Highlander Research and Education Center Acquires 8 Acres of Historic Land in Grundy County
Todd Mayo Facilitates Transfer of Highlander’s Original Land and Library Property
A local land trust announced today (Dec. 21, 2024) it is selling 8 acres in Grundy County it had recently acquired from the Tennessee Preservation Trust, to Highlander Research and Education Center (Highlander) in New Market, Tenn. The sale includes parcels of Highlander’s original land and library.
In 1961, the state of Tennessee seized 200 acres of Highlander’s original land and assets and revoked the legal use of its original name, Highlander Folk School. These efforts were spearheaded by segregationist politicians and wealthy industrialists from five states as retribution for Highlander’s role in challenging Jim Crow era policies, winning labor protections for working people, and its success in bringing communities together across race, class, and gender to find kinship and common purpose. Notable Civil Rights, Black Freedom Movement, and Union organizers and leaders, including Septima Clark, Ella Baker, Rosa Parks, Anne Braden, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., all participated in Highlander programming and crafted strategies that would change the course of history. Now based in New Market, TN, Highlander, which just celebrated its 92nd anniversary, continues to serve as a school for grassroots leaders in Appalachia and the South.
In 2014, parcels of the original property were up for sale and were saved through the efforts of historic preservationist and historian, David Currey, and purchased through the Tennessee Preservation Trust. Currey led a 10-year restoration project that resulted in the restoration of Highlander’s original library to its historic condition and the acquisition of additional parcels of land from the 200-acre historic tract. The library building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in October of 2022, through a nomination prepared by Thomason and Associates of Nashville.
“Highlander is forever grateful for the efforts of David Currey, Tennessee Preservation Trust and Monteagle mountain resident, Todd Mayo, for their efforts to acquire, restore, protect, and preserve the property,” said Rev. Allyn Maxfield-Steele, Highlander’s Co-Executive Director.
“Many people told us that this site had been lost forever. We refused to accept that answer,” said Currey. “The Tennessee Preservation Trust made a tremendous effort to bring the original Highlander campus back to life so that everyone could learn about and experience this part of our historic past.”
Phil Thomason of the Tennessee Preservation Trust expressed the organization’s support for the transfer:
“The Tennessee Preservation Trust (TPT) supports the sale of the Highlander Folk School Library property in Grundy County from Todd Mayo to the Highlander Research and Education Center (HREC). The TPT Board of Directors completed the sale of the property to Mayo in September, which concluded a ten-year project for the library building’s restoration. The TPT thanks Mayo for his purchase of the property and the project’s many financial benefactors for their support.
The library building was listed for sale in 2014 and threatened with demolition. Recognizing the national significance of the property in Civil Rights and Labor history, the TPT purchased the property and restored the building to its original design. Funding for the purchase and restoration of the library was provided by several benefactors and numerous donations. From 2014 to 2022, the building was gradually restored under the supervision of project director David Currey. Restoration was completed in spring of 2022, and the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 5, 2022. TPT is pleased that HREC plans to further preserve and protect the library building through granting a preservation easement to be owned and administered by TPT. This easement will ensure that changes to the building are in keeping with its character while permitting flexibility in its use.”
Todd Mayo, principal at the land trust who recently acquired the property and mountain resident, also reflected on the importance of this project:
“I have been donating my time and money for several years to see that this holy ground is preserved so that future generations can learn about how Highlander, in John Lewis’s words, gave the Civil Rights Movement ‘the tools, the tactics, and the training to redeem the soul of America.’ I’m honored to have played a role in restoring the property to Highlander and optimistic that the site will become, in time, a worldwide destination along the Civil Rights Trail and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Grundy County is a special place and will benefit for years in tourism dollars because of the groundwork David and TPT have done and that Highlander will lead in the future.”
Over the next 18 months, Highlander will continue to partner with indigenous/First Nations partners, local residents, community groups, Civil Rights veterans, and social movement historians in a participatory design process to develop a vision and strategic plan for the site. Highlander will work to ensure that the people of Grundy County benefit from the social and economic benefits of site programming. Highlander has enlisted MASS Design, which led the conceptual design and master plan for the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice, to aid in design efforts.
“This is an historic moment for Highlander, the social movements we accompany, and the people of this region,” says Highlander co-executive director, Salimah Muhammad. “It would not have been possible without the tenacious leadership of David Currey, the Tennessee Preservation Trust, and Todd Mayo, and we applaud their efforts to preserve a special part of our legacy.”
SUD: Grinder Pump Controversy, Election, Backflow Survey
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
“I was told when that grinder pump went in, when I paid for it, SUD was responsible for it,” said SUD customer Ronald Summer at the Dec. 17 Sewanee Utility District Board of Commissioners meeting, objecting to the new policy charging all customers with grinder pumps an $8 monthly fee. “I don’t think I should have to pay $8 a month,” Summer insisted. He maintained customers who already had grinder pumps should be “grandfathered in” as exempt from the fee.
“I don’t know if I signed anything,” Summer acknowledged. He had nothing to document his claim. He said when he bought his house in early 2000, the property had a septic tank, and he did not want to connect to the public sewer system but was required to.
SUD manager Ben Beavers explained University policy requires Domain residents to connect to public sewer at the time a house sells, even if a septic system was serving the previous homeowner’s needs. A grinder pump is required for a sewer connection when gravity flow is not sufficient to move wastewater through the pipes.
The unwanted grinder-pump sewer connection cost Summer $3,000, and the expense delayed his purchase of a heating unit for several years.
In the 1990s, SUD policy was customers paid for the pump and pump maintenance. SUD took over maintenance of the pumps in the early 2000s, Beavers said, because customers could not find anyone to service them. A recent change in state law mandates water utilities to service customers’ grinder pumps.
Grinder pump repair and replacement cost SUD nearly $37,000 in 2024, Beavers said. At the November meeting the board discussed how to recover the cost. The options: one, raise sewer rates for all customers; two, charge customers with grinder pumps an $8 monthly fee.
The board will take Summer’s complaint under review.
“I’d feel the same way,” acknowledged board member Johnny Hughes
“I don’t doubt he was told that,” observed Board President Charlie Smith.
“But we don’t know who told him,” board member Donnie McBee pointed out. “It could have been a backhoe operator.”
“I’ve never seen anything in writing [regarding grinder pump maintenance],” Beavers said.
Hughes suggested, going forward, when new sewer customers purchased grinder pumps, the contract stipulated the customer paid a monthly fee subject to change.
In a related issue, Beavers said he received questions about the fee when two or more customers were serviced by the same pump. One-third of the grinder pumps in SUD’s system service more than one residence. Beavers said all customers serviced by grinder pumps would be required to pay the $8 fee, regardless of how many homes the pump serviced.
The board added Chris McBee to the slate of candidates for the upcoming commissioner election for a single open seat. The board will continue to accept candidates until the first of the year. Candidates must be SUD customers and return a petition signed by 10 SUD customers by Jan. 2. Petitions are available at the SUD office. Voting is during regular business hours from Jan. 2–28, the date of the January meeting. The meeting was moved forward one week to allow more time for voting.
In their next bill, Jump Off customers will receive a survey to determine if the customer needs a backflow prevention device. In some circumstances, backflow prevention devices are needed to prevent contaminated or untreated water from entering SUD water supply lines. SUD is required to survey all customers every five years. SUD will survey one area of the district each year, to stagger the workload of follow-up inspections sometimes required by survey responses.
Monteagle Defers Decision on Planning Consultant
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
“It seems like a lot of overlap with what we’ve already done with Imagine Monteagle,” said Monteagle Alderman Grant Fletcher citing the public engagement sessions called for in both consulting firm proposals presented for review at the Dec. 11 joint meeting of the Monteagle Council and Planning Commission. Planning Commission Chair Ed Provost concurred, arguing “We need to focus them on what we want.”
Monteagle received a $65,000 grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation to hire a planning consultant to assist Monteagle with implementation of the Imagine Monteagle Plan. Alderman Nate Wilson, who pursued the grant opportunity on the town’s behalf, stressed Monteagle needed professional help with zoning and ordinance decisions. “These are complex decisions,” Wilson said. “And we have a history of litigation and zoning issues.”
Two firms responded to the Request for Proposals. Four firms declined. Two said they could not meet the Monteagle timeline which calls for beginning immediately, and two large firms said they could not offer a competitive bid given the funds available.
Providing an overview of the two proposals, Wilson said Atlanta based Inc Codes (Incremental Code Consultants) began with a review of Monteagle’s ordinances. Based in Franklin, Tenn., TPUDC (Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative) proposed deriving focus from public input sessions. Wilson objected to TPUDC’s order, suggesting public input would follow at the public hearings required for ordinance approval. He took issue with Inc Codes’ focus on downtown.
“There are a lot more businesses outside the central downtown area than in it,” said Planning Commission member Alec Mosley, agreeing. “We almost never are asked to make decisions about something downtown. The focus must be broader than downtown.”
“What you do with zoning in the rest of the town plays a huge part in how you cultivate businesses in your downtown,” Wilson said, underscoring Mosley’s point. “You can’t separate the two. Maybe we’re asking for too much. Inc Codes told me we don’t not have enough money or time to do the whole town plan.”
Fletcher argued for focusing on clarifying ordinances and codes rather than changing zoning. Planning Commission member Richard Black observed a recent planning commission discussion about signage grappled with lack of ordinance specifics about whether a sign at a closed business should be taken down.
Wilson said both proposals’ costs exceeded the grant allocation, $99,000 for Inc Codes and $70,000 for TPUDC. He suggested fundraising to make up the difference. Fletcher maintained it would be difficult raising money for “intangibles.” Wilson noted both firms charged $20,000 for public input sessions. “We could take that on,” Wilson said, proposing a way to lower the cost. “We need to do public hearings for ordinance approval anyway.”
The consensus among council and planning commission members was the need for in-person interviews with both firms to narrow and define the scope of “deliverables” the town expects to receive from the consultation advice.
Wilson will schedule interviews for the week of Jan. 6, at 4 p.m., in two separate sessions. The interviews will be televised on GCTV6. The project’s timeline calls for selecting a consultant by mid-January, but Wilson conceded, “The timeline may be unrealistic.”
Franklin County Schools: Social Media Threats, Vouchers
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
“For Chief Deputy Brent Perry the single biggest [security issue in the schools] is unverified social media threats,” said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer Darren Earle, providing the Franklin County School Board with an overview of the recommended response practices at the Dec. 10 meeting. The board also heard an update on the proposed statewide student voucher program renamed the Education Freedom Act.
Earle reviewed the list of response practices developed by the DHS over the course of the past several years: determine the validity of the threat; habituate students to response measures to reduce fear and panic when a soft lockdown or other physical measures are required; encourage a strong reporting culture among students and parents with an anonymous reporting option; and emphasize the consequences of making social media threats. Earle observed most students and parents were likely unaware of the consequences and suggested improved communication in this area. “Students find out by getting arrested,” he said. “Making a threat of mass violence is a felony.”
Earle’s advice to parents in the event of a crisis situation: “Stay home, stay informed, be ready.” He likewise stressed the importance of law enforcement and the school administration sharing information with parents, ideally providing updates every 20-30 minutes.
In her legislative update, board member Sarah Marhevsky explained the Education Freedom Scholarship Act proposed last year by Governor Lee had been renamed the Education Freedom Act. The name change took the focus away from the cost, Marhevsky said, emphasizing ‘freedom.’ She pointed out children in Tennessee already had the freedom to attend any school they chose — “In Tennessee, a higher percentage of students are already enrolled in private school than the U.S. average.” She also noted private schools were not obligated to admit any student who applied so emphasizing ‘freedom’ was misleading. Citing an inherent inequity in the program, Marhevsky said if the bill became law the state would pay private schools 100 percent of the required per student allocation, while public schools only received 75 percent of the required allocation from the state on average, with the local government required to provide the remaining 25 percent. What was more, funding the program would likely increase the burden on taxpayers. In North Carolina, the cost of a similar program had increased from $10.8 million to $140 million in just a few years’ time, and in Arizona the cost increased from $65 million to roughly $332 million in a single year. “What else could Tennessee do with the roughly $144 million already set aside for vouchers?” Marhevsky asked.
Director of Schools Cary Holman congratulated the first two graduates of the district’s “Grow Your Own Teacher” Program, Cowan Elementary’s Mattie Cowan and Huntland School’s Kayla Williams. The two women worked as educational assistants while completing their course work and certification. Franklin County has five other prospective teachers enrolled in the program.
With Sewanee Elementary School the focus of the school spotlight for December, Principal Allison Dietz had well-earned bragging rights. Dietz cited SES’s stellar proficiency test scores, drawing comparison to state averages: ELA 74.1 percent proficiency (statewide 41 percent); Math 69 percent proficiency (statewide 42.4 percent); and Science 78 percent proficiency (statewide 44 percent). The state recognized SES as a Reward School for the 2023-2024 school year for demonstrating improvement in achievement and attendance, a particularly remarkable accomplishment since SES already ranked high, Dietz observed. “Sewanee Elementary certainly shines.”
Sewanee’s New Restaurant: Sullivan Opens Judith
by Blythe Ford, Messenger Staff Writer
On Nov. 29, James Beard Award-nominated chef Julia Sullivan officially opened Judith, a tavern-style restaurant, in the Old Steam Laundry building on Ball Park Road. The restaurant is Sullivan’s second establishment, but first solo project. The name, Judith, is an homage to Judith Ward Lineback, who was the first woman to matriculate at the University of the South in 1969. Sullivan’s father also graduated from the University in 1969, and she grew up visiting family friends here in Sewanee as a retreat from Nashville life. The habit has continued to the present, with Sullivan expressing a love of the natural beauty of the Plateau in an interview on Monday.
Sullivan is an acclaimed chef, named as semi-finalist and then finalist for Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The James Beard Foundation, established in 1986 to honor celebrated chef James Beard, is a nonprofit organization that, according to their website, “celebrates and supports the people behind America’s food culture, while pushing for new standards in the restaurant industry to create a future where all have the opportunity to thrive.”
Since 1990, the James Beard Foundation has issued awards for excellence in all aspects of the food, beverage and related industries in the United States. Sullivan, as a 2019 semi-finalist for the Southeast region, was one of only 21 chefs across the region who were so honored.
Her first project, Henrietta Red in Nashville, is a seafood restaurant and oyster bar focusing on fresh ingredients, and is similarly acclaimed by the James Beard Foundation, “Bon Appétit,” and “GQ.”
Sullivan explained that for Judith, while she continues the focus on fresh, local ingredients, she seeks to “be connected to Sewanee as a place and the needs of the community.” The result is an American tavern that sources ingredients primarily from Middle Tennessee, as nearby as Midway Mushrooms. The restaurant employs locals and undergraduates from the University, making it truly an institution of the mountain.
Sullivan had been planning to open a new establishment for some time, but the location was uncertain. “I couldn’t really envision my second restaurant in any of the options in Nashville,” she explained. A friend contacted her upon learning that the Old Steam Laundry was once again for sale, and she seized the opportunity to begin her new project in a place she loves. The hours of operation were set in part so that Sullivan could continue to spend time hiking here on the mountain on her days off.
Judith is open 4–9 p.m., Thursday through Monday. The menu offers a number of appetizers to share while having a drink at the restaurant’s bar; beer is not yet served but is anticipated to join the selection of wines, cocktails, and nonalcoholic beverages currently available. Three salads prepared with greens from the McMinnville area and six entrees fill out the offerings for now, with a dessert menu in the works but currently including a vanilla soft serve. The menu will change seasonally as the availability of ingredients fluctuates, but the focus will continue to be on meals that fit the needs of the community. Sullivan highly recommends trying their house-made sourdough, the trout rillettes that evoke her expertise with seafood, and the pappardelle pasta featuring mushrooms from Midway. There are multiple vegetarian options, as well as select substitutions to make certain dishes vegan. There is at least one gluten free option in each section of the menu; gluten free bread is not currently available.
Private events will be available to book after the new year. Sullivan does not intend to offer outside catering through Judith.
Judith has done well the first nights open. “We hope to have good momentum moving forward,” Sullivan expressed, further elaborating that the restaurant will continue to evolve as the staff become more comfortable with their roles and the needs of their customers become clear. All in all, Judith promises to be a great addition to dining on the mountain.
For more information go to <https://www.judithtavern.com&g...;.
St. Mark’s Grove: Celebrating a Vanished Rich Legacy
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
Located in the heart of the neighborhood known historically as the St. Mark’s community, the St. Mark’s Grove memorial will celebrate the rich legacy of Sewanee’s black community. The grove will feature treelike structures with a colored-glass canopy casting dappled light and shadow on the walkway, a magical ambiance appropriate to the complex heritage the memorial honors. “We helped build this institution,” said St. Mark’s community member Evelyn Patton. “Our parents did custodial work. They did maid services. But I was allowed to go to college. My brother was allowed to go to college. I still live in the St. Mark’s community. This is big for us. There are only a handful of us still here.”
The memorial resulted from a commitment by the Roberson Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation to create a physical momento to honor African American life and experience in Sewanee — a memorial that could function as a teaching and gathering place to bring together and reconnect the African American community to the campus as a whole. Confronted with a somewhat daunting goal, Roberson Project Director Woody Register conceded, “My approach was to not disbelieve and barge ahead.” Following a tip from a colleague, Register contacted a professor at Viginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and another at Virginia Tech (VT). Dubbed the Sewanee Praises project, a collaboration resulted among the Roberson Project staff, students and faculty at Sewanee, VCU, and VT, and residents and descendants of Sewanee’s historic black St. Mark’s community. Two years later, the “community driven, empathy designed” St. Mark’s Grove memorial reincarnated itself from the ashes of what came before.
“It’s rare to start with nothing,” observed Virginia Tech architect and faculty member Kevin Jones. The memorial will occupy the former site of the all-black Kennerly School, which was torn down as were the other two pillars of black community life, St. Mark’s Church and the Belmont Club. The usual way in design is to “start with something existing” said VCU professor of interior design, Laura Battaglia. For the collaborators, the something existing was to learn and understand the stories of the black community that frequented those vanished places.
VCU and VT Students established relationships with St. Mark’s community members by writing letters and later visiting Sewanee. Bataglia thanked the community for the willingness “to be vulnerable. That’s where the truth lies.” Common iconic themes immerged — circular formations, trees, the Cross, and color. When the preliminary designs were ready for viewing, members of the St. Mark’s community travelled to Virginia to offer insight and make recommendations. Revising and further revisioning followed.
Landscaped with hydrangea, dogwood and blackberry, St. Mark’s Grove will offer visitors two gateways, one from Georgia Avenue and one from the Mountain Goat Trail. Beneath the colored-glass canopy with enchanting glass-bottle windchimes whispering, visitors can browse a memorial wall naming the former and current residents of the St. Mark’s community, ponder quotes inscribed in the pathway illuminated by pillars of light, or simply sit and chat, or perhaps, simply sit quietly and reflect.
A 3-D model of the final design can be viewed at duPont Library. Next comes fundraising and construction, said Register.
A VCU student confessed, “I didn’t know what I signed up for. This has been one of the best experiences of my life.”
John Patton, who recently moved back to the St. Mark’s community after a 40-year career in Nashville, praised the students-led effort. “You were here for a purpose and made a difference for people you’ve never seen and people you will never see who will come beyond your living days. To come up with an idea working together that’s pleasing to everyone shows somebody cares.”
‘We Are an Endangered Species’
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
“We are an endangered species” said Jumpoff resident Jan Brown, expressing concerns about the Tennessee Division of Mining and Geological Resources’ (DMGR) methods of assessing Jumpoff Creek and plans for protecting the watershed. The Nov. 21 public hearing at the Princess Theater in South Pittsburg began with an informational video explaining how a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, if granted, would protect the creek by regulating Tinsley Sand and Gravels’ discharge of pollutants at the 79.4 acre sand-plant site on South Pittsburg Mountain Road. But the comments that followed shed a harsh, unflattering light on the potential impact to the vast 774 acre watershed and the people who live there.
Jumpoff resident Katherine Zammit called attention to the project’s dramatic increase in size and inconsistencies in the permitting process. The stormwater plan was based on a 10-acre footprint. Zammit also complained her well, although registered, was not shown on the map Tinsley submitted. Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment representative Adam Hughes observed that not only was the data listing only 15 wells incomplete; also incomplete was the data on species diversity, since sampling was only done in the winter.
Jumpoff Creek has been classified “exceptional waters” due to the high level of biological diversity. Jumpoff resident Paige Schneider said the watershed sheltered 18 known protected species and perhaps more. Jumpoff Creek had not been sampled to determine baseline information on water quality to serve as a gauge for possible increase in pollutants, Schneider stressed, and the projected life of the Tinsley project was unknown, making it difficult to quantify long-term effects.
If the permit is granted, Jumpoff Creek will be monitored by the field office based on the quarry discharge cycle, explained Dennis Conger from the DMGR, responding to questions from virtual participants. The level of pollutants in the discharge would be measured, and the amount would need to be below allowed levels. However, so long as pollutant levels in the discharged effluent were acceptable, the Tinsley operators could discharge pollutants as frequently as they chose. A Jumpoff resident participating in person observed that since the Air Quality hearing in October, Tinsley had increased the hours of operation fourfold, from 60 days a year to 250 days per year, a 416 percent increase in operating time, in a revised application.
Conger pointed out Tinsley planned to use harvested rainwater for dust suppression and cleaning, then to store the wastewater from these operation in two retention ponds and recycle it, minimizing discharge. Resident Shari Lydy insisted that without liners, the wastewater detention ponds invited seepage into the ground water threatening the existence of endangered species and the only water source of many residents. Asked what the operators would do if there was no rain, Conger replied, “It’s up to them. Some plants sit idle until there is enough water to operate.”
Tinsley will perform all the required discharge sampling if the permit is granted. Several students from the University of the South questioned the “trustworthiness” of Tinsley, observing he had been cited for unlawfully beginning operations at a quarry in Grundy County and for inadequately compensating employees.
“All the benefits flow downhill,” said Jumpoff resident Em Turner Chitty. The area’s water and police and fire protection came from Sewanee or Franklin County. Jumpoff residents would not benefit from the tax dollars generated by the sand plant. Chitty also noted that although the business promised 14 jobs, wages would be below median income, and there was no guarantee the jobs would go to Jumpoff residents.
One of the final commenters asked if the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation had ever “stopped” a proposed industrial operation. “I’d love for this to be an unprecedented opportunity for being the benchmark for preventing the destruction of a pristine area,” he said.
The comments continued for over an hour and a half. Only one person spoke in favor of the proposed sand plant.
The DMGR did not address specific questions during the live hearing session at the Princess Theater but promised to respond via email to those who provided contact information.
Annual Holiday Studio Tour
Tennessee Craft-South invites the public to its annual Holiday Studio Tour on the mountain, Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST and Sunday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST. Tennessee Craft-South is the regional branch of Tennessee Craft, the state-wide organization which supports and promotes all handmade crafts in Tennessee.
Local and regional artists will show their work during the weekend: textiles, sculpture, jewelry, pottery, paintings, metal work, and woodwork. Sewanee artist studios open to the public include those of Pippa Browne, Diane Getty, Ben Potter, Claire Reishman, and Merissa Tobler. Other Sewanee locations are the American Legion Hall, Spencer Room at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, Locals Gallery, Stirlings, and The Frame Gallery. Monteagle locations include Cheryl Lankhaar’s studio, The Gallery at Monteagle Assembly, and Hallelujah Pottery. Light refreshments will be available at most locations.
Once again, there is a group exhibition of multiple artists’ work in the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Art Gallery, located in the center of the Simmonds Building at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School. While many sites host individual artists’ work, the SAS Art Gallery presents an exhibition of Tennessee Craft-South members’ work as well as that of SAS faculty and students.
A special fourth year addition to the Tour is the Empty Tables project, an artist initiative sponsored by Tennessee Craft-South — partnering with Rooted Here, the Community Action Committee, Grundy County Food Bank and Morton Memorial Church — designed to address local hunger. Participating artists will set aside time to create art celebrating the growing, serving, and eating of food: bowls, plates, napkins, paintings, candlesticks, etc. These art pieces will be available at the American Legion Hall, in exchange for a donation. All proceeds will be used to purchase food for those in need.
There are six sponsors for the Holiday Studio Tour this year: The Blue Chair, Hallelujah Pottery, The Lemon Fair, Locals, Mooney’s, and Shull Chiropractic. Studio Tour brochures are available at each of these local businesses and at all participating studios.
Bright yellow signs mark the tour route and maps are available at all locations on the tour as well as at all sponsors’ locations, in the Sewanee Mountain Messenger, and on the Tennessee Craft website <http://tennesseecraft.org/memb...;.
65th Festival Service of Lessons and Carols
On Christmas Eve, 1918, the Chaplain of King’s College, Cambridge took a Cornish Christmas tradition and brought it to the world. Weaving together biblical readings with seasonal music, the service prepared participants to hear the announcement of the birth of Jesus Christ. For over 60 years, Sewanee has hosted its own service, and coming as it does at the end of the Advent semester, the gathering becomes, for many, the Christmas celebration of the University. In addition to the students, staff, and faculty of the University, the service is open to the broader community in Sewanee and beyond.
We look forward to welcoming the extended Sewanee family back into All Saints’ Chapel in 2024. With seats for over 1,000 guests, we anticipate being able to seat every person who comes to worship in All Saints’ Chapel. Two services — Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8, at 4 p.m. — feature walk-up seating, and doors will open an hour in advance of the service. The 7 p.m. service on Saturday, Dec. 7, will be live-streamed for friends and family who are unable to attend in person < https://new.sewanee.edu/campus...;. Please note that large bags or backpacks will not be allowed in All Saints’ Chapel. Email us with questions at <lessonsandcarols@sewanee.edu>.
Greening of the Chapel
On Friday, Dec. 6, members of the Sewanee community and beyond are invited to join in the Greening of All Saints’ Chapel in preparation for the 65th annual Festival of Lessons and Carols to take place Dec. 7 and 8. Work begins at 9 a.m. All levels of experience are welcomed and very much needed. We also encourage you to bring any treasures from your garden (dried hydrangea, nandina, and other berries, unusual evergreen clippings, etc.) which can be used to decorate wreaths and garlands. Food and beverages will be supplied throughout the day which are provided by the Chapel. Come anytime and stay as long as your schedule allows. Ken Taylor, of Taylor’s Mercantile, will direct the day’s activities.
There will be a tour of the decorations for Lessons and Carols at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8. Meet Ken Taylor in the narthex of All Saints’ Chapel.
15 New Affordable Homes on Monteagle’s Horizon
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
At the Dec. 3 meeting, the Monteagle Planning Commission approved preliminary plats for two subdivisions, with a buildout design totaling 15 lots, earmarked for 1,450 square foot single-family homes. The commission also gave a green-light nod to plans for a food pantry on a lot recently acquired by Morton Memorial Methodist Church.
The Joseph Estates subdivision plat on Laurel Trails Road calls for five lots, while The Landings on South Central Avenue will have 10 lots. Developer Paul Fantuzzi plans to build two story homes with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths with brick or brick-siding exteriors. Fantuzzi stressed that while similar in design, the residences would not be “cookie-cutter” houses. He cited the Imagine Monteagle planning document, pointing to the need for affordable housing in keeping with the character of the community. “Maintaining green space is important to me,” Fantuzzi said. “I want to keep as many trees as I can.”
The commission granted Fantuzzi’s request for a variance on the Joseph’s Estates plat to allow for deeper lots than the width-length ratio permitted by subdivision regulations. Fantuzzi explained the deeper lots would allow for a tree buffer in the rear shielding residents from noise caused by commercial activities on adjacent property. “We need affordable homes,” said Commissioner Katie Trahan. “With the commercial property behind, it makes sense to do the variance.” “I agree,” said Commission Chair Ed Provost.
The plats will come before the commission for final approval once water, electric service, septic, stormwater flow and other contingencies have been approved and certified to meet regulatory requirements.
Morton Memorial United Methodist Church requested rezoning from residential to institutional for a lot recently purchased by the church and adjacent to the church’s Main Street property. The church plans to build a 5,000 square foot metal building for the food ministry. “It has grown so much,” said church trustee representative Debbie Bird. “We serve 270-300 families every month. If we can [have pickup] more than once a month, that will ease the street congestion.” Future plans might also include a clothing closet..
Neighboring resident Tony Gilliam expressed concern. “I don’t want metal buildings all around the block.”
“Residential zoning allows churches as use by right,” said town planner Jonathan Rush. “I think this facility would fall under church use. I don’t think rezoning to ID [institutional development] fits.”
“The ID description does not match at all,” said Trahan.
Addressing concern about possible future uses, Rush said if the property remained residential and the church continued to own it, future uses would need to be residential or church related.
“We could care less what the zoning is,” Bird said. The church just wanted “assurance” moving forward with the food ministry plans would not be “in violation.” “We want to be good neighbors,” Bird stressed.
The commission denied the request to rezone, with the minutes noting Morton Memorial was allowed to do what a church was allowed to do on R-1 residential property.
Resident Deborah Reed brought to the commission’s attention the Shull Chiropractic sign on Main Street, pointing out the business had been closed for years. Monteagle ordinances required businesses to maintain signs, Reed said. She proposed no longer operating businesses should be required to remove signs. Commissioner Richard Black observed two other long closed businesses still had signage on Main Street. Alderman Grant Fletcher said the Imagine Monteagle steering committee planned to recommend reviewing signage rules.
Reed also asked about rumors that Monteagle planned to develop the proposed truck-stop property. “I haven’t heard anything about it,” Provost said. Mayor Greg Maloof concurred.
The planning commission and Monteagle council will meet in a joint session Dec. 11, at 5 p.m., to discuss a grant for a consultant to assist with zoning definitions and mapping.
Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions Earns 2024 Great Place To Work Certification™
Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place to Work for 2024. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions. It is the third year in a row to be awarded this coveted designation.
Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver employee retention and increased innovation. “Great Place to Work Certification™” isn’t something that comes easily – it takes consistent ongoing dedication to the employee experience,” says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place to Work. “It’s the only official designation determined by employees’ real-time reports of their company culture. Earning this designation means that Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions is one of the best companies to work for in the country.” Joseph’s Remodeling is one of only four construction companies in Tennessee to have earned this honor.
“We have worked really hard to nurture our company culture and it’s nice to know our team enjoys the benefits. For us it’s a combination of carefully hiring and providing living wages and great benefits. For years we have had a program of getting weekly feedback from each of our team members and we want everyone to love their work,” said Alyssa Sumpter, co-owner of Joseph’s Remodeling Solutions with her husband Joseph. “We owe our continued success to our team. We celebrate and thank them for all they do to earn this incredible recognition. This designation also acknowledges our great customers who recognize and value the team members who make their dreams a reality with the craftmanship we provide to their projects each and every day.”
According to Great Place to Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great leader at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93 Percent more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, and have a fair chance at promotion.
Since 1992, Great Place to Work has surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything they do is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All™.