From Healing to Serving: A Community Responds to Loss
by Theodore Malinoski
Alabama Living Magazine
Nestled between the Tennessee River and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Northeast Alabama is a town rich in history. The outbreak of the War Between the States made Stevenson a pivotal point for both the Union and the Confederate armies. The historic turmoil of the 1800’s has long subsided and now the struggle is between a desire to keep the downtown historic district viable and Stevenson’s developing commerce along highway 72. As in most rural areas, the city of Stevenson’s strength lies in relationships among community members. The bonds of family and friends that hold a small town together proved their value in 1996 when five of Stevenson’s citizens tragically died in the TWA Flight 800 plane crash on the way to Paris, France from New York. This is a story about their legacy.
Two thirteen-year old Boy Scouts, Joseph Scott and Thomas Weatherby, and their parents, Michael and Barbara Scott and Brenda Privette, were traveling overseas for vacation and to work on merit badges. The plane went down killing all on board. The community mourned the loss of those five wonderful people whose contributions to the town were immeasurable. The devastation pushed the community to search for ways to respond with a sense of hope.
Prior to his death, Michael Scott had expressed his desire to have a learning center to complement and enhance the library and to enrich the experiences of the community’s children. As citizens of Stevenson searched for healing, seeking to understand the emptiness they shared, they revisited the idea of a learning center. With the hard work of many friends, with financial support from memorials, fundraisers, and memberships, and with the oversight of the Friends of the Library, the Michael Scott Learning Center opened its doors in 1998, two years after the TWA tragedy.
In its first few years the Michael Scott Learning Center searched for a focus. Tutoring at-risk students after school and providing various enrichment programs reached a modest number of youth and adults. Then two things allowed its mission to expand. First, a grant from the Jackson County Board of Education allowed for expansion of the after-school tutoring program to all 17 county schools. This “at-risk” grant currently provides aid for students with learning challenges, furnishes remediation for the Alabama high school graduation exam, and pays for tutors and materials. Second, an annual enrichment program was developed. Initiated in June 2002 as an arts and cultural event, Summerscapes gave the community continuing educational opportunities. “The community voiced a need for activities during the summer, so we developed the Summerscapes program that is both educational and fun,” said Sue Smith, one of the initial supporters and developers of the Learning Center. This past summer, children were offered programs such as story time, quilting, manners and etiquette, Spanish, sign language, introduction to tennis, and kids in the kitchen. The repeated success of Summerscapes led to the development of a Winterscapes annual enrichment program in January 2004, with an emphasis on adult education. The 2006 Winterscapes program, which starts in January, includes a wide variety of classes many adults would love.
From a vision of Michael Scott to a community responding to a sense of loss, the Learning Center’s mission now reaches beyond the boundaries of age, gender, ethnicity and social status establishing opportunities to enhance all persons academically and socially.
Now, as 2006 brings the tenth anniversary of the TWA tragedy, the citizens of Stevenson continue to creatively work through their feelings of loss. From the seed of an idea planted by Michael Scott the vision continues to grow. The Michael Scott Learning Center, in its facilities and with its programs, meets and continues to expand the vision of serving and enriching the lives of Jackson County citizens.
Scott Shepherd, president of the Friends, sums it up this way, "Even if you didn't know Michael Scott, you can know why we care. The theme is universal. Wounds heal, friendships last, and sometimes your story continues even when you're not around."
