F@H Benefit Concert This Saturday
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Volume XXXV No. 24 sewaneemessenger.com Wednesday, July 3, 2019 F@H Benefi t Concert Budget for this Saturday Franklin by Bailey Basham, Messenger Staff Writer Th e second annual benefi t con- have a heart for people, and I think County cert for Folks at Home is scheduled as my mom was aging, I had even for 2 p.m., Saturday, July 6, in more of a heart for the challenges Schools Angel Park, downtown Sewanee. that come with that. I still have a Th ere will be a raffl e, a silent lot to learn, but working with Folks auction and live music, with all at Home, I get to help.” Rejected a proceeds going to Folks at Home. Woff ord said the original idea Th e Shenanigans food truck will for the benefi t concert came after be onsite with food and drink for he met Mercedes “Mechi” Ingles, Th ird Time purchase. whose family has lived on the by Leslie Lytle Folks at Home, which celebrat- Mountain since 1978. Messenger Staff Writer ed its 10th anniversary this year, is Ingles was unfamiliar with After having the 2019-20 bud- part of a larger national village-to- the organization, and as someone get twice rejected by the County village movement that empowers who has been in the caregiver role Finance Committee, the Franklin aging individuals to remain in their for family members, she said she County School Board met in a homes and communities with dig- wanted to do something to raise special called session July 1 to nity, according to Wall Woff ord, awareness around the mission of draft a revised budget. Th e school who serves as the executive director. F@H. board approved four cost cutting “We do that with a two-pillar “I was disappointed that I hadn’t measures, slashing $500,000 from model. One is services. We provide heard about Folks at Home and a budget that already reflected transportation, home check-ins, what they do. I understand the drastic cuts in instructional sup- tech support, and we coordinate weight of the work. It can be an plies and technology, postponed caregivers,” he said. “Th e other pil- even harder role in a very small the long overdue refurbishing of lar is our programming, and often community where we don’t have the Franklin County High School these are about preventative health. huge hospitals and lots of facilities auditorium PA system, and elimi- Making bouncy balls chemistry experiment. Th is year we are running a program and everything that huge cities can nated two teaching positions. on balance. Then we are going off er,” she said. “To have an orga- Citing a suggestion made by to cap that all off with ballroom nization that specifi cally focuses on Finance Committee members to May Justus Summer dances. We did a memoir writing helping people make connections cut the budget 20 percent across class a couple of months ago that and stay active in their community, the board, for a total of $9 million, fi nished up, and we started doing that makes things a lot simpler.” Director of Schools Stanley Bean Reading: Kids Love book reading clubs this year too.” Woff ord said he and Ingles put said, “Th at’s not possible.” Woff ord, who graduated from their heads together after she ex- Bean also rejected the sugges- the University in 1988, said he pressed an interest in volunteering, tion to cut wages and salaries by Learning began to better understand the and from there, the benefi t concert 20 percent, or $2.3 million, with a by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer challenges that come with growing began taking shape. Ingles reached reduction in staffi ng. older when his father passed away. out to local businesses, musicians Th e summer reading program at Monteagle’s May Justus Memo- At a meeting with Finance rial Library has become so popular, the event now occurs next door at “Th at was about 10 years ago, and community members, doing Committee member David El- and at that point, my mother, Caro- what she called “connecting the Monteagle City Hall. What is the draw? Th e programs coordinated by dridge and County Mayor David librarian Karen Tittle make learning fun. lyn, was living alone, and I was in dots.” Alexander, Bean was advised to cut California. I would bring her out “One of my main goals is to try Last Th ursday’s program featured “Covalent Bond” the science guy. staffi ng by “cutting where it does “You can call me Cocoa,” he joked, calling forward volunteers to portray for the winter, but I was looking to get as many businesses involved not hurt as much.” for a way to close the distance,” as possible. Th e goal is to shine as the sun, moon, and earth demonstrating rotational and gravitational “Th at implies someone matters,” force. In another “experiment,” the children gaped in awe watching he said. “Th at’s when I found the much light on Folks at Home as Bean said. “Th at’s an insult to me.” opening with Folks at Home. Th e we can and encourage community shaving cream expand in a vacuum and tried to guess what happened Bean likewise rejected the sug- to the water Bond poured in a cup. Answer: in the bottom of the cup fi rst real job I had after Sewanee involvement for anybody who is gestion to reduce the budget by was as a caseworker. Following willing and interested,” she said. the polymer crystal gel used in astronaut diapers absorbed the water. closing schools. Moving children In the fi nal activity of the day, each child conducted their own science that, I became a paramedic, and “Considering the size of Sewanee to other schools would require ad- then I went to seminary. I think I experiment making bouncy balls. (Continued on page 6) ditions to the remaining schools, (Continued on page 6) Bean stressed. “Why spend money on schools that are already 60-70 Avent Concerto Competition years old?” Addressing charges that the Winners Announced schools operated ineffi ciently, Bean pointed out that on the average by Bailey Basham, Messenger Staff Writer BEP funding from the state only Winners of the Jacqueline Avent sible by an endowment by Walter covered about 70 percent of teach- Concerto Competition were deter- and Mayna Nance in honor of ers’ salaries. State requirements for mined last week. Sewanee Summer Jacqueline Avent, and the winners which schools received limited or Music Festival artistic director John of the competition will perform no funding like Pre-K, Response Kilkenny said 73 students entered with the festival orchestra under to Intervention programs, and the competition, and the number the direction of Gene Moon,” annually increasing the money was then whittled down to seven. Kilkenny said. devoted to teachers’ salaries, fur- Hsin-Yi Huang, piano, Kather- Shane Powell said upon hearing ther strained the school systems’ ine Butler, horn, Natalie Sweasy, of the festival’s percussion faculty, fi nancial resources, Bean insisted. horn, Stephen Kyle Moore, bass he was sold on Sewanee. In addition, while the number of trombone, Brandon Aguilon, horn, “Then seeing the orchestra/ students had decreased by 426 over and Joshua Sheppard and Shane chamber repertoire made me decide the past fi ve years, the number of Get the latest information on the 33rd annual Powell, marimba & vibraphone, Sewanee was my fi rst choice this teachers had decreased correspond- were all selected to compete in the summer. My concerto partner Josh ingly by 22. Sewanee Fourth of July celebration. competition. Sheppard showed me the piece at Bean took issue with the reduc- Go to page 10 in this issue. Th e Jacqueline Avent Concerto the beginning of the summer; we tion in the percent of property tax Competition was established in both figured a double concerto dollars received by the schools from P.O. Box 296 2007 by University graduate Wal- would be an interesting challenge 45 percent in 2012 to 38 percent Sewanee, TN 37375 ter Nance and Sewanee resident and fun project,” he said. “I am at the present. If the schools had Mayna Avent Nance in honor of getting a better overall sense of the remained at the 45 percent level, Mayna’s elder sister. All students fi eld I am going into, and being at the schools would have received of orchestral instruments or piano the festival really will help prepare an additional $8.3 million over at the festival are invited to enter me for real-world situations.” the past fi ve years, eliminating the the Jacqueline Avent Concerto Katherine Butler, who has been school systems need to draw on Competition. Students compete playing the violin since she was the reserve fund balance each year. for recognition of their musical 4-years-old, returned this sum- By law, the fund balance must achievements as well as a scholar- mer for her third season on the contain at least 3 percent of the ship to attend the festival next year. Mountain. annual budget. Th e repeated draws “Th is opportunity is made pos- (Continued on page 6) (Continued on page 7) 2 • Wednesday, July 3, 2019 • Th e Sewanee Mountain MESSENGER Goodbye Messenger University Job by Kevin Cummings. Special to the Messenger Opportunities My fi nal “Meet Your Neighbor” article is in this week’s Messenger— likely my last newspaper article ever. To end the six-year MYN series Exempt Positions: Assistant with Heidemarie Huber seems appropriate as she just left Sewanee for a Men’s and Women’s Swimming Published as a public service to the community since 1985, this newspaper and Diving Coach, Athletics; is printed on Fridays, 46 times a year.