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.

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.

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.

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/.

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.

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 <sewaneecommuni​tychest@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.

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..