Senior Ryan Ostrowski Signs Athletic Letter of Intent for Wittenberg University


St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School senior Ryan Ostrowski has committed to play soccer at Wittenberg University in the fall.

Surrounded by family, his coaches, and his friends, he signed his letter of intent on Feb. 21, in the SAS’s Wood-Alligood gymnasium.

In the goalkeeper position throughout his seven years at SAS, Ostrowski began playing soccer at age four. Participating in multiple age-based groups, he had the opportunity to explore different positions in the sport. His interest in playing goalkeeper emerged as he grew older and the chance presented itself, when the team had a match but no available goalie.

“I don’t remember what the score was or how many saves I had or how many goals I allowed, but I do remember the parents, coaches, and my teammates being very impressed with how I played,” he said.

Ostrowski began to grasp the basics of goalkeeping while playing on SAS’s middle school team, which led him to decide that he wanted to pursue playing professionally. He continued to fine tune his skills, growing stronger as a player and beginning as back-up goalkeeper for the varsity team his freshman year. However, after attending a plethora of training and recruitment camps, he recently came to a realization: though he no longer desires to play professionally, he would like soccer to be a part of his life.

“Wittenberg University attracts me because it is a small Division III school where I believe that I will be pushed to improve, compete, perform, and give my best efforts on the soccer field,” Ostrowski said.

He plans to study Sports Management at Wittenberg University to learn more about the business and politics surrounding professional athletics.

Community Chest Spotlight: Animal Harbor


The 2022-23 Sewanee Community Chest (SCC) Fund Drive is underway. Sponsored by the Sewanee Civic Association, the SCC raises money yearly for local charitable organizations serving the area. This year’s goal of $106,425 will help 17 organizations that have requested basic needs funding for quality of life, community aid, children’s programs, and those who are beyond Sewanee but still serve our entire community.

This week we shine the spotlight on the Animal Harbor.

The purpose of Animal Harbor is to provide health care and temporary shelter for lost and homeless companion animals; find new loving homes for these pets; reduce pet overpopulation by promoting spaying and neutering; promote animal welfare by creating a high standard of care and educating adults and school children; support the animal welfare community as a whole including Franklin County Animal Control, creating relationships that allow rescue to rescue collaboration; and maintain a no kill policy except for reasons of mercy or dangerous temperament.

Animal Harbor’s adoption program is the pillar of the organization which cares for homeless dogs and cats and provides them with complete veterinary care including spay or neuter. Animal Harbor places them into new, loving homes, both locally, and outside of the immediate area via transports. In 2018 they developed a Transport Program to transport animals from both Franklin County Animal Control and Animal Harbor to rescue partners in the north, which saved significantly more lives. The transport program is thriving, and since 2018, Animal Harbor has placed more than 800 cats and dogs in foster-based rescues. The SNAP (Spay/Neuter Assistance Program) Program is now a free spay/neuter program for pets belonging to low-income residents of Franklin County. This program helps combat the pet overpopulation problem, which is the root of the problem the county faces. In 2022 Animal Harbor has bolstered their community outreach and support efforts, and now provides a monthly Pet Wellness and Awareness Clinic to qualifying Franklin County Residents which includes free vaccines, free spay/neuter services, pet food, educational booths, and complimentary nail trims/flea and tick prevention, as needed.

In 2021 Animal Harbor took in a total of 352 dogs and cats from all over Franklin County. Of this total, six (1.7 percent) came directly from Sewanee, and 75 (21 percent) came from Franklin County Animal Control, which includes animals picked up from the entire county, including Sewanee. We receive far fewer calls from Sewanee than from other areas of the county about pets in need of sheltering. Among those adopted, 13 pets (7.3 percent) were placed with adopters in Sewanee.

The average direct and indirect cost of vetting and caring for (housing, feeding, staff care, operation costs) a dog in 2021 was $472, while the average cost of vetting and caring for a cat was $482. This cost of additional stay guarantees these animals are protected, emotionally cared for, and provided medical treatment and preventions until the best fit adopter can be found, but this also increases the costs associated with caring for the animal. The average cost of care for an additional month is $90/animal.

The Animal Harbor will receive $4,000 from the Sewanee Community Chest for project/program support and general operating expenses in the quality-of-life and Beyond Sewanee funding areas. With the goal this year to rescue and find homes for 400 abandoned pets, Sewanee Community Chest funding will help to provide complete care for these pets while they are in Animal Harbor’s care.

Since 1908, the goal of the Sewanee Community Chest has been to help citizens by funding the community. With Community Chest donations, local organizations provide for basic needs such as books, food, animal care, housing, scholarships, recreational spaces, elder care, children’s educational needs and more. The Sewanee Community Chest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and donations are tax-deductible. Send your donation to Sewanee Community Chest, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375. Go to <http://sewaneecivic.org>; for more information or to donate online.

‘Surrender’ Ceremony at Blue Monarch


On Feb. 5, more than 150 people gathered at Blue Monarch, a long-term, residential recovery home in Coffee County, Tennessee, to celebrate the astounding accomplishments of graduates Amanda Cox and Mallory Sircy. “Surrender” was the theme of their graduation ceremony. Each Blue Monarch resident powerfully described how her own personal surrender is helping to heal her children and herself from past traumas including childhood abuse, domestic violence, and/or addiction. The courageous women recognize that the hard choice to surrender can forever change their family trees by breaking destructive cycles.

Cox and Sircy gave their personal testimonies including their plans and goals following graduation. Both described how they now have “hope for their future and for their families.” Sircy accepted a job at a local doctor’s office and plans to pursue her certification as a medical assistant. Cox is excited about the next steps of her journey and is exploring careers where she can help others in need while providing for herself and her daughter.

Jeannie Campbell, Blue Monarch’s program director, shared her thoughts on the incredible journeys of Cox and Sircy. “The thing about surrender is that you have to choose it. We have watched both of you choose to surrender the tremendous weight of the guilt that you carried around for a long time. You trusted us but most of all you learned to trust God. You chose to surrender your control and that’s sometimes one of the hardest. But, as you both have grown in your faith, surrender has become easier because you have gotten to know the one you are surrendering to.”

Before presenting the graduation certificates, Susan Binkley, Blue Monarch’s founder and president, shared that what Amanda and Mallory have accomplished, “is so much more than getting sober. In many ways it’s like arriving in baby shoes and leaving in combat boots. Their journey of self-discovery has been painful and yet exciting, scary and yet hopeful, exhausting and yet comforting.” Binkley also shares, “Both Amanda and Mallory’s journeys represent some of the most memorable experiences for me, personally, in the history of Blue Monarch.”

Both families plan to remain on-site as participants of Blue Monarch’s WINGS (Women In Newly Grounded Success) transitional program for graduates. During this next season, both Cox and Sircy will be able to gradually transition back into the community as they begin working or pursuing education, while still benefitting from the supportive Blue Monarch staff and community. For more information about Blue Monarch contact Kate Cataldo, operations director, at (931) 924-8900 or visit <www.bluemonarch.org>.

OCE Classroom-Community Symbiosis: Looking Forward and Back


by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

For more than 10 years, the University Office of Civic Engagement has nurtured a unique classroom-community symbiotic relationship on the Plateau. Recently, founding director Philosophy Professor Jim Peterman stepped down passing the torch to Politics Professor Amy Patterson. What is the OCE? Where did it come from and where is it going?

According to the website, the OCE’s goal is “to advance the economic, social, and environmental well-being of communities.” Translated into action, that means bringing knowledge “from the classroom into the community and from the community into the classroom,” Patterson said. She shares with Peterman a vision for community partnership that first took root 20 years ago.

In 2002 a grant from Dupont prompted Peterman to develop a community engagement class in which community participants identified five end-of-life wishes to help them make end-of-life decisions. The University Center for Teaching embraced the community engagement concept for a time, but the idea lost momentum when the Center for Teaching downsized. Looking for a way forward, Peterman partnered with Robin Hille Michaels to start the Bonner Leaders Program. Bonner Scholar interns establish connections to and engage in a four-year collaboration with community partners. On another front Peterman worked with the South Cumberland Community Fund to create an AmeriCorps VISTA program. VISTA volunteers commit to a year of service to alleviate poverty by helping local organizations expand their capacity to make changes. Peterman found another door for civic engagement working with Dixon Myers who headed up the University Outreach Program and founded Housing Sewanee, bringing volunteers together to build affordable homes for the economically challenged. In 2014 the Office of Civic Engagement opened in an official capacity as the coordinating hub for multiple civic engagement efforts.

“The centerpiece of the OCE’s work is to bring academic resources to community service,” Peterman said. The OCE pays the internship stipend for student summer interns who work with nonprofits and oversees student interns in the Philanthropy Lab who work with the SCCF writing grants.

“Any academic discipline can have a public focus,” Peterman explained. He pointed to Classics Professor Chris McDonough’s students who tutor South Middle Schoolers helping them build vocabulary skills by drawing connections to Latin root words.

Patterson points to the Civil and Global Leadership Program, a four-year student commitment requiring 500 hours of community service and culminating in a senior Capstone Project with a “deliverable” outcome. The program begins with a leadership course where students learn about the challenges of poverty and how to engage in constructive dialogue. Selecting a focus on either community development or health, they work with community partners to investigate how other organizations or schools dealt with problems similar to those facing the local community.

Looking forward, Patterson wants to see “more intentional curricular intersection” and “more faculty on board.” The OCE’s recent move from the Bishop’s Common to the Hatchett House next to the Fowler Center will help foster that goal, Patterson said. Having all the OCE programs housed in the same building will facilitate community interactions, make parking easier, and encourage students who attend OCE programs to become more involved.

“I’d be retired by now if it wasn’t for my interest in working with the OCE program,” Peterman confessed. On sabbatical this year, he plans to investigate how to address disparity of resources in rural communities and fundamental differences in society. His proposed research shares common ground with the OCE’s Dialogue Across Difference program which promotes understanding across differences through dialogue and civil discourse. “That is the absolute centerpiece of a thriving democracy,” Peterman insisted.

Patterson concurred. “Learning from community partners is not always happening for a grade,” she acknowledged. At bottom something far more fundamental was going on: “deepening connections.”

Monteagle: 12-Port EV Charging Station Coming


by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At a Feb. 15 special called meeting, the Monteagle Planning Commission approved the site plan for a 12-port Tesla electric vehicle charging station in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot bordering Indigo Lane. The commission discussed at great length, but did not recommend adopting, a zoning ordinance amendment allowing a 12 feet by 50 feet loading zone as an alternative to a 30-foot rear setback for service.

Tesla representative Mark Edwards outlined the features that prompted the company to identify the Piggly Wiggly site. Tesla looked for locations close to where people traveled and that offered amenities people could visit while charging their vehicles; readily available electric service and underutilized parking were the other important features. The 11-feet wide charging slots will be available for regular parking when not in use for vehicle charging, with a total of 64 parking spaces available on the lot. “The lot is under parked,” said engineer Mathew Selkirk. “We hope this is a zero net change.” Town planner Annya Shalun concurred. “I don’t think it will affect parking at the Piggly Wiggly the way it is now.”

Customers will pull into the charging port slots. Wheel stops will prevent them from driving through to Indigo Lane. Bollards in front of each charging post and surrounding the cabinet and switch boards will protect the equipment from vehicle impact damage. A full charge will take 25-30 minutes, cost approximately $15. The ports will only charge Tesla vehicles, Edwards acknowledged, but Tesla has plans to open part of its charging network to non-Tesla vehicles in the future and has made Tesla’s vehicle connections available to other manufacturers. Tesla preferred shrubs over fencing for landscaping. “Fences don’t last,” Edwards observed. Maintenance of the landscaping will fall to the Piggly Wiggly site landowner, Jim Myers Inc. Construction typically takes three weeks, Edwards said. Tesla monitors its charging ports remotely and tries to rectify service issues in 24 hours.

Pat Neuhoff, architect for a neighboring West Main convenience-retail market project, requested the ordinance amendment allowing a 12 feet by 50 feet loading zone as an alternative to a 30-foot rear setback for service. The site plan calls for drive-thru windows on each side and front loading and unloading, with only 15 feet in the rear of the building. “I have concerns about a car not being able to go around the loading and unloading,” Shalun said. Commissioner Katie Trahan and Fire Chief Travis Lawyer concurred. “What about if there is a car at the window and their car catches fire, and there is limited accessibility because of the drive-thru line for an engine to get back to the car,” Lawyer said. “There is no option except for the front to come in to administer a fire attack.”

Commissioner Alex Mosley asked about the possibility of a variance rather than an ordinance amendment. Shalun said the lot was not sufficiently small to justify a variance.

“They are trying to put too large of a building on the size site they have,” Trahan said. She argued any change to the ordinance addressing loading and unloading should take into account the lot and building size “from a safety standpoint.”

Shalun pointed out the 30-foot rear setback for a service area was adopted for “aesthetic” reasons, to discourage front loading and unloading.

The commission approved the site plan for the West Main project at the Feb. 7 meeting conditional upon the ordinance amendment being recommended by the planning commission and approved by the council. The commission will revisit the proposed amendment at the March 7 meeting.

The commission also discussed amending the bylaws to require an odd number of commissioners to avoid a tie vote such as occurred with the Hideaway Subdivision vote at the Feb. 7 meeting.

Lifelong Learning to Relaunch on Feb. 27


The Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement is excited to announce the relaunch of the Sewanee Center for Lifelong Learning’s Lunch and Learn series. The monthly series was paused during the pandemic, but will return this month featuring a lecture by Mark Preslar on “Ukraine, Ikraine, We All Come from Ukraine.” This event is open to all members of our community and promises to be a fascinating and educational experience. The event will be noon–1 p.m., Monday, Feb. 27, in Convocation Hall. Water, soft drinks and cookies are provided. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch.

During the February meeting, guests will have the opportunity to complete a survey to provide input for future meetings. The session is open to the community and to alumni. For those not able to attend in person, it will be made available via Zoom (link provided to all registrants).

Registration, $10 per session or $30 for the year, can be made in person at the event or online https://sewaneealumni1.wufoo.com/forms/lunch-and-learn-series/;.

For more information, contact the Sewanee Center for Lifelong Learning at <sewaneelifelonglearning@sewanee.edu>.

Franklin County Schools: Director Search, Wages


by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Feb. 13 meeting, the Franklin County School Board voted to interview the top three candidates for the director of schools’ position. The board also reviewed the PECCA committees pay scale recommendations calling for 10 percent wage increases for certified and classified employees and Maintenance Consultant Gary Clardy’s recommendations on critical maintenance needs.

Providing an overview of the director search conducted by the Tennessee School Board Association, TSBA Assistant Executive Director Ben Torres said the three recommended finalist “best matched the criteria” set by the board. The top candidates, in alphabetical order, are Roger Alsup (Principal Franklin County High School with six years teaching experience, six years as an assistant principal, 17 years as a principal, and two years of central office experience); Cary Holman (Principal LaVergne Middle School with five years teaching experience, 10 years as an assistant principal, 20 years as a principal, and one year of central office experience); and Chris Treadway (Principal Poplar Grove Middle School in the Franklin Special District with eight years of teaching experience, three years as an assistant principal, and 11 years as a principal).

The director search yielded 18 applicants. The board reserved the right to interview other applicants, if necessary, following the interviews with the three TSBA recommended candidates. Alsup and Holman will be interviewed Feb. 21; Treadway will be interviewed Feb. 22. The interviews will be conducted at the board of education and begin at 5:30 p.m. The public can attend in person or via Zoom and submit written comments and questions during and following the event.

Human Resources Supervisor Linda Foster reported on the PECCA committee’s recommendation for across-the-board 10 percent wage increases. The Franklin County PECCA (Professional Educators Collaborative Conferencing Act) team consists of representatives from the Franklin County Education Association and the board of education management. “It’s unreal the staffing issues we’ve been facing,” Foster said. “This is a major step forward.” The pay scale also added a years-of-service wage increases for certified staff serving 23 years or more; previously years-of-service wage increases stopped at 22 years. Foster said the starting salary for maintenance employees, and a few other classifications, might be “bumped up” above the 10 percent level if there was a “need.”

Clardy cited low wages for maintenance and custodial employees as among the critical school maintenance issues facing the district. In addition to a wage increase, Clardy recommended hiring a director of maintenance as a half-time position to improve efficiency and communication; providing employees with tablets to record data; making maintenance deliveries directly to the schools; allocating an additional $418,000 annually for the next five years for replacing HVAC units, school roofs, windows and doors, and rehabilitating parking lots and gym floors; and allocating $70,000 annually for vehicle replacement. “Maintenance vehicles are in really poor condition,” Clardy said. Of the district’s 18 maintenance vehicles, only six had less than 100,000 miles.

Looking to the future, the board approved two 14-year contracts with TRANE for energy efficiency upgrades totaling $8.4 million. The services TRANE will provide include an LED lighting upgrade as well as programs designed to help the district address deferred maintenance needs and coordinate efficiency monitoring of HVAC and other systems.

The Board will have a budgeting workshop at 8 a.m., March 4. Director of Schools Stanley Bean said according to the state’s new Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement funding formula, the schools would receive a set amount for each student based on the student’s category, e.g., economically disadvantaged. The district does not yet have final figures from the state. “We can do our own calculations … and get pretty close,” Bean said.

Sewanee Fourth of July Planning Meeting on Feb. 20


It is time to start planning for Sewanee’s 37th annual Fourth of July celebration. The Fourth of July Planning Committee invites everyone in the community to help in preparing for the best celebration yet.

The next meeting is at 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20, online via Zoom. There will be a discussion of this year’s theme, overall year goals and plans. Volunteers are needed. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Dylan McClure at <jdmcclur@sewanee.edu>, Tracie Sherrill at <tlsluvsut@gmail.com>, or attend the meeting. If we don’t have volunteers, we cannot offer events.

Join Zoom Meeting: <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89407243831?pwd=V1NEZlAwQTRhbm1hcHNBL2F2anZ2dz09>;

Meeting ID: 894 0724 3831; Passcode: 631843. Dial by your location: +1 312 626 6799.

Forman to Present Sherwood Ebey Lecture

The department of math and computer science is sponsoring the 2022-2023 Sherwood Ebey Lecture, honoring Sewanee Mathematics Professor Emeritus Sherwood Ebey.

Sean Forman will lecture on “The Negro Leagues are Major Leagues,” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, in Naylor Auditorium, Gailor Hall.

In December 2020, Major League Baseball announced that it would right a past wrong and include the Negro Leagues when discussing baseball’s major leagues. In June of 2021, Baseball-Reference.com incorporated Negro League stats into its database of major league statistics. In this talk, Sean Forman will describe the background for this decision, the work it required, and the impact it has had.

Sean Forman is the creator of Baseball-Reference.com and FBref.com and is the President of Sports Reference LLC. The 30 employees of Sports Reference operate eight sports information websites focusing on statistics and analysis of the current game and its history.

In 2000, while in graduate school at the University of Iowa, Sean launched Baseball-Reference.com. After completing his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, he taught at Saint Joseph’s University for six years. He left teaching in 2006 to run Sports Reference full-time. In 2011, he received SABR’s Chadwick Award for lifetime achievement in baseball research. Sean lives in Philadelphia with his wife Sylvia and two children.

time corrected

‘Lessons in Leadership’ Fireside Chat with Teddy Roosevelt


Joe Wiegand, C’87, Theodore Roosevelt reprisor, will be the Babson Center’s 2023 Humphreys Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Spring semester. As an actor, entrepreneur, historian, and expert in political and public policy, Wiegand is able to weave stories from Roosevelt’s life and make them relevant to current events in business and government.

While on campus, he will deliver a Fireside Chat, “Lessons in Leadership,” at 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20, in Convocation Hall. Wiegand will also meet with students and faculty to share his journey and TR’s insights on ethics and good citizenship. This event is co-sponsored by the Departments of Theatre and History.

For more than 20 years, Joe Wiegand has portrayed Theodore Roosevelt (TR) and inspired audiences from school rooms to the White House with anecdotes from TR’s fascinating life. He lives in Medora, N.D., and works for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation as the assistant to the president and Goodwill ambassador. Wiegand began his work in entertainment in 2002 with an entrepreneurial spirit, founding Wiegand’s Victory Enterprises, Inc. In 2008, he launched his full time TR acting career, barnstorming all 50 states for Teddy Roosevelt’s 150th birthday. He has been featured in an IMAX film, “National Park Adventures,” and several documentaries on the History Channel. Always the entrepreneur, Joe is working on a podcast, “Teddy Talks,” and a writing project, titled “Like Father, Like Son ... Not Necessarily!”

At an early age, Wiegand began volunteering in political campaigns and continued his involvement with politics after graduating from Sewanee. He worked on both national and state level campaigns, as a public policy analyst, and as a local government commissioner in Illinois.

Wiegand was a political science major and active leader on campus. He was a speaker of the student assembly, contributor to The Sewanee Purple, member of the varsity cross country team, and served in several honor societies. A high achiever, Joe was named by Time Magazine as one of America’s top 100 college students, was a Truman Scholar and a Watson Fellow, and completed two TONYA public affairs internships. Most importantly, Wiegand said that his time at Sewanee “nurtured his love for reading, writing, and debating and deepened his love for humanity.”

The Humphreys Entrepreneur-in-Residence program is made possible by a gift from Debra and David Humphreys, C’79. For more information about the Babson Center for Global Commerce and our events, please visit <babsoncgc.sewanee.edu>.

All are welcome to attend.

Community Chest Spotlight: Marion Animal Resource Connection


The 2022-23 Sewanee Community Chest (SCC) Fund Drive is underway. Sponsored by the Sewanee Civic Association, the SCC raises money yearly for local charitable organizations serving the area. This year’s goal of $106,425 will help 17 organizations that have requested basic needs funding for quality of life, community aid, children’s programs, and those who are beyond Sewanee but still serve our entire community.

This week we shine the spotlight on the Marion Animal Resource Connection, MARC.

MARC’s mission is to improve the lives of animals through spay/neuter, humane education, and rescue/rehoming. Through its directors and volunteers, MARC provides education for children and adults about humane care and treatment of animals. MARC connects people with affordable spay/neuter procedures to begin decreasing the number of unwanted and costly litters. MARC works with county and town governments to prevent needless killing of impounded dogs and cats. MARC works with individuals and other animal groups to try to find good homes for unwanted dogs and cats.

MARC responds to requests for help from people in Marion and its surrounding counties of Grundy, bordering areas Franklin, Sequatchie, and bordering areas of Georgia and Alabama. Clients include those that find, help, or are concerned about the many animals dumped, abused, or neglected. MARC frequently helps Sewanee and area residents with found stray animals or when rehoming of animals is desired. They especially reach out to low income people to get their pets altered and to help with food or with warmer shelter in the winter.

MARC will receive $7,000 in general operating support in the Beyond Sewanee funding area. In addition to spay/neuter expenses, many rescued dogs have heart worms or tick borne diseases which MARC treats. Heartworm treatments are very costly and depend on the size of the dog. The majority of dogs in the MARC program are medium to large in size. MARC also frequently pays for surgical procedures on the animals rescued. All too often orthopedic surgery is required after animals have been injured by vehicles or caught in traps and other objects. A Sewanee Community Chest grant will help more people and animals have better lives.

Since 1908, the goal of the Sewanee Community Chest has been to help citizens by funding the community. With Community Chest donations, local organizations provide for basic needs such as books, food, animal care, housing, scholarships, recreational spaces, elder care, children’s educational needs and more. The Sewanee Community Chest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and donations are tax-deductible. Send your donation to Sewanee Community Chest, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375. Go to <http://sewaneecivic.org; for more information or to donate online.

SAS Swimmers Achieve 100 Percent Lifetime Best Swims at TISCA State Meet


On Feb. 10 and Feb. 11, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee swimmers competed in the 2023 TISCA State Championship Meet in Knoxville.

During a highly successful weekend, the SAS State Team set four school records and swam lifetime bests in 100 percent of their individual and relay events. Freshman Sarah Russell Leonard dropped 0.22 sec in the girls’ 100 yard butterfly, setting a new SAS record of 1:03.35. Leonard also dropped 1.47 sec in the 500 yd freestyle, finishing with a new SAS record of 5:41.27. Russell finished 33rd out of 68 in the 100 yd butterfly and 38 out of 61 in the 500 yd freestyle. Junior Jack Frazier now holds the SAS boys’ 100 yd breaststroke record with a time of 57.90; he finished 11th overall out of 91 swimmers. His time broke the old record set by Will Hanger in 2020 at the TISCA State Meet. Sophomore Loulie Frazier earned a new lifetime best swim of 1:06.49 in the 100 yd backstroke, a time drop of 0.74 seconds. The SAS girls’ relay team found success as well. On Friday, Leonard and Loulie Frazier combined with sophomore Sienna Barry and junior Reese Michaels for the girls’ 200 yd medley relay. Their final time of 2:03.82 improved upon their seed time by 4.79 seconds and crushed the old record of 2:08.30 set in 2012. Additionally, they moved up from 40th to 30th place in the overall standings. On Saturday, Barry, L. Frazier, Leonard, and Michaels combined again in the girls’ 400 yd freestyle relay, breaking their own record of 4:10.19 set earlier in the season with a final time of 4:08.17. They again moved up from a 40th place seed time to a final place of 27th overall.

Coach Knoll praised the SAS State Team swimmers saying, “This was a terrific weekend of swimming at the State meet. The team was positive, focused, and committed to doing their best, and it showed in each race as they swam fast, supported each other, and had fun! We couldn’t possibly be more proud of what they accomplished this weekend.”

Crepes, Raffle Prizes to Kick Off Tennis Indoor Invitational


Crepes, cheese boards, and raffle giveaways at the Fowler Center will mark a special tennis event as two nationally ranked teams go head-to-head on Sunday, Feb. 19. The “Tiger Den Invitational” will pit the Sewanee men, ranked 33 nationally, against the Kenyon Owls, ranked 20th.

Festivities get underway at 10 a.m., with the raffle sign-up continuing until 10:45 a.m. The giveaway will occur around noon following the doubles matches. Raffle prizes include a gift certificate to Sewanee’s Lumière Restaurant, a new tennis racquet, and Tiger tennis shirts, Sewanee coffee mugs, and Tiger Tennis nalgenes.

The crepes and cheese boards will be prepared by Lumière chef David Boyd Williams in the upstairs area overlooking the indoor courts. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be sold.

Men’s tennis coach Felix Mann explains that the purpose of the event is to create a game day environment around tennis, similar to what happens with football and basketball games.

“While we’re promoting the program and our national success,” Mann said, “the main purpose is show people how much fun high-quality collegiate tennis is.

“If this first event goes well,” he added, “we may continue to build our fan base, building momentum for the rest of the season.”

Both the Sewanee men and women (ranked 10th nationally) are favored to win the Southern Athletic Conference.

Historic Sewanee Downtown Exhibit


On Thursday, Feb. 16, there will be an exhibit opening and reception for “Historic Sewanee Downtown, 150 Years” in the William R. Laurie University Archives and Special Collections building in Sewanee. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with Meg Beasley, John Runkle, and Chris Van de Ven speaking in the Lytle Room. In addition to an overview of the development of Sewanee’s downtown, histories of some noted businesses are part of the exhibit, and the introduction of a walking tour for the downtown business district will be highlighted.

The exhibit will run from through Dec. 15 in the Museum Gallery of the Archives building. Viewing hours are 1–5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by appointment. Support from the University of the South and the Sewanee Trust for Historic Preservation made the research for and presentation of this exhibit possible.

Monteagle Planning: Conditional Approval and Deadlock Vote


by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Feb. 7 meeting, in a split vote, the Monteagle Planning Commission approved a West Main Street retail-convenience market site plan with multiple conditional stipulations. The commission deadlocked in a vote on approval of the Hideaway subdivision site plan.

For the West Main project to be realized, the developer will need a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) on the 40-foot front setback rule for businesses selling fuel; the project’s engineering design will need to address stormwater drainage; and the Monteagle Council will need to amend current rules to allow for a 12 foot by 50 foot loading zone as an alternative to a 30-foot rear setback.

“My biggest issue is making sure we’re treating everybody the same,” said Commissioner Katie Trahan who voted against approving the West Main site plan, citing the ordinance amendment needed. Developer Jignesh Patel’s plans call for a service drive on the side rather than in the rear. Other Monteagle businesses on West Main did not have rear loading and unloading, Patel insisted. Planning Commission Chair Ed Provost said delaying site plan approval pending ordinance amendment approval would force the developer to wait three more meetings before moving forward with the project.

Prior to the vote on the Hideaway subdivision, project civil engineer Tram Walker addressed concerns raised at previous meetings. The developers would meet ordinance regulations on motorist visibility and not seek a variance; and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) traffic study did not cite a need for a turn lane at the Highway 41 entrance.

A Monteagle resident expressed concerns about traffic impact at the Wren’s Nest Avenue entrance and asked what agency had monitored traffic impact there since the street did not fall within TDOT’s jurisdiction. Commissioner Greg Rollins asked why two entrances were needed and proposed eliminating the Wren’s Nest entrance.

Developer Joe Lester argued safety considerations called for two entrances for large subdivisions.

Another resident expressed concern about traffic congestion at the Highway 41 entrance when problems on I-24 rerouted traffic to Highway 41.

Monteagle engineer Travis Wilson recently recommended a sewer fee for residents in the development, but Wilson was not available to explain the suggested requirement.

Commissioners Provost, Dan Sargent, and Mayor Greg Maloof voted to approve the site plan conditional upon the plan satisfying Wilson’s sewer-related concerns. Commissioners Richard Black, Rollins, and Trahan voted against approval. Two commissioners were absent. The commission will vote on the project again at the March meeting. The commission has 60 days to approve or deny the plan.

The commission revisited the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance previously recommended for council approval and denied. As originally proposed, the ordinance stipulated ADU were not allowed in front of a residence. Cooley’s Rift subdivision residents objected homes located on a bluff or the lake did not have room to build an ADU in the rear. The council’s issue with the proposed ordinance was it did not stipulate whether an ADU required a separate water meter.

The commission voted to approve two revisions to the proposed ordinance. One, if circumstances dictated, the property owner can request the BZA approve building an ADU at the front of the lot. Two, detached ADUs will require separate water meters since the units could be rented which would make water use subject to commercial rates. The revised ADU ordinance will go to the council for approval.

The commission also approved increasing the time the commission and town planner had to review a site plan, allowing 30 days, dating from the date of submission, instead of just 14 days.

At a special called meeting Wednesday, Feb. 15, the commission will review site plans for 12 electric vehicle charging stations. The city currently has no ordinance stipulating EV charging station site plan requirements.

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