Elliott Park Ground- Breaking & Work Day

A special community work day to install the required surface material to complete the new playground at Elliott Park, will begin at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7. This will be followed by a grand opening of the renovated Elliott Park, with a celebration and ribbon cutting. 

The Sewanee Civic Association (SCA), in partnership with the University of the South, has brought to completion the second project in the Sewanee community parks system. The Phil White Dog Park was the first park that SCA sponsored in the community.

The community, along with the South Cumberland Community Fund, the Sewanee Community Council Funding Project, the Kaj Krogstad Memorial Fund, the Joel and Trudy Cunningham Charitable Fund, the Monteagle Sewanee Rotary and donations through a designated fund with the Sewanee Community Chest, donated more than $56,000 to purchase and install the new playground equipment, which is located in Elliott Park on University Avenue adjacent to the bookstore.

The mulch-like fiber surface material needs to be installed; community members are asked to sign up for shifts, as well as bring wheelbarrows, rakes and pitchforks to lend for the event. 

Volunteers should wear gloves and closed-toe shoes when working and children are welcome to participate. Snacks and beverages will be provided during the four hours. Volunteers are asked to sign up via the Sign Up Genius form at <www.signupgenius.com>; click Find A Sign Up and search using the volunteer coordinator email address <eduncan@sasweb.org>.

A minimum of 50 volunteers will be needed during the course of the day in order to spread the fiber material throughout the playground. Students from the College, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School and Boy Scout Troop 14 have been invited to participate, as well, to help complete the task.

The phrase “The more the merrier” could never be more true.

The celebratory festivities to honor the park’s opening will begin at 5 p.m., with live music from Sewanee’s The Hill Brothers Band featuring Paul Schutz, Tom Adamson and Chris Crigger. 

The Shenanigans Food Truck will be on hand, and everyone is invited to bring a blanket and picnic dinner if they choose to enjoy the first day of the new Elliott Park. 

Lessons & Carols Tickets Available on Nov. 2

The 56th annual Festival of Lessons and Carols at the University of the South will be celebrated at three services, one on Dec. 5, and two on Dec. 6.

As part of the University’s outreach to others, the Chapel is pleased to offer available places in the service for reservations. Online reservations will be available at 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 2. 

Go to<www.sewanee.edu/student-life/spiritual-life/56th-annual-festival-of-lessons-and-carols/> to make reservations. For more information call 598-3247 or email <lessonsandcarols@sewanee.edu>.

University Schedules Two Workshops for Input

University Avenue Planning

The University of the South is hosting a planning session to gather input on how the University develops a plan for the University Avenue corridor. Community members, alumni, faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend the session at 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 12, in Convocation Hall.

These meetings are part of the decision-making process laid out recently by the Board of Regents and the Vice-Chancellor.

The University Avenue corridor is defined as the area from Georgia Avenue to the University Book and Supply Store and Print Services along both sides of the street—including the Rebel’s Rest site, Convocation Hall, the Quad, Fulford Hall, Thompson Union, All Saints’ Chapel, McClurg, the bookstore and Chen Hall.

Attendees of the public meetings should come prepared to discuss these questions: Where should the University locate the University Commons? What are the best and most appropriate uses for the University Avenue corridor to serve the long-term interests of the University and its community?

For more information go to <se​wanee.edu/uaplanning/> or email
<ehartman@sewanee.edu>.

Downtown Master Plan

In conjunction with consultants Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC), the University is working to develop a plan for the Sewanee downtown area. The next step in the process will be a virtual workshop, 5–7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 12, in the upstairs meeting rooms in McClurg Dining Hall. For people who cannot attend the event, they may participate online (details below).

During the workshop the University’s town planner will present the plan developed during workshops held in August. This is an opportunity for interested parties to provide ideas and feedback on the draft plan and to help finalize the vision for downtown Sewanee. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and give feedback on the plan before the final draft is completed in December 2015.

TPUDC has been charged with finalizing a downtown master plan with specific steps for future growth, and overseeing design and development. TPUDC’s workshops in August resulted in a draft plan to create a more vibrant downtown area that will attract investment and support mixed-use development at a village scale. 

To participate in the workshop online, go to <www.GoToWebinar.com>. Click “Join Webinar” and enter Webinar ID # 101-745-131. Please register prior to the Nov. 12 event. 

Council Discusses Transfer Fee & Ground Rent :: Local Trick-or-Treating Set for Oct. 31

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

On behalf of the Sewanee Leaseholders, Louise Irwin addressed the Sewanee Community Council at the Oct. 26 meeting, ushering in a discussion about hardship posed by the transfer fee and ground rent, especially for non-university employees. The council also received an update from the Project Funding Committee.

Chartered in 1986, Sewanee Leaseholders, Inc., is in the process of reinstating its corporation, Irwin said. The group’s goals are to promote the interests of leaseholders, to assist the University in arriving at a lease policy and to provide a platform for discussing grievances. At a public meeting scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9, at the Sewanee Senior Center, Irwin anticipates discussion about plans to establish a Welcome Wagon and concerns about the transfer fee.

“I hope the University will consider re-evaluating the transfer fee,” Irwin said. “It’s a big issue with many people.”

The ground rent and transfer fee policies differ for University employees and non-employees.

“Some people can’t afford to live here,” one community resident said, pointing to the increase in ground rent for a person who lost University employee status. He also cited potential hardship imposed by the transfer fee in inheritance circumstances involving non-employees.

Council representative John Flynn concurred, saying black residents were leaving the community because of the transfer fee’s impact on inheritance decisions. The policy “divides people on economic grounds.”

Another resident said the ground rent posed an even bigger burden than the transfer fee, especially for low- and low-to-middle income residents, because it increases on an ongoing basis relative to the increase in accessed property values. “In 20 years, I will pay the entire value of my house in ground rent,” he said. He recommended a fixed fee for ground rent.

Council representative Drew Sampson reminded the council that the University committed to revisit the transfer fee in the future following a decision five years ago to lower the fee from 6 percent to 4 percent.

Vice-Chancellor John McCardell agreed with the need for reviewing the ground rent and transfer fee and said the committee charged with examining the fees impacting residents should give due diligence to the issues raised.

The committee made its first report to the council last March, Provost John Swallow said. Complexity associated with evaluating the municipal service fee data has prolonged the review process, Swallow said.

Theresa Shackelford updated the council on the distributions made by the Project Funding Committee. The committee was established to review proposals for community enhancement projects on behalf of the council and to make allocations of up to $10,000 annually. In March of 2015 the committee recommended and the council approved awarding $9,975 to fund or partially fund seven projects. The committee has distributed just under $8,000, Shackelford said. Two grant recipients did not undertake the goals outlined in their proposals, leaving an additional $2,000 to be awarded in 2016. Shackelford said the committee will initiate the next request for proposals cycle earlier than it did in 2015. 

Sewanee Police Chief Marie Eldridge said trick-or-treat activities will take place on Saturday, Oct. 31 this year, the calendar day for Halloween. The council next meets on Jan. 25.

Holiday Balsam Wreaths Return to Mountain

After a one-year break, the balsam wreaths from Maine are coming back! It is exciting to announce that the Community Action Committee (CAC) will be the sponsors of this annual tradition that has brought wreaths to the area for 20 years, thanks to all the work of sixth-grade students from Sewanee Elementary and St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School. Profits from the wreath sales will now benefit the programs of the CAC, which works to alleviate hunger and poverty in Sewanee.

Orders will be accepted from Nov. 2 until Nov. 25. The cost of the wreaths is $25; they will arrive in early December. If you would like to receive a wreath before Dec. 4, please place your order by Nov. 15 and note that you want it early. The rest should arrive during the week of Dec. 7 and will be available for pickup at the CAC at Otey Parish. If requested, wreaths can be delivered. The CAC will contact buyers when their wreath arrives.

To order wreaths, either email <cacchristmaswreaths@gmail.com> or call Cindy Potter at 598-5773. Be sure to include your name, the number of wreaths you want and contact information. An order form will also be available at the CAC office; for details call 598-5927. 

Winners Named in Make A Difference Contest

Four projects from students in grades K–12 have been selected as winners in the South Cumberland Community Fund’s first Make a Difference contest.

The winning projects are: grades K–4—Fruit Tree Orchard; grades 5–8 (tie)—Coalmont Community Garden and Little Free Libraries; and grades 9–12: Advertising Fiery Gizzard’s Reroute. For fuller descriptions of the winning projects, go to <southcumberlandcommunityfund.org/difference/>.

“We want to say thank you to all of the youth of the South Cumberland Plateau who submitted their ideas for making their communities better, and to everyone in the community who participated by voting. The Community Fund looks forward to working with the four winning groups to make their ideas happen,” said Margaret Woods, SCCF board chair.

The South Cumberland Community Fund cultivates resources and leadership across the South Cumberland Plateau, offering direct grant funding and capacity-building initiatives to area nonprofits. For more information about SCCF, go to <southcumberlandcommunityfund.org> or email <laura@south​cumberlandcommunityfund.org>.

The Little Library That Could :: Thurmond Library Providing Books for the Community Since 1887

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

In November 1923, Jim Sutherland hauled two horse-drawn wagonloads of books from Monteagle to Sewanee—and likely saved them from going up in flames.

In the previous year or so, Otey Parish Rector William SterlingClaiborne and his wife donated the Thurmond Memorial Library’s books to the DuBose Training School in Monteagle, which wasn’t a popular move for some local residents. So Sutherland hauled the books back to Sewanee in November 1923, two months before the DuBose school burned.

Those returned and nearly burned books are part of the lineage of the newest Thurmond Memorial Library site, which will celebrate its grand reopening at the Claiborne Parish House on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The library actually opened earlier this year when volunteers unpacked the books boxed up during construction of the new parish house, but this is the library’s official commemoration. 

The Community Action Committee will also host a free community lunch at noon at the parish house, and people can enjoy cake and coffee afterwards as they visit and learn about the library’s 128-year history, said Trudy Cunningham, a library volunteer.

“We’re worried that people just aren’t reading books anymore,” said Cunningham, a retired math teacher. “They’re on their iPhones all the time, so we’ve decided to focus on getting books circulating.” 

Volunteers also plan to put people’s names in a drawing. If your name is drawn, you can pick a book for the library to buy, and you’ll get first dibs on reading it.

Sophia Dabney Thurmond and her three sisters started the Sewanee Circulating Library on July 4, 1887, on Oklahoma Avenue in the classroom of Mrs. Smedes, in a house that later became known as the McDonald’s Cottage. 

In 1902 the library moved to the parish hall at Otey Parish and in 1910 leaders changed the name to Thurmond Memorial Library to honor its primary founder.

According to the April 7, 1936, publication of the “Gospel Mission,” the library at that time boasted 2,000 volumes, with 300 of those books circulating in the previous year.

Volunteers boxed up the books and shut down the library a number of times in its history, including during World War I and World War II, when people seemed to lose interest in keeping the library going, or when Rev. A.C. Adams turned the library into a Boy Scout museum.

The current location is open to everyone in the community, 24 hours a day.

“We tell parents who’ve got a screaming baby at home in the middle of the night: ‘One of you get up and bring the baby to the library and let ’em scream while you read and let the other parent sleep’ quietly at home,” Cunningham said, laughing.

All of the books are donations, and the library also has no due dates and no fines. 

`“While it would be fine if the books come back, if they don’t come back we’re not going to worry about that,” Cunningham said. “The secondary motto of the library is: In Sewanee books are like zucchini in August. People are happy to give them away to us. Consequently, we’re not going to worry about losing books.”

Book donations that don’t make it to the shelves are sold at an annual book sale held in conjunction with the Hunger Walk in April. Otey Parish also provides the library space and utilities free of charge. 

Thurmond Memorial contains newer and classic books, including fiction and mystery, nonfiction, children’s, young adult, and local interest. The library also has a selection of books on CD.

Jane Holmes, a retired special education teacher and library volunteer, said she loves working there in part because she’s a big murder mystery fan.

“I started volunteering in 1981 on Saturday mornings,” she said. “It was a good thing because every Saturday I could get a new book to read. I have found so many this morning, and I had to stop at two.”

To volunteer at the library, where reading is encouraged during shifts, email Cunningham at <tcunning@gmail.com>.

Editor’s Note: The historical information in this article is from the “History of the Thurmond Memorial Library” by Eva Pryor Jackson, which uses information from Sewanee Woman’s Club minutes compiled by Mrs. Marion F. Jackson. 

South Cumberland Community Fund Names Executive Director

The South Cumberland Community Fund, which works to improve the quality of life on the Plateau, has named Laura L. Willis as its first executive director, effective Nov. 1. Willis brings 30 years of experience in nonprofits and community organizing to the position.

“We are delighted that the Fund has matured to the point where we need and want professional leadership,” said Margaret C. Woods, board chair of the Fund. “Laura shares our dedication to supporting and encouraging the many wonderful things happening on our Mountain.” Willis begins work on a half-time basis next month.

The South Cumberland Community Fund works to improve the quality of life across the Plateau by increasing philanthropy and supporting leadership of the area’s communities, schools and nonprofit organizations. Established in 2012, SCCF has reinvested $520,000 in projects that benefit the tri-county area; it will make another round of grants in 2016. 

Willis’ hiring comes as the Fund builds on its successes and moves forward to implement the board’s plan of strategic growth in community development support, fund raising and endowment expansion, and capacity-building for area organizations. 

“Philanthropy is about caring for others, and Laura knows how to do that,” said Howell Adams, chairman emeritus of the SCCF board. “Madeline and I are very optimistic about the future of the Community Fund and know that it is in good hands.” 

Willis has lived on the Plateau for more than 24 years, serving the community in a variety of roles. She has been the editor and co-publisher of the Sewanee Mountain Messenger since 2010. For 10 years, she was the director of the Community Action Committee, the outreach program in Sewanee. Before moving to Sewanee in 1991, she was the grants manager of a private foundation and helped found an environmental group in Washington, D.C. She will continue to edit the Messenger until she transitions to full-time at SCCF in June.

“I am very excited to be joining the Community Fund at this vital point in its development,” said Willis. “My life’s passion and focus has been on creating positive change and developing new programs. SCCF is already an invaluable part of our community, and I look forward to the Fund’s next undertakings.”

SCCF will open an office at 322 West Main St., Monteagle, in early November. “We appreciate Morton Memorial Methodist Church’s generous sharing of their space with us,” Woods said.

“I saw Chattanooga turn around completely in the last 30 years,” said Jack Murrah, of Monteagle. “Community funds and foundations played a big role in that process. I believe we can do the same thing here on the Plateau,” said Murrah, who serves as an advisor to the South Cumberland Community Fund.

Scott Parrish, former chair of the SCCF board, said, “The Community Fund has a vision for the Plateau as a place of hope and prosperity for all residents and communities. We can feel that sense of hope and relative prosperity growing around the Plateau, from Beersheba to Sewanee and Pelham to Palmer. Hiring an executive director is the next step in the Fund’s evolution.”

SCCF’s Make A Difference project invited area schoolchildren to present their ideas about how to improve their community; voting for the finalists is going on now at <southcumberlandcommunityfund.org/difference>.

For more information about SCCF, go to <southcumberlandcommunityfund.org> or email <laura@southcumberlandcommunityfund.org>.

Civic Association Gets Updates on Projects :: Barry Offers Advice on Beating the Winter Blues

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Oct. 14 dinner meeting of the Sewanee Civic Association, members and guests received promising updates on the Elliott Park Playground and the 2015–16 Community Chest Fund Drive. Following the business meeting, certified dietician Jade McBee Barry offered advice on how to beat the winter blues.

Civic Association President Kiki Beavers announced the organization successfully raised the $57,000 needed for construction of the Elliott Park playground, making a loan from the Opportunity Fund unnecessary.

“We now own the playground equipment,” Beavers said, congratulating the membership. Offering a historical footnote she said the Civic Association at one time owned Sewanee Elementary School, another community project funded by the organization

Parks Committee Chair Stephen Burnett said heavy rain and removing abandoned data and phone lines from the site had slowed progress, but construction of the park was well underway. At a community build scheduled for Nov. 7, volunteers will spread mulch and wood chips. Those wanting to help should bring pitchforks and shovels. University Physical Plant Services will provide a tractor and blade to help facilitate moving the material.

Reporting on the Community Chest fund drive, co-chair Elizabeth Clark Duncan said $4,300 had already been raised toward the $100,000 goal. Plans call for sending out more than 4,000 letters, asking area residents to contribute to the Chest which funds an array of area programs, with the majority youth-oriented. 

“We want to increase the donor base so we can increase the amount we give in gifts,” Duncan said. Last year only 10 percent of letter recipients made donations, with the entire Community Chest funded by just 310 contributors. Send donations to Sewanee Community Chest, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375.

Certified dietician Jade McBee Barry offered smart insight into why so many people suffer from the winter blues and how to avoid slipping into depression.

Lack of sunlight, high-carbohydrate and high-calorie foods, and a sedentary lifestyle combine to cause depression during the winter months, Barry said. Less sunlight leads to lower levels of vitamin D, necessary for mood balance, and to higher levels of the hormone melatonin, resulting in lower energy. 

And while the sweet and high-carbohydrate foods popular during the holidays activate reward centers in the brain, making us happy, she said, the holiday overstimulation causes a loss of reward receptors, so fewer feel-good neurochemicals get to where they need to go to work their magic. The third culprit, Barry said, is sitting more during the winter months. The body draws less fat from the blood for use as fuel with the unhappy consequences of weight gain and, even worse, heart disease.

Barry recommended taking a vitamin supplement if one’s vitamin D level is below 30 ng/ml, standing instead of sitting, and walking 10,000 steps a day. She also offered a number of tips for making healthy eating choices: focus on whole foods, keep convenience foods out of the house, limit yourself to a three-bite sample of dessert, and at holiday gatherings don’t eat the non-homemade offerings. Barry’s number one rule for the grocery store: shop the perimeters, where the shelves are stocked with fresh and unprocessed foods.

The Civic Association meets next on Nov. 18.

Lawn Concert Benefits MGTA

Dave’s Modern Tavern will host a benefit concert for the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance, 3–6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24, at the restaurant in Monteagle.

Music will be provided by Silk River and Slandered Banshee. The event is planned for the west lawn of Dave’s; in case of rain, the concert will be inside the restaurant.

Tickets are $10 and are available on-site on the day of the show and online at <mountaingoattrail.org/concert>.

The event is sponsored by Dave’s Modern Tavern and Cimino-Hurt Financial Group LLC.

The Mountain Goat Trail is a rail-to-trail community outdoor recreation project to convert the abandoned Mountain Goat railroad right-of-way into a multi-use recreational corridor connecting Grundy, Marion and Franklin Counties. Donations to the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance are tax-deductible. 

CSB & Rotary Golf Tourney

The 27th annual Citizens State Bank-Monteagle Sewanee Rotary Golf Tournament will be on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Course at Sewanee. This is a benefit to raise funds for Grundy County College Scholarships. 

The event begins at 11 a.m. and will include a four-person scramble, with a barbecue lunch provided by the Blue Chair Tavern, beverages courtesy of the Sewanee Inn and a reception following golf, featuring the Shenanigans Food Truck.

All players will receive a Sewanee golf shirt, and those registering online will also receive a 12-month subscription to Golf Digest. Hole-in-one prizes, including a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze, have been donated by Russell-Barnett Chevrolet. To register go to the Monteagle Sewanee Rotary Club website: <www.monteaglerotary.org>.

SAS Announces New Head of School

The St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School board of trustees met on Oct. 10 and unanimously appointed Karl J. Sjolund to be the next permanent head of the school. His tenure will begin on July 1, 2016.

“Among a slate of highly qualified candidates, Karl stood out as particularly well-suited to lead SAS at this point in its history,” said Eunice Colmore, chair of the search committee and vice president of the SAS board of trustees.

Sjolund, a boarding school graduate himself, has devoted his career to living and working in boarding schools. He is currently in his ninth successful year as head of Salem Academy, a boarding and day school, like SAS, with both an essential church affiliation and a reciprocal relationship with its neighboring college. He is a man of great faith, confirmed in the Episcopal Church, and committed to the Episcopal educational model that values diversity in culture and thought.

During a 20-year career at his alma mater, Virginia Episcopal School, Sjolund served in a wide range of administrative positions, taught and coached. An active leader in the field of education, he is currently treasurer of the board of North Carolina Association of Independent Schools and an advisory board member of World View at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

“Sjolund’s proven record of increasing enrollment, directing fund raising, improving student retention, leading strategic initiatives in campus improvement and balancing budgets will serve SAS well as it addresses the challenges and opportunities ahead,” Colmore said. “Throughout the search process, we were impressed not just by his résumé and strong references, but also by his faith, honesty and thoughtfulness.”

Sjolund earned a master of arts degree in private school leadership through Columbia University’s prestigious Klingenstein Fellows program. He received a bachelor of arts degree in economics at Virginia Military Institute, which he attended on a Division I baseball scholarship.

During his campus visit, Sjolund told the SAS community, “I am deeply committed to the unique educational environment that boarding schools provide and to the value that a strong boarding program offers day students and their families. 

“At St. Andrew’s-Sewanee, I see students who are being challenged in every aspect of their lives and who are answering those challenges because they thirst for knowledge of the good, the true and the beautiful. This is an extraordinary school that turns out confident young men and women who are turned on to learning,” he said.

Sjolund and his wife, Susan, will reside on the SAS campus. Their twin daughters, Berkley and Hannah, are freshmen in college.

Richard Westling, chair of the board of trustees, thanked Interim Head of School Judy Chamberlain for the leadership she will continue to provide during the remainder of this academic year.

“We are deeply grateful to the SAS community, search committee, and board of trustees for their involvement and patience throughout the search process. Together, we move forward with confidence that the SAS mission will find growing expression under Karl’s leadership,” Westling said.

Founders’ Day Convocation

Journalist Judy Woodruff will be the speaker at Founders’ Day convocation, at noon, today (Friday), Oct. 16. This event will open Sewanee’s 2015 Family Weekend. The convocation will include the conferral of honorary degrees and the induction of new members into the Order of Gownsmen. 

Degree recipients are George E. Core, longtime editor of the Sewanee Review, who will receive an honorary doctor of letters; Jeanie Nelson, the founding CEO and president of the Land Trust for Tennessee, who will receive an honorary doctor of civil law; 

Samuel F. Pickering Jr., C’63, professor emeritus of English at the University of Connecticut and author of more than two dozen books, who will receive an honorary doctor of letters; and Woodruff, co-anchor and managing editor of the PBS News Hour, who will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters.

Due to the number of students receiving their gowns, the University expects All Saints’ Chapel to be filled. Guests of gown recipients will have tickets for the service. After they have been seated, seats may be available in the Chapel for others who would like to attend; Chapel doors will open at 11 a.m. The service will also be streamed live in Guerry Auditorium, or online at <http://www.sewanee.edu/parents/convocation-live/>.

“Metamorphoses” Opens at Williams Center

Theatre/Sewanee will present Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses” at 7:30 p.m., today (Friday) and Saturday, Oct. 16–17; 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 18; and 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22–24, in the Tennessee Williams Center.

“Metamorphoses” brings the Roman poet Ovid’s tales to stunning visual life. The play juxtaposes the ancient and the contemporary in both language and image to reflect the variety and the persistence of narrative in the face of inevitable change. 

The Theatre/Sewanee production is directed by Peter Smith.

Scenery and lighting design are by Dan Backlund, and costumes are designed by Ruth Guerra. Music for the Sewanee production is composed by Diane Rubio and Danny Cruces, with choreography by Courtney World. John Marshall is technical director, and Alena Kochinski is production stage manager.

Admission to “Metamorphoses” is free, but reservations are suggested; email <mcook@sewanee.edu>.

SACA Arts & Craft Fair in Shoup Park on Saturday

The Sewanee Arts and Crafts Association’s Fall Craft Fair will be on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Shoup Park, across the street from the University Book & Supply Store. The fair, which will happen rain or shine, will be 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Scheduled participants include: Bob Askew, watercolors; Amanda Bailey, needlework; Matt and Linda Barry, plants; Traci Boswell, copper jewelry; Natasha Brunton, Sewanee Mountain makings; Susan Church, wooden boxes; Susan Cordell, pottery; Phyllis Dix, ornamental work; Sandy Gilliam, photography; 

Burki Gladstone, pottery; Mary Beth Green, painted boxes; Marcus Hilder, blacksmith; Connie Hornsby, art quilts, hand-dyed scarves; Dennis Jones, jewelry; Jasper King, chainsaw carving; Bill Knight, wooden toys; Marjorie Langston, lampworks; Cheryl Lankhaar, oil painting; 

Bill Mauzy, wood turning; Mary McElwaine, jewelry; Becky Miller, sewing; Luise Richards, sewing; Darlene Seagroves, crochet; Jeanie Stephenson, bronze sculpture; Ron and Melodee Thomas, glass and copper; Merissa Tobler, pottery; Carol Vandenbosch, mosaics; 

Maggie Vandewalle, watercolors; Ron Van Dyke, recycled metal art; Wanda Webb, jewelry; Laurel York, block prints; Debbie Welch, candles.

School Board Meets to Review Contracts, Policies and Acquisitions

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Oct. 12 meeting, the Franklin County Board of Education approved the purchase of a six-acre tract for a soccer field at Huntland School. The board also took up several policy revisions.

At the board’s September meeting, Huntland soccer coach Brian Norcross asked the board to consider purchasing property 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.

Director of School Amie Lonas said zoning did not pose an obstacle, since the tract was zoned the same as other Huntland School athletic fields. Board member Lance Williams estimated the cost of ground preparation at $10,000. The money to purchase the tract costing $20,000 will come from the capital outlay budget, Lonas said.

The board also approved a clarification to the sick leave policy bringing it into compliance with Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA) regulations. The policy previously limited sick leave to 60 days. The revised policy allows for 60 days sick leave annually and 90 days total for any one illness or accident.

The board discussed revising the student transportation management policy, which requires substance screening for any bus driver involved in an accident. At the November meeting, the board will vote on a policy revision forbidding the involved driver from driving until substance screening results are received. Test analysis usually takes 72 hours. By the proposed revision, contract drivers will be held to the same standard as drivers employed by the school system. Board chair Kevin Caroland said the revision was needed to protect the school system from liability in the event a driver was involved in a second accident before test results were returned.

In reviewing the background investigation policy, Caroland said a recent investigation in Williamson County revealed 10 percent of sports officials had a record of criminal offenses. Caroland recommended the Franklin County School join with other schools in the region asking the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association “to conduct background checks on the officials they send us.”

Updating the board on the sale of the Oak Grove School property, Lonas said the potential buyers who placed a bid of $35,000 withdrew from negotiations. The property will be re-advertised.

The board approved appointments to two new committees formed at the August retreat. Board member CleiJo Walker will chair the Capital Building Program Committee which will make recommendations for future building maintenance and/or construction. 

Board member Chris Guess will chair the High School Scheduling Committee, which will look into whether the high school block schedule allows sufficient time to prepare for testing. Principals, teachers, and parents were appointed to serve as committee representatives.

The System Wide Report Card, ranking the Franklin County Schools relative to other schools in the state, was published on Oct. 14. To view the results go to <http://tn.gov/education/topic/report-card>.

The school board next meets Nov. 9 at Huntland School.

Public Input Meetings for Planning Issues

The University of the South will host planning sessions to gather input on how the University might fulfill its mission for future generations of students, specifically in developing a plan for the University Avenue corridor. These meetings are part of the decision-making process laid out recently by the Board of Regents and the Vice Chancellor.

Community members, alumni, faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend. The first meeting will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, in Convocation Hall. A second session will be at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, November 12, as part of Homecoming weekend for the College. In both, attendees will meet in Convocation Hall, walk along University Avenue toward the Bookstore, and return to Convocation for collaboration and sharing.

Additional gatherings will be held for students and for University employees. An interactive display will be available in McClurg Dining Hall in late October; it will be open for viewing and contributing ideas.

The University Avenue corridor is defined as the area from Georgia Avenue to the Bookstore and Print Services along both sides of the street—including the Rebel’s Rest site, Convocation Hall, the Quad, Fulford Hall, Thompson Union, All Saints’ Chapel, McClurg, the Bookstore, and Chen Hall. 

Attendees of the public meetings should come prepared to discuss these questions: Where should the University locate the University Commons? What are the best and most appropriate uses for the University Avenue corridor to serve the long-term interests of the University and its community?

A website with more information will be available soon. For information, contact Eric Hartman by email to <ehartman@sewanee.edu>.

Woodruff to Give Founders’ Day Address :: George Core, Jeanie Nelson & Sam Pickering Will Receive Honorary Degrees at Convocation

Journalist Judy Woodruff will be the speaker at Founders’ Day convocation, at noon, Friday, Oct. 16. This event will open Sewanee’s 2015 Family Weekend. The convocation will include the conferral of four honorary degrees and the induction of new members into the Order of Gownsmen. Degree recipients are: 

George E. Core, longtime editor of the Sewanee Review, who will receive an honorary doctor of letters; Jeanie Nelson, the founding CEO and president of the Land Trust for Tennessee, who will receive an honorary doctor of civil law; 

Samuel F. Pickering Jr., C’63, professor emeritus of English at the University of Connecticut and author of more than two dozen books, who will receive an honorary doctor of letters; and Woodruff, co-anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour, who will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters.

The convocation and Woodruff’s address will be live-streamed online. Go to <sewanee.edu> for details.

Woodruff has covered politics and other news for more than three decades at CNN, NBC and PBS. She served as anchor and senior correspondent for CNN; she was NBC News’ White House correspondent, and was the chief Washington correspondent for NBC’s Today Show and for PBS’s MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. She is the author of “This Is Judy Woodruff at the White House.” She anchored Frontline with Judy Woodruff on PBS, and Conversations with Judy Woodruff for Bloomberg Television. Woodruff is a graduate of Duke University. She has received the Cine Lifetime Achievement award, the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcast Journalism, and the University of Southern California Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, among others.

Core began as editor of the Sewanee Review in September 1973 after having been senior editor of the University of Georgia Press. A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Core earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from Vanderbilt University and, after service in the U.S. Marine Corps, a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He taught literature at the University of Georgia, Davidson College, Vanderbilt, Emory University, and the University of the South. Core has been an active scholar and writer, publishing throughout his 43 years as editor. His articles and reviews have been published in the New York Times Book Review, the New Republic, the Wall Street Journal, the Baltimore Sun, the Southern Review and others. Core has edited or coedited seven books, primarily in the field of American literature. He has served three times on juries for the Pulitzer Prize committee, and is a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers.

Nelson is the founding CEO and president of the Land Trust for Tennessee, a statewide nonprofit organization that works to protect public and private land for the benefit of Tennesseans. Nelson co-founded the Land Trust in 1999 with former Nashville Mayor and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. Led by Nelson, in 2008 the Land Trust and the University of the South completed the purchase and permanent protection of 3,000 acres containing portions of Lost Cove and Champion Cove. She serves on the boards of directors for the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Land Trust Alliance. Nelson’s commitment to the state of Tennessee has been recognized with the Governor’s Award for Conservation, the 2001 Land Conservationist of the Year award, and the Tennessee Lifetime Achievement Award. Nelson earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Vanderbilt University. Her earlier career in law and government included roles as chief deputy attorney general for Tennessee and general counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Pickering is a Nashville native and member of Sewanee’s Class of 1963. He earned master’s degrees from Cambridge and Princeton and a Ph.D. from Princeton before embarking on a remarkable academic and literary career. Among his more than two dozen books are several works of literary history, travel memoirs, and volumes of the familiar essays for which he is best known, most recently “All My Days Are Saturdays” and “The Splendour Falls.” Pickering is equally well-known as a teacher who inspired students for 30 years as professor of English at the University of Connecticut. One of his students during his early teaching days at Nashville’s Montgomery Bell Academy was Tom Schulman, the screenwriter of the film “Dead Poets Society.” Pickering’s unconventional teaching style was one of the inspirations for the character of Mr. Keating, played by Robin Williams in the film. Pickering was elected in 2005 to membership in the Fellowship of Southern Writers, and has received numerous other recognitions for his distinction in writing.

For more information go to <www.sewanee.edu>.

Community Chest Sets $100,000 Goal for 2015–16

The Sewanee Community Chest Fund Drive announces the beginning of the 2015–16 fund-raising campaign. This year’s goal is $100,000, which will provide aid to 25 community organizations. Sponsored by the Sewanee Civic Association, the Sewanee Community Chest raises funds for local organizations that serve the common good.

Long-time community members Elizabeth and Rick Duncan have agreed to be the Sewanee Community Chest stewards and help lead the fund-raising efforts.

The money raised in the community will go directly to organizations that support the following: Beyond Sewanee $7,000; Children $35,300; Community Aid $21,850, and Quality of Life $35,850. This year’s recipients include Housing Sewanee, the Community Action Committee, the Sewanee Elementary Parent Organization, the Mountain Goat Trail, Volunteers in Medicine, and Folks at Home.

The power of the people helping people makes a difference. The Sewanee Civic Association encourages everyone who benefits from life in this community, whether you live, work, or visit, to give to the Community Chest. The Sewanee Community Chest is a 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are tax deductible. Donations and pledges are accepted at any time at PO Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375. There are two online options to donate to the Sewanee Community Chest through PayPal and AmazonSmile.

For more information on how you can make a difference, or to read about the organizations supported, go to <sewaneecivic.wordpress.com>.

Sewanee Symphony Orchestra Announces 2015–16 Season

The Sewanee Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announces its 2015–16 season, the third under Maestro César Leal. This year kicks off with a third annual Halloween concert for area elementary schoolchildren at 10 a.m., Friday, Oct. 30; they will perform it again for the public at 7:30 p.m., Friday. The concert, “Escape the Fog,” features Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture,” Khachaturian “Masquerade Dances” and Anderson’s “Syncopated Clock.”

SSO will bring back its Celebrate the Season event at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 4. Repertoire for this concert will include audience favorites Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers,” Rebecca Van de Ven performing Mozart’s “Oboe Concerto,” and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves.’” Back by popular demand, the SSO will open the spring semester on March 4 with Steppin Out, a concert featuring solo artists. In addition to Sewanee students, Maestro Leal and the SSO are excited to share the stage with Susan Rupert and Metropolitan Opera National Competition winner Reggie Smith featuring selections from Copland’s American Songs. 

The University and the Sewanee community will celebrate on April 22 with Gloria in Spring, a collaborative concert between the SSO and the University Choir. Featuring Maestro Robert Delcamp as soloist and conductor of the concert finale, this unique concert will be in All Saints’ Chapel.

All SSO concerts are free to the public and begin at 7:30 p.m.; all take place in Guerry Auditorium with the exception of Gloria in Spring.

Fund-Raising Complete for Elliott Park Playground Project :: University and Civic Association Sign Memo of Understanding

Thanks to the generosity of our community, the Sewanee Civic Association has raised the full cost of the Elliott Park playground equipment, as of Oct. 1. More than $56,500 has been donated or pledged for the project. 

University Provost John Swallow and Sewanee Civic Association (SCA) president Kiki Beavers met on Sept. 30 and signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Elliott Park Playground Project. 

Recognizing the need for renovation of the Elliott Park playground, the SCA identified the project as a community priority and the University of the South offered to help with site preparation and construction. 

“This is an important partnership between the SCA and the University of the South to benefit the community,” said Beavers. “The five-year MOU clearly identifies the separate responsibilities of the Civic Association and the University.”

She added, “This is a reminder Sewanee is a place where families live and are valued.”

Major funders include the South Cumberland Community Fund, the Sewanee Community Council Funding Project, the Kaj Krogstad Memorial Fund, the Joel and Trudy Cunningham Charitable Fund, and donations through a designated fund with the Sewanee Community Chest. Community families had a lemonade stand and bake sale fund-raiser for the project in late August that raised $1,670. 

Located on University Avenue in the center of campus near All Saints’ Chapel and the University Book and Supply Store, the new Elliott Park playground will include a balance beam, bridge, climbing structures, swing sets, spinning elements and a musical component. The park will be accessible for all children and will incorporate local and natural materials. 

In addition to securing funding for the purchase of the equipment and installation, SCA will be the point of contact for complaints; secure and maintain safety certificates with GameTime, the playground equipment manufacturer; and under GameTime’s supervision, oversee the community-build portion of the construction and installation.

Under the agreement, the University is responsible for site preparation and drainage; accessibility and improving parking facilities; and the cost of moving and or replacing the playground equipment if the site is needed for other purposes. Site preparation began in September. Organizers hope that the playground will be delivered later this month. There will be time during this process for community participation in the playground’s installation. 

Fiery Gizzard Trail Re-Routing Receives Regional Attention

The nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands was held on Sept. 26, on National Public Lands Day (NPLD), and the efforts of many people centered on the Fiery Gizzard Trail re-route in South Cumberland State Park. After the threat to the Fiery Gizzard Trail made the evening news in Nashville and the front page of the Chattanooga Times, hundreds of people have responded. Ranger Jason Reynolds said, “We have been inundated by calls and emails from groups who want to help.”

The Nashville location of outdoor recreation retailer REI selected the Fiery Gizzard Trail as its NPLD volunteer project, partnering with the Friends of South Cumberland (FSC) to recruit workers. REI volunteers joined Boy Scouts, members of Tennessee Trails Association, students and faculty from Highland Academy in Portland, Tenn., and others who braved the trail work in the steep, rocky terrain. 

Ken Tucker of Tennessee’s “Wild Side TV” altered his schedule to come to Grundy County and film a piece on the trail. The story will begin airing across the state on PBS in early October. Ranger Reynolds noted that in coming weeks he has scheduled volunteer workers from Boy Scout troops, a group from Georgia Tech, Sewanee students, an organization from Chattanooga that specializes in rock work on trails, and many from hiking Meet Ups in the tri-state region. The volunteer efforts continue every Saturday and Sunday through December, with workers meeting at the Grundy Forest parking lot at 9 a.m.

In mid-August the park learned that a private landowner had withdrawn permission to cross his land, which will block one section of the popular 12.5-mile trail, effective Dec. 1. The linear trail, heralded by Backpacker Magazine as the sixth in the nation on the list of Best Fall Foliage Hikes, is loved by many. 

“We have never seen a response like this,” said Reynolds, who is coordinating the new trail. “The only way to save this trail is to re-route a section down into the cove, skirting the privately owned property.”

Friends of South Cumberland and the Savage Gulf Preservation League are hosting a land preservation celebration, Gaze and Graze, on Sunday, Oct. 11. At 2 p.m. meet at Stone Door for a hike to the overlook; 3–4:30 p.m., gather at Beersheba Springs Hotel for music, refreshments and fun. Bazzania will provide music.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate with the fine folks who are committed to preserving the great spaces of South Cumberland State Park,” said organizers.

Reservations are not required. For more information, contact Margaret Matens by email to <FSCpublicity@gmail.com> or call (931) 924-2623. 

IONA Line-Up Showcases Local Talent

The Autumn Assembly of Authors at IONA: Art Sanctuary welcomes the community at 7 p.m., today (Friday), Oct. 2, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 4. 

The photographs of Allston McCrady and art from the McCrady family collection will be on display all weekend. Readers on Friday will be Waring McCrady, who will read excerpts from the McCrady family history, Sara Katchelman, C’17, and April Berends. Kachelman is an English major at Sewanee, where she leads the student Poet Society. Sara’s writings have been published in Cactus Heart, Limininoid Magazine, and Hobart. She is from Florence, Ala. April Berends is an Episcopal priest who lives in Sewanee. She writes about the spirituality of parenthood and the particularities of grief. 

On Sunday the readers will be Yolande and Robin Gottfried, Robie Jackson and Jeannie Babb.

Yolande Gottfried is a contributor to Nature Notes in the Messenger and has been a volunteer at the Sewanee Herbarium since 1996. She studied botany and plant ecology at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill as a graduate student. Robin Gottfried retired from the economics department to direct the University’s Center for Religion and Environment. 

Robie Jackson is the performing arts coordinator for St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School; she recently completed an MFA at Sewanee in creative nonfiction. 

Jeannie Babb is a poet who performs across the region. She is a graduate of the School of Theology. Her photography has been published by Gastronomica and Garden & Gun. 

On Friday, Oct. 9 and Sunday, Oct. 11, Addison Willis will display his paintings and drawings in the IONA gallery. Readings on Oct. 9 will be given by novelist Leslie Lytle, and by mother-son duo Kiki Beavers and John Beavers. St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School theatre students will perform. On Oct. 11, readings will be offered by Luann Landon, Kevin Cummings, and Noah Huber-Feely. Bill Yelverton will play classical guitar.

Art and readings are also scheduled for Oct. 16–17, and on Nov. 13.

IONA: Art Sanctuary is located at 630 Garnertown Rd., Sewanee. The public is welcome, all events are free, and parking is available. 

This season’s program at IONA is dedicated to Clementine Gray Carlos, granddaughter of Sarah and Ed Carlos.

Trustee Community Relations Committee Sets Meeting

The Trustee Community Relations Committee will be in Sewanee on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The group will meet with the members of the Community Council; they will update the trustees on topics of interest and concern to our community. If you have items that you would like the council to consider, please contact a council member.

The community is invited to a reception and time for conversation with both groups at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the American Legion Hall in Sewanee. 

Members of the Sewanee Community Council are Drew Sampson, Annie Armour, B.J. Heyboer, Barbara Schlichting, Bill Barton, David Coe, Dennis Meeks, Pat Kelley, John Flynn, John McCardell, John Swallow, Mike Gardner, Michael Hurst, Nathan Stewart, Pam Byerly, Phil White, Pixie Dozier, Shirley Taylor and Theresa Shackelford.