Dr. Paula Haynes and Dr. Greg Grant after their canoe commute.

Oak tree in front of the Guerry Center succumbed to wet weather.

That’s Dedication—Professors Opt for Canoe Commute

It was the ultimate commute for two married UTC professors, Dr. Greg Grant , chemistry, and Dr. Paula Haynes, marketing, when flood waters in Brown’s Ferry Landing left them living on an island with no power.

"We lost power Wednesday night, and after sitting around we decided we needed to do something Thursday morning," Grant said.

Haynes said a transformer blew behind their home, and the explosion left three homes without power, and approximately 60 homes in the neighborhood accessible only by watercraft.

"By Thursday morning, we decided we needed to get to civilization," Haynes said.

So they paddled their canoe to dry ground. They asked Dr. Rob Mebane to meet them about a half mile from their home, since Mebane had the necessary canoe rack atop his vehicle for transport.

On campus, leaky roofs at the Racquet Center, Maclellan Gym and the Siskin trailers are being addressed, and stopped up drains caused some flooding problems in the Patten Carriage House Studios and the Jones Observatory. Bad weather uprooted two trees, one at Siskin Chapel and an old oak tree fell at the Oak Street entrance to Guerry Center.