 1991. 

The John C. Campbell Folk School provides experiences in noncompetitive learning and community life that are joyful and enlivening. It is located in Brasstown, N.C., about a three-hour drive from Sewanee. 

“The first folk school classes concentrated on subjects such as geography and sociology, things you would learn in a more traditional school—along with native folk art, music, dance and crafts,” Brose said. “Today, the school no longer does the geography and sociology classes, but it still teaches in the folk school tradition. Folk schools place emphasis on the oral tradition. Almost all classes are taught word-of-mouth. It’s a circular, cyclical kind of learning. In discussions, everyone has something to add.” 

The school offers year-round week-long and weekend classes for adults in craft, art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, nature studies, photography and writing.