By Jay Heavilon

If you have been by the Ace Hardware on Taft Highway lately, you have probably noticed quite bit of progress regarding the new building’s construction. There are all manner of crews running around the property, and the building is taking shape rapidly. The architect and the county were able to completely build the entire new station without disturbing the old station, and we are operating at full capacity from our existing Station One during construction.

Once construction is completed and we have been cleared to occupy the building, then we will move everything over to the new building and the county will demolish our original structure. For those of us who have been around for many years at WRES, this will be a bittersweet moment.  While we are very excited about the new station, we have spent so much time there that it will be sad to see it go.   

Training is part of our ongoing commitment to the community and also to ourselves. Since what we do is inherently risky and can be very dangerous, it is imperative that we keep ourselves safe, yet, at the same time, be able to mitigate any disaster. With this in mind, I wanted to share details of our upcoming training.

In addition to the weekly drill we hold ourselves, WRES participates in outside training activities with other agencies and associations. Search and Rescue training will soon be held in Dunlap, which will be part operational and part hands-on. Search and Rescue involves knowing how to enter a structure that is on fire and safely look for any person who may still be inside before trying to put out the fire. Life comes first, so knowing that someone may still be inside and unable to get out becomes a priority.

There is always a need for medical training and refresher courses. Emergency medical personnel in Tennessee, regardless of level, have to submit update-training hours to maintain certification by the state. Lone Oak will offer a 16-hour class in June over a weekend for medical training. Yes, as volunteers, we give up some of our weekends to attend training to keep ourselves ready. 
 
There will also be various rope rescue trainings around the area, and WRES volunteers will participate in recertification for operational level ropes rescue, as well as advanced technical training and confined spaces rescue training at the end of June. There is actually a lot to know about ropes rescue, and it can be a highly skilled and specialized activity. Also in June, we will send a few of our members to Gatlinburg to take some advanced statewide fire and rescue classes.   

Not only do your volunteer members use their personal time to attend training, but in many cases, WRES must pay for this training. We gladly do this to keep ourselves at the ready and up to date on the best practices and current techniques learned from experience at other departments. We are able to prepare ourselves because of the annual generosity of the people that we serve, and for that we are always grateful.
If you live out in the Sawyer Road section of the mountain, you may have seen more activity lately at Station Two. As the growth and new construction continues in that area, dedicated WRES staff members use Station Two as a primary location for calls. We have also dedicated equipment and certain trucks and apparatus for this Station, in order to have a more rapid response to these growing areas that surround Station Two. If you ever see us at Station Two and are curious about our operation there, feel free to stop by and say hello; we will be glad to show you around.

As always, if you have questions or comments, or would like to become a member of WRES, we encourage you to contact us at any time. Stop by Station One on Taft Highway next to Ace Hardware any Thursday night at 7 p.m., when we conduct our weekly training, email us at wres_volunteer@comcast.net or call the station at (423) 886-5974 and leave us a message. However, if you have an emergency, or even think you may need some assistance, always call 911 for immediate assistance.

By Barbara G. Womack, Signal Mountain Tree Board Member.
 
While Signal Mountain has many wonderful attributes worthy of celebration during our Centennial, let’s not overlook the natural environment that makes our town such a beautiful place to live. The Signal Mountain Tree Board wants to pay tribute to a cornerstone of our environment by recognizing the native trees that were here at the beginnings of our town in 1919.
 
If you have a likely candidate, a Tree Board member will be delighted to measure your native tree for you. If the tree qualifies, we will carefully place a biodegradable red ribbon on the tree for the duration of the Centennial Celebration and remove it afterward.
 
The most accurate age measurement is by counting the growth rings on the stump or from a core sample, but that would not be a happy fate for our centennial trees. Fortunately, there’s a safer way. A tree’s age can be estimated by measuring the diameter of a tree and multiplying this by the growth factor for that species. 
 
You can participate by measuring the diameter of a likely candidate at 4.5 feet above the ground and by using the chart listing tree species below and their growth factors to determine an age estimate. If your tree meets the criterion for celebration, email bgwomack@epbfi.com with the species, age estimate and its location. I will be happy to verify the age and attach the ribbon marking our grandfather or grandmother trees. 
 
The number of centenary trees will be announced at the Fourth of July celebration, as well as the age of our oldest tree. 
 
I look forward to meeting these venerable trees and their owners and to seeing a host of red ribbons throughout the town.
 
Tree Growth Factors
Measure the circumference of the tree at breast height (4.5 feet).
Divide by pi (3.14) to get the diameter.
Multiply the diameter by the growth factor for that species.
Red Maple Species - 4.5 Growth Factor
Silver Maple Species - 3.0 Growth Factor
River Birch Species - 3.5 Growth Factor
White Birch Species - 5.0 Growth Factor
Green Ash Species - 4.0 Growth Factor
Black Walnut Species - 4.5 Growth Factor
Black Cherry Species - 5.0 Growth Factor
Pin Oak Species - 3.0 Growth Factor
American Elm Species - 4.0 Growth Factor
Ironwood Species - 7.0 Growth Factor
Cottonwood Species - 2.0 Growth Factor
Redbud Species - 7.0 Growth Factor
Dogwood Species - 7.0 Growth Factor
Aspen Species - 2.0 Growth Factor
Red Elm Species - 6.5 Growth Factor
Sugar Maple Species - 6.5 Growth Factor
Shagbark Hickory Species - 7.5 Growth Factor
White Ash Species - 5.0 Growth Factor
Red Oak Species – 4.0 Growth Factor
White Oak Species – 6.0 Growth Factor
Bur/Swamp Oak Species - 6.5 Growth Factor
Basswood Species - 5.0 Growth Factor
Tulip Poplar Species – 3.0 Growth Factor
Yellow Buckeye Species – 5.0 Growth Factor
Sweet Gum Species – 4.0 Growth Factor
Shumard Oak Species – 3.0 Growth Factor
Red Pine Species – 5.5 Growth Factor
White Pine Species – 5.0 Growth Factor
Eastern Hemlock Southern Appalachian Species – 20.6” DBH = 100 years old

​In my 50-plus years living on Signal, I’m always surprised by the number of neighbors yet to discover our hidden jewel nestled in Walden’s woods. Dappled in sunlight among towering hemlocks and 100-year-old white oaks, the Little Brown Church has been warmly welcoming locals and visitors from around the world for summer services for the past 111 years.

Not publicized or marketed, it’s a bit like happening upon an unexpected treasure. The decades-old pea gravel under my truck’s tire and the century-old familiar squeak of the worn hardwoods remind me how exceptional the Little Brown Church is: a simple place of worship with the gentlest of improvements over time.

If you’re nearby on a Sunday morning between Memorial and Labor Day, you’ll see horses, golf carts, bicycles, and Jeeps parked out front. You’ll feel at home whether you get a seat inside or a bench on the porch. Among giggling children in seersucker, parents in shorts with coffee mugs from home, and family dogs roaming freely, you’ll hear a piano that sounds like an old Western movie playing hymns you haven’t sung in years. You’ll likely be invited to stay after for a watermelon cutting or “lunch on the grounds.” And you’ll wonder how it got started and why it still thrives.

My family, just four generations on Signal and, therefore, “new-comers,” visited with two beloved families who have lived the history of The Little Brown Church. We couldn’t help but share the wealth of their iconic Signal Stories and this unique inter-denominational community born out of love...and necessity.

Catherine O’Kelley Fore, (b. 1980), six generations Little Brown Church 
“The Little Brown Church started around the turn of the 20th century. At that time there was a big colony of summer residents with homes on Signal Mountain in an area of Walden we still call Summertown. Chattanoogans came up to Signal to escape the heat, yellow fever and cholera. It was at least a five-hour round trip up and down the mountain via horse-and-buggy or hack [horse-drawn wagon with bench-style perimeter seating for multiple people]. Because of that, folks were unable to make it down to the city for weekly church services.”

Rachel Divine Sharp Decosimo, (b. 1926), six generations Little Brown Church 
“The church started on my grandmother’s front porch in Summertown as a Sunday school for the children of the summer residents. This was a way that Summertown residents could worship the Lord together. After my grandmother’s porch got too full, they realized they needed a building. So, in 1908, local men raised the money and handled the construction of a Swedish barn design. I’ve always wondered how they knew anything about Sweden way back on Signal Mountain!

“I started going to the Little Brown Church when I was 5 years old. I’m 91 right now, so you do the math. It was the highlight of our summer as children! All the children got to be barefooted at church because, on May 1, you took your shoes off and didn’t put them back on until school started in the fall. We loved being with each other and our wonderful Sunday School teachers!”

Catherine O’Kelley Fore: 
“My great-great grandparents were a part of the Little Brown Church in its earliest days. They had a home in Summertown where my family still spends many happy summer days. My great grandfather was the church’s superintendent in 1958-59, and I served in that same role in 2018, so it’s been very meaningful.
“One of the highlights of the weekly services for me are the hymns. Growing up, I remember singing ‘Old Rugged Cross,’ ‘Beulah Land’ and ‘In the Garden.’ Now my children are singing those same hymns. It’s special to carry on that tradition.

“We close each service with all the children coming up front to ring the old bell, just as I -and generations of children before me - did. The ringing accompanies the adults singing our theme song ‘Little Brown Church in the Wildwood,’ with verses customized for our church in 1932 by Summertown resident R.H. Williams.”

Rachel Decosimo: 
“The purpose of the Little Brown Church is that people will learn about God and Jesus Christ. We have never had our own preacher. We invite different teachers and leaders to come up from the Chattanooga area to speak to us each week. It’s very important that they teach clearly and stay right on track.” [“...and right on time” her son Fred Decosimo jokes, “preach Jesus and do it in 20 minutes.”]

“We have so many visitors,” Mrs. Decosimo says. “It’s a wonderful outreach to people who may not go to church regularly, but feel comfortable here. You know, even though we lovingly call it ‘Little Brown Church’, its official name is Union Chapel because all are welcome here, regardless of denomination. I remember, one of the brothers of Adolph Ochs’, a Jewish Summertown resident, [publisher of Chattanooga’s Times Free Press and owner of The New York Times] was one of our first treasurers.

“There’s just something here that draws people. I feel it. My great, great grandchildren feel it. We’re drawn to this place. It’s real. As real as it gets, thanks to generations of these and many welcoming Signal Mountain families who have gathered to worship together through World Wars, epidemics, and moon landings. When it comes to a sense of peace, community, and a true Word from God - the things everyone is searching for - when you come to the Little Brown Church, you find it.

Our annual Summer Reading Program will feature some wonderful sessions this year, with a combination of old favorites and new performers. Mark your calendars now for each Tuesday in June and the first four Tuesdays in July (June 4 through July 23) at 11 a.m., for our free and fun-filled celebrations.
​
June 4 - Back by popular demand to kick-off our line-up are the melodious Bandana Babes. These lovely ladies will lead us in a sing-along and show off their tuneful ukuleles and unique homemade instruments that include a washboard, a tub base and wooden spoons. You’ll be amazed at their clever lyrics, and you and your children will be inspired to join in and add your voices to their familiar songs.

Our kick-off event will be immediately followed by a special visit by Ollie the Otter, a life-size mascot who promotes booster seat safety and seatbelt use throughout the state of Tennessee. Ollie has been encouraging child passenger safety for 13 years, and audiences always find his presentations great fun, as well as instructive. The program is sponsored by the Tennessee Highway Safety Office and the Tennessee Road Builders Association and is coordinated statewide by Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville.

June 11 - The GPS Terpsichord Dancers, under the direction of teacher and dancer Laurel Zahrobsky, will instruct the children in dance and movement. Children are encouraged to come in tutus (or comfortable) attire and plan to be energized and engaged by the GPS dancers as they learn how to express themselves and their emotions by moving with the flow.

June 18 - Bill Haley from the Tennessee Aquarium will present “Insects Around Us.” This program will feature all sorts of creepy crawlies that children can find in their own yards. Kids will learn all about these critters and how to observe them, as well as see some live examples. The program also becomes interactive when some lucky participants get to dress up as their favorite bugs!

June 25 - Noah’s Little Ark Petting Zoo and Pony Rides will set up again in our yard with an amazing menagerie of animals. Children can wander among (or just watch) the friendly chickens, ducks, sheep, pigs, goats, and maybe a lama or alpaca. Also two ponies that children may ride up and down our back field will be nibbling our grass. Note that we are adding another pony this year, so the lines won’t be as long! This is one of our most well-attended events, so come early.

July 2 - The Signal Mountain Playhouse, our next-door neighbor, will again welcome children and their parents to a much-anticipated preview of their spectacular summer production, “Annie.” We will walk down the path from the Library to the Playhouse to enjoy a short performance by the talented players. Then the children will take a backstage tour of the facility, followed by some refreshments.

July 9 - Singer/songwriter Jennifer Daniels makes her first visit to the Signal Mountain Library this year. We are so excited that she can make time in her very busy schedule to entertain us with her beautiful music! Jennifer and her husband, Jeff Neal, have been making music together for 20 years, touring all over the country and abroad. When the couple recently had twins, they began to write music for children and now do shows for young people in classrooms and libraries. CDs of their music will be available for purchase after the program. Check Jennifer out at jenniferdaniels.com.
 
July 16 - Bill Haley from the Tennessee Aquarium makes a command appearance here with another fun program, “Ocean Adaptations.” This event focuses on the animals that live in the ocean and how they adapt to survive in often unfriendly habitats. Children can meet and touch several ocean animals, such as a sea star, crab and marine snail. Budding oceanographers will be enchanted!

July 23 - We will wind up our Summer Reading adventures with Mike Edwards, a magician and balloon artist. Mike appears locally, entertaining children and adults with his super balloon animals and his magic. If you attended the 2018 Fourth of July celebration at Althaus Park, you will remember the huge crowd gathered around him while he fashioned some amazing balloon creatures. This is his first time at the Signal Mountain Library, so please come and help us make him welcome!

Registration for the Children’s Summer Reading Program will begin after the 11 a.m. Toddler Storytime on May 28. All events are appropriate for children through rising fifth graders. Children must be accompanied by adults. For more information, call the Library at (423) 886-7323.