Oak Ridge Today

Application deadline extended for city boards, commissions

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The deadline to apply to serve on city boards and commissions has been extended to December 31.

This year’s process is similar to previous years in that interested residents must complete a Boards and Commissions application and may attach additional documents that includes cover letters, references, and resumes. The application allows residents to choose and rank their top three board choices for membership consideration.

The application is available on the City’s website at www.oakridgetn.gov. Applications are also available in the City Clerk’s Office, Room Number 109, in the Municipal Building, located at 200 South Tulane Avenue. [Read more…]

Photos: Welcome home for Afghanistan vet

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Oak Ridge Fire Department Tower Truck

The Oak Ridge Fire Department and its tower truck help welcome home an Afghanistan veteran on Saturday. (Pictures by Tom Scott)

 

The Oak Ridge community and the Oak Ridge Fire Department welcomed Sgt. Charles Dozema upon his return from a nine-month tour in Afghanistan at the intersection of the Oak Ridge Turnpike on Saturday afternoon.

Here are a few pictures by Tom Scott. [Read more…]

Reminder: Clinton, Oak Ridge Christmas parades tonight

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Clinton Christmas Parade First Place

A float by Second Baptist Church featuring a large sleigh and reindeer won first place in the Dec. 1, 2012, Christmas parade in Clinton. (File photo courtesy of Janet Hawkins)

 

The Oak Ridge and Clinton Christmas parades are both scheduled to start at 6 p.m. today (Saturday, December 13).

The Clinton parade is organized by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce. Floats and parade vehicles will follow a route from the old train depot on Market Street through Historic Downtown Clinton, then left on North Main and continue on just past the Anderson County Courthouse, and make a right onto West Broad Street.

Several downtown area streets will be closed during the parade activity. If you are planning to travel through Clinton on Saturday evening, your best option would be to stay on the four lane Charles G. Seivers Boulevard. [Read more…]

Senate passes Manhattan Project park bill that includes Oak Ridge

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Manhattan Project Park Sites

Note: This story was last updated at 11 a.m. Dec. 14.

House approved bill last week; legislation now headed to President Obama

After years of work, the U.S. Senate has passed a bill to set up a Manhattan Project National Historical Park that includes Oak Ridge, a once-secret city that played a key role in ending World War II. The legislation passed the U.S. House last week, and it now goes to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it into law.

Besides Oak Ridge, the park will include Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington. Those two cities were also part of the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal program to develop the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II. [Read more…]

Apply for literacy grants from Altrusa, Breakfast Rotary by Dec. 31

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There is a December 31 deadline for grant applications for work that will improve literacy in Oak Ridge and Anderson and Roane counties.

The application deadline was announced this week by Altrusa International of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. Applications and award criteria may be found on the Altrusa International website at www.oakridge.altrusa.org/What-We-Do/Literacy.aspx or the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club website at www.orbrc.org.

“Lack of literacy skills continues to be a serious problem in the lives of many of our East Tennessee neighbors and for many throughout the world,” a press release said. “Non-readers and below-grade readers cannot realize their full potential in life, which in turn adversely affects our local and national economies and society in general.” [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from Dec. 12-17

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge from Friday, December 12, and continuing through December 17.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

Letter: Asks Council, BOE to work together to approve, fund Preschool plan

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To the Editor:

We have a unique opportunity for this community to come together, not just for the good of the schools, but for the good of the people.

The Oak Ridge school system is a big draw for newcomers to the area. When our family chose to relocate to East Tennessee, the Oak Ridge school’s reputation was a large factor in purchasing a home here and joining this community. As our oldest moves through elementary school, I can say this was the best decision for our family.

Oak Ridge is filled with teachers who truly care for their students. And, the Preschool is no different.

The Oak Ridge Preschool is an essential, irreplaceable entity that serves so many families. Two of my children have had the privilege of attending the Preschool and growing through the care of the teachers and staff. [Read more…]

Author Diane Fanning to sign ‘Scandal in the Secret City’ books at AMSE

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Diane Fanning

Diane Fanning

Author Diane Fanning will sign copies of her latest novel “Scandal in the Secret City” on Saturday at the American Museum of Science and Energy.

Fanning will be the museum, located at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge, from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, December 6.

Here is more information from an AMSE press release:

Eastern Tennessee is an area filled with the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, clear creeks, and vibrant cities like Knoxville and Chattanooga. In 1942, the U.S. government selected a rural area between the ridges to create the “Secret City” (what is now Oak Ridge). The location was quickly built to develop materials for the Manhattan Project and the purification of uranium for use in the bomb that eventually fell on Hiroshima. [Read more…]

ORPD accepting applications for Citizen’s Police Academy

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The Oak Ridge Police Department will be accepting applications for the Citizen’s Police Academy, which will begin on January 15, 2015, and run through March 19, 2015.

The Citizen’s Police Academy allows citizens to learn about how the Oak Ridge Police Department is organized and how it functions, a press release said. It also provides an improved understanding of the challenges in serving and protecting the community, the release said.

The academy requires a 10-week commitment from the participants and will be held one night a week on Thursdays beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 9 p.m.

“The goal of the Citizen’s Police Academy is to create and develop a nucleus of responsible and well-informed citizens who have an enhanced understanding of the Police Department and how it serves the City of Oak Ridge,” the release said. [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from Dec. 5-10

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge from Friday, December 5, and continuing through December 10.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

U.S. House passes Manhattan Project park bill that includes Oak Ridge

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann

Chuck Fleischmann

Note: This story was last updated at 8:30 p.m.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would create a Manhattan Project National Historical Park that would include Oak Ridge, federal officials said Thursday afternoon.

Passage of the bill, pursued for years by historic preservationists, was announced by U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander and Representative Chuck Fleischmann, both Tennessee Republicans. It was an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which passed in a 300-119 vote.

The bill would designate three sites that were part of the World War II-era Manhattan Project. Besides Oak Ridge, the sites include Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington. The U.S. Senate is expected to pass the 2015 NDAA legislation without amendments before adjourning for the Christmas recess, perhaps as early as next week, according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that has helped lead efforts to establish the park for more than a decade.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs. Oak Ridge sites that would be included in the park are the Beta-3 racetracks and Alpha Calutron magnets at Y-12 National Security Complex and the K-25 Building site at the East Tennessee Technology Park. [Read more…]

Watson could be considered as president-elect of international management group

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson could be considered to become president-elect of the International City/County Management Association, or ICMA.

Watson is one of only 41 members across the world who qualify to serve as president, according to a November 24 memo to the Oak Ridge City Council. He could become the first ICMA president from Tennessee in the 100-year history of the organization.

The seven-member City Council on Monday is being asked to support Watson’s participation.

“If selected, he would be in line to become president of the professional association that represents 9,000 appointed city managers, administrators, and assistants from across the United States and the world,” said Michael W. Walker, executive director of the Tennessee City Management Association. [Read more…]