The Osage orange tree on the Hamilton County Courthouse lawn fell as heavy storms swept through the area. Thousands of couples have married under the tree.Osage wood to be distributed
Pieces from a landmark 150-year-old Osage orange tree will be the featured pieces for giveaway in a lottery next week.
The tree fell last fall at the Hamilton County Courthouse.
The Chattanooga Department of Public Works will conduct the lottery at 10 a.m. March 28 at the wastewater treatment plant on Moccasin Bend.
However, souvenir-sized pieces of branches from the Osage orange will be given away on a first come, first-served basis. Those wanting them should be there at 9 and won't need to be in the lottery.
Registration for the wood will start at 9 a.m., which is also the time to begin inspecting the larger pieces of wood from the Osage orange tree. Those chosen in the lottery should have the necessary transportation ready to haul away the pieces -- some of which weigh several tons.
All of the wood is being given away free of charge, the release said.
Should March 28 have bad weather, April 4 is the backup date for the lottery.
Any questions? Call Hyde at 423-757-5182.
Randy TuckerGPS headmaster retiring year early
Randy Tucker, who has served as headmaster of GPS for 26 years, will retire June 30.
"After long consideration and with the support of the board of trustees, I have decided to retire in June 2013 as opposed to June 2014," Tucker wrote in an email Wednesday to alumni, parents and faculty.
He acknowledged that hiring a new head of school can be difficult after the tenure of a long-serving leader.
"To that end, I have decided the best course of action for GPS is for me to retire early and allow the board to put an interim head of school in place for the academic year 2013-14," he wrote.
In the email, Tucker said the board would select an interim head of school who would be in place by the time he retires at the end of June.