Volume XXXVI No. 2 Published as a public service since 1985 Friday, Jan. 17, 2020 Winter MLK Day Response to Convocation, Sewanee Lake Cheston Jan. 17 Community Cell Tower Th ree distinguished University Celebration Site alumni will receive honorary de- grees during the Winter Convoca- by Leslie Lytle Th e 35th annual Martin Lu- Messenger Staff Writer tion to be held at 4:30 p.m., Friday, ther King Day Community Cel- Jan. 17, to mark the opening of the ebration will take place at 5:30 During the community dis- spring semester. Honorary degrees p.m., Monday, Jan. 20, in Upper cussion about the proposed Lake will be presented and new members Cravens Hall, at 435 Kentucky Cheston cell tower site, two points will be inducted into the Order Ave. Th e program celebrates the of general agreement surfaced: one, of the Gown during the service in life and works of Dr. Martin Lu- the need for improved cell phone All Saints’ Chapel. ther King, Jr. Everyone is invited service in Sewanee; two, approval The Rt. Rev. Phoebe Roaf, bring a favorite dish and join for locating a cell tower near the bishop of the Diocese of Western the annual community potluck former dump/convenience center Tennessee, will give the Convoca- dinner. adjacent the golf course. tion address and will receive an Vice-Chancellor John McCa- Th e discussion followed a dem- honorary doctor of divinity degree. rdell will share opening remarks. onstration at Lake Cheston where a Roaf is the fi rst woman and fi rst drone illustrated the proposed tow- Students will host the program Kate Mabry won fi rst place in the 100 back, 200 back and 100 butterfl y African American bishop in the and share poetry and dance. Th e er’s height. Eric Hartman, director 36-year history of the diocese. Th e of risk management and University on Friday, in Sewanee’s dual meet with Birmingham-Southern. For more School of Th eology Choir, under sports go to page 12. Photo by Lyn Hutchinson Rev. Francis Walter III, T’57, of Se- the direction of Professor Ken- liaison for the project, fi elded ques- wanee, will also receive an honorary neth Miller, and the Sewanee tions and off ered insight. doctor of divinity. Praise Choir, under the direc- Documenting the need for bet- Additional honorary degrees tion of Music Professor Prakash ter cell phone service, community Council Considers will also be conferred upon Dr. Wright, will perform selections members said inadequate and unre- Ramona Doyle, C’81, a Rhodes from their songbook liable service from AT&T impeded Concerns about Fiber Scholar, practicing physician, and Th e evening is a great com- law enforcement and interaction professor of medicine; the Rev. munity celebration. Join us for with health care providers. From Daniel R. Heischman, executive good company, inspiring music, the University’s perspective, Hart- Optic Cost director of the National Associa- and nourishing food. Remember man acknowledged poor cell ser- tion of Episcopal Schools; the Rt. to bring your favorite dish. vice hampered recruiting students by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer Rev. Samuel Rodman, bishop and attracting visitors. William The Sewanee Black Student At the Jan. 13 meeting, the Sewanee Community Council revisited of the Diocese of North Carolina; Union, the Cumberland Center Shealy, University superintendent and Lee M. Th omas, C’67, former of landscape planning & opera- a discussion about how to apportion the expense of installing fi ber optic for Justice and Peace, the School infrastructure on the Domain. Much of the meeting was also devoted to chairman and CEO of Rayonier, of Th eology, the Offi ce of Multi- tions, added that most contractors and former EPA administrator. employed by the University had no discussing possible cell tower locations (see “Council Debates Another Cultural Aff airs, and the Offi ce Cell Tower Location” on page 5). In addition, the council approved Convocation will be streamed of Student Life are the co-spon- cell service in Sewanee. live for those who are unable to “Verizon is the primary provider two Funding Project recommendations and appointed a new council sors. Th e event is free, open, and representative. attend. everyone is invited. in the country,” Hartman said. Asked if a repeater tower could be In October, several council members suggested non-residents pay for Ward to Present ‘Stiff ’ at the used to transmit the signal from a greater percentage of the fi ber optic infrastructure installation. Th e the Verizon tower in Monteagle, project is a joint venture undertaken by Ben Lomand Connect, Duck Hartman explained the decreased River Electric, and the University. Th e University’s portion of the cost Tennessee Williams Center signal strength would not penetrate is $725,000. Th e University plans to pay for 15 percent of that based on the University’s ownership of 15 percent of the 555 leaseholds. Th e by Bailey Basham, Messenger Staff Writer stone buildings in Sewanee. Resident Bob Benson objected remaining cost will be assessed to the other leaseholders. In 2015, Sherry Ward sat in a to leave, she knew something had to the aesthetic impact of a 240- Superintendent of Leases Sallie Green researched the legality of charg- neurologist’s offi ce, the third one to give. foot lit tower at the Lake Cheston ing non-residents more. “All charges must be proportional,” Green said in the past few months, hopeful During that third visit, Ward site, arguing the University spent referencing University counsel Lucy Singer. Non-residents cannot be that she would fi nally have some was tested for a rare, degenerative large sums refurbishing Lake charged a higher percentage based on their non-resident status. Th e answers. disease, Stiff Person Syndrome. Cheston. Benson noted his home lease-fee increase to pay for the infrastructure “will be proportional to She’d been experiencing trem- Results came back positive. Since and two other residences were the improvement value of your home,” Green explained. ors, severe pain and her legs would then, she and her family have within 600 feet of the site, with Council representative Th eresa Shackelford observed some residents give out on her. She and the two settled into a new normal. dormitories only 1,000 feet away might not be able to aff ord the lease fee increase. Th e median average neurologists who saw her before Stiff Person’s Syndrome (SPS), and Emerald Hodgson Hospital, increase will be $2,000 during a 10-year period, Shackelford said. were stumped. She was almost which aff ects twice as many women likewise, nearby. “Has everyone been told about this?” community resident Barbara ready to throw in the towel. How- as it does men, is characterized by “Cell towers haven’t been Schlichting asked. “It will hit some residents hard.” ever, with two kids at home and Shackelford suggested a portion of the Sewanee Community Funding (Continued on page 5) around long enough to determine an acting career she was not ready the long-term health eff ects,” Ben- Project monies be set aside to assist low-income residents. son said. He proposed an antenna Th e council will revisit the discussion at a future meeting. Information on a building to solve the cell ser- on the fi ber optic project is available at <fi berforsewanee.com>. vice problem. Th e council approved two requests for Funding Project monies: $3,500 Hartman noted that due to the to the Sewanee Community Ballfi eld to restore the ballfi eld and $800 to stone buildings, several antennae the Parks Committee on behalf of Youth Soccer for soccer fi eld markers. would be needed for adequate Funding Project Chair Kate Reed said 11 proposals were still under propagation community wide, and consideration, with $15,700 remaining in the fund. Funds are earmarked Verizon objected to the multiple- “for physical improvements and amenities for the Domain.” antennae expense. Th e council also approved the appointment of Paul Schutz to fi nish Reiterating concerns about out the term of elected council representative Charles Whitmer. Vice- the 290-foot lit water tower site Chancellor McCardell welcomed Karen Singer, who will fi nish out the proposed in September, Hartman term of appointed representative Austin Oakes. said, the community objected to Th e council set the Arthur Knoll Community Clean Up for April 11. the height and wanted the tower Th e council meets next March 23. better hidden in the topography. “Th e water tower site is as far out as Verizon wants to go,” Hart- P.O. Box 296 man stressed. With distance, the Sewanee, TN 37375 signal strength decreases, limiting propagation. Under the current strategy, the University is identifying potential locations and presenting them to Verizon to review for propagation suitability. Locations rejected for inad- equate propagation due to height A scilla siberica in full bloom on Jan. 13, almost a month early. Photo by Lyn Hutchinson (Continued on page 5) 2 • Friday, Jan. 17, 2020 • Th e Sewanee Mountain MESSENGER Letter Senior Center QUALIFIED CANDIDATES Needs Part- To the Editor: time Cook Published as a public service to the community since 1985, this newspaper When reading about the candidates for SUD Commissioner in last is printed on Fridays, 46 times a year. Free of charge, copies are distributed weeks issue of the Messenger, I was astounded at how well qualifi ed all The Sewanee Senior Center to 100 locations, including businesses and post offi ces across the Plateau. three are. Our community is so fortunate to have these accomplished has an opening for someone who Th is publication is made possible by the patronage of our advertisers and by leaders, as well as many more, in our midst.