TThehe SSewaneeewanee MMountainountain MMESSENGERESSENGER Vol. XXXIV No. 11 Friday, March 30, 2018 Up In Smoke BBQ Café & Gift s: a Country Feel with Exotic Flare by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer Stopping for a meal at Up In Smoke is a litt le like visiting a quirky favorite aunt who serves you her signature hickory smoked pulled pork sandwich and charms you into lingering with a basket of magazines, coloring books and puzzles. “I want it to feel like home, a place to relax and forget your trouble,” said Audrey Morgan, who with her husband Roger and son Colton, own and operate Up In Smoke BBQ Café & Gift s. And homey it is, but there’s a wink to the exotic in the menu and charming French country décor. Th e signature Smokin’ Pig sandwich features a quarter pound of hickory smoked pulled pork barbecue, ham, bacon, American cheese, and chipotle mustard grilled on a hoagie bun. On the popular Cuban sandwich, the Creole marinated pulled pork hints at orange bitt ers, garlic, lime, and oregano, the nod to the Caribbean joined by ham, Swiss cheese and pickles. For those not tempted by hickory smoked pulled pork made fresh daily, Up In Smoke off ers beef brisket, loaded potatoes, nachos, burgers, an array Concertgoers watch the fi rst performances of Bluegrass Underground inside Th e Caverns on March 24. Photo by Michael Weintrob of specialty sandwiches like chicken salad on a croissant, and a large selection of homemade desserts and pies. (Continued on page 6) Local Cave Music Venue Opens by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer March 24 marked the beginning sell-out. “The place is beautiful, the crew is of music in the former “Big Mouth “Nobody’s ever turned a wild cave extremely professional and we loved Cave” in Pelham, about 20 minutes into a concert hall before,” he said. the audience! from Sewanee. “First time that’s ever happened in the “We were the very fi rst artists per- Billy Strings, a power bluegrass history of the world, so I was a litt le forming at that cave and it was our fi rst act, and Sweet Lizzy Project, a rock nervous. But ultimately, I was excited concert in the USA, so that show, the band hailing from Havana, Cuba, because we have such an amazing crew cave, Bluegrass Underground and the opened the venue with a live TV taping and the hard work had already been Mayos will always have a very special of “Bluegrass Underground,” a PBS done. place in our memories and our hearts.” show that had fi lmed at Cumberland “It was a surreal moment and an Díaz Guevara said aft er being wor- Caverns in McMinnville since 2008. amazing moment,” he added. “…It’s ried about the sound in a natural cave, Todd Mayo, creator of Bluegrass the world’s oldest and newest, and she was impressed by the quality and Underground, purchased Big Mouth probably coolest, music venue.” beauty of the acoustics. Mayo said Cave, now known as “Th e Caverns,” Lisset Díaz Guevara, singer and when designing acoustics, you try to with about 15 acres off of Payne Cove songwriter for Sweet Lizzy Project, eliminate angles and even surfaces, Road last year to create a permanent also called the experience “surreal” but the cave had already done the work site for the show as well as feature a and said this was her fi rst time per- over many, many years. subterranean music venue closer to forming in a cave. (Continued on page 6) Chatt anooga, Nashville and Atlanta. “We were in love with this show Mayo said he had a lot of “positive since the very first time we saw the Monteagle Up in Smoke Café is located at 73 College St., in Monteagle. nervousness” before the fi rst perfor- picture of the cave on Todd’s busi- mance on March 24, which was a ness card in Havana, Cuba,” she said. Council SUD Swears in Evans; Event Ponders Slavery’s Appoints Terrill Discusses Accounting Practices and Alderman; Backfl ow Policy Role in Colleges by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer Discusses Critical by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer As dozens of colleges and uni- stated belief that we are engaged in Need for Road At the March 27 meeting of the meets the comptroller’s requirement,” versities delve into their imperfect important work, for our campus and Board of Commissioners of the Se- Evans observed. Evans suggested pasts, one fact will remain—the slave for the larger and national project Repair wanee Utility District of Franklin SUD consult their accounting firm economy was instrumental in the of understanding how essential slavery and Marion Counties, Paul Evans for verifi cation. development and growth of higher was to the history of higher education by Leslie Lytle was sworn in to serve a four-year term Smith said SUD did not employ education in this country. in this country,” Register said. Messenger Staff Writer as commissioner. Determining what an accounting firm, only an annual But Craig Steven Wilder, a promi- The Massachusetts Institute At the March 26 meeting, the Mon- fi nancial transactions needed review auditor. nent scholar on the historical relation- of Technology (MIT), where Wilder is teagle Town Council unanimously in order to avoid an audit citation for The board discussed asking the ships between colleges and slavery, a history professor, is also reconciling voted to appoint Ron Terrill to fill “inadequate segregation of duties” auditor’s advice. SUD manager Ben said by unblinkingly facing and em- with its own past, he said. Wilder said the alderman seat vacated by Chris dominated the discussion during Beavers pointed out that the auditor bracing sins of the past, “there is a bet- it’s a past that includes endowments Ladd. Ladd, who recently married and much of the meeting. was interested in the job. ter story to be told” moving forward. from slaveowners and capitalizing on moved to Tracy City, sent a lett er to the In November, the board decided “They couldn’t be our auditor “There’s nothing in our archives engineering opportunities related to council announcing his resignation. to hire an independent contractor to if they were doing the monthly review,” that we need to be afraid of,” he said. the slave trade, cott on production and Terrill also chairs the Planning and provide third-party verifi cation of fi - Smith noted. But he said he preferred In a darkened Convocation Hall, the reconstruction of the South aft er Zoning Commission. nancial transactions. Like the many “to keep the CPA bunch for potential lit only by large windows looking out the Civil War. Codes Enforcement officer Earl other small utilities in Tennessee, auditors” and hire a local individual to onto gray skies and wind-whipped Th e earliest colleges in this country Geary said he’d given 30-day notice on SUD’s audit routinely cites the utility perform the review. trees, Wilder spoke to a hearty crowd relied on benefactors whose wealth a “nonconforming RV parked behind for “inadequate segregation of duties.” “You don’t need a CPA for this,” on March 26 about the impact of the was directly or indirectly due to slave the Mexican restaurant.” According SUD’s small offi ce staff of three em- Evans agreed. slave trade on early colleges. trading and labor, and plantation to Geary, employees spent the night ployees is insuffi cient to provide the Smith will seek the opinion of SUD The Sewanee Project on Slavery, owners and others who boasted slave there if they worked early the next level of financial oversight required auditor Mark Allen on what fi nancial Race, and Reconciliation sponsored labor, he said. day. He observed what appeared to be by the state comptroller. transactions needed review to satisfy the lecture, which was part of a series (Continued on page 7) (Continued on page 7) SUD Board President Charlie the comptroller’s segregation of duties of events commemorating the 50th Smith estimated reviewing finan- requirement. anniversary of the death of Martin cial transactions would take four to A TAUD recommended service, Luther King, Jr. Th e Slavery Project, P.O. Box 296 five hours a month. The 2018 SUD which satisfi es the requirement, charg- similar to current historical under- Sewanee, TN 37375 budget allocated $150 per month to es $300 per month to review a utility’s takings at many other universities, is compensate the person or fi rm hired fi nancial transactions. aimed at examining Sewanee’s ties to perform the review. “That’s not an insurmountable to slavery, the Confederacy and the Based on information from the amount,” Beavers said. “It’s well worth Antebellum South. comptroller and a recent Tennes- gett ing it taken care of if it costs no Woody Register, director of Se- see Association of Utility Districts more than that. Gett ing this off our wanee’s project, said on March 27 (TAUD) commissioner training, audit is what I want.” that Wilder’s lecture was encouraging Smith compiled a list of duties for the Commissioner Randall Henley in- to the eff ort. person providing oversight. troduced a discussion about portable “What was especially galvanizing “Th ere seems to be uncertainty as for us was Professor Wilder’s enthu- to whether the description of duties (Continued on page 6) siastic support of our project and his 2 • Friday, March 30, 2018 • Th e Sewanee Mountain MESSENGER Letters Free Income
BATT LE OF THE BANDS THANKS Tax Prep sewaneemessenger.com themountainnow.com To the Editor: Th e IRS-certifi ed Sewanee Volun- Published as a public service to the community since 1985, Many thanks to the Sewanee Senior Citizens Center for hosting the Batt le teer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) 3,500 copies are printed on Fridays, 46 times a year, and of the Bands between Nashville’s Lucky U ukulele band and our “frienemy” Program is processing and fi ling quali- distributed to 96 locations across the Plateau for pickup, Bazzania, a mountain favorite! free of charge. This publication is made possible by the fying residents’ income taxes. patronage of our advertisers and by contributions from Th e event earlier this month was dedicated to the memory of two strong, Any resident of Franklin, Grundy, the University of the South (print production) and the departed women who were friends - the inimitable Trink Beasley and the won- or Marion county who makes less than Sewanee Community Chest. drous Grace Paine, a former Sewanee resident, as well as to seniors everywhere. $54,000 a year, is disabled, or is elderly SUBSCRIPTIONS $75 first class A good time was had by all, or so it appeared. It was certainly the case for qualifi es for a free tax return. Kiki Beavers Sandra Gabrielle Lucky U. Th e result aft er some serious bickering among the judges was that Each resident interested in fi ling editor/publisher proofreader the competition was a draw, though there has been talk of challenges to this must bring proof of identifi cation (a April Minkler Janet Graham outcome. Either way, a re-match is likely some day. photo ID), social security cards (if fi l- office manager publisher emerita Anne Paine with Lucky U, Nashville ing jointly with another person then Ray Minkler Laura Willis circulation manager editor/publisher emerita bring both social security cards and Leslie Lytle Geraldine Piccard MEET TO END GUN VIOLENCE both individuals must be present), staff writer editor/publisher emerita To the Editor: wage and earning statements (W-2, Kevin Cummings On Saturday, March 24, millions of people rallied in Washington, D.C. and 1099, etc.), dividend and interest state- staff writer/sports editor owned by the Mountain Messenger LLC in cities across the nation demanding an end to gun violence. Gun violence ments (if this applies to the resident fi l- 418 St. Mary’s Lane, P.O. Box 296, Sewanee, TN 37375 includes mass shootings as well. Th e latest school shooting occurred Feb. 14 ing), birth dates of the resident(s) and Phone (931) 598-9949 | [email protected] dependent(s), and banking account All material in the Sewanee Mountain Messenger and on its websites are copyrighted at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where a student and may not be published or redistributed without written permission. killed 17 people. and routing numbers for direct deposit Mass shootings make up a small fraction of gun deaths in the United States (found on a blank check). (less than 2 percent in 2013). According to data from the U.S. Centers for Dis- If a resident fi ling does not have a ease Control and Prevention and estimates from the Department of Veterans social security card, then he/she must University Job Aff airs and
EQB Meeting Cowan area residents and busi- Members of the EQB Club will meet for lunch at noon, Wednesday, ness owners will hold the 19th annual April 4, at St. Mary’s Sewanee. Work Day in the Railroad Park at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, April 14, in downtown STLS Luncheon Meeting Cowan. The goal is to freshen and repair the downtown railroad park in Th e next Southern Tennessee Ladies Society meeting will be at 9:30 time for seasonal tourist traffi c. Every- a.m., Wednesday, April 4, at the Franklin County Country Club. Th e one is invited to participate. meeting and following luncheon will feature a fashion show. Please send questions or sugges- tions via email to