For Three New Mountain Shops, the Mantra is Local

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Frequently when a new business comes to a community, it is the brainchild of corporate numbers crunchers who live thousands of miles away. An entirely different business model inspired the Mountain Goat Market, Amish Hippie and Crescent Café. The owners of these new Monteagle businesses have strong ties to the community.

Mountain Goat Market owners Eric and Spenser Duncan were raised on the Mountain and graduated from Grundy County High School. Before opening the market, Spenser taught at Monteagle Elementary School, and Eric worked as an electrician. They lived just down the street from Richie’s Market, located on the corner of Main and Laurel Lake Road. When Richie’s closed and the building went up for sale, the enterprising young couple—Eric, 29, and Spenser, 23—decided to reinvent the market as a grocery store specializing in organic and natural foods.

The Mountain Goat Market also has a deli offering a vast array of meat and cheeses. The deli’s bread and coffee come from Chattanooga-area vendors, and the Duncans use local produce as much as possible. Deli customers can eat on the spacious front porch or a small inside dining area where a quaint and curious sign reads “Please Do Park Here.” In the 1940s, the building was a Greyhound Bus terminal.

The Market is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. When the Mountain Goat Trail is completed, it will pass directly in front of the store. In conjunction with Monteagle Mountain SummerFest, the Market is hosting local musicians every Friday and Saturday at noon on the porch from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Amish Hippie owner Marla Sitten’s connection to the mountaintop is through the Nashville music scene. J. D. Oliver, owner of the Smoke House Restaurant and Lodge, hired Sitten to bring music acts to perform at the Smoke House. When Village Wines & Spirits moved to a larger building, Sitten decided the location next to the Smoke House was perfect for a store whose theme found common ground in the peace-love hippie ethic and the simple living Christian ethic of the Amish community.

In addition to hippie-inspired vintage clothing, incense, tobacco accessories, and handmade Cherokee and Navaho jewelry, the Amish Hippie offers goat-milk lotions and soaps, broom and baskets made by members of the Amish community in Ethridge, Tennessee. Sitten’s Amish Hippie brand jam, jellies, and pickles are locally made using local produce when in season.

Customers who want to sit and chat in the book nook located in the center of the store can enjoy Amish Hippie- brand spiced tea, coca mocha and locally made key lime pie. In the future, Sitten hopes to carry Amish furniture and offer a venue for local artists to market their work. The Amish Hippie is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Crescent Café, an on-site food truck owned and operated by Mooney’s Market and Emporium, takes the concept of using local produce to its logical conclusion. Crescent Café chef Carol Manganaro bases her recipes on what’s available locally and what’s in season. The Café offers fresh-made juice, smoothies, wraps and salads. The Beatrix Potter, a summer smoothie, was inspired by the abundance of local beets, complimented by apples, carrots, celery, lemon and mint.

Café diners can eat outside at picnic tables or in the closed-in back porch. The Café is open Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Crescent Café’s wraps and salads can often be found in the cooler in Mooney’s when the Café is closed.

Located on Highway 41A between Sewanee and Monteagle, Mooney’s is celebrating its second anniversary this summer. 

Owner Joan Thomas said her vision was “to offer products not available on the Mountain to reduce the greenhouse gases caused by automobiles and help save the planet.” Mooney’s is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 6 pm. The market specializes in local and organic products, including grains, cereals, snacks, condiments, and produce, as well as gardening and knitting supplies, antiques and art.

Final Weekend for Music Festival

The final weekend of Sewanee Summer Music Festival concludes with a full lineup of events today (Friday), Saturday and Sunday, July 18–20. Most notable are two performances featuring banjo artist and composer Béla Fleck.

On Saturday evening, July 19, at 7:30 p.m., the final concert of the Artist Faculty Series will include a world premiere of a work by Béla Fleck, commissioned by the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Also on the program are David Lang’s “The Anvil Chorus” and Schumann’s “Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47.” Tickets are $12 online, $15 at the door.

On Sunday, July 20, the Cumberland Orchestra and Sewanee Symphony will perform their finale concerts in Guerry Auditorium, back-to-back, beginning at 2:30 p.m. The Cumberland Orchestra will perform “McCormick Fanfare” by Karel Butz, Mozart’s “Symphony No. 25” and “Finlandia” by Jean Sibelius. At 3:30 p.m. the Sewanee Symphony will begin its concert with “The Imposter,” featuring Fleck on banjo. Following this will be Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances.” 

One ticket provides admission to both concerts. Advance online ticket purchase is recommended. The cost is $26 online at <sewaneemusicfestival.org> and $30 at the door. It is suggested to arrive at least 30 minutes before the concert. Latecomers will not be allowed into the performance space, even between movements.

Other events this weekend include two free concerts today (Friday), July 18 in Guerry Garth. Bassoon Zoom VII, at 4 p.m., is an annual event that showcases the talent and humor of the SSMF bassoon studio. Later that evening, a Student Chamber Concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. In both cases, program information will be announced at the concert. In the case of rain, these events will be moved to Guerry Auditorium.

The final Student Chamber Concert of the season at is at 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. Also on Saturday is the much-anticipated Festival Brass Concert at 10 p.m. The performance will be in All Saints’ Chapel, allowing the ensembles to take advantage of the unique staging opportunities and acoustic qualities provided by the venue. Both of these concerts are free and open to the public.

For more information about any of these events, go to <www. http://sewaneemusicfestival.org>.

Fourth of July Photos Available Online

Dozens of photographs from Sewanee's Fourth of July celebration are now online at http://themountainnow.com/Photos/.

Béla Fleck in Sewanee to Play with SSMF

Banjo virtuoso and composer Béla Fleck will be in Sewanee Wednesday–Sunday, July 16–20, for an exciting series of events during the final week of Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Showcased will be Fleck’s newer works, including the world premiere of a work for banjo and chamber orchestra on July 19 and a performance of his critically acclaimed work, “The Imposter,” with the Sewanee Symphony on July 20. 

Béla Fleck is considered the premiere banjo player in the world. He has collected 15 Grammys and more than 30 nominations in more categories than any other artist. 

At the Artist Faculty Series at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 19, there will be a world premiere of a work for banjo and chamber orchestra . Tickets to this concert in Guerry Auditorium are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. 

The Cumberland Orchestra will perform at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, July 20, with guest conductor Soo Han. Works will include “Finlandia” by Sibelius and Mozart’s “Symphony No. 25 in G Minor.”

Fleck and the Sewanee Symphony will perform at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, July 20. The conductor will be Rossen Milanov, director of Princeton Symphony Orchestra and Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias in Spain. Tickets for both concerts are $26 online and $30 at the door.

In conjunction with Fleck’s visit, at 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 16, there will be a showing of the documentary “Béla Fleck: How to Write a Banjo Concerto” at the Sewanee Union Theatre, followed by a question-and-answer session with Fleck. Tickets are $7. Tickets can be purchased online at <www.sewaneemusicfestival.org>. Children age 12 and under are free, but reservations must be made by emailing <ssmf@sewanee.edu> by July 15. Children must be accompanied by a paying adult. Sewanee Summer Music Festival combines a month-long program for advanced music students and a professional concert series. For more information go to <sewaneemusicfestival.org>.

Governor Haslam Comes to Plateau to Announce Major Grants

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer were on the Mountain on July 8 to announce two transportation alternative grants for Monteagle and Tracy City, connecting downtown districts to trails and making other enhancements. A large crowd, including city officials from Monteagle and Tracy City, friends and community leaders gathered on the breezy morning to welcome the governor and the good news. 

The town of Monteagle was awarded a $216,320 grant for the Pedestrian Corridor Extension Project. The project will install approximately 2,000 feet of 5-foot sidewalks on the east side of Highway 64 beginning at Dubose Street heading south to Elgin Drive. The sidewalk will extend access to the multiuse trail and park in downtown Monteagle. A new pedestrian crosswalk will also be created across Highway 64 at the Monteagle City Ball Park.

Tracy City received a $603,569 grant to fund the Downtown Sidewalk and Mountain Goat Trail Connector Project. The project will provide pedestrian and bicycle enhancements to the historic downtown business district, including a multi-use path and trailhead parking. The grant will also fund a key section of the Mountain Goat Trail, a projected 35-plus mile trail linking Franklin and Grundy Counties. 

“This is a lot of hard work,” Haslam said, “but it is significant to the area. I think this will make people want to live here.”

The transportation alternative grant is made possible through a federally funded program formerly known as transportation enhancement and is administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

“The Mountain Goat Trail Alliance is honored to have been asked by the Town of Tracy City to collaborate on this grant proposal,” said Janice Thomas, board president of the MGTA. “Our thanks to Gov. Haslam for coming here to recognize the value of the Mountain Goat Trail to Tracy City, Grundy County and the whole South Cumberland Plateau.”

The Tracy City project will create  a 10-foot wide asphalt trail beginning at Tracy City Elementary School and following the railbed into downtown Tracy City to Altamont Street (Highway 41/150). The project will turn north and follow Altamont Street across Laurel and Colyar Streets and end at Nathurst Street, from which point future projects will reconnect it to the railbed.

“Enhancing transportation options and connections,” Haslam said, “will increase pedestrian and visitor traffic to businesses and recreation areas. Tennessee’s downtowns are the heart of our communities, and improvements like these improve our cities’ and towns’ livability and the quality of life for residents.”

Through these grants, TDOT has funded more than $306 million in non-traditional transportation projects,” Schroer said. “This program has assisted communities all over the state in their efforts to revitalize downtowns, highlight historic areas, provide alternative means of transportation and increase opportunities for economic development,” Schroer said.

A variety of activities, such as the restoration of historic facilities, bike and pedestrian trails, landscaping and other non-traditional transportation projects, are eligible for grant funds under the federal program. 

Additional reporting by Patrick Dean and Rhonda Pilkington

Church Music Conference Begins

Celebrating its 63rd anniversary this year, the Sewanee Church Music Conference begins on Monday, July 14, and will end with an 11 a.m. Festival Eucharist in All Saints’ Chapel on Sunday, July 20. The conference is based at the DuBose Conference Center in Monteagle, where 125 church musicians from all parts of the United States will gather for lectures, rehearsals, classes, fellowship and performances. 

The faculty for the conference this year includes: Peter Richard Conte, choirmaster and organist of St. Clement’s Episcopal Church and grand court organist in Macy’s, Center City, Philadelphia, Pa.; Todd Wilson, director of music and worship at Trinity Cathedral and head of the organ department at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, Ohio; and the Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander, Dean of the School of Theology, who will serve as conference chaplain and preach at the Sunday Festival Eucharist.

A number of public events will take place in All Saints’ Chapel.On Tuesday, July 14, at 7:30 p.m., Peter Richard Conte and Todd Wilson will present a concert on the magnificent 70-rank Casavant organ in All Saints’ Chapel. This is a unique opportunity to hear two world-class organists perform and see them accompany two classic silent movies, “Big Business” starring Laurel and Hardy, and Charlie Chaplain’s “The Kid.” 

Two church services will feature music provided by the conference musicians: Choral Evensong at 5 p.m., Friday, July 18, and the Festival Eucharist at 11 a.m., Sunday, July 20, in All Saints’ Chapel. University organist and professor of music Robert Delcamp is director of the conference.

County TCAP Scores in Line with State Results

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

Franklin County students performed very close to their state counterparts on standardized testing, according to the director of schools.

Recently released statewide results show an overall increase in scores on high school end-of-course exams compared to last year and a plateau in TCAP scores for grades 3–8 — within 1 percent of last year.

The state will likely release local scores after the start of the school year, but Franklin County Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber said she has seen the results. Officials can’t give specifics, but the county’s scores closely mirror state increases at the high school level, as well as increases in TCAP math scores, she said.

“I still think we can do better, but we just haven’t seemed to find the right mix of everything to do better,” she said.

Statewide on the TCAP, 51.3 percent of students were proficient or advanced in math, compared to 50.7 percent last year.

Sharber said there were fluctuations in other testing areas compared to the state, but many similarities, including a dip in reading scores. The statewide numbers show 49.5 percent of students were proficient or advanced in reading in 2014, compared to 50.3 percent in 2013.

Chris McDonough, Sewanee’s representative on the Franklin County Board of Education, said he has heard officially and unofficially, that county TCAP scores are down for science and social studies, but up for math. He said he hasn’t seen all the scores, but he is especially interested in the reading scores.

“This year saw the introduction of a new reading program followed with radical fidelity,” he said. “Many seasoned teachers disliked having their lesson plans dictated to them by the program, and I sensed a real loss of morale. My hope is that it was worth it, but at this point I cannot really say.”

Sharber said a significant problem with state standardized testing is it is not in sync with Common Core standards taught in the classroom. 

“…I think teachers are having trouble trying to determine how to not only teach what they’re supposed to teach, but make sure that children are taught on what’s going to be tested because that is kind of a moving target in Tennessee right now,” Sharber said.

This year the state legislature delayed a move to replace the TCAP next school year with a test based on Common Core standards. The state plans to seek bids from test makers and implement a new standardized test for the 2015–16 school year.

Sharber noted that she does not like standardized testing because it favors privileged children, and she has presented an alternate idea to Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman and his team. She said she would like to see students take a pre-test at the first of the year and then a post-test at the end of the year to accurately determine what a child has learned.

“They said there’s nothing available like that so they’re not going to take the time to try to find somebody to create it, but I think that would be the fairest way to work with children and I think that would be the fairest way with teachers,” Sharber said.

This year’s TCAP was steeped in controversy after the Department of Education failed to release results in time for report cards. The state granted many school districts, including Franklin County, a waiver to exclude TCAP scores from students’ final grades.

For statewide standardized testing results, go to <www.tn.gov/education>.