The Sewanee Mountain MESSENGER Vol. XXX No. 20 Friday, June 6, 2014 County School Board St. Andrew’s Chapel Sewanee Requests 7-Cent Community Centennial Mass Property Tax Increase Invited to Presiding Bishop to Preach and Celebrate Th e Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jeff erts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate In an eff ort to solve the continuing budget crisis in the Franklin County of the Episcopal Church of the United States, will preach and celebrate the School system, the board of education has requested a 7-cent property tax Take Survey Holy Eucharist at a special Centennial Mass at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School’s increase. Th e Franklin County Commission will have to decide whether to In conjunction with the com- St. Andrew’s Chapel on Saturday, June 7. Th e presiding bishop’s visit coincides accept this recommendation. munity meetings in Sewanee with the school’s Alumni Weekend [see story on page 6] and is in tribute to Th e school board and Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber have been strug- regarding the downtown planning the Centennial Celebration of St. gling to have a budget for the 2014–15 year that would have a $3 million fund process, a survey is being con- Andrew’s Chapel. balance. With the proposed property tax increase, the fund balance would be ducted so that the broader com- Th e service begins at 9:30 a.m. approximately $2.4 million. munity can share their thoughts on Saturday. Th e Chapel doors will At the April 7 meeting of the school board, the draft budget showed a $1.2 and opinions. open to the public at 9:10 a.m. Th ere million shortage, which included increases in insurance costs and retirement. Please use the link <https:// will be a live video stream into Mc- At that time, the board asked Sharber to come back with a budget that had a sewanee.wufoo.com/forms/ Crory Hall for the Performing Arts $3 million fund balance. sewanee-village-community- for overfl ow seating. Guests will be Sharber reported she was unable to get there. Since then, she has been work- survey/> to access the survey and seated in McCrory Hall once the ing with system staff to reduce projected expenses. Recommending a 7-cent tax off er input for the planners. The Chapel has reached capacity. Holy increase was required to get the fund balance closer to $3 million. An earlier survey is open through June 13. Communion will also be off ered to plan had recommended a 33-cent property tax increase. A majority of the Participation in this project those seated in McCrory. Visitors county commissioners indicated they would not support such a large tax hike. will help as the planning moves are asked to park in the McCrory Because the school board cannot levy taxes, the fi nal decision about the forward. Hall/Gym lot. increase must be made by the commissioners. Th ere has been no increase in Th e Rev. John Th omas, SAS head Katharine Jeff erts Schori. Photo courtesy appropriations from the county commission to the school system for 10 years. of school, said, “We are grateful to of the Offi ce of the Presiding Bishop Th e Franklin County commissioners will meet again on June 16. Bishop Jeff erts Schori for making time in her busy schedule to be with us as we Local Groups celebrate the birth of the physical manifestation of the spiritual center of our community.” Th e Centennial Celebration also kicks off the school’s Chapel Centennial Campaign to restore and renovate the much loved but well used Secure and deteriorated building. Th e cornerstone for St. Andrew’s Chapel was laid in 1913 by Bishop William Bonnaroo Alexander Guerry of South Carolina, the fi rst Mass was sung in the Chapel on February 22, 1914, and the structure was consecrated in May of that year. Grants Except for brief interruptions over the years for renovations, students have gathered in the Chapel at least three times a week for prayer and community. The South Cumberland Com- Th e Chapel is the sett ing for alumnus and Pulitzer Prize-winning author James munity Fund and the Mountain Goat Agee’s novel, “Th e Morning Watch,” a recounting of a young boy’s experience Trail Alliance have been awarded during the Easter vigil. grants from the Bonnaroo Works Fund. SUD Board Reviews The Community Fund’s award of $3,500 will support the fund’s initiatives in education, cultural en- Water Loss; Hears richment and community-building. “Th e people of the South Cumberland Plateau are creating innovative and Request for Adjustment successful programs to improve the quality of life here. The Bonnaroo by Leslie Lytle be visible as groundwater or result in Works Fund grant gives the Com- Messenger Staff Writer marshy areas unless the water ran into munity Fund another way to support a stream bed. those programs,” said Scott Parrish, At the May 27 meeting of the Beavers said SUD had maps dat- Community Fund board chair. Board of Commissioners of the Se- ing back to 1953 showing the location Th e MGTA’s grant of $5,000 will wanee Utility District of Franklin of all the supply lines in use at that go toward construction of Phase and Marion Counties, the board asked Susan Binkley and Steve Blount time, as well as maps from the 1960s, II of the trail from Monteagle to Manager Ben Beavers about old supply 1970s and 1980s showing the location Sewanee. “Bonnaroo’s emphasis on lines being a possible cause of unac- of supply lines. However, Beavers said, Blue Monarch Founder creating healthy communities fits counted-for water loss. Th e board also until recently, no systematic records right in with our mission to off er rec- heard an appeal from a customer who were kept indicating when lines were reational and health benefi ts, as well received an unusually high bill due to taken out of service and whether or as economic opportunity, to the area,” a water leak. not the lines were capped. SUD now Receives Rotary Award Unaccounted-for water loss is the said Janice Th omas, board president caps all lines taken out of service and Th e South Pitt sburg Rotary Club recently awarded Rotary’s highest rec- of the MGTA. diff erence between water produced at records their location. Beavers plans ognition, the Paul Harris Fellow, to Susan Binkley. Th is award, named for the Th e Bonnaroo Works Fund sup- the water plant and water recorded on to investigate out-of-use lines as a pos- founder of Rotary, was established to recognize those that live Rotary’s mott o, ports community projects and edu- customer meters. SUD’s unaccounted- sible cause of water loss when the me- “Service Above Self.” cational, arts and environmental for water loss, 27 percent, is slightly ter replacement program is complete. Club member Beth Duggar said, “Th e South Pitt sburg Rotary has donated programs. For more information go to lower than last year, although still a (SUD hopes its ongoing program $1,000 to Rotary International’s Foundation in Susan’s honor. She is the epitome <www.bonnaroo.com/get-involved>. cause for concern. Commissioner Art of replacing customer meters will help of ‘Service Above Self.’” Hanson speculated that supply lines reduce unaccounted-for water loss, Binkley is the founder and executive director of Blue Monarch, a local resi- no longer in use could be the source since old meters typically give a false dential nonprofi t organization that provides services for women and children of undetected leaks if the old lines low reading.) recovering from abuse and addiction. More than 500 women and children from were uncapped and under pressure at A SUD customer whose last water 34 counties across the state of Tennessee have been served since Blue Monarch the junction with in-use lines. bill was $1,186 more than normal was established in 2003. Beavers acknowledged old supply asked the board to reduce the amount Assistant District Att orney Steve Blount, was invited to introduce Binkley. lines as a possible source of water “Th e costs for incarceration are huge and increase yearly,” Blount said. loss, but said signifi cant leaks would (Continued on page 6) “When we send mothers to prison, we must also pay huge sums to take care of children. We must look for alternative programs, because prison cannot be the only answer for this problem. Where do we look? We look to people who P.O. Box 296 have visions of alternative programs. Sewanee, TN 37375 “We look to people like Susan Binkley and programs like Blue Monarch, where instead of incarceration, separation, destroying the family unit, and spending larger and larger amounts of tax payer money, we att empt to keep fami- lies together, to rehabilitate, to restore and to save taxpayer money,” Blount said. “Th is award was a tremendous honor for me,” said Binkley. “My relation- ships with folks from Rotary have always played critical roles in the creation Award-winning journalist Charles and development of Blue Monarch. And it was also special to be introduced Bierbauer (above) will off er lectures at by Steve Blount. His infl uence and encouragement in the beginning of this the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly journey helped to shape the way we operate today.” on June 10 and June 12. For full details For more information about Blue Monarch go to <www.bluemonarch.org> of the MSSA’s 132nd season beginning or call (931) 924-8900.