Oak Ridge Today

UT Arboretum Society has spring wildflower walk on Saturday, April 13

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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have a meet and greet followed by a spring wildflower walk at Haw Ridge Park on Saturday, May 5, 2018. Kris Light, an expert naturalist, educator, and photographer, will lead this fun, educational, and easy walk, a press release said. (Submitted photo)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have a meet and greet followed by a spring wildflower walk at Haw Ridge Park on Saturday, April 13, 2019. Kris Light, an expert naturalist, educator, and photographer, will lead this fun, educational, and easy walk, a press release said. (Submitted file photo)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have a meet-and-greet followed by a spring wildflower walk on Saturday, April 13. The event is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. at Haw Ridge Park on Edgemoor Road in Oak Ridge.

Participants are asked to meet at the parking lot, which is at the west end of the park next to the kiosk, near the Soccer Trail, a press release said. The walk is free and open to the public. Kris Light—an expert naturalist, educator, and photographer—will lead this fun, educational, and easy walk, the press release said.

Participants may want to bring a camera to take pictures of the many wildflowers on the grounds. If participants have a wildflower book, Kris suggests bringing that as well, the release said. [Read more…]

ORAU promotes Lokitz to VP, general counsel

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Rachel Lokitz

Rachel Lokitz

Rachel Lokitz, interim general counsel and corporate secretary for ORAU, has been promoted to vice president and general counsel.

In her new role, Lokitz provides ORAU’s programs and internal business clients with counsel concerning legal rights, contractual obligations, compliance, and risk.

“We are excited for Rachel to take on this new role at ORAU. Her accomplished legal expertise combined with her extensive business management and teamwork skills has made Rachel a critical asset for our organization. We all congratulate her and will look forward to continue working with her in this new position,” said Andy Page, president and chief executive officer. [Read more…]

Unique partnership helps Y-12 employee Chris Borum pursue a new path

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Chris Borum

Chris Borum

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Chris Borum, for more than 16 years a security guard at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, said it was time for a change.

As the years passed, he worried he might not be able to meet rigorous annual physical qualifications for his job at the nuclear weapons facility.

Borum, a Kingston resident, said he wanted to stay at Y-12 and eventually retire from there, “but I wanted to leave on my own terms.”

So when a job posting for a material handler was posted on the Y-12’s Intranet, he went for it. [Read more…]

Beckendorf-Edou of OR Schools selected as superintendent of Washington district

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Tracey Beckendorf-Edou

Tracey Beckendorf-Edou

 

Tracey Beckendorf-Edou of Oak Ridge Schools has accepted the position of superintendent of Cascade School District in Washington state, pending successful contract negotiations, starting in the 2019-2020 school year, a press release said.

Beckendorf-Edou is currently the executive director of teaching and learning for Oak Ridge Schools. She has worked for Oak Ridge Schools since the 2012-2013 school year, the press release said.

Beckendorf-Edou and her husband Kirk have been residents of Oak Ridge since 2010. Before she worked for Oak Ridge Schools, Beckendorf-Edou worked for ORAU, the press release said.

“Tracey thanks Bruce Borchers, the School Board, the entire staff of Oak Ridge Schools, and the Oak Ridge community for their support and friendship,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Planning Commission to consider City Blueprint

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The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the Oak Ridge City Blueprint during a meeting this evening (Thursday, March 21).

The Blueprint is meant to be a citywide vision and guide for future growth and development in Oak Ridge. It identifies the important issues that affect the community, desired goals and outcomes, and action steps that can be prioritized by city leaders each year, based on resources, according to the City of Oak Ridge.

After being considered by Planning Commission, the Blueprint will be considered by the Oak Ridge City Council.

The Blueprint has been developed in a planning process that lasted more than two years and started in January 2017. [Read more…]

Trust Company, trusts to be discussed Monday

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Kim Cochrane

Kim Cochrane

 

Submitted

Kim Cochrane, vice president and trust officer at the Trust Company in Knoxville, will speak at the AAUW, Oak Ridge Branch, luncheon meeting on Monday, March 25. The meeting will be at the First Presbyterian Church, Room 102, Activities Building. Cochrane’s topic will be “Who is the Trust Company and What is a Trust?”

Cochrane works with wealth management and personal trust clients with an emphasis on special needs trust and trust administration, a press release said. She received her bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Appalachian State University and completed accounting studies at Old Dominion University. She is a certified trust and financial adviser, as well as a certified public accountant licensed in both Tennessee and South Carolina. She is a member of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Knoxville Estate Planning Council, the press release said.

A luncheon of soup, sandwiches, and dessert will be catered by the Soup Kitchen at a cost of $8 and will be served at 11:30 a.m. The program will begin at noon Monday. Reservations may be made by calling Mary Uziel at (865) 483-1043. Those who choose to bring a lunch should still call to reserve seating at the meeting. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project: Ranger walk in Jackson Square area on Wednesday

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Submitted photo

Submitted photo

 

Join a National Park Service park ranger for a ranger-led walk in the Jackson Square area on Wednesday.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present this free program at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 3. The program will begin at Jackson Square just outside the Oak Ridge Playhouse. The walk will be about one half mile, so wear comfortable walking shoes, a press release said.

The stops will include the tennis courts, the Guesthouse, and the Chapel on the Hill. There will be stories about the development and significance of each site, the press release said. [Read more…]

Funeral is Saturday for Williams, who fought to integrate CHS in 1956

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Alfred Williams

Alfred Williams

 

Alfred Williams, one of the Clinton 12 students who fought for the integration of Clinton High School in 1956, died Thursday, March 14. He was 83. His funeral is Saturday.

“On behalf of the Green McAdoo Cultural Organization, the City of Clinton, and the State of Tennessee, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr. Alfred Williams,” Green McAdoo Cultural Organization said in a statement. “Alfred passed away at The Waters Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility on March 14, 2019, surrounded by family. He was one of the Clinton 12 students that fought for the integration of Clinton High School in 1956, blazing a trail for all black students to achieve equal education under the law. He went on to work in the city school system and became one of the friendly faces of Clinton Elementary School and the ‘candy man’ until his retirement. He will be missed by family, friends, and all those blessed to know him.” [Read more…]

Faith & science lecture in April on archaeology of Israelite women

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Erin Darby

Erin Darby

 

Were the women depicted in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible more than mothers of the children of Israel? Did they contribute to Israelite tribal survival by experimenting with food plants and seeds, shearing wool and weaving cloth, making pots and devising ways to cook, preserve, and store food? And what about their religious lives?

The second talk in the First Presbyterian–First United Methodist Church Faith-and-Science Lecture Series will be on “The Archaeology of Women in Ancient Israel.” The lecture will be presented by Erin Darby, associate professor of religious studies and co-director of the ‘Ayn Gharandal Archaeological Project at the University of Tennessee.

Darby will deliver her lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, in the fellowship hall of the sanctuary building of First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Refreshments will be served, a press release said. [Read more…]

Battle of the Badges blood drive is Friday

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BATTLE OF THE BADGES MEDIC flyer

The Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Fire Department will be competing on Friday as part of the Battle of the Badges MEDIC blood drive benefiting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

The blood drive is scheduled for Friday, March 22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Civic Center, located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Donations for Broc Selby, a Children’s Hospital patient and grandson of an ORPD officer, are still being accepted, a press release said. All other donations will directly benefit other children in medical need.

“Everyone is invited to support our local first responders in saving lives,” the press release said. All donors will receive a free T-shirt and restaurant coupon from MEDIC.

Questions about the blood drive can be directed to MEDIC Regional Blood Center at (865) 524-3074 or the Oak Ridge Police Department at (865) 425-3514.

Tennessee Mountain Writers Conference is in Oak Ridge in April

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Tennessee Mountain Writers will celebrate their 31st Annual Conference with the theme “Just Write” from Thursday, April 4, to Saturday, April 6.

The conference will be at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge. It will include workshops, writing contests, networking, manuscript evaluations, publishers, editors, book signings, a bookstore, vendors, and more, a press release said. [Read more…]

Next Breakfast with Legislators is Monday

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McNally-Ragan-Calfee-at-Breakfast-with-Legislators-April-25-2016

Pictured above at a Breakfast with the Legislators on April 25, 2016, are, from left, Tennessee Sen. Randy McNally, Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Kent Calfee. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge League of Women Voters will host Breakfast with the Legislators on Monday, March 25. The meeting will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. A free continental breakfast will be served, a press release said.

Tennessee senators Randy McNally and Ken Yager and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to speak about this session of the Tennessee General Assembly, and respond to questions and hear opinions from the audience, the press release said. The public is invited to attend.

“The popular community event offers firsthand information on upcoming legislation and House and Senate committee activities, while prompting dialogue among legislators and citizens, and providing a great networking opportunity for members of the community,” the release said. [Read more…]