Oak Ridge Today

9/11 photos: ORFD, ORHS dedicate new flagpole in memory of victims of terrorist attacks

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orfd-at-orhs-911-flagpole-sept-11-2016

We will always remember those who gave their lives to save others on September 11, 2001. (Photo and caption courtesy Martin McDonald at Oak Ridge High School memorial ceremony and flagpole dedication on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016)

 

The Oak Ridge Fire Department and the Oak Ridge High School 9/11 WTC Committee unveiled a new flagpole on Sunday and dedicated it in memory of the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Sunday was the 15th anniversary of the attacks, which killed 2,977 people in New York City; Washington, D.C.; and outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Here are photos by Oak Ridge High School Principal Martin McDonald, shared here with his permission. [Read more…]

Gail Martin—former AC school board member, county election administrator—dies at 75

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Shirley Gail Martin

Shirley Gail Martin

Note: This story was updated at 2:37 p.m.

Shirley Gail Martin, a former longtime member of the Anderson County school board who served two years as county election administrator, died Wednesday, September 7. She was 75.

Martin, of Claxton, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, her obituary said.

“She was an education activist who gave 24 years to the Anderson County Board of Education, as well as being a devoted Democrat,” the obituary said.

Former Anderson County School Director Larry Foster, who retired at the end of June, said Martin will be missed as a personal friend and also as a community leader. She worked for excellence in education in Anderson County, Foster said, and her long service on the school board indicated that.

Martin stayed involved in the educational area even after she left the school board, and she would attend meetings, call Foster from time to time to ask what was happening, and bring issues of concern to him.

“She wanted excellence,” Foster said Friday. [Read more…]

ORFD, ORHS to dedicate flagpole in memory of 9/11 victims

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ORHS flagpole wide

The Oak Ridge Fire Department and the Oak Ridge High School 9/11 WTC Committee will join together on Sunday, September 11, to remember the tragic events that happened 15 years ago, a press release said. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Fire Department and the Oak Ridge High School 9/11 WTC Committee will join together on Sunday, September 11, to remember the tragic events that happened 15 years ago, a press release said.

There will be a group meeting to officially unveil the new flagpole added this past year and to dedicate it in memory of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“Thanks to generous donations from the American Legion Post 2 out of Knoxville and from Woodmen of the World, the site is now home to a 30-foot flagpole that is capable of flying a flag all the time,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge High School has open house Thursday

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Oak Ridge High School will have an Open House on Thursday, August 25, beginning at 5:15 p.m. in the Food Court. Parents are asked to print their student’s schedules prior to the event from Skyward Family Access.

From 5:15-6 p.m., school guidance counselors will have PSAT sign-up and senior information tables. Many school clubs and organizations will have information tables set up during this time, a press release said. Food and drinks will be sold by the Oak Ridge High School Orchestra Boosters. PTSO will be accepting donations of hand sanitizer and Kleenex for classrooms. [Read more…]

White House recognizes Vaughan as outstanding ORHS math teacher

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Elaine Vaughan

Elaine Vaughan

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:30 p.m.

Elaine Vaughan of Oak Ridge High School was recognized Monday as an outstanding math teacher by President Barack Obama.

Vaughan is one of only 213 mathematics and science teachers from across the country and U.S. territories who received the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

The awardees represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity schools. The educators will receive their awards at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on September 8.

Vaughan was named in the Grades 7-12 Award Cohort.

Nicole Resmondo, a science teacher at Gresham Middle School in Knoxville, was named in the Grades K-6 Award Cohort.

A total of four teachers were recognized in Tennessee in the two cohorts.  [Read more…]

Eight candidates for City Council, three for School Board, 20 for Charter Commission

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Note: This story was last updated at 1:40 p.m.

There are eight candidates who qualified to run for three seats on Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election, and three candidates qualified for two seats on Oak Ridge Board of Education. There are also 20 candidates for eight seats on a new Anderson County Charter Commission.

Here are the Oak Ridge City Council candidates (elect three):

  • Jim Dodson
  • Wende Doolittle
  • Anne Garcia Garland
  • L.C. “Charlie” Hensley
  • Charles “Chuck” Hope Jr.
  • Joseph Lee
  • Mark LeNoir
  • Hans Vogel

Current City Council member Trina Baughn will not be on the ballot. Hensley and Hope are incumbents. Garcia Garland is a former Council member.

The City Council has seven members who serve staggered terms, meaning the other four seats are up for election in November 2018.

Here are the Board of Education candidates (elect two): [Read more…]

Knoxville Film Festival to screen ‘The Clinton 12’

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The Clinton 12

The Fourth Annual Knoxville Film Festival will present a special screening of the acclaimed documentary film “The Clinton 12” on Sunday, August 28, at 3 p.m. at the Regal Downtown West Cinema 8 in Knoxville. The screening is in honor of the 60th anniversary of the integration of Clinton High School in Clinton and the 10th anniversary of both the film and the opening of the Green McAdoo Cultural Center in Clinton.

Narrated by award-winning actor James Earl Jones, “The Clinton 12” tells the compelling story of the integration of the first public high school in the South as a result of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, a press release said. The title refers to the 12 black teenagers who, in the fall of 1956, were forced to attend the all-white high school in Clinton, Tennessee.

“The Knoxville Film Festival is proud to bring this story to our audience,” said Keith McDaniel, director of “The Clinton 12” and co-founder/executive director of the Knoxville Film Festival. “This has been, and continues to be, an important story about courage and determination. We want to make sure all East Tennesseans have an opportunity to see this film, and it is our pleasure to honor those who carried the torch of equality and changed our nation.” [Read more…]

Photo: Oak Ridge cheerleaders check presentation

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The Oak Ridge cheerleaders recently posed with management representatives and "Lucky" from the Time to Shine Car Wash of Oak Ridge for a check presentation in the amount of $5,361.26 following a very successful fundraising event. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge cheerleaders recently posed with management representatives and “Lucky” from the Time to Shine Car Wash of Oak Ridge for a check presentation in the amount of $5,361.26 following a very successful fundraising event. (Submitted photo)

Community meeting on Student Activities Center at CHS

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Information from WYSH Radio

A public meeting will be held in the Clinton High School auditorium at 6 p.m. August 22 to provide information regarding the Student Activities Center planned at Clinton High School. The center is often referred to as a “multi-sports complex.”

The meeting could be of interest to community members who want to know more about where the project will be located, the uses of the building, and the status of the fundraising effort. Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions, so if you are a curious Clinton Dragon fan, you should attend and learn more about the ambitious project.

WYSH Radio is an Oak Ridge Today news partner.

New Oak Ridge Schools website goes live next weekend—you can preview it now

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Oak Ridge Schools will have a new website starting next weekend, and you can preview the site now.

The new website is a district-wide website, meaning the individual schools’ websites won’t change for now.

The new district website is being created by local designers from Girl on the Roof, a press release said.

“We anticipate the updated user experience will be much more inviting for families to engage with our daily communication tools, including calendars, blog posts, and social media feeds,” the press release said.

You can preview the new website here: http://orschools.wpengine.com/. [Read more…]

Heat index at 105 on Friday, so ORHS WildBand has preview show tonight at Blankenship

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Oak Ridge High School WildBand July 2016

The Oak Ridge High School WildBand practices at Alvin K. Bissell Park in July 2016, preparing for a preview show at Blankenship Field on Thursday, July 21, 2016. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The heat index for the traditional Friday preview is forecast to be over 100 degrees, so the Oak Ridge High School WildBand is going to have its preview tonight, Thursday, July 21, on Blankenship Field.

Step off time will be 9 p.m. today.

“Since the heat index for our traditional Friday event is going to be 105 degrees plus, the WildBand is going to kick off ‘Beatlemania’ a day early and in the cool of the evening,” a press release said. “Please come and enjoy the free show under the lights at Blankenship.”

The 2016 Oak Ridge High School Band is presenting “Beatles in Blue” for their Fall Marching Show. Tunes include “Magical Mystery Tour,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Good Day Sunshine,” “Norweigan Wood,” and “Hey Jude.” [Read more…]

School board rescue: Bell saves life of Martin

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Don Bell

Don Bell

Don Bell, an Anderson County School Board member, used his Red Cross training and the Heimlich maneuver to save the life of Gail Martin, a former School Board member, during a recent meal at Applebee’s in Oak Ridge.

Bell was honored by the Anderson County Board of Education on Thursday. He has also been recognized at Anderson County Commission meetings.

On Thursday, Bell said Martin choked on a piece of steak during the meal at Applebee’s about a month-and-a-half ago. She grabbed her throat and started turning blue, Bell said.

Bell had taken Red Cross training near the end of his career at Oak Ridge Schools. He is certified in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, an emergency technique that uses abdominal thrusts to help clear someone’s airway. [Read more…]