Oak Ridge Today

Civic Center indoor pool re-opens after equipment repair

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Indoor pool at Civic Center

All programs are back on schedule after crews had to replace a piece of equipment that controls the temperature of the water in the Oak Ridge Civic Center’s indoor pool. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

All programs are back on schedule after crews had to replace a piece of equipment that controls the temperature of the water in the Oak Ridge Civic Center’s indoor pool.

The pool was forced to close on Wednesday, January 4, but it re-opened at noon on Saturday, January 14, once crews were able to make the needed repairs. The new pool heater is more energy-efficient than the previous model, a press release said. The water was back up to its normal temperature of 83 degrees shortly after re-opening.

Here’s a list of some of the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department programs currently under way at the indoor pool facility: [Read more…]

Portion of Tuskegee Drive to close for repairs Wednesday

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The Oak Ridge Public Works Department will be performing road repairs on the gravel section of Tuskegee Drive beginning Wednesday, January 18, and lasting until Wednesday, January 25.

The work will require sections of the road to be closed on weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., weather permitting. Provisions will be made for residents to access their properties. There will be no through traffic during the closure. [Read more…]

City manager to discuss economic development at Lunch with League on Tuesday

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson will discuss what the city needs to do to stay competitive in today’s economic development market during a Tuesday lunch.

Watson will be at Lunch with the League from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, January 17, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Watson has been Oak Ridge city manager since August 2010. Before coming to Oak Ridge, he served as city manager of six cities in Texas, Montana, and Arizona. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration, a press release said. Watson has served in local government for more than 30 years. [Read more…]

Council to discuss new ‘city blueprint,’ golf course, building moves on Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge City Council is scheduled to discuss on Tuesday evening a new long-range development plan, or “city blueprint”; the city-owned Tennessee Centennial Golf Course; and moves of the administrative offices of the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department and the Oak Ridge Senior Center.

The Tuesday evening meeting is an Oak Ridge City Council work session. It starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, January 17, in the Multipurpose Room at the Central Services Complex on Woodbury Lane. See the agenda here.

Learn more about a January 26 kickoff meeting for the city blueprint here. That’s a public meeting that starts at 4 p.m. at High Places Community Church in Grove Center. [Read more…]

Council approves $120,000 for city-owned golf course

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Centennial Golf Course Dec 10, 2015

The Tennessee Centennial Golf Course is pictured above in Oak Ridge on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council agreed in a 5-2 vote on Monday to provide $120,000 to continue operating the Tennessee Centennial Golf Course, which the city owns in east Oak Ridge off Edgemoor Road.

The request this year was smaller than it was in 2015, when Council approved a $325,000 transfer, but the golf course is still short of money needed to operate, despite all marketing efforts, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told City Council members in a memo before Monday’s meeting.

Most of the $120,000 in funding—or $70,024 of it—will be used for accounts payable. The rest will be used for cash flow and salaries, Watson said.

“The slow winter season now requires funding to pay necessary costs and salaries through the winter quarter (January-March 2017),” Watson said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge seeks community input for new ‘city blueprint’

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city-blueprint-kickoff-flyer

With your help, Oak Ridge officials want to develop a long-range development plan, or “city blueprint.”

There will be a kickoff meeting for the project on Thursday, January 26, at High Places Community Church in Grove Center.

“The last year has been an exciting period in Oak Ridge,” a press release said. “New commercial buildings are being constructed in the city center, improvements in our parks and trails are on the horizon, and the National Historic Park is beginning to take shape. The Oak Ridge Planning Commission—with input from other boards, commissions, and city leaders—has decided that it is time to begin crafting an updated long-range development plan, or ‘City Blueprint,’ which would provide guidance in future growth and decisions. During the creation of this guiding document, it will be vital to receive input on its focus and content from the people of Oak Ridge.” [Read more…]

Children’s Museum closed due to snow, city centers opened at noon

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The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is closed today (Saturday, January 7) due to the weather. The Amateur Radio Kids Day scheduled for this afternoon is canceled.

The museum will call those who had birthday parties scheduled for today to reschedule.

“The safety of our visitors and staff are important to us,” the Children’s Museum said.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson delayed the opening of the Civic Center, Scarboro Center, and Senior Center until noon. The library also opened at noon.

Weather cancellations, closings at schools, sporting events

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Snow was falling in Oak Ridge at noon Friday, and more was expected through Saturday morning. Schools and government offices have announced closures and early dismissals, and sporting events have been canceled.

Oak Ridge Schools said it has staff closely monitoring the weather and the roads. If a decision is made to dismiss early, a notification will be posted on Twitter and through Skylert.

The Oak Ridge-Halls basketball games scheduled for Friday night at Wildcat Arena have been canceled and rescheduled for Monday, January 23. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Senior Center moving to Civic Center this month

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Senior Center will move to the Oak Ridge Civic Center this month, officials said Thursday.

The Senior Center will be open at its current site on Emory Valley Road through Saturday, January 21, the City of Oak Ridge said in a Thursday press release.

The Senior Center will move to the Civic Center Recreation Building during the week of January 23 to January 28, and it will be closed to the public. [Read more…]

City Council to consider $120,000 for golf course

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Centennial Golf Course Dec 10, 2015

The Tennessee Centennial Golf Course is pictured above in east Oak Ridge on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider approving $120,000 to continue operating the Tennessee Centennial Golf Course in east Oak Ridge off Edgemoor Road.

The request comes about one year after Council approved, in a 6-1 vote, a $325,000 transfer for operations at the golf course. About $225,000 of that transfer, a cash infusion, was for outstanding accounts payable, including for expenses that included clothing in the pro shop, a management fee, fertilizer, and irrigation costs. Another $100,000 was operational funding for the winter, including maintenance of the greens.

The request is smaller this year, but the golf course is still short of money needed to operate, despite all marketing efforts, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said in a Wednesday memo to City Council members.

“The slow winter season now requires funding to pay necessary costs and salaries through the winter quarter (January-March 2017),” Watson said.

Most of the $120,000 in funding—or $70,024 of it—would be used for accounts payable. The rest would be used for cash flow and salaries, Watson said. [Read more…]

City Council to consider elections, appointments to 23 boards, commissions

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oak-ridge-city-council-december-2016

The Oak Ridge City Council is pictured above in December 2016. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider elections and appointments to 23 boards and commissions during its Monday night meeting.

The boards and commissions include the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Industrial Development Board, Land Bank Corporation, and Beer Permit Board, among others.

The Monday meeting starts at 7 p.m. January 9 in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue. You can see the agenda here. See information about the elections and appointments here.

Senior Advisory Board to continue discussing move to Civic Center

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The Oak Ridge Senior Advisory Board on Monday is scheduled to continue discussing the move of the Oak Ridge Senior Center to the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. Monday, January 9, in Room 54 of the Senior Center, which is at 728 Emory Valley Road.

See previous story here.