Former Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. will be the speaker at Founders’ Day Convocation, which will be held at noon, Friday, Oct. 7, and will open Sewanee’s 2016 Family Weekend. Riley will receive an honorary doctor of civil law degree during the ceremony. The Convocation will include the conferral of four additional honorary degrees and the induction of almost 300 new members into the Order of Gownsmen.
During the Convocation, the Rt. Rev. Peter Eaton, bishop of the Diocese of Southeast Florida, will receive an honorary doctor of divinity; Diana Dillenberger Frade, founder of Our Little Roses Ministries in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, will receive an honorary doctor of civil law; American novelist William Timothy “Tim” O’Brien will receive an honorary doctor of letters; and the Rt. Rev. Canon George Sumner, bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, will receive an honorary doctor of divinity.
Please note: Due to the number of Sewanee students receiving their gowns, the University expects All Saints’ Chapel to be filled to near capacity. Students who are receiving their gowns have been provided tickets for themselves and three guests. After those with tickets have been seated, seats may be available in the Chapel for other members of the University community who would like to attend the service. Guests are welcome to watch the service streaming live in Guerry Auditorium or watch online <http://www.sewanee.edu/parents/convocation-live/name-49805-en.php>.
Joe Riley retired in January 2016 after 40 years in office as mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, making him one of the country’s longest-serving mayors. Riley previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives. His tenure as mayor saw the transformation of downtown Charleston from a decaying urban center to a top cultural destination. Known as a bridge-builder, Riley served as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, included African Americans in Charleston city administration for the first time, and appointed the city’s first black police chief. He first gained national attention in 1989 following Hurricane Hugo, and was again in the spotlight last year when a racially-motivated gunman killed nine people at the Emanuel AME Church. A graduate of the Citadel and the University of South Carolina School of Law, Riley has received numerous awards, including South Carolina’s Order of the Palmetto.
The Rt. Rev. Peter Eaton was ordained bishop of the Diocese of Southeast Florida last January. He most recently had been the dean of St. John’s Cathedral in Denver. Eaton is an experienced parish pastor, teacher, and community leader and has served congregations in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Salt Lake City, as well as in England and France. Eaton trained for the priesthood at Westcott House, Cambridge, U.K. He was a fellow-in-residence at the School of Theology in Sewanee in 2014. He has been a member of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee of Religious Leaders on Ending Homelessness in Denver, and has led a number of other significant social ministry initiatives.
Diana Frade is the president and founder of Our Little Roses Ministries in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. In 1988, Frade founded Our Little Roses Home for Girls, a home for abandoned, abused, and orphaned girls, in a rented three-bedroom house. The ministries now include a full-time residential home for up to 65 girls; a transition home for older girls who are working and enrolled in university or trade school; and a bilingual school that serves approximately 25 girls from the home and 200 children from the community. Medical and dental clinics serve the home and the community. Frade has worked with leaders and child advocates throughout Honduras to develop the Our Little Roses ministry that has sheltered and transformed hundreds of girls.
Tim O’Brien is an American novelist best known for his work of fiction, “The Things They Carried,” a critically acclaimed collection of semi-autobiographical short stories inspired by O’Brien’s experiences in the Vietnam War, and his novel, “Going After Cacciato,” also written about wartime Vietnam. He served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 before going on to graduate school at Harvard University. Among numerous other awards, O’Brien received the National Book Award in Fiction in 1979 for “Going After Cacciato,” and in 2005 “The Things They Carried” was named by The New York Times as one of the 20 best books of the last quarter century. O’Brien is a founding faculty member of the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and has served as a member of the conference’s fiction faculty 10 times. He will read from his work at 4:45 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 6, in Convocation Hall.
The Rt. Rev. Canon George Sumner was ordained bishop of the Diocese of Dallas in 2015. Prior to his election, Sumner served as Helliwell Professor of World Mission and principal of Wycliffe College in Toronto. He has served in a variety of capacities—youth minister, missionary teacher in east Africa, curate in an inner-city Anglo-Catholic parish, vicar on a Native American reservation in New Mexico and Arizona, and rector in a small town. Sumner has a Ph.D. in theology from Yale and a master’s in divinity from Yale Divinity School. His books include “The First and the Last: The Claim of Jesus Christ and the Claims of Other Religious Traditions,” “Unwearied Praises” (with Jeff Greenman) and “Being Salt.”
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Community Chest Sets Goal
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
“We received five new applications for funding this year,” said Sewanee Civic Association (SCA) President Lynn Stubblefield. “The SCA Board has approved a goal of $116,850 for 2016–17 funding.” SCA members received the news at the Sept. 22 meeting of the SCA at St. Mark’s Hall where more than 60 members and guests gathered for a welcome back picnic.
Founded in 1908 with a long history of acting as a benefactor to the community, among the SCA’s early projects were funding the building of Sewanee Elementary School in 1926 and completion of the Alto Highway. Especially noteworthy recent projects include the desegregation plaque at SES and funding the playground equipment and installation at the Elliot Park playground. The SCA also sponsors Sewanee Classifieds, an online community messaging service, the parks committee and Cub Scout Pack 152.
The Sewanee Community Chest fund drive provides crucial support to more than 26 community initiatives annually. In the 2015–16 academic year, the Community Chest surpassed its $100,000 goal to raise $105,000 for 25 organizations.
Projects relying on the Community Chest for vital support include the Sewanee Mountain Messenger, a free community newspaper founded 32 years ago through the support of the University of the South, the SCA and the Sewanee Woman’s Club; the Community Action Committee, a local food bank hosted by Otey Parish; the Sewanee Children’s Center, a pre-school program committed to making learning a joy and making the program available to all children in the community; the Sewanee Parents Organization, which thanks to the Community Chest, hosts educational programs throughout the year without needing to rely on fundraisers; the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance, which received Community Chest matching funds to complete the first leg of the trail and at present is undertaking completion of the trail to Tracy City; the Sewanee Business Alliance, sponsors of the annual AngelFest celebration and Friday Nights in the Park; and the Sewanee Community Center, which offers space for community activities at no charge or a very minimal fee.
Looking to the future, past president Kiki Beavers stressed the need for continuing discussion on renovation of the ball park and partnering with the Senior Citizens’ Center and Sewanee Community Center to help these two programs find a new home.
Doug Meyers was appointed as Director of Classifieds. Susan Holmes and Greg Maynard are this year’s Community Chest Stewards.
The SCA meets next at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the EQB building.
Community Chest Goal
This year’s Community Chest, with a goal of $116,850, will provide aid to the following 26 community organizations:
Animal Alliance $1,250
Arcadia at Sewanee $1,000
Blue Monarch $1,000
Boy Scout Troop 14 $300
Community Action
Committee $10,000
Cub Scout Pack 152 $600
Folks at Home $5,000
Fourth of July
Celebration $2,000
Franklin County Humane
Society $3,000
Girl Scout Troop 2107 $200
Housing Sewanee $10,000
MARC $10,000
Mt. Goat Trail Alliance $1,200
Phil White Dog Park $600
Senior Citizen’s Center $12,000
SES Parent Organization $24,200
Sewanee Angel Park $500
Sewanee Children’s
Center $12,000
Sewanee Chorale $600
Sewanee Community
Center $4,500
Sewanee Mountain
Messenger $12,000
South Cumberland Cultural
Society $800
South Cumberland Farmer
Market $1,000
St. James/Midway
Community Park $2,000
St. Mark’s Community
Center $600
TigerSharks Swim Team $500
Since 1908, the Sewanee Civic Association and its precursors have believed in the power of area citizens to help sustain community projects and programs.
The Sewanee Civic Association started the Sewanee Community Chest in 1943, which in the last decade has raised more than $1 million for local organizations.
Donations are accepted to PO Box 99, Sewanee TN 37375. The Sewanee Community Chest is a 501 (c) 3 organization and donations are tax deductible.
For more information go to sewaneecivic.wordpress.com.
“We received five new applications for funding this year,” said Sewanee Civic Association (SCA) President Lynn Stubblefield. “The SCA Board has approved a goal of $116,850 for 2016–17 funding.” SCA members received the news at the Sept. 22 meeting of the SCA at St. Mark’s Hall where more than 60 members and guests gathered for a welcome back picnic.
Founded in 1908 with a long history of acting as a benefactor to the community, among the SCA’s early projects were funding the building of Sewanee Elementary School in 1926 and completion of the Alto Highway. Especially noteworthy recent projects include the desegregation plaque at SES and funding the playground equipment and installation at the Elliot Park playground. The SCA also sponsors Sewanee Classifieds, an online community messaging service, the parks committee and Cub Scout Pack 152.
The Sewanee Community Chest fund drive provides crucial support to more than 26 community initiatives annually. In the 2015–16 academic year, the Community Chest surpassed its $100,000 goal to raise $105,000 for 25 organizations.
Projects relying on the Community Chest for vital support include the Sewanee Mountain Messenger, a free community newspaper founded 32 years ago through the support of the University of the South, the SCA and the Sewanee Woman’s Club; the Community Action Committee, a local food bank hosted by Otey Parish; the Sewanee Children’s Center, a pre-school program committed to making learning a joy and making the program available to all children in the community; the Sewanee Parents Organization, which thanks to the Community Chest, hosts educational programs throughout the year without needing to rely on fundraisers; the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance, which received Community Chest matching funds to complete the first leg of the trail and at present is undertaking completion of the trail to Tracy City; the Sewanee Business Alliance, sponsors of the annual AngelFest celebration and Friday Nights in the Park; and the Sewanee Community Center, which offers space for community activities at no charge or a very minimal fee.
Looking to the future, past president Kiki Beavers stressed the need for continuing discussion on renovation of the ball park and partnering with the Senior Citizens’ Center and Sewanee Community Center to help these two programs find a new home.
Doug Meyers was appointed as Director of Classifieds. Susan Holmes and Greg Maynard are this year’s Community Chest Stewards.
The SCA meets next at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the EQB building.
Community Chest Goal
This year’s Community Chest, with a goal of $116,850, will provide aid to the following 26 community organizations:
Animal Alliance $1,250
Arcadia at Sewanee $1,000
Blue Monarch $1,000
Boy Scout Troop 14 $300
Community Action
Committee $10,000
Cub Scout Pack 152 $600
Folks at Home $5,000
Fourth of July
Celebration $2,000
Franklin County Humane
Society $3,000
Girl Scout Troop 2107 $200
Housing Sewanee $10,000
MARC $10,000
Mt. Goat Trail Alliance $1,200
Phil White Dog Park $600
Senior Citizen’s Center $12,000
SES Parent Organization $24,200
Sewanee Angel Park $500
Sewanee Children’s
Center $12,000
Sewanee Chorale $600
Sewanee Community
Center $4,500
Sewanee Mountain
Messenger $12,000
South Cumberland Cultural
Society $800
South Cumberland Farmer
Market $1,000
St. James/Midway
Community Park $2,000
St. Mark’s Community
Center $600
TigerSharks Swim Team $500
Since 1908, the Sewanee Civic Association and its precursors have believed in the power of area citizens to help sustain community projects and programs.
The Sewanee Civic Association started the Sewanee Community Chest in 1943, which in the last decade has raised more than $1 million for local organizations.
Donations are accepted to PO Box 99, Sewanee TN 37375. The Sewanee Community Chest is a 501 (c) 3 organization and donations are tax deductible.
For more information go to sewaneecivic.wordpress.com.
SUD Considers Drought Restrictions
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
“The Big Creek water plant in Coalmont is at the first trigger for voluntary usage restrictions,” SUD manager Ben Beavers reported at the Sept. 27 meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Sewanee Utility District (SUD) of Franklin and Marion Counties. “Since SUD is part of an area-wide drought management plan, we have the option of doing the same thing,” Beavers said.
Updating the board on operations, Beavers said Lake O’Donnell was full, but Lake Jackson was down 12 feet at the end of August. SUD feeds lake O’Donnell from Lake Jackson. This time last year, O’Donnell was down one foot and Jackson was down just six inches.
Big Creek water plant manager Allen Joslyn observed that drought seems to run in 10-year cycles. Following the severe drought of 2007, SUD and the other water utilities on the Plateau developed drought management plans. Two years ago, Tracy City water utility completed a transfer line to Big Creek. Tracy City is in the process of getting pumps ready to facilitate the transfer if necessary.
“We’ll wait until next month before we decide whether to ask for voluntary restrictions,” Beavers said. He hopes alerting customers to the drought conditions will encourage them to take a conservation minded approach to water use. “The long range forecast doesn’t call for relief until late November,” he stressed.
Reporting on negotiations with the Cooley’s Rift developer who requested water service, Beavers said the contract had been signed and the inspection and administrative fees (total $5,180) and impact and tap fees (total $95,473) had all been paid in full. The road is paved and most of the infrastructure is in place, Beavers said. The developer has scheduled a land sale for Saturday, Oct. 1.
Beavers announced SUD outsourced its billing process beginning with the most recent cycle of customer bills. The service costs SUD $45 a month, with a $120 savings to SUD in postage fees, Beavers said. He reassured customers that “the usage graph which was accidentally left off the bill will be back next month.”
“Online billing will be available soon,” Beavers said. The billing company, United Systems, expects to offer the service in just a few weeks. Once available, customers can register to view their billing history and, if they choose, to sign up for paperless billing, by visiting the SUD website <www.sewaneeutility.org> and selecting “Pay Your Water Bill.” For customers who go paperless, SUD will save $.60 per customer per month. Customers already signed up to pay by bank draft do not need to do anything; their billing method will continue unchanged. Customers can view their billing history simply by registering and do not need to sign up for any of the billing options offered. Customers who want to sign up for recurring payments by bank draft are advised to do so through the SUD office, Beavers said, to avoid needing to reenter their account information each month.
The SUD Board of Commissioners will have one open seat beginning in 2017. Commissioner Ken Smith is term limited and cannot seek reelection. Watch the Messenger for details.
Trustee Community Relations Meeting
The Trustee Community Relations Committee will be in Sewanee on Wednesday, Oct. 5. It will meet with the Sewanee Community Council, who 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. There will be a meet and greet and time for conversation with both groups at 5 p.m., Oct. 5, at Crossroads Cafe in Sewanee. Please make your reservation by calling 598-1718 with your last name and the number in your party, by today (Friday), Sept. 30.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Sixth Annual Angel Fest Tonight
The sixth annual AngelFest will be today (Friday), Sept. 23, at the Angel Park. Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions is sponsoring three hours of family fun and children’s activities, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Children’s activities include inflatables, animals, musical chairs for the dogs and their humans, cotton candy and shaved ice, crafts, face painting, glow bracelets and temporary tattoos, make your own marshmallow poppers, corn hole, science activity, and ladder toss, bubbles and sidewalk chalk. The children’s events will end at 7 p.m.
Act of Congress, an acoustic musical group from Birmingham will take the stage at 7:30 p.m., bring a chair or a blanket. There will be food and drink for purchase from local businesses. University Ave. will be closed during this event.
The Sewanee Business Alliance along with other AngelFest sponsors offer this event free to the community.
For more information go to http://sewaneeangelfest.blogspot.com/.
Children’s activities include inflatables, animals, musical chairs for the dogs and their humans, cotton candy and shaved ice, crafts, face painting, glow bracelets and temporary tattoos, make your own marshmallow poppers, corn hole, science activity, and ladder toss, bubbles and sidewalk chalk. The children’s events will end at 7 p.m.
Act of Congress, an acoustic musical group from Birmingham will take the stage at 7:30 p.m., bring a chair or a blanket. There will be food and drink for purchase from local businesses. University Ave. will be closed during this event.
The Sewanee Business Alliance along with other AngelFest sponsors offer this event free to the community.
For more information go to http://sewaneeangelfest.blogspot.com/.
University Choir Starts a Fresh Journey
by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer
Donning their white cassocks and red surplices, the University of the South Choir is an integral part of Sewanee, and this year they have a new choirmaster as they start the journey toward Lessons and Carols.
The choir has performed at several Eucharist services at All Saints’ Chapel this school year and will perform their first Evensong service at the Chapel this Sunday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m.
Katie Kull, a senior ecology and biodiversity major, is choir president.
“Being in the choir has been one of the defining activities in my life as a University student,” Kull said. “The music is truly what drew me to this choir, because we get to sing some of the most beautiful, challenging and haunting choral pieces ever written.
“I know that we’ve done well when I get goosebumps from listening to us all sing together, even on songs we’ve rehearsed a thousand times,” she added. “It’s unlike anything else I’m involved in in its ability to completely change my mood to one of joy and peace.”
The choir’s Evensong performance will feature hymns, canticles, responses and organ voluntaries, said Geoffrey Ward, the new choirmaster and organist at All Saints’ Chapel. He replaced longtime choirmaster Robbe DelCamp, who retired. Ward, who is originally from Ontario, Canada, is the former organist and choirmaster of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Memphis.
Both William Stokes, the assistant University organist, and Ken Miller, the new organist at the School of Theology, will perform organ music before the Evensong service starts and at the end, Ward added.
The University Choir features 47 students, including 19 freshmen and three international students from Italy, China and Russia. The school holds auditions during orientation each year.
“I am always on the lookout for new singers,” Ward said. “This means that auditions can happen and hopefully will continue through the year.”
Davis Couch, a senior economics major and choir member, said the singing has a therapeutic effect.
“If I were to describe how the music we sing makes me feel in one word, it would be ‘calming,’” Couch said. “It’s nice to forget about the million and one different things that we as students constantly have to take care of and just enjoy singing beautiful music for an hour or so every other day.”
Couch calls the choir one of the most tight-knit organizations on campus.
“Being a part of the choir has been one of my favorite parts of my Sewanee career,” he said. “It’s hard for me to describe my experience in the choir without talking about the people in it. My choir experience has been nothing but good because of the people around me and how much fun we have singing together.”
The choir is best known for the annual Lessons and Carols performances in early December, which draws people from hundreds of miles away.
“Lessons and Carols is the Super Bowl of the University Choir,” Kull said. “I’m also a tour guide for Sewanee, and I usually get goosebumps just standing in the chapel telling visitors about the experience of singing the services.
“It’s such a visceral thing,” she added. “The whole chapel is filled with the smell of evergreens and candle smoke and all we can see are each others’ faces illuminated by our candles. There are parts of the accompanying brass melodies of some of the hymns that bring me to tears when I hear them again for the first time each December.”
The choir often travels both internationally and domestically and this spring break, the choir will tour in the U.S., including a choral Evensong at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
“We are looking to expand our contacts with alumni from Sewanee as well as recruiting students specifically to sing in the choir,” Ward said. “The tour will certainly help with this. We are hoping to start a choir camp for high school students that will expose more students to the University.”
Donning their white cassocks and red surplices, the University of the South Choir is an integral part of Sewanee, and this year they have a new choirmaster as they start the journey toward Lessons and Carols.
The choir has performed at several Eucharist services at All Saints’ Chapel this school year and will perform their first Evensong service at the Chapel this Sunday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m.
Katie Kull, a senior ecology and biodiversity major, is choir president.
“Being in the choir has been one of the defining activities in my life as a University student,” Kull said. “The music is truly what drew me to this choir, because we get to sing some of the most beautiful, challenging and haunting choral pieces ever written.
“I know that we’ve done well when I get goosebumps from listening to us all sing together, even on songs we’ve rehearsed a thousand times,” she added. “It’s unlike anything else I’m involved in in its ability to completely change my mood to one of joy and peace.”
The choir’s Evensong performance will feature hymns, canticles, responses and organ voluntaries, said Geoffrey Ward, the new choirmaster and organist at All Saints’ Chapel. He replaced longtime choirmaster Robbe DelCamp, who retired. Ward, who is originally from Ontario, Canada, is the former organist and choirmaster of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Memphis.
Both William Stokes, the assistant University organist, and Ken Miller, the new organist at the School of Theology, will perform organ music before the Evensong service starts and at the end, Ward added.
The University Choir features 47 students, including 19 freshmen and three international students from Italy, China and Russia. The school holds auditions during orientation each year.
“I am always on the lookout for new singers,” Ward said. “This means that auditions can happen and hopefully will continue through the year.”
Davis Couch, a senior economics major and choir member, said the singing has a therapeutic effect.
“If I were to describe how the music we sing makes me feel in one word, it would be ‘calming,’” Couch said. “It’s nice to forget about the million and one different things that we as students constantly have to take care of and just enjoy singing beautiful music for an hour or so every other day.”
Couch calls the choir one of the most tight-knit organizations on campus.
“Being a part of the choir has been one of my favorite parts of my Sewanee career,” he said. “It’s hard for me to describe my experience in the choir without talking about the people in it. My choir experience has been nothing but good because of the people around me and how much fun we have singing together.”
The choir is best known for the annual Lessons and Carols performances in early December, which draws people from hundreds of miles away.
“Lessons and Carols is the Super Bowl of the University Choir,” Kull said. “I’m also a tour guide for Sewanee, and I usually get goosebumps just standing in the chapel telling visitors about the experience of singing the services.
“It’s such a visceral thing,” she added. “The whole chapel is filled with the smell of evergreens and candle smoke and all we can see are each others’ faces illuminated by our candles. There are parts of the accompanying brass melodies of some of the hymns that bring me to tears when I hear them again for the first time each December.”
The choir often travels both internationally and domestically and this spring break, the choir will tour in the U.S., including a choral Evensong at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
“We are looking to expand our contacts with alumni from Sewanee as well as recruiting students specifically to sing in the choir,” Ward said. “The tour will certainly help with this. We are hoping to start a choir camp for high school students that will expose more students to the University.”
The Monteagle Eagle Comes Home to Roost
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
The majestic Monteagle Hotel burned in 1950, but the symbolic eagle statue continued to grace the front lawn until one dark and stormy night in November of 1952. The eagle mysteriously vanished. Perched on a globe atop a stone mound, the 70 pound eagle with a six-foot plus wing span appeared to have been excised from its roost with tin snips. Just days later the eagle reappeared at Tennessee Tech, the eagle’s pot-metal finish hidden beneath a coat of lustrous gold paint befitting the school’s revered mascot, the golden eagle. Suspended from the ceiling in Memorial Gym to rally enthusiasm for the big Thanksgiving game against the school’s arch rival MTSU, the noble eagle had the desired effect. The student body roared approval. But chagrinned Tech President Everett Derryberry rushed up to the stage demanding to know how the eagle came into the students’ possession.
Unknown to the three students who masterminded the middle of the night hijack, Derryberry had recently heard the hotel burned and contacted hotel owner John Harton about purchasing the eagle for a school emblem. Back in Monteagle, tempers flared when the town learned of their eagle’s fate. A group of incensed citizens were rumored to plot stealing the eagle back. But the Tech students had fallen in love with the eagle and had hidden it away under lock and key. Harton, a former state treasurer, initially refused to sell or donate the eagle to the school. Finally Governor Frank G. Clement, Harton’s longtime friend, negotiated a compromise. Harton accepted $500 as payment for the eagle. Tech mounted the eagle atop the library and later moved it to a perch on the administration building, now Derryberry Hall.
Fast forward to 2013. The Harton family had made the former hotel grounds available to the city of Monteagle for use as a park. Within the park, the stone mound had acquired a new eagle statue fashioned by local iron artist Jamey Chernicky. The Laurel Lake Garden Club tended the array of plantings surrounding the eagle statue and while the women watered and weeded, a seed bloomed into an idea: Let’s get the original eagle back. The garden club women joined forces with the civic group Monteagle Women for a Better Tomorrow, and a small coalition of women paid a visit to current Tech President Phil Oldham.
When they walked into Oldham’s office, spokesperson for the group Iva Michelle Russell zeroed in on a picture of actor John Belushi, renowned for his frat-boy mischief in the film “Animal House.”
“When I saw the Belushi picture, I knew it would go well,” Russell said. A friendly, good-humored exchange followed with the women joking about how many bake sales it would take to purchase the eagle statue, and a few days later Oldham contacted the women with an idea. He proposed Tech create two exact replicas of the eagle, one for Tech and one for the town.Tech removed the eagle from Derryberry Hall and through a combination of high-tech scanning, modeling and 3-D printing made a mold. Before being delivered to a local foundry, the mold was used to make a plaster cast of the original eagle which is on display in the lobby at the Monteagle City Hall. Traditional metal casting and finishing techniques were employed to produce the two aluminum replicas. Weighing more than 400 pounds and sporting a shimmering golden finish, Monteagle’s eagle will be unveiled at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 24, in Harton Park mounted on the same stone mound the original eagle once called home. The sister replica eagle will grace the entrance to Derryberry Hall.
Weather and age have taken their toll on the original eagle. Too fragile for outdoor display, the original will be enshrined in a glass case for viewing at the student union. While no one living can account for the eagle’s exact age, photos from the WWII era show returning soldiers pictured with the eagle, so she’s at least 70 years old.
The unveiling ceremony will include Monteagle Elementary School children reading their winning essays on Monteagle history and the official announcement of the eagle’s name, with the winning name selected from among the ideas submitted by students at MES.
Jamey Chernicky’s eagle, which has been standing guard at the Harton Park roost since 2011, has found a new home at the Monteagle Pavillion.
One legend has it that the town’s name is based on the Native American name for the location, Eagle Mountain, honoring the golden eagles who inhabit the region.
Like the mythological bird the phoenix that obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor, the Monteagle eagle will return to her roost in an aura of glory, splendor and good feelings all around.
The majestic Monteagle Hotel burned in 1950, but the symbolic eagle statue continued to grace the front lawn until one dark and stormy night in November of 1952. The eagle mysteriously vanished. Perched on a globe atop a stone mound, the 70 pound eagle with a six-foot plus wing span appeared to have been excised from its roost with tin snips. Just days later the eagle reappeared at Tennessee Tech, the eagle’s pot-metal finish hidden beneath a coat of lustrous gold paint befitting the school’s revered mascot, the golden eagle. Suspended from the ceiling in Memorial Gym to rally enthusiasm for the big Thanksgiving game against the school’s arch rival MTSU, the noble eagle had the desired effect. The student body roared approval. But chagrinned Tech President Everett Derryberry rushed up to the stage demanding to know how the eagle came into the students’ possession.
Unknown to the three students who masterminded the middle of the night hijack, Derryberry had recently heard the hotel burned and contacted hotel owner John Harton about purchasing the eagle for a school emblem. Back in Monteagle, tempers flared when the town learned of their eagle’s fate. A group of incensed citizens were rumored to plot stealing the eagle back. But the Tech students had fallen in love with the eagle and had hidden it away under lock and key. Harton, a former state treasurer, initially refused to sell or donate the eagle to the school. Finally Governor Frank G. Clement, Harton’s longtime friend, negotiated a compromise. Harton accepted $500 as payment for the eagle. Tech mounted the eagle atop the library and later moved it to a perch on the administration building, now Derryberry Hall.
Fast forward to 2013. The Harton family had made the former hotel grounds available to the city of Monteagle for use as a park. Within the park, the stone mound had acquired a new eagle statue fashioned by local iron artist Jamey Chernicky. The Laurel Lake Garden Club tended the array of plantings surrounding the eagle statue and while the women watered and weeded, a seed bloomed into an idea: Let’s get the original eagle back. The garden club women joined forces with the civic group Monteagle Women for a Better Tomorrow, and a small coalition of women paid a visit to current Tech President Phil Oldham.
When they walked into Oldham’s office, spokesperson for the group Iva Michelle Russell zeroed in on a picture of actor John Belushi, renowned for his frat-boy mischief in the film “Animal House.”
“When I saw the Belushi picture, I knew it would go well,” Russell said. A friendly, good-humored exchange followed with the women joking about how many bake sales it would take to purchase the eagle statue, and a few days later Oldham contacted the women with an idea. He proposed Tech create two exact replicas of the eagle, one for Tech and one for the town.Tech removed the eagle from Derryberry Hall and through a combination of high-tech scanning, modeling and 3-D printing made a mold. Before being delivered to a local foundry, the mold was used to make a plaster cast of the original eagle which is on display in the lobby at the Monteagle City Hall. Traditional metal casting and finishing techniques were employed to produce the two aluminum replicas. Weighing more than 400 pounds and sporting a shimmering golden finish, Monteagle’s eagle will be unveiled at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 24, in Harton Park mounted on the same stone mound the original eagle once called home. The sister replica eagle will grace the entrance to Derryberry Hall.
Weather and age have taken their toll on the original eagle. Too fragile for outdoor display, the original will be enshrined in a glass case for viewing at the student union. While no one living can account for the eagle’s exact age, photos from the WWII era show returning soldiers pictured with the eagle, so she’s at least 70 years old.
The unveiling ceremony will include Monteagle Elementary School children reading their winning essays on Monteagle history and the official announcement of the eagle’s name, with the winning name selected from among the ideas submitted by students at MES.
Jamey Chernicky’s eagle, which has been standing guard at the Harton Park roost since 2011, has found a new home at the Monteagle Pavillion.
One legend has it that the town’s name is based on the Native American name for the location, Eagle Mountain, honoring the golden eagles who inhabit the region.
Like the mythological bird the phoenix that obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor, the Monteagle eagle will return to her roost in an aura of glory, splendor and good feelings all around.
SAS to Celebrate New Head of School and Chapel Restoration
by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer
Starting today (Friday) St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School will celebrate two big occasions during Upper School Family Weekend, the installation of its new head of school and restoration of St. Andrew’s Chapel.
Karl Sjolund, the new head of school, will preach during the Eucharistic installation service at 2 p.m., today (Friday), Sept. 23, at the Outdoor Altar. The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt, Episcopal Bishop of Tennessee, will be the celebrant at the service.
Sjolund, who was previously headmaster at Salem Academy in Winston Salem, N.C., started at SAS on July 1. He said the first two months have been frenzied and exciting.
“I’m drinking water from a firehose right now and I’m still trying to figure out what’s next. But I sure am having fun doing it,” he said.
Sjolund is only the third head of school in SAS’s 35-year history.
“I’m just so pleased with how welcoming this community is, the SAS community and also the greater Sewanee community,” he said. “It’s been such a warm embrace, it really has, for both my wife and I.”
Sjolund’s wife, Susan, is the new head coach for the University of the South’s equestrian team and they have twin daughters, one at Furman University and the other at Samford University.
He said staffing at SAS is almost complete and he is looking forward to the fall meeting of the board of trustees in October.
“I inherited a tremendous team of very talented professionals and I have added a new director of admissions, Anneke Skidmore, who’s an SAS graduate,” he said.
Enrollment is up by 16 students compared to last year, with 247 students enrolled at the school. This includes 77 boarding students and 31 international students.
He said the board will discuss such issues as the next capital projects for the school, increasing staff salaries and building the scholarship fund for students who need financial help.
Sjolund said he was drawn to SAS because of the location, but also because he loves the Episcopal boarding school environment and students from all over the world coming together for an education.
“It was the people more than anything else that sold me on it,” he said. “The leadership, the faculty and probably more than anything else, the students. I thought it was an incredibly talented, kind and happy student body and that was what I was looking for.”
On Sunday, Sept. 25, at 10:30 a.m., the school will also host a special rededication service at its newly-renovated Chapel, with the Rt. Rev. Neil Alexander, dean of Sewanee’s School of Theology, presiding.
SAS raised approximately $1.35 million, with about $850,000 of that for restoration of St. Andrew’s Chapel and the rest for an endowment for operation and maintenance of the Chapel, said Tim Graham, assistant to the head of school on special projects. The building, which was consecrated in 1914, seats approximately 250 people.
Workers started the restoration of the Chapel in April and have essentially completed a number of renovations, such as replacing and repairing stucco and wood, repairing the roof, landscaping, weathering windows and doors, removing carpeting, refinishing wood floors, a new fire alarm system, replacing the shingle roof with Spanish tile, a new sound system and restoring pews and artifacts.
Graham said about 450 donors contributed to the Chapel renovation and endowment with donations ranging from small to $200,000.
“The donors represented a broad base of support for the school, which really reflects the breadth of support for that Chapel, and the importance of the Chapel,” Graham said. “People understand the importance of the Chapel in the life of the school. It really is the central building on our campus.”
The project also included repairing and waterproofing the Chapel’s bell tower, which officials will name in honor of the late Bishop Robert Tharp, a former SAS trustee.
Both the installation ceremony and Chapel rededication are open to the public.
Starting today (Friday) St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School will celebrate two big occasions during Upper School Family Weekend, the installation of its new head of school and restoration of St. Andrew’s Chapel.
Karl Sjolund, the new head of school, will preach during the Eucharistic installation service at 2 p.m., today (Friday), Sept. 23, at the Outdoor Altar. The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt, Episcopal Bishop of Tennessee, will be the celebrant at the service.
Sjolund, who was previously headmaster at Salem Academy in Winston Salem, N.C., started at SAS on July 1. He said the first two months have been frenzied and exciting.
“I’m drinking water from a firehose right now and I’m still trying to figure out what’s next. But I sure am having fun doing it,” he said.
Sjolund is only the third head of school in SAS’s 35-year history.
“I’m just so pleased with how welcoming this community is, the SAS community and also the greater Sewanee community,” he said. “It’s been such a warm embrace, it really has, for both my wife and I.”
Sjolund’s wife, Susan, is the new head coach for the University of the South’s equestrian team and they have twin daughters, one at Furman University and the other at Samford University.
He said staffing at SAS is almost complete and he is looking forward to the fall meeting of the board of trustees in October.
“I inherited a tremendous team of very talented professionals and I have added a new director of admissions, Anneke Skidmore, who’s an SAS graduate,” he said.
Enrollment is up by 16 students compared to last year, with 247 students enrolled at the school. This includes 77 boarding students and 31 international students.
He said the board will discuss such issues as the next capital projects for the school, increasing staff salaries and building the scholarship fund for students who need financial help.
Sjolund said he was drawn to SAS because of the location, but also because he loves the Episcopal boarding school environment and students from all over the world coming together for an education.
“It was the people more than anything else that sold me on it,” he said. “The leadership, the faculty and probably more than anything else, the students. I thought it was an incredibly talented, kind and happy student body and that was what I was looking for.”
On Sunday, Sept. 25, at 10:30 a.m., the school will also host a special rededication service at its newly-renovated Chapel, with the Rt. Rev. Neil Alexander, dean of Sewanee’s School of Theology, presiding.
SAS raised approximately $1.35 million, with about $850,000 of that for restoration of St. Andrew’s Chapel and the rest for an endowment for operation and maintenance of the Chapel, said Tim Graham, assistant to the head of school on special projects. The building, which was consecrated in 1914, seats approximately 250 people.
Workers started the restoration of the Chapel in April and have essentially completed a number of renovations, such as replacing and repairing stucco and wood, repairing the roof, landscaping, weathering windows and doors, removing carpeting, refinishing wood floors, a new fire alarm system, replacing the shingle roof with Spanish tile, a new sound system and restoring pews and artifacts.
Graham said about 450 donors contributed to the Chapel renovation and endowment with donations ranging from small to $200,000.
“The donors represented a broad base of support for the school, which really reflects the breadth of support for that Chapel, and the importance of the Chapel,” Graham said. “People understand the importance of the Chapel in the life of the school. It really is the central building on our campus.”
The project also included repairing and waterproofing the Chapel’s bell tower, which officials will name in honor of the late Bishop Robert Tharp, a former SAS trustee.
Both the installation ceremony and Chapel rededication are open to the public.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Sixth Annual Angel Fest, Sept. 23
The sixth annual AngelFest will be Friday, Sept. 23 at the Angel Park and throughout downtown Sewanee. Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions is sponsoring three hours of family fun and children’s activities, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Children’s activities include inflatables donated by Reliable Rental and All Blown Up; animals presented by TWRA permitted wildlife Rehabilitator, Margaret Matens; musical chairs for the dogs and their humans presented by Animal Harbor; cotton candy and shaved ice donated by All Blown Up Party Rental; crafts by Franklin County Library; face painting by Animal Harbor; glow bracelets and temporary tattoos by Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions; make your own marshmallow poppers donated by Builder’s Supply; corn hole by Otey Parish Church; Sewanee Chemistry Club science activity; and ladder toss, bubbles and sidewalk chalk. The children’s events will end at 7 p.m.
Act of Congress, an acoustic musical group from Birmingham will take the stage at 7:30 p.m.; bring a chair or a blanket. There will be food and drink for purchase from local businesses.
The Sewanee Business Alliance along with other AngelFest sponsors offer this event free to the community. For more information go to http://sewaneeangelfest.blogspot.com/.
Children’s activities include inflatables donated by Reliable Rental and All Blown Up; animals presented by TWRA permitted wildlife Rehabilitator, Margaret Matens; musical chairs for the dogs and their humans presented by Animal Harbor; cotton candy and shaved ice donated by All Blown Up Party Rental; crafts by Franklin County Library; face painting by Animal Harbor; glow bracelets and temporary tattoos by Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions; make your own marshmallow poppers donated by Builder’s Supply; corn hole by Otey Parish Church; Sewanee Chemistry Club science activity; and ladder toss, bubbles and sidewalk chalk. The children’s events will end at 7 p.m.
Act of Congress, an acoustic musical group from Birmingham will take the stage at 7:30 p.m.; bring a chair or a blanket. There will be food and drink for purchase from local businesses.
The Sewanee Business Alliance along with other AngelFest sponsors offer this event free to the community. For more information go to http://sewaneeangelfest.blogspot.com/.
Cowan Fall Heritage Festival Celebrates Third Year
The Fall Heritage Festival returns to Cowan Sept. 16–18, filling the Cowan Railroad Museum Park with music, art, history and free activities for kids of all ages. The free community-driven event celebrates the region’s traditions and history as well as showcasing the continuing talents, creativity and diversity of its residents. This year features an expanded Kids Zone, historical demonstrations and living history, vendors, and juried arts and crafts, and of course, festival food.
Highlights of the festival schedule include a car cruise-in and beauty pageant on Friday; Cornbread Contest and Duck River Electric’s High Voltage Safety Demonstration on Saturday; and an Ice Cream Pie Eating Contest (ages 4–16); and free Musical Instrument Petting Zoo lessons for children from bluegrass legend Tom Morgan on Sunday. Door prize drawings and live music continue throughout the weekend.
With more than 50 acts on three stages, music lovers will have a hard time catching all the performances, spanning the musical spectrum from classical to country, funk to fusion jazz. EmiSunshine kicks off the festival with her classic country sound at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept.16, on the Bandstand, along with Jesse & Noah (Bellamy) on the Monterey Station Platform, and Cullen Wade & the Waters on the Depot Stage. Other bands throughout the weekend include Jackwagon, Bad Nayber, The Coteries, Mateo Alexander and the Wayward Souls, Rybski’s Smokin’ Flyheads, Pacer & the Sundowners, the Guys, Hamartia, Built on Blues, Pink Robin and the Bra Bandits, Chase Clanton & the Vintage Vibes, Stillwater Bluegrass, and jazz extraordinaires, the 9th Street Stompers.
Among the songwriters performing are Dana Rogers, John Lathim, Tanner Hillis, Josh Wanamaker, Bude van Dyke, Marilyn Harris, David Watson, Kenneth Sullivan, Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Roy Harper, Randy Waller of the Country Gentlemen, and internationally award-winning songwriter and guitarist Shane Adkins. Other acoustic performances include Ben Ayers, Tom Morgan with longtime partner Lynn Haas, Regina Childress, Tom Gladstone, and The Charlie Scott’s Been There; Done That.
The fun begins Friday at 5 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m., and resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. through 9 p.m. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The festival is free to the public, and made possible by the generous donations from regional businesses and individuals.
For complete schedule of activities, please see the festival’s website at <www.FallHeritageFestival.info>, <www.facebook.com/FallHeritageFestival>, email <info@FallHeritageFestival.info> or leave a message at (931) 563-3868 for additional information.
Highlights of the festival schedule include a car cruise-in and beauty pageant on Friday; Cornbread Contest and Duck River Electric’s High Voltage Safety Demonstration on Saturday; and an Ice Cream Pie Eating Contest (ages 4–16); and free Musical Instrument Petting Zoo lessons for children from bluegrass legend Tom Morgan on Sunday. Door prize drawings and live music continue throughout the weekend.
With more than 50 acts on three stages, music lovers will have a hard time catching all the performances, spanning the musical spectrum from classical to country, funk to fusion jazz. EmiSunshine kicks off the festival with her classic country sound at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept.16, on the Bandstand, along with Jesse & Noah (Bellamy) on the Monterey Station Platform, and Cullen Wade & the Waters on the Depot Stage. Other bands throughout the weekend include Jackwagon, Bad Nayber, The Coteries, Mateo Alexander and the Wayward Souls, Rybski’s Smokin’ Flyheads, Pacer & the Sundowners, the Guys, Hamartia, Built on Blues, Pink Robin and the Bra Bandits, Chase Clanton & the Vintage Vibes, Stillwater Bluegrass, and jazz extraordinaires, the 9th Street Stompers.
Among the songwriters performing are Dana Rogers, John Lathim, Tanner Hillis, Josh Wanamaker, Bude van Dyke, Marilyn Harris, David Watson, Kenneth Sullivan, Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Roy Harper, Randy Waller of the Country Gentlemen, and internationally award-winning songwriter and guitarist Shane Adkins. Other acoustic performances include Ben Ayers, Tom Morgan with longtime partner Lynn Haas, Regina Childress, Tom Gladstone, and The Charlie Scott’s Been There; Done That.
The fun begins Friday at 5 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m., and resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. through 9 p.m. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The festival is free to the public, and made possible by the generous donations from regional businesses and individuals.
For complete schedule of activities, please see the festival’s website at <www.FallHeritageFestival.info>, <www.facebook.com/FallHeritageFestival>, email <info@FallHeritageFestival.info> or leave a message at (931) 563-3868 for additional information.
SAS Family Weekend to Include Two Celebrations
In addition to the usual class walk-throughs and parent meetings, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School’s Upper School Family Weekend, Sept. 23–25, will include two special celebrations—the Installation of Head of School Karl J. Sjolund and the Rededication of the newly restored St. Andrew’s Chapel.
The weekend kicks off at 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 23, with the installation ceremony of Karl J. Sjolund, the third head of school in the school’s 35-year history. The installation will be a Eucharist Service with the Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt, Bishop of Tennessee, celebrating and Sjolund preaching. Following the event there will be a reception. The public is invited.
Friday afternoon continues for the SAS community with a question and answer session with Dean of Students Laura Clay, Head of Upper School Kelley Black and student panelists. The Mountain Lion Invitational Cross Country meet begins at 4:30 p.m.
At 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 24, parents of senior students will gather to hear Sewanee Assistant Director of Financial Aid Denise Barry talk about the new FAFSA procedures and strategies for paying for college. The 9 a.m. all-parent meeting in McCrory Hall will be followed by a class walk-through. At noon, the varsity girls’ soccer team takes on Huntland High School. Senior players will be recognized before the game begins. The afternoon includes faculty office hours and a campus hike. Parents will enjoy a reception with the head of school and an evening Creative Expression Assembly, an opportunity to see some of the talent among the student body.
The Rt. Rev. Neil Alexander will preside at the Rededication of St. Andrew’s Chapel at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 25. The Chapel recently underwent extensive restoration thanks to the generosity of more than 450 donors. St. Andrew’s-Sewanee welcomes the community to join in this service and celebration; seating may be limited.
The weekend kicks off at 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 23, with the installation ceremony of Karl J. Sjolund, the third head of school in the school’s 35-year history. The installation will be a Eucharist Service with the Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt, Bishop of Tennessee, celebrating and Sjolund preaching. Following the event there will be a reception. The public is invited.
Friday afternoon continues for the SAS community with a question and answer session with Dean of Students Laura Clay, Head of Upper School Kelley Black and student panelists. The Mountain Lion Invitational Cross Country meet begins at 4:30 p.m.
At 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 24, parents of senior students will gather to hear Sewanee Assistant Director of Financial Aid Denise Barry talk about the new FAFSA procedures and strategies for paying for college. The 9 a.m. all-parent meeting in McCrory Hall will be followed by a class walk-through. At noon, the varsity girls’ soccer team takes on Huntland High School. Senior players will be recognized before the game begins. The afternoon includes faculty office hours and a campus hike. Parents will enjoy a reception with the head of school and an evening Creative Expression Assembly, an opportunity to see some of the talent among the student body.
The Rt. Rev. Neil Alexander will preside at the Rededication of St. Andrew’s Chapel at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 25. The Chapel recently underwent extensive restoration thanks to the generosity of more than 450 donors. St. Andrew’s-Sewanee welcomes the community to join in this service and celebration; seating may be limited.
SES Hosts FC School Board Meeting
Policy Amendments Approved
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
Sewanee Elementary School hosted the Sept. 8 meeting of the Franklin County School Board in keeping with the board’s practice of meeting at one of the district’s schools every other month. Prior to the meeting, board members met with SES teachers and toured the school. Addressing the board, SES Principal Kim Tucker talked about educating the whole child and the importance of instilling the values of service and being good community stewards. Tucker strongly advocates teaching across the curriculum and teaching outside the four walls, incorporating place-based learning that utilizes the many resources offered by the community, University, and natural environment.
Tucker announced several upcoming events that reflect the school’s ethos and approach to learning. Scheduled for Sept. 26–30, the SES Book Fair is a one-on-one experience connecting students with titles they want to read. On Wednesday, Oct. 5, students, parents and community members will join in the annual Walk to School event, which begins at the University Bookstore. The annual SES Peace Pole Ceremony celebrates a different foreign country each year. This year’s ceremony is scheduled for 8 a.m., Friday, Oct.14, during the morning assembly period.
During the business portion of the meeting, the board welcomed new school board member Linda Jones and elected the following officers: Cleijo Walker, chair, and Lance Williams, vice-chair. Adam Tucker, school board representative from Sewanee, was reelected to serve in the capacity of legislative liaison for the board.
The board approved several policy amendments and additions recommended by the Tennessee School Board Association. The new Homeless Students policy defines homelessness and guarantees homeless students access “to the same free appropriate public education as provided to other children and youths”; the policy also calls for appointing a district homeless coordinator to implement the policy and coordinate support from social service agencies. The new Credit Recovery policy establishes procedures by which students can recover credit and sets criteria for credit recovery teachers. The amended Discipline Procedures policy added the following to the list of “misbehaviors” calling for disciplinary action: wearing clothing that exposes underwear or body parts in an indecent manner; harassment (sexual, racial, ethnic, religious); and possession, sale, and/or distribution of tobacco or alcohol.
The board withheld approval of the Graduation Requirements policy and Child Abuse and Neglect policy pending further consideration. The board will seek clarification on the number of credits required to graduate in the various circumstances identified in the Graduation Requirements policy.
Tucker also asked for clarification of the definition for emotional abuse in the Child Abuse and Neglect policy. Board representative Chris Guess pointed out that scolding did not constitute abuse and a distinction needed to be made between the two. The board approved of the portion of the policy obligating school employees to report abuse and stipulating the procedures to be followed.
The board will revisit the Graduation Requirements policy and Child Abuse and Neglect policy at the October meeting. The board will hold a working session on Oct. 3. The next regular meeting is Oct. 10.
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
Sewanee Elementary School hosted the Sept. 8 meeting of the Franklin County School Board in keeping with the board’s practice of meeting at one of the district’s schools every other month. Prior to the meeting, board members met with SES teachers and toured the school. Addressing the board, SES Principal Kim Tucker talked about educating the whole child and the importance of instilling the values of service and being good community stewards. Tucker strongly advocates teaching across the curriculum and teaching outside the four walls, incorporating place-based learning that utilizes the many resources offered by the community, University, and natural environment.
Tucker announced several upcoming events that reflect the school’s ethos and approach to learning. Scheduled for Sept. 26–30, the SES Book Fair is a one-on-one experience connecting students with titles they want to read. On Wednesday, Oct. 5, students, parents and community members will join in the annual Walk to School event, which begins at the University Bookstore. The annual SES Peace Pole Ceremony celebrates a different foreign country each year. This year’s ceremony is scheduled for 8 a.m., Friday, Oct.14, during the morning assembly period.
During the business portion of the meeting, the board welcomed new school board member Linda Jones and elected the following officers: Cleijo Walker, chair, and Lance Williams, vice-chair. Adam Tucker, school board representative from Sewanee, was reelected to serve in the capacity of legislative liaison for the board.
The board approved several policy amendments and additions recommended by the Tennessee School Board Association. The new Homeless Students policy defines homelessness and guarantees homeless students access “to the same free appropriate public education as provided to other children and youths”; the policy also calls for appointing a district homeless coordinator to implement the policy and coordinate support from social service agencies. The new Credit Recovery policy establishes procedures by which students can recover credit and sets criteria for credit recovery teachers. The amended Discipline Procedures policy added the following to the list of “misbehaviors” calling for disciplinary action: wearing clothing that exposes underwear or body parts in an indecent manner; harassment (sexual, racial, ethnic, religious); and possession, sale, and/or distribution of tobacco or alcohol.
The board withheld approval of the Graduation Requirements policy and Child Abuse and Neglect policy pending further consideration. The board will seek clarification on the number of credits required to graduate in the various circumstances identified in the Graduation Requirements policy.
Tucker also asked for clarification of the definition for emotional abuse in the Child Abuse and Neglect policy. Board representative Chris Guess pointed out that scolding did not constitute abuse and a distinction needed to be made between the two. The board approved of the portion of the policy obligating school employees to report abuse and stipulating the procedures to be followed.
The board will revisit the Graduation Requirements policy and Child Abuse and Neglect policy at the October meeting. The board will hold a working session on Oct. 3. The next regular meeting is Oct. 10.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Mountain Homecoming in Monteagle
Mountain Homecoming is a fall tradition of welcoming back folks who have left but have never forgotten their roots or their memories here on the Mountain. This event starts at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 24.
This year, the Town of Monteagle has partnered with the South Cumberland Area Chamber of Commerce, Tracy City Street Rodders and Margo Shea, visiting professor at the Univeristy of the South and with the Places Project, to bring together a day filled with activities that are sure to appeal to everyone in the family.
The biggest event kicks off the day when the new and improved Monteagle Eagle returns home from her perch on Derryberry Hall at Tennessee Tech University and lands back home at Harton Park, 64 years after she mysteriously flew the coop.
Events for the day include: 10 a.m., Tennessee Tech/Monteagle Eagle unveiling, Harton Park; 10 a.m., Places Project booth opens; 10 a.m.–noon, Pop-up Museum object drop-off; 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Fire on the Mountain Car Show, May Justus Library; 10 a.m.–4 p.m., History Celebration, Monteagle Town Hall; 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Chamber Chili Cook-off, Monteagle Pavilion; 12:30 p.m., “Lightening Talks: Six Things You Didn’t Know about Monteagle’s History”; 2–4 p.m., Civil War Living History and Music, Hannah Pickett Park; and 2–4 p.m., the Pop-up Museum opens.
The fourth annual Fire on the Mountain chili cook-off will be open for tasting at 11 a.m., and guests can sample as many types of chili as they want for $5 per person. Chili cook-off teams will represent some of the Mountain’s finest restaurants, businesses and community groups.
For more information go to http://monteaglechamber.com.
This year, the Town of Monteagle has partnered with the South Cumberland Area Chamber of Commerce, Tracy City Street Rodders and Margo Shea, visiting professor at the Univeristy of the South and with the Places Project, to bring together a day filled with activities that are sure to appeal to everyone in the family.
The biggest event kicks off the day when the new and improved Monteagle Eagle returns home from her perch on Derryberry Hall at Tennessee Tech University and lands back home at Harton Park, 64 years after she mysteriously flew the coop.
Events for the day include: 10 a.m., Tennessee Tech/Monteagle Eagle unveiling, Harton Park; 10 a.m., Places Project booth opens; 10 a.m.–noon, Pop-up Museum object drop-off; 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Fire on the Mountain Car Show, May Justus Library; 10 a.m.–4 p.m., History Celebration, Monteagle Town Hall; 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Chamber Chili Cook-off, Monteagle Pavilion; 12:30 p.m., “Lightening Talks: Six Things You Didn’t Know about Monteagle’s History”; 2–4 p.m., Civil War Living History and Music, Hannah Pickett Park; and 2–4 p.m., the Pop-up Museum opens.
The fourth annual Fire on the Mountain chili cook-off will be open for tasting at 11 a.m., and guests can sample as many types of chili as they want for $5 per person. Chili cook-off teams will represent some of the Mountain’s finest restaurants, businesses and community groups.
For more information go to http://monteaglechamber.com.
Fiery Gizzard Reroute Update
Trail Boss Dustin Atkin reports that Phase One of the reroute is over 90 percent done, with just one major staircase yet to build. Phase Two of the reroute is 60 percent done, with a short section of new trail yet to be cut, a creek crossing to be built and another major staircase yet to come.
Volunteers are needed for many different tasks, not all of them strenuous. With cooler weather just around the corner, volunteers are still urgently needed to help Atkin—who has sometimes been working alone during the hottest summer days—bring the reroute to completion. Atkin works just about every day and can use volunteers at any time. However, scheduled volunteer work days are every Saturday from now until project completion.
If you would like to help, be at the Grundy Forest Parking Area any Saturday at 9 a.m., or call the visitor center (931) 924-2980 if you’d like to work with Atkin on any other day. Bring sturdy shoes, work gloves, sack lunch and plenty of water. Work generally finishes up by 3 p.m. or earlier each day. For more information, go to www.friendsofsouthcumberland.org.
Volunteers are needed for many different tasks, not all of them strenuous. With cooler weather just around the corner, volunteers are still urgently needed to help Atkin—who has sometimes been working alone during the hottest summer days—bring the reroute to completion. Atkin works just about every day and can use volunteers at any time. However, scheduled volunteer work days are every Saturday from now until project completion.
If you would like to help, be at the Grundy Forest Parking Area any Saturday at 9 a.m., or call the visitor center (931) 924-2980 if you’d like to work with Atkin on any other day. Bring sturdy shoes, work gloves, sack lunch and plenty of water. Work generally finishes up by 3 p.m. or earlier each day. For more information, go to www.friendsofsouthcumberland.org.
Family Friendly AngelFest Event Set for Sept. 23
The sixth annual AngelFest will be Friday, Sept. 23 at the Angel Park and throughout downtown Sewanee. Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions is sponsoring three hours of family fun and children’s activities, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Act of Congress (AOC) will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. for music; bring a chair or a blanket.
The Sewanee Business Alliance along with other AngelFest sponsors offer this event free to the community. There will be food and drink for purchase from local businesses. University Avenue will be closed to automobile traffic for this event.
AOC is no stranger to Sewanee. They have performed a number of times here, most recently with the Sewanee Symphony and Sewanee Chorale.
AOC is currently performing their original music at live venues, festivals, and national symphonies, including two performances with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. AOC has backed up country music star, Sara Evans and American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks. AOC’s current licensing catalog includes Showtime and Google. Act of Congress has released two full length albums, two acclaimed Christmas EPs, a live CD/DVD and the documentary “A Week In The Life.”
Everyone is invited to attend this family friendly event. For more information go to http://sewaneeangelfest.blogspot.com/.
The Sewanee Business Alliance along with other AngelFest sponsors offer this event free to the community. There will be food and drink for purchase from local businesses. University Avenue will be closed to automobile traffic for this event.
AOC is no stranger to Sewanee. They have performed a number of times here, most recently with the Sewanee Symphony and Sewanee Chorale.
AOC is currently performing their original music at live venues, festivals, and national symphonies, including two performances with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. AOC has backed up country music star, Sara Evans and American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks. AOC’s current licensing catalog includes Showtime and Google. Act of Congress has released two full length albums, two acclaimed Christmas EPs, a live CD/DVD and the documentary “A Week In The Life.”
Everyone is invited to attend this family friendly event. For more information go to http://sewaneeangelfest.blogspot.com/.
Hall of Fame Weekend Events
There are numerous activities planned for the Hall of Fame Weekend.
A special Coffee with the Coach will take place at 9 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Blue Chair Tavern. Everyone is invited to join the conversation about Sewanee Athletics with a number of former and current Tiger coaches and student-athletes in attendance.
The event is open to the public and there will be free coffee.
Five individuals and one team have been selected for induction into the Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame. The class will be introduced at halftime of the Tigers’ first home football game of the season Saturday, Sept. 10 against Washington & Lee.
A special Coffee with the Coach will take place at 9 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Blue Chair Tavern. Everyone is invited to join the conversation about Sewanee Athletics with a number of former and current Tiger coaches and student-athletes in attendance.
The event is open to the public and there will be free coffee.
Five individuals and one team have been selected for induction into the Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame. The class will be introduced at halftime of the Tigers’ first home football game of the season Saturday, Sept. 10 against Washington & Lee.
Community Chest Applications Due Sept. 16
The Sewanee Community Chest fund drive announces the beginning of the 2016–17 fund-raising campaign. Sponsored by the Sewanee Civic Association, the Sewanee Community Chest raises funds for local organizations that serve the common good. The deadline for submission is Friday, Sept. 16.
Contact <sewaneecommunitychest@gmail.com> to have an application either emailed or mailed to your organization. A downloadable request for funds form is available at https://sewaneecivic.wordpress.com/.
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 25 organizations with a total of $100,000.
Contact <sewaneecommunitychest@gmail.com> to have an application either emailed or mailed to your organization. A downloadable request for funds form is available at https://sewaneecivic.wordpress.com/.
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 25 organizations with a total of $100,000.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Sewanee Village Plan: Ambitious Goals, Long Range Vision
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
“This is just a plan. Bulldozers are not perched to come in,” said Frank Gladu, University Vice President of Administrative Services, welcoming more than 80 people who came to hear an update on the Sewanee Village Implementation Plan, Aug. 25, at the American Legion Hall.
The Sewanee Village concept grew out of the 2011 University master plan, which included a vision for downtown Sewanee. “Only a few of the proposals in the Implementation Plan will likely be accomplished in our lifetime,” said Gladu.
“The Sewanee Village Plan is based on four core principles that make a great village,” said Brian Wright with Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC), retained by the University to implement the Sewanee Village vision. “The village should be walkable, include a mixture of business and residential properties, be compact, and reflect diversity by being attractive to people of all ages and lifestyles and offering diverse housing types.”
With these goals in mind, the University received approval for rezoning 67 acres in the downtown vicinity from agricultural and general residential use to mixed-use, allowing for commercial development. The Franklin County Planning Commission also agreed to zoning amendments reducing the setback distance to as little as zero feet; allowing for smaller lots; and allowing for a wider variety of uses including businesses such as a market, inn, grocery and microbrewery.
The plan addresses the need for housing with small cottages sharing communal space, affordable single-family dwellings, and apartments, including apartments on the second story above commercial buildings and 300 square foot micro-housing units.
For the past year, TPUDC has taken on design and architectural review services for buildings on leaseholds within the village boundary. Wright and his team are in the process of creating an Architectural Pattern Book to guide those considering building homes and businesses in the village area.
The pattern book identifies four residential styles. “We want to capture the character of the place and still allow for creativity,” Wright said. “We want people to have a sense of comfort about what to expect.”
Central to the plan’s vision is the transformation of Hwy. 41A to accommodate accessibility to proposed amenities on the non-campus side of the highway. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is considering the University’s request to narrow Hwy. 41A to two lanes (without the previously proposed roundabout). The plan calls for sidewalks with tree lawns on Hwy. 41A, as well as street-side parking.
TDOT rejected the request for a crosswalk on Hwy. 41A, Wright said, because there wasn’t sufficient pedestrian traffic. Instead, TDOT proposed a HAWK-style signal activated by a pedestrian pressing a button at the crossing, which sets off flashing yellow lights, then flashing red lights, and finally a solid red stop light.
Questioned about semi trucks navigating the transformed highway, Wright pointed out Cowan and Winchester both offered street-side parking on portions of Hwy. 41A.
Wright said plans did not call for bike lanes on Hwy. 41A, but talks were underway with the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance to incorporate the Mountain Goat Trail into the downtown area.
In the core of the village, the plan proposes parking behind the businesses and other buildings lining the street. Asked about parking for a Senior Citizens’ Center, Wright said parking ease would be incorporated into the design plan, without steps or ramps needed to access the facility.
One visitor argued parking behind the building wouldn’t adequately address parking needs and suggested subsidiary parking facilities. Wright said satellite parking and some sort of tram system were both being considered. “I hope we have a parking problem so these ideas get prioritized.”
Another visitor stressed the need for supporting existing small businesses and spoke out against businesses being required to modify the structure of their buildings. Gladu insisted this, required modification, was not the case.
Renovations and additions to existing businesses and homes will be required to follow the Pattern Book guidelines, according to Wright, but everyday maintenance and repair will be exempt from the Pattern Book criteria.
“We’ve totally failed if existing businesses go out of business,” Wright said.
Addressing concerns about where the money would come from to implement the changes proposed in the plan, Wright said, “We’re not proposing something be built. We’re just setting the framework for it, setting the stage. This is a 100-year plan.
Gladu said addressing housing needs and modifying the Hwy. 41A intersection were top priority. Wright also cited the need for a full-service grocery-type market in the village.
The University has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) with the intent of qualifying development teams to pursue projects identified in the plan. Priority will be given to RFQs received before Oct. 1. Guidelines and more information about the Sewanee Village Implementation Plan are available at sewanee.edu/village..
Community Council Votes to Continue Project Funding
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
At the Aug. 23 meeting, the Sewanee Community Council voted to continue the $10,000 project funding program indefinitely. The Council also reviewed protocol for the upcoming election and discussed the rational for and equitability of transfer fees.
In the summer of 2014, the Council approved the project funding program on a two-year trial bases. Under the provision of the program, the municipal service fee paid by leaseholders was increased to generate $10,000 to be used for physical improvements and amenities on the Domain, the funds to be disbursed at the council’s discretion.
In discussion about whether to continue the program, council representative David Coe asked if any residents complained about the increase in the municipal service fee. Superintendent of Leases Barbara Schlichting said one community member objected to the Council overseeing the disbursement of the funds and would have preferred the decision fell to the leaseholders.
In the two trial years, an appointed committee composed of both council members and non-council members reviewed projects and made recommendations to the council.
Council representative Pam Byerly said she preferred the review committee be composed entirely of council members. Other council members concurred, arguing an all-council member review committee could increase interest in serving on the council, which was the initial intent for establishing the program.
Vice-Chancellor John McCardell pointed out deferring the selection process decision until after the upcoming council election could be an incentive to a potential candidate who favored one mechanism over the other.
The council voted to continue the project funding program at the present level of funding indefinitely and to defer a decision on the selection mechanism until after the election.
The council also approved a motion by Coe that any proposed increase in the amount of funding be announced at two consecutive meetings to allow for community input.
Updating the council on the upcoming election, council representative and election officer Pixie Dozier reminded the council that to accommodate redrawing of district boundaries and restructuring of the council’s composition, all council representatives’ terms would end in November. “All seats are open for election,” Dozier said. In addition to electing three representatives in each of the four districts, the council will elect four at-large representatives.
To ensure continuity, half the newly elected representatives will serve two-year terms and the other half will serve four-year terms, with the candidates receiving the most votes serving four years. Beginning with the 2018 election, all representatives will serve four-year terms.
Candidates must be Sewanee residents for at least two years. All candidates must return a nominating petition signed by 10 registered-voter residents by Oct. 15. Candidates running for a district seat must have 10 signatures from residents of their district. See the district map attached for information on district boundaries. Nominating petitions are available at the lease office.
Voting takes place during the general election, Nov. 8. Early and absentee voting will be offered Oct. 25–Nov. 7 at the Lease Office.
Reporting on the University’s proposed intention to reduce transfer fees, Provost John Swallow said both the amount of the fee and formula by which it was determined were under review. The transfer fee is assessed when leaseholds change hands.
Echoing community complaints, council representative Drew Sampson expressed disappointment a $7,000 transfer fee was recently assessed the nonprofit Folks at Home. He argued the transfer fee was, in fact, a tax, not a fee, since no service was provided in return. He also argued the transfer fee was unfair, since it originated to offset loss of revenue when ground rent was frozen 30 years ago at a rate based on the assessed property value at the time; in 2011 ground rent was unfrozen for new leases and so increased with assessed property value, but the transfer fee continued to be levied.
Schlichting pointed out that since revenue from ground rent increased in 2011, the transfer fee was slightly reduced.
McCardell introduced the student council representatives for the 2016–17 academic year. College representative Abbey Shockley is a junior majoring in politics. Jeremy Carlson representing the School of Theology is studying to be an Episcopal priest.
Community Council Districts
Glacet Takes Helm of the Sewanee Children’s Center
by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer
Carrie Mauzy swept pea gravel off the playground sidewalk as a pint-sized kid with spiky brown hair pushed a dump truck at her feet, spilling new gravel onto the sidewalk.
“She’s marvelous,” Carrie said about Sandy Glacet, the new director of the Sewanee Children’s Center, who had just helped a child off a fence and was now passing out toys on the playground.
Carrie is in her 31st year as a teacher at the Children’s Center, a parent-run school for kids ages 3 to 5 that a group of University of the South employees started in 1949.
“Sandy has a clear understanding of what young children need and what their strengths are,” Mauzy said. “She has a real vision for what’s current in education and bringing children back to nature and play-based learning. Children learn best through feeling, sensory and nature.”
Sandy, a Sewanee graduate, took over as director in August after Harriet Runkle stepped down. She started teaching at the center in 2012, but left for a year to return to her native France when her husband, Aymeric, the University’s chair of French and French Studies, was on sabbatical. The couple has two sons, ages 7 and 4.
“I want the community to know that the Children’s Center is a really great place for parents and children; we all work together to be sure the children have a good foundation to be ready for elementary school,” Sandy said.
She grew up two hours north of Paris and before moving to the U.S. was an assistant teacher for disabled children. Her parents still live in France; her mom is a nurse for elderly people and her stepfather works in the insurance business.
Genevieve Schutz, age 5, is a recent Children’s Center graduate and Sandy was one of her teachers.
“Miss Sandy is so understanding,” Genevieve said. “Whenever we needed help, she would understand. And she’s French and taught us French words like ‘bleu.’ She would give us challenges in French. I want to write a whole book about Miss Sandy!”
Genevieve’s mom, Regan Schutz, is former vice president of the Children’s Center Board of Directors.
“I can’t tell you how delighted—and excited—I am for the community’s preschool to be under Sandy’s guidance,” Regan said. “Coupled with the Rev. April Berends as board president, SCC is on its way to even more success.”
Sandy noted that the Children’s Center doesn’t pressure children to learn, but rather invites them to, creating special activities to generate a desire to learn. She smiles and her cheeks brighten when she talks about a student suddenly grasping a concept.
“Childhood is a childhood, we don’t need to hurry up,” she said. “They need to be ready and when a child is ready to learn, it’s so easy. You can see their face when they have that click. It’s just so great and it reminds me why I come to the center every day. I feel grateful to have my chance here.”
The Children’s Center, located at Otey Parish, is funded through money from the Sewanee Community Chest, school fundraisers and parent dues, and parents are also asked to participate in co-op activities, such as washing clothes or other work at the center.
“I’m really connected with the parents and the teachers,” Sandy said. “They are very supportive. The director needs to understand the routine in the classroom and to know the parents to have open communication. We have great teachers and we are all passionate and devoted about what we really believe is the right way to teach.”
Woman’s Club Reservations Due Today
The first meeting of Sewanee Woman’s Club will be noon, Monday, Sept. 12, at the DuBose Conference Center in Monteagle. The club welcomes all women to join. Dues are $5 per year and are used to support valuable community programs and charities.
Reservations due by today, (Friday), Sept. 2. To make a reservation call Pixie Dozier at (931) 598-5869 or email Marianna Handler at <mariannah@earthlink.net>.
September’s program is “The Dao (Way) of Civic Engagement on the South Cumberland Plateau, 2011-16,” presented by Jim Peterman, professor of philosophy and director of civic engagement at the University of the South.
Lunch ($13.75) for this meeting will be broccoli cheese soup, chef’s salad (without spinach), soda bread with butter and dessert. A vegetarian choice is offered; please request this when making a reservation.
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