By Tish Gailmard

Just the other day, a friend of mine who is an avid trail runner told me he saw a mountain lion on a Chattanooga trail. Are mountain lions really here?

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency confirmed reports of mountain lions in Tennessee in Humphreys and Obion counties in 2015 and again this year in Humphreys and Carroll counties. There has been no confirmation of a mountain lion in the Chattanooga area; however, there have been reported sightings. TWRA receives a lot of reports of sightings, and even photos, that they diligently research. There are a lot of folks who tamper with photos and some who simply are seeing something that is not a mountain lion, more likely a bobcat or even a house cat. The best confirmations often occur on game cameras with a still photo or video.

Puma concolor is also known as mountain lion, catamount, puma, panther and cougar. This apex predator once roamed the U.S. from coast to coast, making mountain ranges, woodland forests and river corridors their homes. Like the red wolf, early colonization extirpated the cougar from a large majority of its territory. Predators were terribly misunderstood and hunted, resulting in plummeting numbers. It’s been perhaps 100 years since mountain lions had a presence in Tennessee.

These confirmed sightings should be hailed as a very exciting thing, not a bad or scary thing. Restoring apex predators to the landscape is invaluable for ecological balance. Apex predators fill a niche by maintaining the balance of prey. Large predator presence indicates that humans are doing a good job protecting and managing the environment and wildlife resources.

In excerpts from “Cougar, The American Lion,” author Kevin Hansen’s states, “The cougar works a powerful magic on the human imagination. Perhaps it is envy. This majestic feline personifies strength, movement, grace, stealth, independence, and the wilderness spirit. It wanders enormous tracts of American wilderness at will. It is equally at home in forest, desert, jungle, or swamp. An adult cougar can bring down a full-grown mule deer in seconds. It yields to few creatures, save bears and humans. The cougar’s solitary and stealthy lifestyle feeds its mystery. Unfortunately, mystery breeds fear, myth, and misinformation. Since our European ancestors first landed on American shores 500 years ago, we have waged war on large predators. The grizzly, wolf, jaguar, and cougar are now gone from the majority of their original ranges, and loss of habitat now looms as the greatest threat to the small populations that survive. Only in the last three decades have wildlife biologists begun to chip away at the fable and folklore and reveal the cougar for the remarkable carnivore that it is.”

Education is key to dispelling myths; understanding and appreciation breed respect, and respect creates the desire to conserve.

What is the source of these Tennessee cougars?

Per TWRA, the cougars being sighted in Tennessee are like the Western cougar subspecies that is likely recolonizing and expanding their range from the Midwest. DNA analysis of a hair sample from one of the 2015 Tennessee sightings confirmed that animal likely originated, at least genetically, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Male cougars, like much wildlife, disperse from their natal group and begin the search for their own territory and mates. The cougar has a very large range of up to 370 square miles. Cougars have a stepping stone dispersal, according to Dr. Michelle LaRue, a research assistant and wildlife expert with the University of Minnesota. Cougars begin travelling, find a suitable place to live, stay there for a while, then move on to the next suitable area. With their large range, this is a gradual process. Cougars are searching for three things - habitat, food and mates. The Midwest is largely not a good habitat for them, so it’s reasonable to think that the cougar continues his dispersal, reaching the eastern U.S. where lush habitats with mountain ranges and good food, namely deer, are readily available. Habitat with rugged terrain and forest cover that is difficult for people to reach is preferred. Suburban and urban areas do the cougar no good.

Cougars are probably not breeding in in Tennessee, yet. The confirmed cougars have all been males, with one exception in Carroll County. Females are not forced to disperse from their natal range, therefore they don’t travel as far as the males.

When there is confirmation of this animal’s presence, TWRA simply knows there’s a cougar there. No action is taken to move them or kill them. Reports continue to be investigated and research continues.

As a citizen, do your own research. Do not believe what you see on social media and don’t perpetuate these postings. People often tell me they saw a big cat print. I always ask what it looked like. Invariably, it’s described as a large paw print with claw marks. Claw marks indicate a canid, not a felid. Cat claws retract! Learn more about your local wildlife - research habitats, sounds, food choices, prints and other indicators of wildlife. Knowledge is power!
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Cougars most likely will continue to expand into Tennessee. TWRA states hunting the cats remains illegal, but their populations may become large enough to eventually support a season. What’s exciting is that this top predator has returned to its former range!

By Gwin Tugman
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Kristin Brooke Lowry and Dr. Reid Austin Maclellan exchanged marriage vows on February 9 at the Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Joe Novenson officiating. Parents of the bride are Mr. and Mrs. James Kris Lowry, and parents of the groom are Mr. and Mrs. Robert Howze Maclellan. Grandparents of the bride are Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wade Andrews and Mrs. Janice Valaret Lowry, and grandmother of the groom is Mrs. Billie Pigford.

The maid of honor was Sara Lynn Lowry, sister of the bride, of Birmingham, Ala., and the matron of honor was Nicole Lawyer Lowry, sister-in-law of the bride, of Spring Hill, Tenn. Honorary maid of honor was Allegra Rose Edwards of New York, N.Y. Bridesmaids included Chelsea Brown Averill of Venice, Calif.; Chelsie Cecilia Todd Blackwell of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; Jastyne Lilia Brice of Dana Point, Calif.; Tara Leigh Burns of New York City; Jessica Ann Rotter of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Brittany Danielle Shelby of Nashville, Tenn.; and Lindsey Rutherford Whittaker of Lookout Mountain, Tenn.

The best men were Lee Taylor Maclellan, brother of the groom, and Robert Howze Maclellan, father of the groom, both of Lookout Mountain, Tenn. Groomsmen were Brendan Daniel Feitelberg of Boston, Mass.; Dr. Arin Kylie Greene of Wellesley, Mass., Dr. Stephen Howard Karshbaum of Burlington, Mass.; Ian Llewellyn Maclellan, brother of the groom, of Ooltewah, Tenn.; Dr. Grant Ralston Major II of LaGrange, Ga.; Darren Matthew Nunes of West Hartford, Conn., Dr. Peter Damian Ray of Huntington, W.Va.; and Dr. Robert Loy Whitaker of Lookout Mountain, Tenn. Dr. James Andrews Lowry of Spring Hill, Tenn., and Allen Wade Lowry of Nashville, Tenn., served as ushers.

The bridesmaids wore beautiful blush gowns with winter silver sequenced bodices and flowing chiffon skirts and featured fur trimmed collars. The bridesmaids carried fur muffs, while the matron and maid of honor wore the same dresses without the fur collar and carried bouquets of blush roses. The bride wore a gown created by Monique Lhuillier that featured a sweetheart neckline and a blush tulle skirt with 20 different graduated layers. An illusion overlay was enhanced with iridescent white embellishments, and the gown was tied at the waist with a satin ribbon that cascaded down the back of the dress. She wore a blush fur wrap and pearl and diamond earrings, both gifts from the groom, and carried a bouquet of blush roses.

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a reception at the Lookout Mountain Club at Fairyland, which had been transformed into a true fairyland by Catherine Kelley and Khaki Huffaker Wakefield and others, who created the beautiful floral arrangements at the church and at the club. The doorways of the club were graced with rose garlands, and in the ballroom, the exquisite table runners were created with roses. The guests enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres before they were treated to different food stations of pork and beef tenderloin, vegetable trays, smoked salmon platters, and a fruit and cheese display. Later in the evening, guests feasted on breakfast sliders. The bride’s cake was created by Olexa’s of Mountain Brook, Ala., and the seven-tiered cake featured a cascade of roses down one side and was sprinkled with edible glitter that made the cake shine and twinkle. A pearl cross and a Bible, both gifts to the bride from the groom’s mother, adorned the cake table.

The four-tiered chocolate groom’s cake was accented with winter greens and lamb’s ear, which were both tipped with silver paint. Simply Irresistible, an incredible band from Atlanta, kept people on the dance floor forover three hours - with no breaks. Before the bride’s dance with her father, she curstied to him in true princess fashion, and the bride and groom danced their first dance to the song “A Million Dreams” from “The Greatest Showman,” which was a perfect choice for this fairytale wedding. At the end of the magical evening, the couple dashed through a tunnel of sparklers before driving away together in a white vintage Rolls-Royce. They honeymooned for two and half weeks in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and stayed at the Cristallo, a luxurious ski resort. They later traveled to Venice for the annual Carnival of Venice before returning home to Lookout Mountain.

Prior to the wedding, several parties were given in their honor. In November, several of the bride’s mother’s friends hosted a “fairytale shower” in Birmingham, and on December 22, the groom’s parents, Lisa and Scott, hosted an engagement cocktail reception at their beautiful home on East Brow Road. In January, Lindsay and Robert Whitaker hosted a couple’s party at their home on Fleetwood Drive, and later, the groom’s grandmother, Billie Pigford, hosted a tea party for Brooke’s closest friends. Merrile Stroud hosted a “Blush Party,” and guests in blush-colored attire presented the bride with lingerie while enjoying blush wine and complimenting the blush-colored floral arrangements.

The week of the wedding, Luanne Miller and Jennifer Ray, the groom’s cousins, and Belinda Helveston and Diane Moss, hosted a bridesmaid’s luncheon at the Lookout Mountain Club in Fairyland, during which the men toured the Chattanooga Whiskey Company. The bridesmaid party enjoyed the delicious luncheon of chicken and spinach crepes, and Brooke wore a remodeled version of her great-grandmother’s wedding gown. The groom’s parents invited guests to a seated rehearsal dinner at the Lookout Mountain Club overlooking the golf course, and close friends and family gave many touching toasts.

Brooke chose “Flowers, Furs, and Fairy Tales” as the theme of her wedding, and that theme was evident throughout the ceremony and the reception. In August, Brooke and Reid told Catherine Kelley and Khaki Wakefield that they wanted the décor to be romantic, feminine, delicate, magical, and wintry, and those adjectives describe this incredible wedding perfectly. Even the wedding invitations were magical, down to the last detail: On the inside envelope flap, the Fairyland Club was painted in gold foil that matched the gold foil script of the wedding invitation. From start to finish, this was definitely a “royal wedding” on the mountain and was breathtakingly beautiful in every aspect.
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Brooke and Reid reside at their home on Fleetwood Drive at the top of Ochs Highway. Reid is a pediatric plastic surgeon specializing in vascular anomalies and is an adjunct professor for both Harvard Medical School and Boston’s Children’s Hospital. He is also on the board of the Maclellan Foundation. Brooke is the founder and president of Southern Royal, a charm school that teaches girls how to “walk, talk, sit, stand, eat and dress like a princess.”

By Wendy Robinson and Ann Caldwell
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Friends and neighbors,

For several years, the two of us have discussed, lamented, and sketched plans for a community litter gathering effort. And the other day we finally jumped in the golf cart and began the effort!

We spent three hours down in the gullies, reaching up hills, into trees, and all through the muck. We were armed for the weather and the obstacles, and it was memorable!

We all love our mountain and our community! Many of our wonderful residents gather litter on their walks, but some of it is too far off the road and/or too disgusting to fetch and carry on a walk.

There is no question we can win this battle against trash in our beautiful community! All we need is gumption, gloves, golf carts, garbage bags, and glo-shirts! Additionally, we hope to get permission from the City of Chattanooga to clean up the larger roads, allowing us to have traffic control for safety.
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Look for posts on the Lookout Mountain Neighborhood Facebook page in the months to come. Please help out when you hear the battle cry, and join us for planned Lookout for Litter days that will probably take place once a quarter.

By Gwin Tugman
​In December, Fairyland School began construction on its Aquaponics Floating Greenhouse, which is being built on the school’s pond. This project, which will soon be a reality, fits in perfectly with the schools STEAM curriculum, which embodies Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. The greenhouse will be a learning lab for the students and will create an environment that will allow the students to be innovative and creative outside of the classroom by using renewable resources while learning technology and researching problem-solving. Basically, the greenhouse will be for growing plants and raising fish in an enclosed environment that will be a self-sustaining ecosystem.

The students will raise fish, and when the water becomes full of nitrogen nutrients from the fishes’ waste, it will be constantly pumped through a series of PVC pipes that hold live plants, which will then thrive and grow from the nutrients in the water. The 700-square-foot dome that is 30 feet in diameter will have two solar powered fans and a ceiling fan to create a nature-like breeze that will also help the plants flourish. The children will be able to decide what plants they want to plant, like strawberries, tomatoes or lettuce; there really is no limit as to what can be planted. Students will then harvest the plants and some of the fish, which they will sell to make money for a project of their choosing or even a third world country to help them sustain or better their lifestyle.

This aquaponics project has definitely been a school-wide project, with the children writing persuasive letters to different companies asking for donations. Their pleas were effective, as they received 30 different donations, as well as a big contribution from See Rock City. The children will also pick nicknames for their produce, like “Fairy Berries,” and create posters to market their fruits, vegetables and fish, all of which will be organic and pesticide-free.

There are many high schools in the region that already have this incredible teaching tool in place, including Ridgeland High School, which will send some students to help design the inside of the greenhouse.

The PTO hired Emily Scoggins to help with the curriculum for the children, and she and Principal Jeremy Roerdink will visit several schools and borrow from their lesson plans and curriculum.

Wendy Taliaferro and I were both asked about the “bubble” on the pond, so we scheduled a visit with Principal Roerdink, who was very generous with his time and patiently explained to two “old ladies” what it is and how educational it will be. He even took us on a tour of the floating lab, which is aesthetically designed and edged with attractive cumaru wood that will last for 100 years.

Principal Roerdink was instrumental in getting this incredible project started. He spent four years learning about these aquaponics greenhouses and admits that he is still learning every day. He said that if any plants fail, the children will figure out why and make corrections. It truly is an incredible, fun teaching tool that includes so many different skills, from physics to the simple pleasure of growing your own food.

So far, the PTO has raised $125,000 but needs another $25,000 to complete the project. As of the middle of February, the project is 85 percent complete and awaiting electricity so that the pumps can circulate the water. The project should be complete in the middle of March, and the entire community will be invited to to see it. Without the community’s generous support, it never would have have happened.

If you would like to make a donation, send a check payable to Fairyland School’s PTO to FES, 1306 Lula Lake Road, Lookout Mountain GA, 30750. If you want to buy a brick for $100 that is inscribed with your dedication, it will be placed in the walkway to the dock.

Fairyland school is already a school of excellence, and this project solidifies that fact.

By Judy Rowland

Some people are born with a destiny embedded in their souls. Some have a raw talent for something. Some discover a passion inside them. Some find they are channeling an ancestor they never met. For Nelson Johnston, all of these have come together in a perfect storm to create his future.

Nelson is the son of Jarmin and Fox Johnston, and the grandson of Bobbie Steffner and Jim Steffner and Ardell Johnston and Fox Johnston Sr.

Every day, when Nelson opens his toolbox, he sees a quote his grandmother Bobbie gave him.

“The one thing you think you can do better than anyone else – go out and do that – the light shining out of your eyes should blind people. You should be on fire all the time.”

This young handsome Vulcan with fire in his hazel eyes takes those words to heart. The hectic surroundings, loud music, clanging and banging all fade away when he puts on his welding helmet. He is transported to another place where nothing exists but the project at hand. It has been a long journey to get to this place.

Nelson has had many mentors who have been invaluable in his learning his craft and establishing his business. Krue Brock gave him his first job one summer as a high school student. Tom Eberle at Quality Tire Pro took things a step further. He hired young Nelson and made him part of the team. Nelson not only learned the basics of tire repair but also absorbed the fine points of how to run a business and the art of good customer relations. While at Quality Tire Pro, Nelson encountered “Mr. Roy” Brown who possessed more automotive knowledge and experience than anyone Nelson had encountered. Determined to break through this expert’s crusty shell, Nelson proved himself a student who was hungry to learn all he could from this master, and they became great friends.

For that matter, Nelson set out to become part of the team. He wanted to prove that even though he was young, he could work just as hard, get just as dirty and stay just as long as the any of the other workers. He learned not to sit down and wait, but to keep a broom in hand and clean up between jobs. He was curious, eager, ambitious and thirsty for knowledge, a surefire combination for success.

Nelson received an early acceptance to the University of the South at Sewanee, but decided college and fraternity life were not for him. He chose to stretch his wings instead, and drove to Colorado and worked in the construction business. That was a great experience until he developed a blister under his work boots that became severely infected. He came back to Tennessee for treatment that included IV antibiotics. While recovering, he began watching YouTube videos about welding and was fascinated. As he got better, he began doing some projects himself.

This is where the destiny in his soul began to stir. He found he did possess a raw talent. Nelson was so passionate about his projects that he could not sleep, but would get up to work on one. At this point, the family realized that there was a great grandfather in the family line, Grover Behrens, who was also gifted in this field. Actually, Nelson looks like him; not only do they have the same physique, the also have the same hands.

An aunt later gave a few of this special relative’s tools to Nelson. As he grasps them, he feels his ancestor’s spirit come alive.
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Today Nelson Johnson runs a thriving metal fabrication business that is growing by leaps and bounds. Thorough Built LLC is located in a huge space in one of the former Wheland Foundry’s warehouses on the Southside. Nelson brought some of “antique” machinery left from the foundry back to life. He used some money that was earmarked for education from his paternal grandmother to buy a state of art plasma table to make metal signs featuring his own designs and artwork. His landlord and business mentor is Bobby Chazen. Even though they are a generation apart, they are best friends.One of his first commissions was to design and build tool storage for the inside of a van. The first design was such a success that now all of the vans of Shackleford Enterprises are equipped with these custom tool storage units. He also has orders from the Nashville Predators, as well as custom orders from many others who want an industrial farmhouse look to their designs. Nelson recently designed a stage for Kanye West, so clearly he is making a name for himself. He does everything from designing and installing handrails on a homeowner’s stairs to massive repurposed machinery-turned-table and everything in between. His large installations are absolutely mindboggling, and he is truly destined for success.

​Fairyland Elementary School in conjunction with Missoula’s Children’s Theatre presents Robinhood on Friday, March 15th at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 16th at 1 p.m. at Fairyland School. Tickets are available at the door and are $5 for students and$10 for adults.
 
The time is simply long ago and the place is the magical, mythical Sherwood Forest. Our hero, Robin Hood, and his Merry Band of colorful characters seek the help of the Foresters, manage to waylay the Aristocrats and set out to rescue Maid Marion and Marion’s Maid. Prince John tries to stay calm as his Sheriff, guards and horsemen botch Robin’s arrest thanks to the aromatic Skunks. Wacky humor and an original score add to this fresh new look at a legendary outlaw in a legendary time. Conceived and written by Michael McGill.

By Gwin Tugman

The third annual JDRF One Night Chattanooga will be held on Thursday, March 14, at Stratton Hall from 6-9 p.m. It will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is the leading global organization funding Type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Amy Weeks and Cathy McDonald started this important fundraiser when their children were diagnosed with T1D. Melissa Price and Lisa Haley, whose children have the same disease, joined them in their efforts.

Each year, an estimated 40,000 people are diagnosed with T1D in the U.S. T1D is an autoimmune disease that affects both children and adults. It has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Besides regularly monitoring their blood-sugar and coping with a lifelong dependence on insulin, individuals still face the constant threat of devastating, life-threatening complications. At present, there is no cure, but your support we can turn “Type One” into “Type None.”

This fundraiser means a lot to its organizers: Amy and Joe Weeks and their son Charlie; Cathy and Scott McDonald and their son Whit; Melissa and Jeremy Price and their son Bailey; and Lisa and Joe Hailey and their son Mitchell, because this disease has really changed their lives. Thankfully, with the help of insulin and monitoring blood sugar levels, these children/teenagers can grow to be healthy and productive adults who will have a normal and long life, but money is necessary for research. Hopefully one day this disease will be cured.

This fundraiser has been held for the last two years at the Peyton, but because it has grown so much, with over 250 people attending last year, it moved next door to Stratton Hall. It is always a very fun evening, featuring heavy hors d’oeuvres from 1885 Grill, an open bar, a silent auction, and live music. This year there will be an online silent auction, so that even if you can’t be there, you can bid on items. It’s a great way to get over the winter blahs and have fun while supporting research for this widespread disease that affects so many of our young people.
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To make a reservation, which is only $75 per person, call (865) 544-0768 or go to www.jdrf.org, which will also keep you up-to-date on the wonderful silent auction items. This event is not only a blast, it is a win-win situation!