June 10 will be an exciting day to get a sneak peak at Cove Creek Farm’s new agri-tourism venue (think giant indoor and outdoor playground with an agriculture education focus) and to witness — perhaps even participate in — the area’s first ever Farm Olympics hosted by the Southeast TN Young Farmers Coalition (SeTNYF). The event will be from 2–9 p.m.

Cove Creek Farm, managed by Matt and Laureen Sparacio has been expanding from growing and offering grassfed beef and pastured poultry and pork to also providing a place where people can come to have some fun, learn about regenerative agriculture, and connect with area farmers and the land. This agri-tourism venue, located across from Clifftops, and behind Dollar General, in Monteagle, will be opening soon to host school field trips and weekend activities. Cove Creek is committed to participating in and promoting agriculture as a way to build local communities and heal the planet. Part of this mission has led Matt to serve as vice president for SeTNYF, who works to support young and aspiring farmers through community-building, resource and knowledge sharing, and advocacy.

“Young farmers represent the future of our food supply, economy, and character of our rural communities. They also largely represent regenerative agriculture which builds soil, combats climate change, and promotes food justice. Why do young farmers need support? Have you tried to buy land lately? Have you ever tried to make money selling produce? There are huge financial and social barriers that keep young people from going into farming. The number one barrier is access to affordable and secure land. Older farmers (the average age in the US is 59.7) are leaving farming and younger farmers cannot afford to come in. Without addressing this, there will be a major hole in our rural economies, landscapes, communities and food supply,” said Jess Wilson, president of SeTNYF.

SeTNYF has been working since 2019 to address these issues and is excited to host the Farm Olympics as a way to raise awareness, celebrate and build community, and raise money for the cause. Attendees of the event may participate in, or simply watch, a variety of farm-related sporting events, such as speed transplanting, a two person temporary fence moving race, a plant identification knowledge test, and a pie competition. There will also be kids events and a multi-generational egg toss. After the “Olympic games” there will be live music, a silent auction fundraiser featuring amazing products from area farms and restaurants, a pig Roast picnic featuring Cove Creek Pork, and a bonfire.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children available at https://southeasttennesseeyoungfarmers.com/events;.

Made possible with support from American Farmland Trust, Citizens Tri-County Bank, Hungry for Community (a project of the Grundy Area Arts Council), Cove Creek Farm, Patagonia Nashville, the South Cumberland Regional Land Trust and Jump Off Community Land Trust, High Garden Tea, Rooted Here, Double A Farm, Stewards Unlimited, Sequatchie Cove Farm, Sequatchie Cove Creamery, the Cumberland Folk School, Neidlov’s, Art of Wellness, Feathers and Fruit, Lodge Cast Iron, Lunch, Mary Barnett, Summer Fields, the Marugg Company, and anonymous friends.

With the sightings of eagles around Mont Milner Lake, the Fourth of July Committee is proud to announce the theme for the 2023 Sewanee celebration: “Fly Like an Eagle!” The theme can encompass all things “eagle” – patriotism, freedom, independence, and anything and everything in between to celebrate our national bird.

We invite everyone to join us on Monday, July 3, and Tuesday, July 4, to commemorate the formation of the United States of America and celebrate with fun, food, family, and friends.

Start brainstorming your ideas for a celebration like no other with creative parade floats, imaginative cakes, and artistic costumes for you and your dogs. Visit our website http://www.sewanee4thofjuly.org; to register for the parade, arts and crafts fair, and food truck vending. The grand marshal announcement and schedule details will be coming soon.

The Sewanee School of Letters will host a series of public events during its summer session in June and July. You are invited to attend these conversations and readings with visiting faculty and guest authors.

The series kicks off the summer with a conversation and book signing with authors Patrick Dean and Rachel Martin at the University Bookstore on Monday, June 5, at 5:30 p.m., with School of Letters Director Justin Taylor. Books will be available for sale. Dean’s new book on the naturalist Mark Catesby is “Nature’s Messenger,” and his first book, a Sewanee favorite, is “A Window to Heaven” about adventurer, reformer, and Episcopal priest Hudson Stuck.

Martin’s new book is “A Most Tolerant Little Town,” about the first school in Tennessee to attempt court-ordered desegregation after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Martin is also the author of “Hot, Hot Chicken,” which recounts the history of Nashville’s Black communities through the story of its hot chicken scene.

Jimmy Wilson at the Blue Chair will offer Nashville hot chicken as part of the dinner menu at the Blue Chair immediately following the June 5 book signing.

Save the date for two special events in mid-June: Poet Matthew Olzmann, this year’s John Grammer Fellow, will read in Naylor Auditorium in Gailor Hall on Wednesday, June 14, at 4:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Blake & Bailey Family Fund.

And, in partnership with Tower Community Bank, there will be a conversation and reading with author and Sewanee professor Kevin Wilson, in Convocation Hall on Thursday, June 15, at 5:30 p.m. with a reception immediately following.

Wednesday afternoon faculty readings at Gailor Hall will be June 7 with Nickole Brown and Adam Price, and June 28 with Vievee Francis and Justin Taylor. Friends of the Library will co-host a faculty reading with Meera Subramanian and Ryan Chapman on June 21. School of Letters degree candidates will read on July 12 at 7 p.m. Look for a complete calendar in the June 2 issue of the Sewanee Messenger and online at

https://letters.sewanee.edu/

The School of Letters offers an MFA in creative writing. Please visit the School’s website for more information on the program. Special thanks to Tower Community Bank, the Blake & Bailey Family Fund, the Friends of the Library, the Blue Chair, and the Dakin Fund.

In June Shakerag Workshops will begin its 20th season of arts workshops for adults on the mountain. Taking place on the campus of St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, Shakerag will welcome artists from across the United States for in-person classes in a variety of arts media. The Knitting Getaway weekend will take place June 7-10, and the two Shakerag week-long sessions run June 11-17 and June 18-20.

Shakerag’s week-long classes in June include natural dyeing, pottery, painting and drawing, photography, sculpture, sewing, digital arts, book arts, jewelry, rug hooking, and woodwork.

“It has been fun to watch Shakerag Workshops grow over the years,” says director Claire Reishman, “and it is particularly exciting to be celebrating our 20th anniversary. We have over 250 participants coming from all over the country, and we are looking forward to introducing them to our life here on the mountain.”

Shakerag Workshops attracts a diverse group of artists who enjoy the gourmet meals and social gatherings surrounding the classes almost as much as they enjoy the workshops themselves. Most classes are open to a wide range of participants, and beginners and professionals take classes together. The inclusive atmosphere of Shakerag is one of the hallmarks of the program, and teachers over the years have commented on the vitality of classes which include students with a range of experience. “Though the program has grown over the years,” says Reishman, “we work to retain the sense of closeness among faculty and students that we had as a smaller program, and those who have attended classes say that they leave Shakerag feeling refreshed and energized to continue developing their artistic interests.”

The Shakerag Workshops website <www.shakerag.org> has more information about Shakerag classes, a more detailed description of the program, and application forms. Though some classes and the Knitting Getaway weekend are full, Director Claire Reishman is still accepting applications for most classes this June. Local applicants receive a discount in tuition. For more information, contact Claire Reishman at (931) 691-5264 or email her directly <info@shakerag.org>.

Summer is a vibrant time at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, an independent day and boarding school in Sewanee, In addition to Shakerag Workshops, the school offers a variety of arts and sports day camps for children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Information about these camps is available at <www.sasweb.org/summer>.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“SUD showed a net positive change in position,” said Sewanee Utility District Board President Charlie Smith, commenting on the 2022 audit reviewed at the May 16 commissioners’ meeting. Less favorable was SUD manager Ben Beavers’ report on operations which showed unaccounted-for water loss had more than doubled since the previous month.

Reviewing the audit, Smith said he was surprised to learn the University accounted for 34 percent of SUD’s customers. Beavers said at one time the University had accounted for 40 percent of the customer base. Beavers pointed out that in addition to showing SUD’s strong financial standing and decreasing debt, the auditors reported no “findings” calling for corrections in SUD’s financial practices in the 2022 audit or in the prior year’s 2021 audit.

Beavers speculated the sharp increase in unaccounted-for water loss resulted from plastic meters installed eight years ago when SUD replaced all the meters in the district. Unaccounted-for water loss is water produced at the plant that does not register on customer meters. Unaccounted-for water loss had been steadily declining and had dropped to 15.3 percent but shot up to 37.6 percent for the month of March. SUD had already undertaken replacing the plastic meters which Beavers called “a badly designed product.” Beavers attributed the increase in water loss to meter failure since the decrease in sales correlated with the percentage of in-town customers, and the meters of Jump Off area customers had already been replaced. SUD might need to amend the budget to reflect the need for stepping up meter replacement, Beavers said.

Looking to the future, Beavers said the University was considering constructing apartments along Highway 41A between Alabama Avenue and Kennerly Avenue. The Sewanee Village Ventures plan proposed a 60-unit complex. Beavers said the aging cast-iron sewer line would likely need replaced to handle the increased load; currently only a few customers are connected in the area proposed for the construction. The University recommended SUD do a “cursory study” of the line, Beavers said. He speculated the University would help pay for the project.

Beavers hopes the flow meters needed for the study can be purchased with the TDEC administered American Recovery Plan grant money SUD will receive. Beavers recently learned SUD’s grant had been approved. He was advised he could begin purchasing materials, but not to enter into any contracts yet, as the contractual mechanism had not yet been determined. SUD’s major grant project will be to reduce inflow and infiltration of ground water into the sanitary sewer system, and flow meters will be needed to measure the success of the rehabilitation, Beavers said. The flow meters could also be used to assess possible sewer upgrades needed for the apartments project.

by Beth Riner, Messenger Staff Writer

A generous offer from the son of a former client has allowed Michelle Morrison, owner of Compassionate Home Care & Community Services, to open a home for the aged in June of 2023.

The new business expansion, Serenity on the Farm, is located on a 2,000-acre farm in Sweeten’s Cove, about 20 minutes from Monteagle.

“We had a client we had taken care of for seven years and after her death, her son asked if we could do anything with her home,” Morrison said.

That client was Mrs. Mildred Chalupsky, the widow of Judge Fred Chalupsky of South Pittsburg, Tenn.

Rather than see her house fall into disrepair, her son agreed to lease the house to Morrison, who will run a private home for the aged.

“If he didn’t have trust in what we do, he wouldn’t have given us this opportunity,” Morrison said, noting that Serenity on the Farm will be different from an assisted-living facility.

“It’s a house—a home setting,” she explained. “It’s to provide a way for seniors to lead a happy, self-directed life in a supported environment.

Morrison is currently renovating the 3200-square-foot ranch-style brick farmhouse.

“By the time we’re done, it will pretty much be completely renovated,” she said. The home will feature a large gathering room with a cathedral ceiling for the residents as well as a fully-stocked library from the former owner’s personal collection. There is also a swimming pool.

“It’s beautiful down there,” Morrison said. “It’s breathtaking.”

She is currently accepting applications for potential residents of the home, which has four bedrooms. Plans are for one private room with the others being semi-private for two residents. Residents will be able to personalize their rooms, even bringing their own furniture should they desire.

Morrison plans to create a “Family Wall” with pictures of the residents’ families and important moments from their lives.

Services offered to residents include staff on site twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week; a nurse on call every day; personal care and grooming; regular cosmetologist and barber visits; housekeeping; laundry; freshly prepared meals; medication assistance; and twenty-four-hour security. Additional activities like crafting, aquatic therapy, gardening, strengthening exercises, and memory stimulation are also planned.

Morrison, a Grundy County native, sees Serenity on the Farm as a logical extension of her successful home care business.

“Our home care agency has been open for five years, but I have 26 years of medical experience,” she said. She currently has about 45 employees, who work with about 70 clients. All employees pass background checks and drug screenings and complete on-going training based on clients’ needs.

“Serenity on the Farm will provide a new service for our clients once they are ready to leave home,” she said.

Interested persons can contact Morrison at (423) 403-4062 or (423) 488-1847 to set up an initial assessment to see if they would be a good fit for the home. In addition to seniors, Morrison said they may also be able accommodate disabled persons or provide hospice or even respite care.

She will host an Open House in June.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the May 8 meeting in a near-unanimous decision, the Franklin County School Board voted to no longer allow corporal punishment as a disciplinary practice. The board also voted to approve the 2023-2024 budget drawing on the reserve fund balance to pay for contract bus driver wage increases and a new roof at Clark Memorial School. An opening ceremony honored teacher of the year awardees.

The board’s vote to prohibit corporal punishment affirmed a vote by school principals. Nine principals favored no longer allowing corporal punishment, one principal favored continuing to allow the practice, and one principal was “indifferent,” according to board member Sara Liechty who attended the principals’ meeting addressing the topic. Asked to comment on the decision, rising Director of Schools Cary Holeman said, “As a district, our focus has got to be the academic wellbeing of children. We’re not in the business of hitting a child. We don’t ever want to stand the risk of being in a courtroom … from someone putting accusations out someone from the school district has caused harm to their child … As a district we’re saying we’re going to put restorative practices in place, why would we entertain using corporal punishment when it causes a trigger [for negative behavior] to be reset in a child.”

Board member Erik Cole who favored continuing to allow corporal punishment said, “I’m not in favor of taking away tools from teachers and principals. I got my fair share of [paddlings], and it worked okay for me.” Liechty countered, “In 2014 when I brought this before the board, the first argument given was ‘It is a tool of principals.’ We as a district now are giving our teachers and principals better and stronger tools and more effective tools.”

Taking up other discipline related policies, the board approved a Code of Conduct, a Dress Code, and a policy governing use of Cell Phones and Communication Devices. In keeping with the principals’ request, cell phones are not allowed in grades K through 5, unless the principal determines a “special circumstance” exists.

Two board members had been contacted by bus drivers wanting guidelines about use of cell phones on buses. Director of Schools Stanley Bean expressed concern about the “distraction” for bus drivers trying to monitor cell phone use. Vice Chair Lance Williams pointed out bus drivers were “contract” labor, not district employees. “We can give them standing operating procedures,” Williams said. “Legally it would be debatable whether we could give them a policy.” The board decided to defer a decision on the question to the new Director of Schools, Holman, who will officially assume his role in July.

In the budget discussion, Human Resources Supervisor Linda Foster said by the proposed Classified Employees pay scale, “No one will make less than $14 per hour.” The certified pay scale proposes a 10 percent increase for teachers and principals. Bean said assessment revealed the roof repair needed at Clark Memorial Elementary was “far worse than anticipated” and a $200,000 excess in ESSER funds would not be sufficient to cover the cost of the repair, estimated at $1.5 million. In figuring the budget, County Finance Director Andrea Smith allowed for a $1.1 million draw from the fund balance to cover the cost, with the remainder coming from the Capital Outlay budget. The $1.1 million draw would leave $8,974,000 in the reserve fund balance, Smith said.

Smith’s draft budget had not yet incorporated a raise for bus drivers. She said a 10 percent increase on the per-bus base rate would cost the district $78,000 and a 10 percent increase on the entire contract, which included supplements based on mileage and seats, would cost the district $195,000. Liechty said, the district gave the drivers a “nice” increase last year to “catch up” with neighboring districts, and she did not want to see the district having to “catch up” again. Board chair Linda Jones expressed concern about repeated draws on the fund balance for wage increases. After long discussion, the board voted for a 10 percent base rate increase and a 5 percent increase on the seat and mileage supplements.

Teacher of the year awardees for grades Pre-K through 4 were Erin Wallace, Broadview Elementary; Kayla Damron, Clark Memorial School; Tammy Hatfield, Cowan Elementary; Shaunna Fortier, Decherd Elementary; Jennifer Jackson, Huntland Elementary; Rebekah Warmbrod, North Lake Elementary; Kelly Harper, Rock Creek Elementary; and Jalee DiBernardo, Sewanee Elementary. Awardees for grades 5 through 8 were Cindy Garrett, Huntland Middle School; Lesley Thomas, North Middle School; and Sharon Saylor, South Middle School. High school awardees were Marty Bishop, Franklin County High School, and Ashley Fitch, Huntland High School. The Franklin County Educational Association for Excellence recognized the awardees with a $200 cash gift. Receiving district wide recognition were DiBernardo, elementary school; Saylor, middle school; and Bishop, high school. The district-wide awardees were honored with a $600 gift from the Penn Foundation.

In June Shakerag Workshops will begin its 20th season of arts workshops for adults on the mountain. Taking place on the campus of St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, Shakerag will welcome artists from across the United States for in-person classes in a variety of arts media. The Knitting Getaway weekend will take place June 7-10, and the two Shakerag week-long sessions run June 11-17 and June 18-20.

Shakerag’s week-long classes in June include natural dyeing, pottery, painting and drawing, photography, sculpture, sewing, digital arts, book arts, jewelry, rug hooking, and woodwork.

“It has been fun to watch Shakerag Workshops grow over the years,” says director Claire Reishman, “and it is particularly exciting to be celebrating our 20th anniversary. We have over 250 participants coming from all over the country, and we are looking forward to introducing them to our life here on the mountain.”

Shakerag Workshops attracts a diverse group of artists who enjoy the gourmet meals and social gatherings surrounding the classes almost as much as they enjoy the workshops themselves. Most classes are open to a wide range of participants, and beginners and professionals take classes together. The inclusive atmosphere of Shakerag is one of the hallmarks of the program, and teachers over the years have commented on the vitality of classes which include students with a range of experience. “Though the program has grown over the years,” says Reishman, “we work to retain the sense of closeness among faculty and students that we had as a smaller program, and those who have attended classes say that they leave Shakerag feeling refreshed and energized to continue developing their artistic interests.”

The Shakerag Workshops website

https://www.shakerag.org/

has more information about Shakerag classes, a more detailed description of the program, and application forms. Though some classes and the Knitting Getaway weekend are full, Director Claire Reishman is still accepting applications for most classes this June. Local applicants receive a discount in tuition. For more information, contact Claire Reishman at (931) 691-5264 or email her directly <info@shakerag.org>.

Summer is a vibrant time at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, an independent day and boarding school in Sewanee, In addition to Shakerag Workshops, the school offers a variety of arts and sports day camps for children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Information about these camps is available at <www.sasweb.org/summer>.

The next Lifelong Learning “Lunch and Learn” will be from noon to 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 30, at Convocation Hall. Bran Potter, retired professor of geology, will present the program. The cost is $10 per talk or $40 for an annual membership. You may pay online <https://sewaneealumni1.wufoo.com/forms/lunch-and-learn-series/>;. or at the door. Water/soft drinks/cookies provided. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch.

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

Professor Bran Potter was a member of Sewanee’s faculty from 1980 until he retired in 2019. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Williams College, and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Massachusetts.

As the Robert M. Ayres Jr. Distinguished University Chair, he taught courses on structural geology, tectonics, and sedimentology in the Earth and Environmental Systems Department, as well as several interdisciplinary programs.

Over the course of his career at Sewanee, Potter immeasurably enriched the program of the Geology Department and the life of the College. He initiated and directed the summer study-away program “Geology of the American West,” exposing hundreds of Sewanee students to an incredible experience on the Colorado Plateau. His popular “Walking the Land” course brought together a literature-based course with the experience of traveling the Domain.

Potter was instrumental in the development of the first-year program, known as Finding Your Place or “FYP,” allowing first-year students to gain exposure to a wide variety of course offerings made available to them through a range of academic departments and interdisciplinary programs.

In 2002, Potter was named Tennessee Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, one of the most prestigious awards honoring professors who excel as teachers and who influence the lives and careers of students.

With his wife, Cindy, Potter served for over a decade as the director of the popular Sewanee Summer Seminar, providing educational experiences for countless alumni. This generosity of sharing his teaching with alumni is expansive; he offered to lead an alumni travel program patterned after his student trip, and he was a regular on the Sewanee Club tour, visiting with alumni in cities across the country. You could often catch him at Growing in Grace and other places around campus, serenading students with his guitar. Potter exemplifies what is most distinctive about a Sewanee education—talented professors who care deeply about their students. His former students will tell you that his impact on their lives has transcended the classroom.

What he adds to the student experience is matched only by Potter’s impact on the community. He has been an instructor for the Friends of South Cumberland State Park, teaching a certification program for the Tennessee Naturalist Program. In 2011, he received the Harry Yeatman Environmental Education Award. Named for noted environmental educator Professor Emeritus Harry Yeatman by the Trails & Trilliums Festival, the award honors a person who has made an impact on the South Cumberland Plateau through dedication to this place and by educating others to appreciate it. As past chairs of the Sewanee Community Chest, the Potters led the campaign to fund local community projects and programs that benefit residents in three counties on the Plateau. Potter brings a voice of reason and compassion to these and countless other community efforts.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

The honorees at the May 1, 40th annual Sewanee Civic Association (SCA) awards ceremony shared two characteristics: strong ties to Sewanee and generosity as a philosophy of life. James Burnett and Mary Priestley received the Lifetime Achievement Award, between them blessing Sewanee with their generosity of spirit for nearly 100 years. Community Service awardees Georgia Hewitt and Felix Wilson shine as beacons of hope by the example they set for future generations.

“These awardees deserve the highest honors,” said SCA board member Chris McDonough presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award captioned the Summa Cum Laude Award. James Burnett, 82, graduated from Winchester’s Colored School, Townsend, and recently joined in a conversation about local Black history at a Franklin County Historical Society gathering. Receiving the award, Burnett minimized his five decades of community service. “I want to do something, not just lay on the couch and watch TV and sleep.” Burnett has done plenty, managing and maintaining St. Mark’s Community Center for more than 25 years, serving on the Sewanee Community Council, and as deacon of his church, in between delivering meals to shut-ins and taking community members to doctors’ appointments. Burnett’s life motto is simple: “If you are nice to people, they’ll be nice to you.”

Naturalist, outdoor guide, visual artist-illustrator, activist, community leader, musician, and author, Mary Priestley has shared her gifts with Sewanee since graduating from the University in 1972. During her early years in Sewanee, Priestley served as board chair of the Children’s Center, president of Sewanee’s PTO, as a Girl Scout troop leader, and as instructor and director in programs for high school students — the Sewanee Summer Scholars Program and the Bridge Program in Math and Science. Today, Priestley is more widely known for her work with Friends of South Cumberland State Park and as the associate curator of the Sewanee Herbarium. Over the years, Priestley’s generosity, creativity, and dedication have touched multiple facets of community life.

The nominator of Community Service awardee Georgia Hewitt summed up Hewitt’s special brand of generosity with the comment, “If you need something to be done, Georgia does it — often without being asked or told … Georgia is always looking out for others.” Hewitt has served on the Sewanee Parent Organization board, as a member of the Sewanee Parks Committee, and as coordinator for Sewanee Youth Soccer. For many years, she taught gymnastics at the Sewanee Elementary Friday School and has a unique gift for bringing out the best in kids while encouraging them to be kind to one another. Hewitt epitomizes the unsung volunteer hero, signing up to help in whatever way is needed.

Felix Wilson’s nominator described him as a “valiant, responsible, and dependable leader in any volunteering activity which benefits his community.” But what additionally singles out Wilson is his youth. The Religious Studies major will graduate from the University this May. As chair of the Interfraternity Council’s Service Committee, he led his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, and the Greek community to embrace community service and philanthropy, raising more than $7,000 for Rotary’s Hunger Walk, as well as volunteering for the Morton Memorial Church Food Ministry, the University Farm, Sleep in Heavenly Peace children’s bed program, children’s reading programs at SES and MES, and the Hospitality Shop. “I’ve always known Sewanee,” Wilson said, “but now I’ve found a new place for myself here. And it’s a place of purpose.”

Turning to business, SCA President Kiki Beavers announced the Community Chest exceeded its goal, raising $110,063. The surplus allowed the SCA to fund a $1,000 emergency request by Early Literacy Ambassadors, a program that helps foster childhood reading skills. Beavers thanked Community Chest stewards Kathy and John Solomon and Clay and Paula Yeatman. The Community Chest had a record 340 donors.

The following slate of officers for 2023-2024 were voted in: President, Kiki Beavers; Vice President, Ken Taylor; Treasurer, Hus Ahmad; Secretary, Millicent Foreman; Members at Large, Carl Hill, Chris McDonough, David Michaels; and Director of Classifieds, Bentley Cook.

SCA plans for the summer include a school supply drive. SCA dues, due in September, are still just $10 and include a year’s subscription to Sewanee Classifieds.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the May 2 meeting, the Monteagle Planning Commission revisited an issue they have grappled with for nearly a year, amending Zoning Ordinance 1203 to clearly define when a building permit expires. The commission also discussed a recommended ordinance change voted down by the Monteagle Council which would have allowed self-storage businesses only on C-3 commercial property.

Ordinance 1203 requires a building permit owner demonstrate “substantial progress” on a project in six months; allows for one six-month extension; and declares the permit void if there is no substantial progress in 12 months. Commission Chair Ed Provost said the amendment to the ordinance attempted to “put some teeth” in the rule by defining “substantial progress” as “work equal to 10 percent of the cost of construction as stated by the value on the building permit.”

Commissioner Katie Trahan argued basing progress on building material costs was highly “subjective” and suggested the ordinance should require certain “milestones” be met. She also proposed the allowance for “weather delays” include snow and wind.

Building codes inspector Travis Lawyer said the building permit value was based on material cost and a “rough price” on construction costs supplied by the contractor. “We’re just taking their word on it,” Lawyer stressed. He noted the figure could vary widely, for example, if the project was a self-build.

The commission discussed requiring projects to include a Standard of Values document that contained a breakdown of the value and cost of work items required on a job and a roadmap of the progress of the project from inception until its completion date.

“That might be a better description than the 10 percent,” said Mayor Greg Maloof.

Lawyer questioned whether “grading and excavation” counted toward “substantial progress.”

Resident Billy Best said the International Building Code (IBC) no longer defined “substantial progress,” but the IBC formerly listed pouring a footer as a progress milestone, but not grading and excavation. “Someone could push a pile of dirt around for four years,” Best observed.

“We have someone pushing a pile of dirt around now,” Provost said. Provost will incorporate the comments and recommendations into the ordinance and resubmit it for review next month.

Maloof introduced the discussion on the zoning ordinance change voted down by the council. Explaining his objections, Alderman Nate Wilson said the rule “seemed incongruous” since the commission recently approved an application for a self-storage business on C-2 commercial property. Wilson also questioned the reason for no longer allowing self-storage businesses in C-2.

Town planner Annya Shalun said the proposed self-storage project on C-2 property would not go forward, as the applicant did not purchase the property. Responding to why self-storage should only be allowed in C-3, Maloof said, “Crowding C-2 with more self-storage doesn’t maintain the look and demeanor of Monteagle.”

Wilson said it would have been helpful if a commission representative had explained the situation at the council meeting. The commission voted to resubmit the proposed zoning change to the council. A commission representative will attend the next council meeting to explain the reason for the change.

The Lemon Fair is asking students, local artists and other creative folks to submit designs to the Angel Wing Mural Contest called “What Does Your Sewanee Angel Look Like?” by Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. Submissions may be emailed to <info@thelemonfairsewanee.com> or dropped off at the store at 60 University Avenue in downtown Sewanee. A panel of judges will select the winning design, which will be painted on the side of the building adjacent to the Sewanee Angel Park. All contest submissions will be used to create notecards, greeting cards, coffee mugs, or tea towels, with proceeds going to the Sewanee Community Chest, a nonprofit which supports local organizations who serve the common good. The Lemon Fair is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends.

The SAS Players present a rollicking take on the outlaw folk hero of England’s green and pleasant land, “Robin Hood,” this Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, at 7 p.m. In this version of the Nottingham legend by Larry Blamire, Robin only finds himself a hero by chance; it is Maid Marian who is the superior sword fighter. Watch how the Merry Men (and women) of Sherwood forest thwart the Sheriff’s sleazy schemes and King John’s vicious taxes in language that “steers smoothly between neo-Shakespearian parody and modern slang.” If you and your family love a good swashbuckling comedy, come to the McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts on the SAS campus tonight and tomorrow. Tickets will be sold at the door and are $5 for students, $10 for adults, free to current SAS students and faculty. The SAS Players always put on an amazing show!

In times gone by, farmers allowed the poor into the fields to glean after the harvest. In 21st century America, that tradition of farmers helping the hungry is alive and well. According to Garden Communicators International, since 1995, more than 20 million pounds of produce providing more than 80 million meals have been donated by American gardeners. All of this has been achieved without government subsidy or bureaucratic red tape — just people helping people. Let's bring this tradition to the mountain!

The Community Action Committee (CAC) is calling all gardeners, growers and just people with a little patch of dirt and some sunshine to help fight hunger on the mountain. We ask that you consider planting an extra row of vegetables or a few extra plants designated for those in need of good, quality food here in the Franklin, Grundy & Marion counties. Suggestions for summer crops would be beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, corn, squash, and melons.

Donations can be delivered to CAC, 216 University Avenue, Sewanee, during regular business hours, Monday–Friday, 9–11 a.m. Questions: call Sarah Edmonds at (931) 598-5927.

The University of the South’s 2022-23 academic year comes to a close May 12, 13, and 14 with commencement exercises marking graduation weekend on the Mountain.

The 166th Convocation for Conferring of Degrees for the School of Theology will be held Friday, May 12; the University Baccalaureate will take place on Saturday, May 13; and a Convocation for Conferring of Degrees for the College of Arts and Sciences will be held on Sunday, May 14. Each of hese ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. in All Saints’ Chapel and will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend.

The seminary will graduate 34 students receiving varying degrees from Acting Vice-Chancellor Nancy Berner. The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, former president of the Episcopal Church’s House of Deputies, will deliver the sermon and receive an honorary doctor of divinity degree.

On Saturday, writer Margaret E. Renkl will receive an honorary doctor of letters degree and deliver the baccalaureate address. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jake Owensby, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana, who was elected by the Board of Trustees in December 2022, will be installed as the University’s 26th chancellor. Finally, Reid Funston, C’86, will be the inaugural recipient of the Sewanee Medal, an award given by the Board of Regents to individuals demonstrating extraordinary service to the University.

Sunday’s Commencement ceremony for the College of Arts and Science will be held in All Saints’ Chapel and on the Quad. More than 375 students will graduate from the College. A luncheon honoring the graduates will follow.

As is tradition, the sound of bells will mark the start of the ceremony as the procession of faculty walk into All Saints’ Chapel.

Awards and honors for graduating students will be announced, including the Dean’s Award and the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for character, leadership, and service to the University and the Sewanee community—the University’s highest award for students.

The salutatory and valedictory address will be followed by the conferral of degrees, and Acting Vice-Chancellor Nancy Berner will deliver the University’s charge to the graduates. The traditional Sewanee recessional takes the new graduates through a line of faculty members on the University Avenue sidewalk outside the chapel—and takes them into an outpouring of applause and cheers. The graduates, families, and guests will be able to continue their celebration at a luncheon for family and friends honoring the Class of 2023.