by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Just released after 10 years in the making, “Rock Art: An American Story” documents rock art across the United States through the lens of award-winning National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez. Although marketed as a coffee-table book, this stunning volume transcends the typical coffee-table book genre by light years. The photographs are accompanied by 12 journal entries speaking from voices who reflect on their personal relationship with the rock art depicted, a relationship dating back thousands of years. All the essayists are Native Americans, artists, archeologists, researchers, and writers who lay claim to an intimate connection.

“I connect best as a photographer,” Alvarez said. “But these are not my stories. I don’t have a cultural connection. Finding the right people took 10 years. Otherwise, I would have been just another redneck with an opinion.”

Asked the chicken-or-the-egg question about whether the photographs or the voices came first, Alvarez described the process as “organic.” Alvarez met artist and designer Dustin Illetewahke Mater when doing contract work for the Chickasaw tribe. “I found Dustin’s story fascinating,” Alvarez said. “He began painting and drawing because his mind was filled with stories from his Chickasaw great-grandmother. He didn’t have any visuals to hang the stories on.” Mater contributed a journal entry about Devil’s Step Hollow at the head of the Sequatchie Valley.

Alvarez struck up a friendship with novelist Debra Magpie Earling when Earling gave a School of Letters reading in Sewanee. Alvarez’s wife, April Alvarez, serves as Associate Director of the Sewanee School of Letters, and when the couple’s son decided to move to Montana, Earling suggested they visit her Bitterroot Salish tribe’s buffalo herd. Earling contributed a journal entry on buffalo art. “Reading her essay brought tears to my eyes,” Alvarez confessed. Native Tlingit author and award-winning journalist Kate Nelson serves as the book’s editor and contributes an essay on rock art in Alaska.

“Rock art has always spoken to me,” Alvarez said. In his student days at Sewanee in the 1980s, a teacher mailed him a postcard depicting rock art in Utah. “I jumped in my car and drove there. I had to see it.”

Alvarez calls Sewanee home when he’s not on the road pursuing his passion. And he’s quick to point out, home has its own treasures. “There are paintings in Sewanee that are at least 750 years old. There was one by my house I walked by for 40 years and never saw until someone pointed it out. There are a ton of paintings on the Plateau. They’re all on the escarpment in the Warren Point sandstone.”

In his work for National Geographic photographing the 36,000-year-old cave art of Chauvet, Alvarez experienced what he describes as “being in a time machine. You don’t share anything with that artist. You don’t share culture, you don’t share language, you don’t share economies. Nothing we have ever done would enable us to conceive of their world and nothing would enable them to conceive of the world we live in, something as simple as glass or metal. And yet the paintings are beautiful and evocative. They speak to you. Time collapsed for me.”

The experience proved life changing. The National Geographic story Alvarez was working on was called “First Artists.”

“It was about why we become artists, what art does for us biologically. At the end of the art story, I didn’t want to move on. I wanted to keep working on that subject. I wanted to do something that was about humanity.”

Alvarez scaled back his National Geographic work and founded the Ancient Art Archive. The Archive preserves and shares rock art through photography, advanced 3-D modeling, interactive experiencing and educational programming. The Ancient Art Archive website showcases the archive’s work. “As the website matured, a book made sense,” Alvarez said. “A website is ephemeral. A book is permanent.”

Different from the Archive, which features rock art from all over the world, “Rock Art: An American Story” focuses on rock art in North America, from the islands of Alaska and Hawaii, through the West, Desert West, Southeast and into the Connecticut Valley of Vermont. The book’s release coincides the United States’ 250th anniversary. “Leading up to 2026, seemed like a good time to talk about the continents’ deep history,” Alvarez said. “People have flourished here for 20,000 years. We think America started 250 years ago or maybe with Columbus, but that’s just a tiny scratch of how long people have been here.”

All proceeds from the sale of “Rock Art: An American Story” go to benefit the Ancient Art Archive’s work to preserve and share the rock art experience. “We’re sending the book to all 575 federally recognized tribes, every member of congress and all governors,” Alvarez said.

“We’re 501(c)(3) nonprofit and don’t lobby for anything. We’re not trying to get people to think about what the artwork meant to the people who made it, because often times that’s not knowable,” Alvarez insisted. His hope for the book is perhaps art’s eternal question. “What is interesting to me,” Alvarez reflected, “is what the artwork tells present day people about themselves.”

“Rock Art: An American Story” is available at the Sewanee Bookstore and from the publisher Itasca Books. Go to <https://www.ancientartarchive.org/book/; for more information.

Alvarez will have a book signing from 1–3 p.m., Friday, May 1, at the Sewanee Bookstore.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“My reason for leaving is the growing turmoil surrounding the department and lack of meaningful support being shown its leadership and officers” — Monteagle Police Chief William Raline read the following statement from officer Chris Vest’s resignation letter, as Vest had requested sharing the letter with the public and Monteagle Council at the April 27 meeting. The “lack of meaningful support” cited by Vest referred to the vote at the March 29 meeting to dismiss Sargent [Alhafiz Ibn] Karteron from employment due to circumstance related to a Sept. 15 incident involving Karteron and Monteagle business owner Rodney Kilgore. The investigator for the Grundy County District Attorney found no fault with Karteron’s actions. At the outset of the April meeting, two residents voiced angry complaints calling the attack on the police biased and hypocritical. Raline cautioned the contentious environment made it difficult to find good officers. “We’re going to disagree, undoubtedly,” Raline acknowledged. “But if we don’t stand together and come up with common good decisions to fix our problems, it doesn’t get better. We should work together and have dialogues.” Just over a week ago, Monteagle received a complaint against Raline. The council has never had to deal with a complaint against the police chief before.

Asked about the process, Raline explained, in the event of a criminal complaint, the district attorney would investigate and report to the mayor. Typically, non-criminal complaints were investigated by a municipality’s oversight committee. Monteagle had no oversight committee, Raline noted. He said he would supply Mayor Greg Maloof with all documents related to the complaint and a video.

Alderman Lay proposed a meeting with Raline. “I would like to hear the chief’s response to the complaint,” Lay said. Raline proposed the council review the documents and video he provided, after which he would take questions if clarification was needed. The council will meet with Raline in a private executive session. Alderman Nate Wilson observed “human resources” issues were not subject to the Sunshine Law.

In a related discussion, Lay complained Monteagle violated the Sunshine Law by not taking minutes at workshops. Maloof argued minutes were not needed since “no voting” occurred. Maloof will investigate Lay’s claim.

In other business, Maloof introduced a discussion about authorizing another rate study to determine if additional rate increases were necessary to facilitate budget decisions calling for costly capital improvements. Lay complained, “It’s not legal for you to approve a contract for a rate study.” The 2024 rate study resulted in a March 2025 rate increase, with another increase scheduled for July 1, 2026.

Wilson argued the rate study’s “administrative” cost was the most significant expense driver in the Water and Sewer Department’s budget in the past few years and another rate study would not fix the problem. Wilson also maintained, since the Water and Sewer Department showed a loss last year, a loss again this year could result in the state assuming management of the department. He cited the federally mandated lead and copper survey as the expense causing the 2025 loss and proposed the town defer Water and Sewer Department capital improvements to the next budget year to avoid a loss in 2026. Wilson said he spoke with LGA, Monteagle’s engineering firm, and they supported adjusting the contract to facilitate deferring the expenses. Maloof will contact LGA to discuss the contract adjustment.

Resident Chris Fox raised a complaint about a right of way encroachment on his property and a private drive there being designated a public road. Maloof will investigate the discrepancies.

Asked about water shortage concerns, Maloof said he has been in touch with Big Creek and Tracy City “to refine our drought plan. They are on standby.” Monteagle relies on Big Creek and Tracy City for water if the town’s supply runs short. The state has prohibited Monteagle from constructing an additional water supply lake due to environmental concerns, according to Maloof. State officials suggested Monteagle construct an additional storage tank as a “stopgap.” Wilson said the forecast for the next four weeks called for above average rainfall. A grant opportunity could provide Monteagle with measurement equipment for Laurel Lake, Monteagle’s chief water source, to track the water level daily.

Taking up a Codes Enforcement issue, Codes Enforcement officer Travis Lawyer suggested the city designate him as a “special police officer” so he could testify in cases where he brought charges against an offender, such as the recent issue regarding demolition of the Mountain Inn. Raline supported the idea. “We [police officers] wouldn’t know what he knows,” he said. “That’s important,” Maloof concurred.

The Monteagle Council will begin hosting workshops every Monday at 5 p.m., except on council meeting Mondays, typically the last Monday of the month. Next month, the council will meet May 26 to avoid a conflict with Memorial Day.

This year, our celebration carries a proud G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) Show theme that honors greatness in our nation’s story and in the community traditions that bring us together. We mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the 40th anniversary of the Sewanee Fourth of July celebration, and the 100th anniversary of the founding of Sewanee Elementary School, and we are grateful to celebrate these milestones together as one hometown with a legacy worth honoring.

The G.O.A.T. Show begins Friday evening, July 3, 2026, and continues through Saturday, July 4, 2026, culminating with fireworks on Saturday night. Join neighbors and friends for the Almost World Famous Mutt Show, Arts & Crafts Fair, Cake Contest, and (of course) the Parade as we celebrate with pride, purpose, and tradition.

The next planning meeting is at 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 12, via Zoom. Volunteers are needed for the parade, children’s games, Almost World Famous Mutt Show and more. If community members don’t volunteer, we can’t offer events. To volunteer and to get the Zoom link, please email
<sewaneejuly4th@gmail.com>.

Visit

http://www.sewanee4thofjuly.org

for event registration, upcoming grand marshal announcements, and the upcoming full schedule.

For 100 years, Sewanee Elementary has been at the heart of our community. On Friday, May 8, we invite you to walk down memory lane as we celebrate our centennial birthday from 5–7 p.m.

Experience the school’s history through the eyes of our students during guided tours, and join us for a 5:45 p.m. assembly as we dedicate our gym, unveil a new school sign, and celebrate our forest trail. Whether you are a former student, a retired teacher, or a neighbor who supports our school, your presence will make this celebration complete. Refreshments will be provided.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“It’s not looking real good for this year as far as drought goes,” said Sewanee Utility District Manager Ben Beavers reporting on operations at the April 21 board of commissioners meeting. “At the end of February Lake O’Donnell was one foot down and Lake Jackson was overflowing. O’Donnell is now between a foot and two feet down and Jackson is overflowing, but just barely.”

Beavers pointed out the region had been on a 20-year drought cycle. “We’re at the 20-year mark,” observed Board President Charlie Smith. At present the plateau verges on the “moderate” drought range, according to Beavers. “We’re not in the extreme range yet, but there are places in Tennessee that are,” he said. “This time last year both lakes were overflowing. Often both of them overflow into June.” Rainfall for February was 3.08 inches; for March less than 4 inches, unusually low for that month; and so far for April less than one-half inch with only one major rainfall event. “Right now all the systems on the plateau are okay,” Beavers said, “but it pays to keep an eye on it.”

In other business, Beavers updated the board on the American Rescue Plan Act projects. Beavers applied to redirect unused funds from the Lead and Copper Survey to the Sewer Rehabilitation project. He has not yet received confirmation, but the Franklin County official administering the grant anticipated the request would be approved. Plans call for final inspection and close out of the Lead and Copper Survey project and the Asset Management Plan project in May. The Sewer Rehabilitation project prioritized fixing and replacing manholes. If approved, the $162,000 in excess funds will be used to TV inspect and repair sewer lines.

The 74-page Asset Management Plan lists all SUD’s physical assets, the assets value with depreciation accounted for, and the anticipated date when replacement will be required. Beavers will provide the firm conducting SUD’s rate study with the document to aid in analyzing SUD’s rate structure with a view to future needs. The study is currently “on-hold,” according to Beavers. Accountant Buddy Petty, principal for the RateStudies firm, alerted Beavers of an irregularity in the 2023 and 2024 financial statements; category totals were accurate but line-item entries were missing. Smith speculated the irregularity resulted when SUD transitioned to using different software for financial record keeping in 2023. Beavers will adjust the entries and resubmit the documents to Petty, as well as informing the state comptroller of the error.

Looking to the future, Beavers intends to apply for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to help pay for repainting the farm water tank, estimated cost $450,000. The high cost is due to lead paint on the exterior which will require sandblasting to remove. Franklin County only receives one CDBG grant, but Winchester and Cowan qualify for CDBG grants as municipalities, reducing the competition, Beavers pointed out. “We’ve never gotten a CDBG grant, so it’s our turn,” he observed. Beavers will have SUD’s engineer put together a data package for use in the grant application, that could also be used to apply for other grant or loan opportunities.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Transforming muddy wet beets and the unfulfilled promise of a saltwater pool into mystery novels that dare the reader to laugh out loud takes a gifted writer who knows how to take her craft seriously, but has a sense of humor about forgiving life. Meet Beth Riner, author of the character driven mystery series, “Odd Job Annie.” Readers of Riner’s novels tag along with Annie Cooper who like Riner is living her best retirement life in Monteagle. A former English teacher turned journalist, Riner writes feature stories for the Grundy County Herald, and occasionally the Messenger, as well, and does a lot of volunteering. Riner modeled Annie Cooper, the series’ thesis character, on herself. Like Riner, ever-busy Annie frequently finds herself in quirky circumstances when out and about town doing odd jobs. Packing wet muddy beets sets the stage for lots of laughs in the title book of the series, “Odd Job Annie.” But taking on the challenge of the second book titled, “A Deadly Development,” Riner realized she had a problem. “In the first book I fell in love with the victim. I couldn’t kill the victim off. But when I started writing the second one, I thought, it’s a mystery. I’m going to have to kill somebody.” Fate delivered into her life a developer who promised a saltwater pool and never delivered. Riner took the bait and ran with it. Set for release April 28, “A Deadly Development” pivots on Annie discovering the body of a disreputable real estate developer no one loves.

Laughing at her temerity, Riner confessed, “It was very therapeutic. I’m what Stephen King call a ‘pantser,’ somebody who writes by the seat of their pants as opposed to a plotter who meticulously plots everything out before they write. I know who the killer is and I have a list of suspects, and when I start writing, it just kind of flows.”

The strategy serves her well. “Odd Job Annie” has a five-star rating on Amazon with close to 80 reviews and was a 2025 Mystery & Mayhem finalist for the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Also celebrated as a journalist, Riner received two Tennessee Press Awards in 2025: business feature writing, second in the state, and general feature writing, fourth in the state.

Riner taught high school English for 23 years, but writing was always her first love. “If you were an English major, you love words,” she insisted acknowledging her passion. In “A Deadly Development,” Riner makes profligate use of the word “skeevy” taunting a friend who insisted “skeevy” was not a word. “I used it a dozen times just to mess with him,” she joked. Interestingly, the only critical reviews of “Odd Job Annie” upbraided her for using not-so-polite language. “Annie has a bit of a mouth on her,” Riner said. One reader counted 45 uses of the ‘f-word.’ Riner’s publisher Golden Bridges Publishing compiled the language objections into a funny video and posted it on Facebook and Instagram.

Riner calls her books “uncozy mysteries,” differing from the cozy mystery genre, with prudent verging on prudish language and serious verging on somber takes on life. Riner’s book are funny. “Annie is always getting into scrapes,” Riner observed. “Her odd jobs put her in hysterical situations.” Learning how popular Odd Job Annie was with male readers surprised Riner. “I think the humor is why men like it,” she speculated.

In book three, “A Killer Romance,” three love interests infect Annie’s not-so-cozy retirement: a handsome baker neighbor, an ornery country sheriff, and a mysterious air force colonel. “I don’t know if she’s going to end up with any of them. I kind of like the idea of Cinderella has a fling and lives happily ever after single,” Riner speculated.

For a 60-something retiree, being pursued by paramours is an unexpected treat. Likewise, mystery writer Riner finds herself a bit awed by the success of “Odd Job Annie” and the impatient readers eager for release of her second book. Meet the charmer at a launch party from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, May 2, at Sounding Stone Gallery in Monteagle. Coincidentally, Sounding Stone will be hosting the exhibit, “To Tell a Yarn: Stories in Fiber and Cloth,” featuring the work of seven regional fiber artists who use textiles to tell and re-tell stories. Thrilled by the synchronicity, Riner said, “It’s a win-win!” So are the doppelgangers Beth Riner and Odd Job Annie.

Riner’s books are available in both paperback or Kindle format on Amazon and all other online book retailers. “A Deadly Development,” officially scheduled for release April 28, may be preordered now.

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, after an extensive search, is pleased to announce that the Rev. Nicholas I. Phares will serve the school as chaplain, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.

Rev. Phares currently serves as rector at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Barlesville, Okla., a position he has held since 2017. Previously, he served four years as associate rector at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Pensacola, Fla..

“Father Phares has tremendous experience in all facets of Episcopal ministry, from preaching weekly to providing spiritual leadership and pastoral care to his parishioners,” said Karl Sjolund, SAS head of school. “He also has significant experience working with youth programs, including camp ministry and organizing and leading mission trips. He knows how to respond to the spiritual, ethical, and social needs of kids, and we’re confident he’ll serve the SAS community well.”

The move also represents a return to the mountain for Father Phares and his wife and son. He is a 2017 graduate of the School of Theology at the University of the South, and both of his daughters are graduates of SAS, Morgan (‘20) and Lexi (‘23). Their son will be a member of SAS’s freshman class this fall.

“SAS’s commitment to forming the whole person, intellectually, spiritually, morally, and relationally, closely mirrors my own vocation as an Episcopal priest,” Father Phares said. “I continue to be drawn to the way this community weaves faith, learning, service, and communal life into a rhythm that invites students to grow in integrity and joy.”

Father Phares also holds a B.A. in Religion from St. Leo University and is currently earning an M.S. in Community Counseling from Rogers State University.

The University of the South is pleased to announce that Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer and presidential historian Jon Meacham, C’91, H’10, will deliver the baccalaureate address on Saturday, May 9, 2026, during Commencement Weekend.

A nationally respected interpreter of American history, democracy, and civic life, Meacham plans to use the Sewanee platform to share his reflections on 250 years of the American story — a theme central to his scholarship and public commentary. His remarks are expected to draw significant interest from graduates and their families, Sewanee alumni, and a broad public audience. The ceremony will be livestreamed and recorded for those unable to attend in person.

Commencement Weekend will also feature a conversation between Meacham and veteran television news anchor John Seigenthaler titled “American Struggle: A Conversation about Democracy Past, Present, and Future.” All are welcome at this special event on Friday, May 8, at 2 p.m. in Guerry Auditorium. Tickets are required and may be reserved using this form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAf1fSD8-bUSRjLgaQtFPaWE8mPo5zbR1wrl0DNhGfs-ox_g/viewform>. There is no charge, but all guests must register and present a ticket for entry. Seating is limited, and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This event will also be livestreamed.

Meacham is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including “American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House” — winner of the Pulitzer Prize — as well as acclaimed biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, George H.W. Bush, and John Lewis. The Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Chair in the American Presidency and a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, he is the canon historian of Washington National Cathedral, a contributing editor to TIME, and a fellow of the Society of American Historians. His work regularly shapes national conversations about leadership, character, and the American experiment.

A native of Chattanooga and a summa cum laude Sewanee graduate, Meacham has remained deeply connected to the University through service on the Board of Regents and other advisory roles. He lives in Nashville and Sewanee with his family.

Sewanee looks forward to welcoming Jon Meacham home to the Mountain for a weekend of reflection, celebration, and inspiration.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

On March 23 the Franklin County Commission voted unanimously to appoint Sewanee resident Susan Holmes to fill the commission’s District 5, Seat B. “Spike Hosch and his wife Anna moved out of the county and his seat automatically became vacant,” explained Seat 5A Commissioner Bruce McMillan. McMillan nominated Holmes. District 5 commissioners represent Sewanee, Keith Springs and Sherwood. Holmes will serve as an appointee until the term ends. She hopes to seek election to Seat 5B in the Aug. 6 General Election. But due to the timing of the circumstances, the qualifying procedure is atypical.

Normally, to appear on the ballot, a would-be candidate would have needed to submit a nominating petition signed by at least 25 voters in his or her district by Feb. 19. With the petition deadline past, in order to appear on the ballot in August a would-be candidate must receive write-in votes from 5 percent of the district residents in the May 5 primary.

Holmes needs 87 District 5 write-in votes on May 5. The county schools top Holmes’ priorities list. “Our county schools are vastly improving their grades and are receiving better marks with every passing grading period from the State Board of Education. But our loss of student enrollment through population decline and vouchers has had a huge impact on our funding. Sixty-six percent of the Franklin County Education revenue is derived from the state,” Holmes stressed. “Franklin County schools have lost 1,004 students since 2011. Each student accounts for $7,300/year in revenue. That is equal to $7 million plus annually.” The new school voucher program exacerbates the problem, Holmes insisted. “We must resist the expansion of school vouchers which cost us millions of tax-payer dollars and will cost us more with each passing year.”

Holmes holds a master’s degree in Leadership and Organization from Vanderbilt University and pursued a career that gave her keen insight in funding and finance. “I have used my degree working in colleges, universities, and nonprofits to raise funds for their missions,” she said. “Local government is where our common life happens. Roads, schools, and community health all begin at the local government level. The county should be creative in seeking ways for small rural communities like ours to find funding for infrastructure and the services we depend on such as police and fire protection.” Likewise, Holmes strongly endorses the county’s continuing efforts “to seek out and procure new industry that will increase the jobs base and help keep property taxes low.”

Early voting in the primary election continues through April 30. People wanting to vote for a write-in candidate need to request a write-in ballot. Holmes election advice: “Important: Vote for me so I can represent you! Most important: Please vote!”

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“It’s really hard to get employees to work for what we’re paying them,” said Extended School Program Director Kathy Elder in her appeal to the Franklin County School Board at the April 13 meeting, proposing a wage and fee increase. The board also heard from Richard Boyd, Engineering Supervisor with Ben Lomand Connect (BLC), requesting permission to locate a small 8’ by 12’ equipment building at Decherd Elementary School. Taking up policies, the board approved a policy change which relaxed restriction on public comments at board meetings.

Elder said the Tullahoma Schools had the only comparable self-supporting extended-school program in the area. She proposed increasing the wage to that earned by Tullahoma ESP employees, the same hourly wage Educational Assistants earned in Franklin County, $15.40 per hour. Currently, Franklin County ESP employees earn $14.42 an hour. Many Franklin County ESP employees work two jobs, Elder said, also employed as educational assistants in the district. “We’re never fully staffed,” she acknowledged. “We can’t keep people. I looked back over the past eight years. We only have four employees who are still with us. You can’t get childcare for what we charge or what we will charge if we go up.” Presently the cost is $10/day for three hours. Elder proposed increasing the cost to $15 per day. “Children typically get a snack and help with homework,” said Board Chair CleiJo Walker, pointing to the program’s benefits over non-school affiliated childcare services. Childcare in the area costs an average of $17 per hour according to Elder. She also proposed increasing the cost of the summer program from $100 a week to $125 a week. Board member Sara Liechty expressed concern the fee increase could pose a hardship for some families and asked about the possibility of financial assistance. Director of Schools Cary Holman observed that while financial assistance opportunities existed, “The [ESP’s] paperwork and mandates would increase dramatically putting an additional burden on the program.” The board approved the fee and wage increase schedule, with changes to go into effect beginning in the fall school term.

Compliance with a federal grant prompted BLC to request permission to locate an equipment building at Decherd Elementary, Boyd explained. The grant will enable BLC to expand broadband infrastructure in unserved and under served areas. The building would be located outside the playground fence, require only 16’ by 20’ easement, be entirely maintained by BLC, and presented no security risks. Boyd described the structure as a prefabricated hut. If approved, the facility would serve as a “connection point” enabling BLC to provide fiber optic internet service to 1,300 locations in northern Franklin County and parts of the city of Decherd. BLC previously identified five other connection points, and the school provided an optimal location for the final site. “We would like to give $3,000 to the schools or board to use however you wish,” Boyd said in his closing remarks. The board approved his request

The change in the Appearances before the Board policy resulted from legislation recently signed into law by Governor Lee, noted Human Resources Supervisor Roger Alsup. The amended policy eliminates the requirement those wishing to make a public comment must sign up in advance, as well as eliminating the requirement that comments must pertain to that evening’s agenda. Those commenting will still be limited to three minutes, with the total Public Comment period limited to 30 minutes.

Reporting on legislative action, board member Sarah Marhevsky said, in an unscheduled vote, the legislature passed a bill requiring school districts to annually report to the Department of Education the number of students who fail to produce documentation of their legal status or who produced insufficient documentation. In March 2025 the board passed a resolutions in support of free public education, opposing the bill. Both Senator Janice Bowling and Representative Iris Rudder voted to adopt the new law.

Marhevsky highlighted pending legislation, as well. One bill would increase the number of vouchers awarded to students attending private school from 25,000 to 40,000 for the coming school year. The voucher program reduces the number of students enrolled in public schools, correspondingly reducing the amount of funding received from the state, and awards private schools more money per student than public schools receive. Another pending bill would minimize student screen time. “If they’re going to be tested on technology [devices], they need to practice on it,” insisted board member Casey Roberts.

Dr. Tom Smith with the Pen Foundation announced the foundation’s Teacher of the Year awardees: Katelyn Williams, Sewanee Elementary School; Carla Avalos, Huntland Middle School; and Karen Mathews, Huntland High School. Novice Teacher of the Year awardees were April Green, Cowan Elementary School; Claire Henderson, North Middle School; and Amanda Modesitt, Franklin County High School. The Pen Foundation named Rock Creek Elementary’s Barbara King Principal of the Year and Rachel Shields district-wide Supervisor of the Year.

The Mountain Goat Trail Alliance recently spearheaded an initiative to give the Sewanee Police Department two e-bikes for patrolling the campus and the Mountain Goat Trail.

The Trek Service Bikes, designed specifically for law enforcement officers, were provided by Robert McKee of Woody's Bicycles and were funded by the MGTA, the Sewanee Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability (OESS), the Sewanee Community Chest and Sewanee Integrated Programs for the Environment (SIPE).

“We've always hoped to have safety patrols on the Mountain Goat Trail, and we’re delighted that the Sewanee Police Department are willing to utilize these bikes to make the campus and the Trail safer places for cyclists and pedestrians,” MGTA Executive Director Patrick Dean said. Sewanee professor Deb McGrath added, “We at SIPE appreciate how using these e-bikes instead of cars models sustainability for the community.”

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“Mooney’s has always told me what to do,” said Joan Thomas, Mooney’s Market and Emporium owner and mother. “Mooney’s is my child.” Thomas, soon to be 71, is retiring, but the ‘why’ behind that decision and what it means is as complex and nuanced as the market’s origin story.

The same year Raymond and Hazel (Goodman) Sanders built a home there, the mud-rut road passing their house was transformed into the legendary Dixie Highway, a road most people now refer to as Highway 41A. The Sanders sold gas, lived in the back, and out-front sold a miscellany typical of a general store. Thomas describes the location then as “in the middle of nowhere” between Sewanee and Monteagle. To put her observation into perspective, Monteagle did not officially incorporate until 1962.

Transfer of ownership of the Sander’s property over the next several decades followed matriarchal lines. Hazel hailed from the Goodman family who long ran the University farm. The next owners, Ward (Hazel’s brother) and Francis Goodman, claimed kinship to a woman who married into the Mooney family. Enter Paul and Georgia Mooney, namesakes of the present market.

The couple had a huge garden and sold vegetables. On the side Paul did lawnmower repair, while Georgia advertised her passion with a hand-lettered wooden sign out front, “African Violets for Sale.”

“I wish I could find that sign,” Thomas reminisces. Age caught up with the Mooneys, and they sold the property. Unoccupied for decades, the building fell into disrepair, the door standing ajar welcoming in rain.

In 2011, Thomas broke her leg, a complex fracture requiring steel to rebuild her stability and months in a wheelchair. Her then husband drove her around the property one afternoon. A few days later she was at the bank. “I wanted to save the building,” she said. “It came on me like a mission. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it.” She credits carpenter Paul Cahoon for thinking “outside the box” and insisting, “We can fix this.” Cahoon pressure washed the interior, banishing black mold, and did major carpentry rehabilitation, reinstalling the original stucco exterior on a replaced wall. Freed from her wheelchair, Thomas was there every day painting and scraping. “It became obvious to me what was in every room,” she said, recalling the mystical transformation she began to envision.

Her psyche battled her, though. Did she really want to open a store? Thomas was an accountant and bookkeeper by profession. “I always worked from home,” she insisted. In May of 2012, she put a handwritten sign in the window that read, “goat cheese.” “I had a little ice chest with some Humble Hearts goat cheese, a few antiques, and a tiny bit of Claire Reishman’s homespun yarn,” Thomas remembers. “Every week I started ordering more stuff and putting in more shelves.” Before long Mooney’s was selling a stellar array of organic groceries, ranging from grains to candy to organic lemons; fresh local produce, some raised on site in the garden and greenhouse she erected in back; natural health and beauty products and supplements; vintage and handcrafted art, especially creations by local artisans who would bring her pottery, furniture, glassware, and jewelry; yarn, yarn craft, and yarn art supplies; and, of course, by way of a nod to Georgia Mooney, African violets along with other plants and gardening tools.

“Georgia lived to be 103,” Thomas said. “She loved the store’s name, but not the sign.” Yet the smiling yellow moon logo over the door fittingly radiates the whimsical enchantment visitors encounter within. “I love this place. Every room is magic,” observed an interstate traveler who discovered Mooney’s by accident. “We stop every time we pass through on our way to Chattanooga,” said another.

But Thomas confessed, “In high school I had this vision of myself being an old lady with a backpack.” An art major in college, with a special love for the fiber arts, Thomas recently built a studio in her home. “I haven’t worked on a loom in 30 years,” she acknowledged. “For the past 30 or 40 years I haven’t had time for myself.” She set a goal of transitioning out of running Mooney’s over three years and working from home again by the time she was 70. When she opened Mooney’s, Mooney’s became her art, with bookkeeping on the side. Now her artist self is calling her to chart a different course.

Mooney’s is open seven days a week, a schedule in part determined by the need to sell perishable products. For a number of years, Thomas was at the store every day. “When you have a new baby, you don’t get any time off.” Finally, Thomas was able to take one day a week off, then two, then three. “She’s 14 now. She just started high school,” Thomas joked about her “special needs child.”

Thomas has two full-time employees and two part-time. “I struggle with giving up what Mooney’s gives me,” she admitted. “But me going away, doesn’t mean Mooney’s has to go away.”

Thomas has talked with two people who expressed an interest when they learned of her plans to sell the store. “There are offers on the table. I’d give a really good deal to the right person,” she insisted. “Obviously a new owner would want to make changes, but I want someone who will maintain the spirit of it. I wouldn’t just disappear. I’d be there to advise them in the transition.”

From the beginning, the small building on the Dixie Highway epitomized what a general store is — a place that caters to what the community wants and can’t get anywhere else. Thomas’s looms are waiting for her. Mooney’s is waiting for that special someone to mother the magic.

Phone Thomas at (931) 924-7400 or stop by Mooney’s to visit. “I’m there almost every day,” Thomas said, “even on my day’s off. Every day there is a joy.”

The new menu at the Blue Chair Tavern is a story about where the trail from the Low Country meets the road of Appalachia.

“The Blue Chair Tavern menu is Low Country cooking influenced by the Appalachian food culture, with a Creole Cajun emphasis,” said Chef Rick Wright.” It’s the commonality of it all — shared ingredients and cultures. It’s a merger of Creole, Spanish, French, Indigenous, and Scots — the diversity of people, their traditions and all their stories. That’s the heart and soul of food, and I want to carry those traditions forward.”

Wright is passionate about good food and people having access to good food.

“This passion comes from my heritage. I grew up in poverty in eastern Kentucky. I learned to cook from the women in my family — grandmother, mother, aunts. We cooked at home and ate food from the garden.

“All my life I have seen a lack of access to food and how it affects people. People struggle to put food on the table. Children go to school hungry or jacked up on sugar. Food insecurity outreach is a big need, and it is something I will continue to be involved in.”

This commitment to access good food has led to action. While the Director of Sewanee Dining, Wright started the Kitchen 2 Table program to benefit the Community Action Committee. The program receives unused portions from McClurg Dining Hall and repackages them into freezer safe, microwaveable meals. On average, the food donations create 500 meals a month for the CAC to share with their neighbors.

He also played a key role in the South Cumberland Summer Meals program, which provides meals to children and youth ages 2-18 at community partner sites in Franklin, Marion, and Grundy counties.

With the UT Grundy County Extension office, he opened a commercial kitchen, which provides nutrition education and serves a monthly community meal.

He has worked on creating healthy menus for the Jewish Federation and the American Heart Association. He also volunteers with World Central Kitchen, which serves chef-prepared meals to communities impacted by natural disasters and during humanitarian crises. “They call me when they need me,” said Wright.

“When the Blue Chair closed, John Clark, C’82, called me and asked if I wanted to go into business at the Blue Chair,” said Wright. “I didn’t see how it could work because the facilities needed work. It’s a tiny space which creates challenges. Then I realized other than places such as Shenanigans or the dining hall, you can’t really go out to eat every week in Sewanee. There aren’t that many every-day-working-man venues where you can get something good to eat at a good price. Plus, the closest place to get barbecue is in Monteagle. A smokehouse and a tavern were a piece of business entirely missing.”

Since the Blue Chair Tavern opened, Wright said the Shrimp Po’ Boy, gumbo and the smash burgers have been the most popular items on the menu. “We do everything from scratch. Food is sourced locally and regionally, such as produce, shrimp from the Gulf, and wild caught catfish. We will be using bison from the Lost Cove Farm, and lamb from Emmett Lodgson. We will soon run a blue plate special, which we are calling the purple plate, with food sourced locally.”

Current hours are 4–9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. When the downstairs kitchen comes online, brunch and lunch will be offered. Provisions will also be available such as smoked meats, and pasta dishes purchased by the pound, boxed lunches and premade casseroles. Pizza offerings are also on the horizon. There are vegan and gluten free options available.

“We want to be the third place, where you can get a good drink, a good meal and feel included,” said Wright. “The story of The Blue Chair has always been about community and comfort, and we will continue that. I respect all that good work that has come out of there.”

The Blue Chair Tavern is located at 41 University Ave., Sewanee. To keep up with the next chapter of the Blue Chair Tavern, follow them on Facebook. Better yet, come on in and pull up a chair at the table. — reported by K.G. Beavers

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“Everybody knows what the caste system does to the people under the boot, but we don’t often talk about the inherited psycho trauma of what it does to the people who are wearing the boot,” said author Wright Thompson taking questions on March 24 in Convocation Hall about his new book “The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi.” A New York Times bestseller, frequently touted by reviewers as the “best book of the year,” “The Barn” is an eyes-wide-open journey into a storm of social, agricultural, political, and economic forces all manifestly blamable for the 1955 torture and murder of the 14-year-old black youth, Emmett Till. Thompson claims the Mississippi delta where the torture and murder occurred as his home. Unpacking Thompson’s comment about the psycho trauma experienced by the boot wearer underlies his prayer for the book. “This is a very precarious time for the South and to be Southern and to be proud of being Southern. Is there still such a thing as the South? What is our culture? What are our values? This book exists to me as a prayer that we might find a way to have a unified tribe of us.” The “us” Thompson speaks of are those who inherited the legacy of the former boot wearers, the slave holders, lynchers, and Jim Crow macrocosm that once dominated the culture.

Thompson’s long litany of locations erecting post-civil-war confederate monuments seemed as though it would never end. He juxtaposed the list to the decision confronting Till’s friend, 18-year-old Willie Reed who hid in the brush outside the eponymous “barn” of the book’s title and listened to Till’s screams turn to whimpers turn to silence. Reed chose truth. Reed and Till’s Uncle Mose who witnessed Till’s murderers yank him from the bed in the middle of the night were the first two black men to ever testify against white men. “We have no statues of Willie Reed,” Thompson pointed out.

Plagued by death threats, Reed fled to Chicago, found work and married. Twelve years passed before Reed could bring himself to tell his wife he even knew Emmitt Till.

Jeff Andrews who in 1984 bought the farm where the eponymous barn still stands knew nothing about the barn’s history even though his family was from a neighboring farmstead. Ultimately, Andrews’ father told him about the barn’s significance. “He [Andrew’s] was very kind to all the Till family members who were always coming out there,” Thompson said, “but he doesn’t understand what any of it has to do with him. And the reason is every single person of authority in his life, every coach, every scout master, every preacher, every parent told him it didn’t have anything to do with him.”

“Is there still such a thing as the South?” Thompson asked. “Who are we?”

Till’s best friend growing up in Chicago was his cousin Wheeler Parker. Sixteen-year-old Parker travelled to Mississippi with Till in the summer of 1955. Asleep in the adjacent room, Parker woke up when the men who abducted Till stormed into his room, but they passed him over. They wanted Till to avenge his whistling at a white woman minding the counter at a country store.

Asked what does justice look like to you, Reverend Parker, now 86, answered, “Memory.”

“Justice is never forgetting,” Thompson said. “Justice is you telling that story. Justice is every person here walking away with that story now part of their understanding of their home.”

“In the bookstore, there is almost nothing that says The University of the South,” Thompson stressed. “There’s one T-shirt, it says Sewanee. There is only one place called the University of the South. It feels incumbent in a place like this to model what it means to be Southern, in the way you go about your lives and your traditions and your values and how you relate to your neighbor. If there’s going to be a South, let it start here.”

Veteran investigative journalist and Sewanee resident Lee Hancock brought Thompson to the attention of the program’s sponsors, the University’s Roberson Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation, the Sewanee School of Letters, and The Sewanee Review. Following his talk, Thompson signed free copies of “The Barn” available to everyone attending.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

In a split vote at the March 29 Monteagle Council meeting, the council voted down Alderman Dean Lay’s motion, that “Sargent [Alhafiz Ibn] Karteron be dismissed from employment from the town of Monteagle effective immediately for his actions previous to and including [the arrest of] Rodney Kilgore.” Heated discussion followed the vote, with Monteagle business owner Kilgore threatening a resident, “I’ll knock the piss out of you.” Under pressure from Monteagle police, Kilgore honored officer Chad Locke’s request to leave the meeting.

Lay’s motion referenced Karteron’s Sept. 15, 2025, arrest of Kilgore for false imprisonment, vandalism, and resisting arrest. In support of Lay’s motion, Alderman Dan Sargent said, “We’re a body responsible to the citizens of Monteagle that voted us into this seat. The judicial system has ruled in favor of the business operator arrested wrongly … the charges were dismissed and he’s been expunged … we have the responsibility to act.”

Mayor Greg Maloof responded, “I called the investigator of the district attorney. He said the case was closed. There were no proceedings against the officer.”

Concurring, Police Chief William Raline said, “I have not received any written complaints on him [Karteron]. He’s not done anything illegal or immoral in my eyes. If he has done that, bring it up. Let’s investigate it.”

Lay and Sargent voted for dismissal. Maloof, Alderman Grant Fletcher, and Alderman Nate Wilson voted no.

Applause followed the vote. Explaining his decision, Wilson said, “We have a lot of strong opinions on this matter, but what we don’t have as a council is written documentation and a written statement of fact. Rodney, if you have an issue, I encourage you to fill out a complaint form which will start the investigative process.”

Kilgore countered with complaints and accusations and threatened a resident who disagreed with him. More applause followed Kilgore’s departure.

Kilgore has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Karteron, Raline, and the town of Monteagle seeking $9 million in damages “for violations of rights secured to the Plaintiff under the United States Constitution.” Maloof said the council could not discuss the lawsuit because the case was under litigation.

In other business, the council approved funding for several civic projects: $8,500 for American Holly evergreen plantings on the greenway; $3,500 for landscaping at City Hall and the police station; $1,300 to retain a designer for the Veterans Park project; and $1,048 for tables and chairs at the Senior Citizens Center. The center also received a $100 donation from Crippled Hookers Taxi and Towing, as well as $250 in towing services, and the offer of a free ride to and from the center’s bingo night.

Likewise on the civic enhancement front, Monteagle has several grant projects underway. Trees received from a Tennessee Division of Forestry grant will be planted at Hannah Pickett Park and the fire hall, with planting by High Canopy tree service at no cost to the town. A TN 250 semiquincentennial grant will fund a mural on the west side of the fire hall. And donation will fund the planting of an American Holly tree on the greenway to serve as the town’s official Christmas tree.

Taking on new business, the council approved a resolution to apply for a Community Development Block Grant for waterline improvement; a resolution required by the state governing incurrence of indebtedness; adoption of a debt policy to comply with state law; and a resolution to enter into a loan agreement to finance critical sewer treatment needs.

In another split vote, the council approved a task order requesting the city’s engineer to conduct a study (cost $55,250) to determine the financial impact of development on present and future water and sewer infrastructure needs. Maloof observed many municipalities and cities charged developers impact fees to cover future water and sewer infrastructure costs. Lay voted against the task order, arguing Monteagle could charge impact fees for residential development. Fletcher pointed out, “The only thing we’re voting on tonight is giving the engineer permission to move forward. When we get ready to look at impact fees, that will be a whole separate policy, and we can exclude residential if we need to.”

Monteagle will host an Easter egg hunt, music, and a potluck lunch from noon to 2 p.m., April 4, at Hannah Pickett Park. A “Put litter in its place” town cleanup is planned for 9-11 a.m., May 2.