osage connection winter spring 2009.indd - Orange Grove Center

A Publication for Friends and Supporters of
Orange range GGrove
rove CCenter
enter
Vol. 2, Issue 3
THE
April - July 2009 OSAGE
We invest in the
lives of people with
intellectual disabilities!
Learn what we do to give
them options!
The many champions
that made Orange
Grove what it is!
UTC’s new football coach
is ready to tackle the
“Breakfast” crowd
The Habilitation Center
celebrates 15 years
Hal Baker leaves The
Grove after 34 years
“To recognize, support and celebrate the qualities of the individual”

Board of Directors
Michael A. Barto
President
Hugh J. Moore, Jr.
Chairman
Dillard Edgemon
Vice President
Susan Gouger Rouse
Vice President
Thomas H. Cox
Treasurer
Dr. Bruce Hutchinson
Asst. Treasurer
Thomas A. Caldwell
Secretary
John F. Germ
Member-At-Large
Herbert J. Haile, Jr.
V.P., Building/Maintenance
Jerry Summers
V.P., Legal Committee
Barton C. Burns
John Buhrman
Larry Cash
Tom Cofer
Daniel J. LaGraff
Bill Lusk
Sharon Matthews
Andrew “Skip” Nardo
Neal Pinkston
Rosie Russell
Richard Sadowitz, MD
S. Scott Short
Avery Smith
Dr. Ben Tyber
HONORARY BOARD
T. Hicks Armor
T. Maxfi eld Bahner
Charles A. Comer
Morton J. Kent
Mrs. Helen C. Mahn
Mrs. Emily C. McKenzie
William R. Russell
Mrs. Janet Strang
THE OSAGE
Contents
4 A 15-year look at the Morton J. Kent
Habilitation Center
5 Breakfast for Champions 2009 featuring Mocs’
Huesman
5 A recap of Founders’ Day 2008
6-7
A quarterly publication of
Orange Grove Center Inc.
of Chattanooga
© 2009
Design:
Leslie Smith, Coordinator
Public Relations and Marketing
lesmith@orangegrove.org
Photography: Dennis Wilkes
OGC Art Dept.
Printer: Graphic Impressions
Chattanooga, TN
Fund-raising results for Firstgiving.com, United
Way, and more
8-9 ”Around the Grove”
10 0 See you later, Hal! Mr. Baker leaves legacy at
OGC
11 1 Guess who’s on board? Read about our
new board members
11 1 Orange Grove’s extraordinary and
supplemental services
Page2
Water Ballet is the latest addition to the many services
Orange Grove offers clients like Diana Linder, featured
on the cover! Read more on page 11.

Page3
Knock My Socks Off
Executive Director’s DeskFrom the
As hundreds of people visit Orange Grove each year and comment on the depth and
breadth of services that are delivered at our various locations, the one reoccurring question
is how did you ever pull all of this together.
My fi rst answer usually centers on the fact that we have been doing this for over 55 years
and we have many founding supporters that remain with us today. My second answer is
that we follow Ralph Waldo Emerson’s theory of success. Emerson wrote “There is no
limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.”
Orange Grove has not just embraced creativity and synergy as the fundamental principle of
staff and volunteer development, but has maintained an unusually high standard when it
comes to transparency with like-minded organizations. Orange Grove has always been very open to sharing the many tried
and proven active treatments that take place at our myriad service locations. Some organizations view their well refi ned
programs and practices as closely guarded trade secrets, but Orange Grove has taken just the opposite direction. We have
always exchanged information liberally with the curious minded in hopes that an even wider population of individuals with
intellectual disabilities and their care providers would benefi t from a system that openly encourages reciprocity.
There are many examples as to how this philosophy has benefi ted the people we serve. Orange Grove has the most extensive
supplemental programming than any other community agency in Tennessee. These are services that far surpass the
expectations of funding sources, but which refl ect the needs, interests and expectations of the people we serve and their
families. With some of the most elaborate facilities, we offer an Olympic-size swimming pool, gymnasium, theatre stage,
music room, hydrotherapy pools, dental clinic, health clinic, specialized multi-sensory environments, Habilitation Center
with a full-time medical innovationist, industrial settings, and educational settings.
Orange Grove is able to provide a full spectrum of interventions with few limitations. The investment of equipment and
facilities refl ects the abundance of creative treatment modalities which are continually employed by our staff. While some
organizations have focused on one or two areas of support that is believed to be of highest priority, Orange Grove has
always attempted to ignite the imagination of all stakeholders and then nurture the development of new treatments that
naturally evolve from this environment.
During a recent visit by the Superintendent of Greene Valley Developmental Center, I was honored and thrilled to hear him
comment on his reactions to a tour of our main day services facility. Dr. Meece visited Orange Grove to update himself on
the services which exist for people exiting the State Developmental Centers.
Following his tour, he made the following statement. “You should have a corner in your agency where you keep all of the
socks you knocked off of your visitors.” He went on to say that his “socks had been knocked off” as he witnessed the most
innovative and person centered methods of serving people with intellectual disabilities.
His comments were just another affi rmation that
Orange Grove’s commitment to Emerson’s theory of
success is paying dividends which are making measurable
differences in people’s lives.
Kyle Hauth,
Executive Director
Specialized multi-sensory
environments are an important
feature and addition to the
services offered at Orange
Grove Center.

Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center still a leader after 15 years
In the early 1990’s, the Board of Directors at Orange Grove Center had
an “awakening.”
While the center was amassing a fi fty-year history of creating respected
programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,
they realized that the increasing degree of complex disabilities demanded
a new avenue of innovation. Thus, the idea for a dedicated center with the
responsibility for identifying emerging and evolving challenges that
would impact on clients with special needs began to catch both the
collective imagination and zeal of the board. The Habilitation Center
would serve as the seat of innovation that would address the needs of an
aging and increasingly fragile and vulnerable population.
Several factors contributed to the Board’s vision. They saw the level of
disabling conditions increasing. Technological advances in neonatal
intensive care saw the survival of high-risk newborns that would have
never lived even ten years before. These survivors had multiple and
combined challenges in cognition, behavior, learning, sensory, motor,
and medical areas. In addition, they foresaw the increasing longevity of
Page4
Dr. Rick Rader, Director of the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center,
and Ruth Toon, Director of Residential Habilitation, will be
featured in an upcoming documentary called, “Living with Autism.”
The video is produced by MassMutual to compliment the
national survey conducted by Easter Seals.
individuals who were previously considered “lucky” to live into their twenties and thirties. These challenges required a new breed of
direct support professionals; highly trained and motivated with goals far beyond the traditional exhibition of “compassionate care.”
Finally, the board echoed the growing societal movement to increase the level of “expectations” of what individuals with developmental
disabilities could and needed to achieve. Orange Grove was given the “green light” to move forward with plans to establish a center that
would refl ect the dictates of Lawrence Miller, “The achievement of excellence can only occur if the organization promotes a culture of
creative dissatisfaction.”
Thus, what was to become the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center began to break ground in 1993. Mr. Kent, a veteran board member, had
been given the reins to spearhead the creation of the center, outline its mission and formulate the benchmarks of its success.
A national search for the Center’s fi rst director had some challenges of its own. For one thing, there wasn’t a “pool” of professionals
who were currently engaged in “developmental disabilities medical futurism,” the term that was coined to identify and funnel potential
candidates that might be able to “pull this off.” While there were certainly pockets of researchers involved in developmental disabilities,
there was no existing similar setting that could describe what was envisioned at Orange Grove. Most of the research activities involved
single agendas related to cause, prevention, special education, bio and adaptive engineering, employment, habitation, healthcare, and
technology assistance. There was no single position that supported a researcher without borders, boundaries or beliefs.
Thus the fi rst innovation didn’t come “out” of the Habilitation Center; it went “into” it. The idea and notion that a center could maintain
multiple inter-connected research portfolios was an innovation itself. Before someone was even given the keys to the front door, the
center had a radical platform; that their coordinated efforts could drive and deliver programs in areas that were seemingly unrelated to
mainstream disability research.
The selection of Dr. Rick Rader as the Center’s fi rst Director evoked the belief that the most successful people are those who are good
at Plan B. This best described Dr. Rader who never even had a Plan A. Like most physicians, he had no formal training, experience or
expertise in the fi eld of intellectual and developmental disabilities. What he did have was cross-training in both medicine and medical
anthropology, and a key appreciation for the biocultural determinants of health and disease. Relying mostly on his training in anthropology,
he approached the opportunity with a cultural model. People with intellectual disabilities were a culture unto themselves; albeit part
of a greater cultural body. They and the community that supports them have their own beliefs, mythology, values, tools, language, social
structure, and history. His belief that you needed to understand, incorporate and employ these components laid the foundation for his appointment
as the Director of the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center in 1994. It was at best a mutual leap of faith for the two unknowns;
a neophyte in the fi eld coupled with an idea without precedence and devoid of a clear blueprint. While far more developed than a sketch
on the back of a napkin, the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center had no track record, no modes and no examples.
In the ensuing fi fteen years, the Habilitation Center has had its footprint in virtually every aspect of the fi eld of intellectual and developmental
disabilities. Signifi cant contributions have been made via the expansion of universal newborn screening, positioning OGC as the
fi rst agency in the U. S. to adopt a code of ethics, medical school curriculum development, adoption of using parents in medical education,
solid university teaching and research affi liations, invitations to participate in top level national disability task forces, including the
President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, the Dept. of Defense and the Surgeon General’s offi ce, as faculty in the
fi rst national interactive webinars in developmental disabilities, in creation of the fi rst research organization in the fi eld of sensory processing,
creation of comprehensive end of life programs, affi liation with Exceptional Parent Magazine, the professionalization of direct

Page5
BFC will feature Mocs’ Huesman
Coach Russ Huesman will be the speaker for “Breakfast
for Champions” 2009 at Orange Grove Center. Huesman
became the 22nd head football coach of his alma mater, The
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, on December 22,
2008.
The 48-year-old is a former UTC defensive back and student
coach, starting all four years as a defensive back (1978-81).
Huesman was a two-sport athlete, also playing centerfi eld
in baseball as a freshman and junior. He graduated in 1983
with a bachelor of science in Business Education.
In all, he has 25 years of coaching experience, most recently
leading The University of Richmond Spiders to the 2008
Football Championship Subdivision National Title. The
team was ranked in the top-15 in the nation in each of the
last three seasons. Prior to Richmond, he coached for The
University of South Carolina as a graduate assistant, and at
The University of Memphis, The College of William and
Mary, The University of South Carolina as an Assistant
Coach.
Huesman, a Cincinnati, Ohio, native, and his wife Amy
have two daughters, Natalie and Emily, and two sons, Jacob
and Levi.
Huesman will join a legacy of UTC coaches who have spoken
for the occasion. Former and current coaches, including
John Shulman and Rodney Allison, were also speakers.
Last year, Vols Coach, Bruce Pearl, spoke to a near standing
room only crowd. “Breakfast for Champions” is Friday,
April 24, and is by invitation.
Founders’ Day a “symphony” of surprises
The annual Founders’ Day luncheon and dinner events were held on
Tuesday, December 9, at the Bessie Smith Hall. Catering was provided
by Café LeMont, with live music supplied by The Ralph Miller
Trio.
This year’s theme was “Symphony of Supports,” in recognition of the
many services provided by the center. Travis Henderson received a
special award recognizing individuals served by the center, and a surprise
showing of affection from childhood friend, Senator Bo Watson.
Travis was also featured on the programs and other materials for the
event (See Travis on bass below.).
Chuck Comer, long-time board member who dresses as Santa each
Christmas, passed his suit to Fred Galletta, OGC’s former Director of
Education. A video was played in his honor, and for Hal Baker, who
retired from the center in February. Ann Shea was presented with an
award for 20 years as choreographer of the OGC Dancers.
Several new awards were introduced. They are the Fred Galletta
Award, the Walter A. Lerch ITC Award, the John F. Germ Recycling
Center Award, the Tom Caldwell ACT Award, and the Isidore Tyber
Community Supports Award. The Maintenance Department was chosen
as the Department of the Year.
Founders’ Day is set aside to honor staff, volunteers, and others who
have supported Orange Grove Center over the years. Visit www.orangegrovecenter.org
to see the program and more photos from the
event.
Travis Henderson, left, is kissed by his
pal, Senator Bo Watson. Right, Travis on
bass as the representation of this year’s
theme, “A Symphony of Supports.”
Hab Center at 15 years, continued from page 4
support personnel, the promotion of developmental disability nursing credentialing, consulting projects with the U. S. Dept. of Health and
Human Services, advisory board invitations by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Special Olympics,
board membership with the American Association on Health and Disability, the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and
Dentistry, the International Brain Research Society, MOVE International, the National Traumatic Brain Injury Research Collaborative, the
Genetics Advisory Council, the Mayor’s Council on Disability, and invitations to present at virtually every signifi cant nationally respected
disability organization.
The vigor and vision of the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center continues with a bulging portfolio that transcends the original expectations
of its mentors Morton Kent, John Germ and Tom Caldwell, a portfolio that will hopefully dwarf the accomplishments of its fi rst fi fteen
years.

Golf tourneys are a “hole-in-one” for OGC
Chattanooga Lodge #199 hosted the third annual Fairway Dreams Golf
Tournament to benefi t the autism initiative at Orange Grove on
Saturday, August 23. Members presented a check for $9,000 from the
tourney to the center in September, and have continued steps toward
honoring their $30,000 commitment to the center.
Monday, October 6, was the introduction of the Jackie Tyber Memorial Golf Tournament, which was held at Black Creek Club.
The tourney raised more than $20,000. It is named for Jackie Tyber, who was in the pioneering class of students at the original
Orange Grove School. Jackie’s brother, Dr. Ben Tyber (Read more about Dr. Tyber on page 11.), continues his brother’s and family
legacy by chairing the event, which raises funds for renovations to the Tyber Building at Orange Grove Center. The second annual
event is anticipated for September 2009, prior to the Chattanooga Classic.
Contributions to the fund may be sent to Orange Grove Center, c/o Tyber Building Fund, 615 Derby Street, Chattanooga, TN 37404.
They may also visit the Center, or call (423) 308-1160.
Page6
Tyber Tourney team, The Ryder Cupsters, included Walter McFarland,
Richard Williams, Dr. Bob Myers, and Zach Byron, seen here with Hal
Baker (far right), Orange Grove Deputy Director.
Capital Campaign Results
The 2007-2008 Capital Campaign has yielded signifi cant contributions, and refl ects the level of commitment that our community
has consistently shown for Orange Grove. We are very close to meeting our goal of $4,775,000 set by the campaign committee.
To date, funds have been expended toward:
CAMPUS RENOVATIONS
SENIOR HOMES
COMMUNITY AUTISM
STRATEGIC PLAN
EXTRAORDINARY AND
SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICE FUND
RECYCLING CENTER IMPROVEMENTS
Repairs to the conveyor belt of the production line, 10,000 sq. ft. added space, renovations to staff offi ces, etc.
(Recycling Center service recipients and administrative staff featured above)
Special thanks to the individuals, corporations and organizations who’ve given so generously to the campaign to help the center
meet its goal!

Page7
United Way Campaign nears goal,
wins award for most tours
“Live United” was this year’s United Way campaign,
and Orange Grove staff proved their support
by coming within dollars of reaching the $48,000
goal. The total contributed is $46,260.80.
“Thanks everyone for being so generous, and
thank you to the campaign cabinet for their help,”
said Tyrus Chislom, this year’s Employee Campaign
Manager. Tyrus, with the assistance of
Denise Crosswhite, periodically met with cabinet
members to organize and manage the campaign,
which ended with an ice cream social.
The center was also recently awarded for giving
the most tours of any United Way agency in Chattanooga.
Online giving through Firstgiving.com proves
profi table
Firstgiving.com, a fund-raising vessel that allows
you to create your own webpage to support your
charity of choice through online fund-raising, has
been a worthwhile experience for Orange Grove
and its supporters.
Thanks to Mike Cook, former Executive Director,
and Tom Cox, board member, for their leadership
of this project.
Here are the statistics:
$25,993 raised online only
$16,863 raised offl ine (payments are sent directly to
the center)
*67 people raising funds
*Category No. Total raised
Staff 46 $19,800
Parents 5 $14,099
Former Staff 4 $3715
Retirees 3 $3450
Board 6 $1435
Relatives 1 $307
OGC Departments 1 $40
Volunteers 1 $10
Visit www.fi rstgiving.com/orangegrovecenter to make your
contribution.
20 Diamond Donors (have given to
United Way for 30 years or more)
15 staff members from 15 departments
received the paid day off
Bucky Williams Auditorium Renovations
Complete
The renovations to reconstruct what was the Orange Grove
Center gymnasium are now complete, with the exception of
the wall mural and the stage lettering. Today, they reveal the
newly named Bucky Williams Auditorium. It will serve as
a multi-purpose facility to be utilized by individuals served
by the center.
Bucky Williams was a member of the Orange Grove community
for many years. In his passing last year, the auditorium
was dedicated in his memory, which was made possible
by his family.
The auditorium has been enhanced with new fl ooring, painting,
curtains and other additions. It will primarily be used
by the Recreation Department, and will be used for adaptive
recreation activities, dances, and special talent shows and
events.
Wolfensberger’s “Normalization” comes to Chattanooga,
Receives Award for fi rst Kent Spirit of Innovation Award
The fi rst Kent Spirit of Innovation Award was presented to Professor
Wolf Wolfensberger on September 26, 2008.
Wolfensberger infl uenced disability policy and practice in the
United States and elsewhere through his development of Social
Role Valorization and is recognized as one of the top leaders of
the modern era of the disability movement.
The Spirit of Innovation Award was conceived and provided
by long-time OGC supporter and mentor Morton J. Kent, to
demonstrate the innovative aspect of the Orange Grove legacy.
Wolfensberger addressed a group at a small gathering at the
Walden Club, and participated in a round table discussion on
“Normalization Revisited” with other distinguished leaders, including
Orange Grove’s Medical Director, Dr. Tom Cheetham.
The symposium was moderated by Hal Baker, and was cosponsored
by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Association
on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the
Orange Grove Center.
The program received national acclaim, and has reinvigorated
our ideology about “normalization.”

Recreation
OGC Special Olympians go for the gold!
Once again, Orange Grove’s Olympians took to the slopes of Ober Gatlinburg
for winter athletic competition. The fi ve-man team competed in the 2009 Special
Olympic Winter Games on January 25 through 28, in Gatlinburg, TN. The results
are:
Michael Duke (skiing) came in 1st in the 10 meter and 4th in the Glide.
Melvin Edwards (skiing) came in 3rd in the 10 meter and 5th in the Glide.
Paul Leamon (snowboarding) came in 4th in the 10 meter and 1st in the Glide.
Dustin Pratt (snowboarding) came in 3rd in the 10 meter and 3rd in the Glide.
Terrance Young (skating) came in 3rd in 100 meter and 3rd in the 300 meter.
Compiled by Brandy Wilson, Recreation
Coordinator, and Teresa Jenkins, Recreation
Assistant Coordinator
Education
Buttner awarded “Thanks for Giving”
by KZ106
Page8
Page8
Tammy Buttner (right) was recently one of 10 winners of the “Thanks for Giving” awards, given by WSKZ
KZ106 radio station. The criteria is “someone who deserves special recognition for their good deeds or community
service,” according to the station’s website.
Her colleague, Cindy Turner (left), heard the station was accepting nominations, and immediately considered her
for the award.
Cindy says she chose Tammy, because “She’s such a wonderful teacher!”
Her nomination read: “Tammy goes beyond her duties at Orange Grove Center every day for our clients. She is
always looking for a way to expand their worlds, and will not accept defeat. If our clients cannot do something
the traditional way, she will fi nd a way to use adaptation equipment to fi t the bill. Our clients have enough sadness
and challenges, so we try to make our room a positive place. She deserves this honor.”
Winners were treated to an awards luncheon at Niko’s Southside Grill.
Art
Wilkes supplies endless creations of art for the center
Guru. Genius. Go-to guy. Call him what you want, but very little
credit is given to Orange Grove’s Art Director, Dennis Wilkes (photographed
with his wife, Carolyn). Wilkes says he loves his job of 35
years, especially his creative endeavors in all art mediums in which
he is able to make and build objects.
Practically everything the human eye can glimpse around the center is credited
to him, including over 160 pieces of framed art and acrylic pieces, free form art,
shadow boxes, posters, and even specially designed “what nots” in every department
on campus.
The team during opening ceremonies (left to right):
Brandy Wilson, Dustin Pratt, Melvin Edwards,
Paul Leamon, Terrance Young, Michael Duke and
Teresa Jenkins.
Michael and Melvin preparing to ski. Dustin snowboarding.

Page9
Page9
Around
the Grove
Compiled by Leslie Smith
Adult Services
Recycling honored with the Robert Sparks Walker Award
Pilgrim Congregational Church, located on Glenwood Drive, awarded the Recycling Department with one of fi ve of the 2009 Robert
Sparks Walker Sustainability Award. Walker was an employee of Recycling and a member of the church. It is the fi rst award to be
given, and will be presented to others annually for their commitment to the community.
Res Hab
Res Hab’s Gary Travels to India with Rotary Club
Res Hab Coordinator, Richard Gary, traveled to India as part of
a commitment to Rotary Club of Chattanooga’s (District 6780)
Group Study Exchange Program. Gary and a team of others
shared personal knowledge of their own country and experienced
the customs, vocations and lifestyles of India. They were led by
the local Rotary Club of Trivandrum (District 3212). Gary is
only one of four chosen to travel with the group.
The Kansas native and UTC graduate has been with Orange Grove
for nearly two years, and most recently participated in Leadership
Chattanooga 2008-2009. He maintained a blog through a series
of emails that he submitted to the center to share with everyone
on staff. Here is a portion from his fi rst day in India:
“On day one it took us about two days to get here... We went
to a number of polio clinics throughout the area. It was a lifechanging
experience. The people over here treat us like rock
stars. However, the poverty and the way these people live is
tear-wrenching.”
You may read more from this visit to India by visiting www.orangegrove.org,
and clicking on the Residential Habilitation section.
Southeast Tennessee Placement Consortium honors GPS and Vine Street Market
On October 16, the Southeast Tennessee Placement Consortium honored the employers of Bill
Johnson and LeAndra Smith with Outstanding Employee Awards. Johnson has worked at the
Vine Street Market for more than 2 years, and owners, Mr. and Mrs. Skinner, have shown compassion
and dedication that have molded him into a great employee, and have strengthened his
life skills.
LeAndra has been employed at Girls Preparatory School since September 2004. Her supervisors
say they would be lost without her, and that she is a one of a kind employee.
iin business i
ustrial Training Center thrives on the business partnerships that allow for the provision of emnts.
The employment training program and contract employment in ITC enable clients to move
recycling, drop-off centers or enclaves to another, as a part of their training for ultimate employunity.
earn many skills that are often taken for granted by people without disabilities. They do everything from
nd sealing, to sorting and assembling. In this case, a company with a partnership with ITC can look forward d
Grove providing all staff supervision, and assuming responsibility for all payroll and liability.
racts may be negotiated with ITC Coordinator, Phillip Royal, at (423) 493-2927.
Center-Wide
Arthur’s Good Deed!
Little did Arthur McClendon (above left) know that the
envelope he spotted on the fl oor of Health Care Services
would lead to a good deed. Like most, he could have
taken the $503 that was inside, but he did the honest
thing and turned it in to the receptionist.
Hattie Atkins (far right), who works at Glenwood A, realized
that during an earlier visit to the center, she had
lost her bill money. She returned to Health Care Services
to fi nd the envelope still on the fl oor where she’d left it,
and no money. She inquired about it at the receptionist’s
desk, and was reunited with not only the money, but with
Arthur. He was called back for a cash reward and one of
many daily hugs to come from her.
“I was so grateful and honored he found it for me,” she
said. “He was my angel watching out for me!”

Page10
Bon Voyage, Hal!
Hal Baker dedicated 34 years of his forty-year career in Special Education to the students and clients at Orange Grove. He came to the
Center in 1975, after being a classroom teacher and program director in Florida, as the Assistant to the Director for Client Services with
the charge to reform the curriculum into a developmentally-based individualized model and to pursue National Accreditation.
He was instrumental in the expansion of the vocational program into community businesses and industries, the development of residential
programs under the HUD and ICF/MR support systems, the foundation of the Recycling program and broadening Health Care
Services. As Mike Cook, the long-time Executive Director said, “Hal has been deeply involved with every major move forward Orange
Grove Center has made during his tenure.”
His skill in writing proposals and grants and his community affi liations
brought many resources to the Center to allow for innovative and unique
programs as well as continuing a solid base for ongoing operations.
Hal is well recognized in the area as a representative of Orange Grove
and as a champion for its mission. He was often called on to deal with
sensitive community relations and to clarify the Center’s position on
matters ranging from funding to neighborhood zoning.
He always worked in close association with the Board of Directors and
was tapped on two occasions to be the lead staff in major capital
campaigns, one of which is in the fi nal stages of reaching the $4.775
million dollar goal.
Additionally, Hal became involved in community affairs; he was an
active member of many boards, commissions and civic organizations.
His foresight in the redevelopment of the Fort Wood Neighborhood
helped put the area on the National Register of Historic places and
secured major funding for revitalization. His Chairmanship of the City Human Rights and Relations Commission under three mayors
is one of the affi liations he is the most proud as well as establishing Orange Grove’s Human Rights Committee and chairing it for thirty
years.
He has received national recognition in his chosen fi eld, being named a Fellow of the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities. Hal was a frequent presenter of professional papers and addresses and held offi ces at the state, regional and national
levels and is now a member emeritus.
“My early indoctrination to the fi eld of intellectual and developmental disabilities was largely based on articles Hal had in his bottomless
bottom draw, and his stories of what it was like being there,” said Dr. Rick Rader, a close friend and colleague of Hal. “His footprint is
on every brick and in every nook and cranny at Orange Grove. From human rights, to healthcare, to community placement, residential
horizons, employment opportunities, pioneering legislation that made mincemeat out of prevailing beliefs, and the need to be not merely
“in the community,” but “of the community,” Dr. Rader said.
The now former Deputy Director has traded his offi ce for a seat behind the wheel of his beloved boat. He and his wife, Cheryl, will set
sail to destinations they’ve dreamed of exploring prior to his retirement.
Jenny Foster, who goes back to the early years the two started at Orange Grove, said he was “a great mentor. He was a great advocate
for the individuals we served and for Orange Grove as a whole. As has been stated, much of what we have now he had the thought and
did the initial work behind it, but never cared about the credit. He was satisfi ed in just seeing it accomplished.
He will be missed, but will always be a friend,” she said.
Orange Grove says farewell to Hal Baker, who will always have a stake in its history and development!
Left: John Germ and
Tom Caldwell recognize
Hal at a reception at The
Mill.
Right:
Representing exactly 100 years of
leadership at Orange Grove, Hal, Fred
Galletta and Mike Cook literally grew
up at the Center.
Wolf Wolfensberger, an international leader in the fi eld, and
Hal share experiences at a recent presentation.

Page11 Neal Pinkston recently
joined the board of directors for
Orange Grove Center. He has
been with the Hamilton County
District Attorney General’s Offi
ce since 2003. He serves as
Executive Assistant District Attorney
General, prosecuting everything
from fi rst degree murder
to lesser degree cases.
Pinkston received a bachelor of science in
Political Science in 1997, and in 2000, he received
a juris doctorate from the George C.
Taylor School of Law at the University of Tennessee
at Knoxville.
Prior to Chattanooga, he practiced general
law at his own law fi rm in his hometown of
Knoxville, representing clients charged with
state and federal offenses. From 2001 to 2003,
bankruptcy, criminal and family law were his
general area of practice at F. D. Gibson Law
Offi ces in Maryville, TN.
He and his wife, Becky, have been married for
nine years. They have one son, Colman, who
is seven, and a daughter, Gracie Mae, who is almost
two-years-old. In his spare time, he dedicates
himself to Colman’s Cub Scout Den.
New Board MemberS
Dr. Ben Tyber is deeply rooted in Orange Grove Center.
Dr. Tyber’s father Isidore placed the original ad in the Chattanooga
Times that started the movement toward the creation of Orange
Grove Center. Dr. Tyber recalls the fi rst meeting that occurred at
his parents’ home that included families with similar circumstances.
At this meeting, the inspiration of need was conceived and the Chattanooga
Council for Retarded Children was later formed.
As a teenager, Dr. Tyber assisted in various fund-raising drives,
and assisted in the clean-up and repairs of the original Orange Grove
School. He was a counselor for four years in the early beginnings
of the Double G Camp. He was a student at Chattanooga High School and the
University of Chattanooga.
In 1965, he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of
Tennessee in Memphis. He served two years active duty in the U.S. Navy Dental
Corp attached to the 3rd Marine Air Wing. His post-graduate work in Endodontics
was completed at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago in 1969.
He entered private practice in Endodontics in Atlanta, GA, and also served as
clinical instructor at the Emory School of Dentistry for four years. Dr. Tyber’s
experience includes 35 years in various aspects of Dentistry.
His dental licenses include Tennessee, Georgia, and Illinois, with a specialty
license in Endodontics in Tennessee and the National Board of Dental Examinations.
His professional affi liations include the American Dental Association,
Georgia Dental Association and past President of the Georgia Association of Endodontics.
Prior to the board, he has been active with the preservation and restoration of the
Tyber Building at the center, for which he chairs the annual Jackie Tyber Memorial
Golf Tournament.
Orange Grove Invests in Extraordinary and Supplemental Services!
Orange Grove gives everyone an opportunity to engage in
enriching life experiences for their well-being and personal
and social development. We are spotlighting Water Ballet
and The Orange Grove Dancers in this issue.
Orange Grove recently added Water Ballet to its extraordinary
and supplemental programming. Water Ballet began in August
2008, following a presentation to the Recreation Department by
Courtney Miles, a member of the Chattanooga Ballet Troupe.
The class meets every two weeks for 30 minutes. Thirteen
students from Children’s Services, ages 11-22, with varying
disabilities, including autism, ADHD, mental retardation and
speech/language impairments, participate in the class.
Courtney teaches the students traditional ballet moves, such as
Plié, Pirouette and the basic positions (fi rst, second, and third)
while they are in the pool. The water helps them to move with
more ease, yet it also provides a small amount of resistance to
help strengthen and tone muscles and increase fl exibility.
The warmth of the water is easier on their joints, and is therapeutic
in nature. The success of the class has led to the addition of a
second class for adults at the center.
Compiled by Brandy Wilson, Recreation Coordinator
Orange Grove’s Dancers have performed throughout Chattanooga
and neighboring cities for 20 years.
The program enables clients of the Industrial Training Center
(ITC) and Adult Comprehensive Training (ACT) to explore the
art of dance. Led by choreographer and director Ann Shea, they
have performed at the UTC, MTSU, Center for Creative Arts,
Creative Discovery Museum, and ARC of Chattanooga. Last
year, they performed for VSA Arts/TN at the Wildhorse Saloon
in Nashville, for Allied Arts “Connect the Dots,” Christmas at
the Courthouse, the Tennessee Association of Dance annual conference,
and Go!Fest.
They recently performed at Barking Legs Theater, along with
dancers from Chattanooga Ballet, Baylor School, Center for the
Creative Arts, and Girls Preparatory School. In May, they will
perform for Orange Grove Very Special Arts Festival, sponsored
by Orange Grove, Shaking Ray Levi Society, VSA Arts/TN, Allied
Arts, Chattanooga Parks and Recreation, and United Way.
The project has been supported by the Tennessee Arts Commission,
Kiwanis Clubs, and Civitan Club, as well as Allied Arts of
Greater Chattanooga.
Compiled by Ann Shea, Director and Choreographer of the
OGC Dancers

THE OSAGE
A publication of
ORANGE GROVE CENTER
615 Derby Street
Chattanooga, TN 37404
(423) 629-1451
(423) 624-1294 (fax)
www.orangegrovecenter.org
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Showcasing our far-reaching impact in the
special needs arena.
A United Way
Member Agency
To correct or change mailing information, call (423) 308-1160.
The Recycling Center Reopens to the Public
Nonprofi t Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Chattanooga, TN
Permit No. 770
The osage orange (background), or the hedgeapple, is a
woody shrub with green fruit that was found in abundance
around the location of the original Orange Grove School
on Main Street in Chattanooga and for which the school
was named.
Upcoming Events
Breakfast for Champions (featuring UTC Football Coach, Russ Huesman), April 24
Spring Special Olympic Games, April 25, McCallie Field
Parent Meeting, April 28, 6:30 p.m. in the Habilitation Center Training Room
Jeremy Shinn, son of Margaret
Shinn in the IT Department,
peers into the glass case of an
exhibit in the recycling learning
center.
The John F. Germ Recycling Center recently held an
open house marking its 20 year anniversary. The event
included a tour of the newly renovated facility and the
reopening of the recycling museum, where guests can
learn everything there is to know about being “green.”
John F. Germ accepted a plaque for his years of dedication
to the center, and a plaque was given to the City
of Chattanooga in recognition of its longwithstanding
partnership with the center. Guests included Orange
Grove staff and board members; Dan Johnson, Chief
of Staff for the City of Chattanooga Mayor’s Offi ce;
County Commissioner Larry Henry; City Councilman
Manuel Rico and others. Rocky the Recycling Raccoon
made an appearance, taking photos with several guests.
The Recycling Center is open Monday through Friday,
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call 493-2944.
Dorothy Cathey (center), with
Kyle Hauth, Executive Director
of Orange Grove, and Tracy
Glenn, Nutrition Services
Coordinator.
Dorothy Cathey Retires
Dorothy Cathey began her
career at Orange Grove in July
1988 in the Accounting Department
as Accounts Receivable and Billings Clerk. She later moved to Nutrition
Services as Secretary/Administrative Assistant, where she became
a familiar face with cafeteria patrons and others alike.
While in Nutrition Services, it was common to see Dorothy assisting
with the setup of events, such as “Breakfast for Champions,” and
other center-related functions. Cathey will be spending time with
her grandchildren as she enjoys retirement.