Oak Ridge Today

Secret City Festival: ORHPA has history exhibit at Midtown Community Center on Friday, Saturday

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The first 100 visitors to the History Exhibit at the Midtown Community Center on Friday, June 2, 2017, and Saturday, June 3, 2017, get a free 43-page Pocket Guide from the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. (Submitted photo)

The first 100 visitors to the History Exhibit at the Midtown Community Center on Friday, June 2, 2017, and Saturday, June 3, 2017, get a free 43-page Pocket Guide from the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

Bring the family by the historic Midtown Community Center next to Kroger from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, June 2, and Saturday, June 3, during the Secret City Festival—to enjoy the fascinating story behind the creation of U.S. Department of Energy’s nuclear complex and the City of Oak Ridge. The Midtown Center is located at 102 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge.

As a special treat, the first 100 visitors on each day will get a free Manhattan Project Secret City pocket guide from the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association.

The pocket guide, a $5 value, has 43 pages packed with “Wow-Facts” and photos on early Oak Ridge and the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, a press release said. The guide also includes a map of historical locations in the city and a driving tour.

This year is the 75th anniversary of both the DOE nuclear complex and the “Secret City” of Oak Ridge. Both were created by the federal government in the difficult year following the Pearl Harbor attack, 1942, during the super-secret Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was President Roosevelt’s effort to build the very first atomic bomb and end World War II. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project National Historical Park to welcome new U.S. citizens in Oak Ridge in June

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National Park Service Logo

The National Park Service and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service will partner to hold a naturalization ceremony for new United States citizens on Friday, June 16. The ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. June 16 at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. The public is invited to witness the ceremony, a press release said.

Chief United States District Judge Thomas A. Varlan will preside. Amanda North and Natasha Loyd from Oak Ridge High School will sing the national anthem. The Oak Ridge Police Department will provide the presentation of colors.

“National parks aren’t just about scenic beauty,” said Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas. “Rather, they also represent sites of conscience, and commemoration. These sites serve as the standard-bearers of our shared history and what it means to be American. As you contemplate what it means to be an American citizen and these places that you now own, I would ask you to also play a role in protecting them and preserving them. Get out and explore.” [Read more…]

Manhattan Project public program: Ride with a ranger, learn about Oak Ridge history on Saturday

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Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway in Oak Ridge to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present a free program at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2017. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

You can join a park ranger for a bicycle ride and learn more about the history of Oak Ridge on Melton Lake Greenway on Saturday morning, May 13, 2017. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

 

You can join a park ranger for a bicycle ride and learn more about the history of Oak Ridge on Melton Lake Greenway on Saturday morning.

The free program is presented by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. It will start at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, at Elza Gate Park, former entry point to the “Secret City,” and continue down Melton Lake Greenway.

“Rangers will stop several times along the bike ride to point out the rich history that is found within the Oak Ridge area,” a press release said. [Read more…]

HonorAir Flight brings Manhattan Project veterans from Oak Ridge to DC

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Honor Flight 2017 Manhattan Project Veterans Velva Irwin Hugh Barnett Sarah Archer Louise Keaton

On April 5, 2017, Atomic Heritage Foundation staff enjoyed meeting four Manhattan Project veterans from Oak Ridge who participated in an HonorAir Flight Knoxville program. The veterans were Velva Irwin, Hugh Barnett, Sarah Archer, and Louise Keaton. (Photo courtesy Atomic Heritage Foundation)

 

Story and photos courtesy Atomic Heritage Foundation

On April 5, 2017, Atomic Heritage Foundation (AHF) staff enjoyed meeting four Manhattan Project veterans from Oak Ridge who participated in an HonorAir Flight Knoxville program. The veterans were Velva Irwin, Hugh Barnett, Sarah Archer, and Louise Keaton.

Honor Flights, organized by nonprofits around the country, bring World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the national memorials that pay tribute to their sacrifices. This flight, the 23rd organized by HonorAir Knoxville, carried more than 130 veterans from East Tennessee, including 22 World War II veterans. After arriving in Washington, D.C., the veterans visited the United States Air Force Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the National World War II Memorial, the Marine Corps Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery.

AHF’s Cindy Kelly, Alexandra Levy, and Nathaniel Weisenberg met the veterans after they came off the bus at the National World War II Memorial. The AHF enjoyed speaking with Hugh, Velva, Sarah, and Louise about their Manhattan Project experiences. The organization took photographs and presented each of them with a Manhattan Project National Historical Park T-shirt featuring Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Not clear yet where National Park Service will go when AMSE closes

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former-sears-roebuck-co-oak-ridge-jan-2-2017-web

An agreement signed Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, by the U.S. Department of Energy and City of Oak Ridge calls for the American Museum of Science and Energy missions to be relocated within about one year to 18,000 square feet of space in a two-story building that once housed a Sears Roebuck store next to JCPenney at Main Street Oak Ridge. It’s not yet clear if the National Park Service, which has shared space with AMSE, will also move into this building. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

It’s not clear yet where the National Park Service will go when the American Museum of Science and Energy building closes at the end of the year, but a federal official said the Park Service will stay in Oak Ridge.

It could relocate to a two-story building that once housed Sears Roebuck at Main Street Oak Ridge, the former Oak Ridge Mall. That’s where the U.S. Department of Energy’s public education and outreach missions, now housed at the American Museum of Science and Energy, are moving.

But the National Park Service hadn’t committed to moving there as of April 17, said Niki Nicholas, site manager of the Oak Ridge unit of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The NPS needs more information, Nicholas said in response to questions after a Monday afternoon presentation to AAUW, or American Association of University Women. (A reader had told Oak Ridge Today of an April 17 letter reportedly sent from the Manhattan Project National Historical Park to federal officials at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which manages AMSE.)

Nicholas said the National Park Service has several options in Oak Ridge, including Main Street Oak Ridge. But she declined to elaborate on the precise number of options, where they might be, or what organizations or businesses might be co-located in those buildings. [Read more…]

Bike with a Ranger on the North Boundary Greenway on Saturday

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Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway in Oak Ridge to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present a free program at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2017. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway in Oak Ridge to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present the free program at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2017. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

 

You can join a National Park Service park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years.

It’s a free program by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, and it will start at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 29. The program will begin at the Turnpike Gatehouse and travel down Quarry Trail, a press release said

“Along the ride, we will explore the former communities that were here before the Manhattan Project,” the press release said. “Rangers will stop several times along the bike ride to point out the rich history that is found within the Oak Ridge area.”

The Turnpike Gatehouse is located at 2900 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. Tennessee state law requires that bicycle operators under 16 years of age must wear a helmet, and child passengers under 40 pounds or 40 inches must be seated and secured in a child restraining seat or bicycle trailer, the press release said. [Read more…]

Learn more about total solar eclipse during Dick Smyser Community Lecture in May

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Photo courtesy National Weather Service

Photo courtesy National Park Service

 

Educator Chap Percival will discuss the upcoming August 21 solar eclipse during a May 18 lecture in Oak Ridge.

Percival will be the featured speaker at this year’s Annual Dick Smyser Community Lecture Series.

The free lecture is scheduled for Thursday, May 18, at the American Museum of Science and Energy, which is at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge. A reception will be held in the museum lobby starting at 5:30 p.m., and the lecture will start at 6 p.m. in the museum auditorium.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, blocking at least part of the sun as viewed from some areas of Earth. During a total solar eclipse, the moon completely obscures the sun so that only the sun’s corona is visible for a moment in time.  On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will be visible along a roughly 67-mile-wide path across the United States, from Oregon to South Carolina, a press release said. [Read more…]

Acting Oak Ridge site manager of Manhattan Project park to give info, ask for input Monday

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Niki Nicholas

Niki Nicholas

 

The acting site manager of the Oak Ridge unit of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present information on the park and ask for input about the project during a meeting on Monday.

Besides being acting site manager of the Oak Ridge park unit, Niki Stephanie Nicholas is also superintendent of both the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and the Obed Wild and Scenic River.

The Monday meeting is open to the public. It’s a general meeting of AAUW (American Association of University Women), and it’s scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 24, in Room 102 at First Presbyterian Church.

A soup and sandwich luncheon, catered by The Soup Kitchen, will be served at 11:30 a.m., with the program beginning at noon, a press release said. The cost for the lunch is $8. There will be cookies and iced tea and coffee also. Reservations may be made by calling Mary Uziel at (865) 483-1043. Reservations are asked for those also who plan to bring a sack lunch to ensure adequate seating for the program. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project program: Celebrate National Junior Ranger Day at AMSE on April 15

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MAPR JR RANGER

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park encourages families to visit the park this week as part of National Park Week.

“Kids of all ages are invited to come learn how to explore, learn, and protect your national park on April 15, and become an official Junior Ranger,” a National Park Service press release said.

Visit https://www.nps.gov/mapr/oakridge.htm for a preview of the planned activities.

All participants will receive Junior Ranger badges or patches and a certificate upon completion of the program, the press release said. Junior Ranger activity guides may be obtained at the park visitor desk located in the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

“The program is designed for kids ages 8 to 12 years old, but is available to anyone young at heart,” the press release said. “Come out to explore, learn, and protect your national park.” [Read more…]

Anderson County Commission allocates $10,000 to Friendship Bell fund drive

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Anderson County Commissioners present a $10,000 check for the new Peace Pavilion to house the International Friendship Bell to Shigeko Uppuluri, left, and Pat Postma, right. Commissioners are Theresa Scott and Steve Emert, Commission chair, front; and in back from left, Jerry Creasey, Myron Iwanski, Phil Yager, Whitey Hitchcock, and Steve Mead. (Submitted photo)

Anderson County Commissioners present a $10,000 check for the new Peace Pavilion to house the International Friendship Bell to Shigeko Uppuluri, left, and Pat Postma, right. Commissioners are Theresa Scott and Steve Emert, Commission chair, front center; and in back from left, Jerry Creasey, Myron Iwanski, Phil Yager, Whitey Hitchcock, and Steve Mead. (Submitted photo)

 

Several Anderson County Commissioners recently gathered at the International Friendship Bell in Oak Ridge to present a $10,000 check for the new Peace Pavilion that will become the Bell’s new home in Bissell Park.

The Commission voted unanimously earlier this year to allocate $10,000 to help replace the pavilion housing the Bell after structural beams in the original pavilion deteriorated and the structure had to be demolished in 2014.

“We have to preserve the Bell,” said County Commission Chair Steve Emert. “It is important for tourism, for history, and especially for its message of friendship.”

“The Bell will be a key part of the story that the Manhattan Project National Historical Park is going to tell. This benefits the whole county, not just Oak Ridge,” added County Commissioner Myron Iwanski. [Read more…]

Weaver presents program on African-American involvement in Manhattan Project to Oak Ridge youth

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On February 22, in honor of Black History Month, Rose Weaver, in conjunction with Manhattan Project National Historical Park, presented an informative program on African-American involvement in the Manhattan Project and the creation of the “Secret City.” (Photo courtesy Manhattan Project National Historical Park)

On February 22, in honor of Black History Month, Rose Weaver, in conjunction with Manhattan Project National Historical Park, presented an informative program on African-American involvement in the Manhattan Project and the creation of the “Secret City.” (Photo courtesy Manhattan Project National Historical Park)

 

On February 22, in honor of Black History Month, Rose Weaver, in conjunction with Manhattan Project National Historical Park, presented an informative program on African-American involvement in the Manhattan Project and the creation of the “Secret City.”

Weaver is an active member of the Oak Ridge community and has a passion for preserving the history of the African-American presence since the city’s inception, a press release said. During the past 15 years, Weaver and her late brother, Terry Weaver, have been gathering oral histories and artifacts for a traveling exhibit to tell the stories of the rich history of Oak Ridge and to share with area youth.

She gave her program to a group of 20 young girls at Girls Inc. in Oak Ridge, the press release said. The girls are participating in a year-long educational program called Parks in Focus. The goal of the program is to educate the youths about the natural/cultural history of the area as well as basic photography skills. [Read more…]

Recent ORAU annual meeting highlighted compliance complexity in higher education

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Federal regulations require diligence from academic institutions

Colleges and universities face many complex issues as they navigate the growing number of federal regulations. Institutions of higher education spend considerable financial resources to stay in compliance. Speakers at the 72nd annual meeting of the ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions clarified select regulations and presented practical solutions for overcoming hurdles.

The recent two-day meeting hosted by ORAU at Pollard Technology Conference Center involved nearly 150 attendees, and speakers addressed regulatory reform to compliance processes.

Keynote speaker Brett Sweet, vice chancellor for finance and chief financial officer of Vanderbilt University, observed the substantial increase in the magnitude of federal regulations since the 1950s and noted the administrative and enforcement expenses tied to these regulations.

“While some regulation is valuable, compliance and reporting add a material cost burden to post-secondary education. This is especially true for research institutions,” Sweet said. [Read more…]