Oak Ridge Today

Retired nuclear, power engineer running for City Council

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Pedro Otaduy

Pedro Otaduy

Pedro Otaduy, a retired nuclear and power engineer, is running for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 4 municipal election.

In a press release, Otaduy said he agrees with the current mayor, Tom Beehan, who is not seeking re-election, that “it is time for new leadership to take a fresh look at moving Oak Ridge forward.”

“I am a candidate because I care and feel strongly about the need for change in this city,” Otaduy said. “Fresh looks though, are not enough: Actions and new ideas are needed. Looking without a vision does not help either.”

Otaduy said he is a proud Oak Ridger, born a Basque with the gene of independence. [Read more…]

Repairs needed, school system considers three options for Preschool

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Oak Ridge Preschool and School Administration Building

The Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider three options for the Oak Ridge Schools Preschool on New York Avenue during a Monday night meeting. The building—which has lead paint that needs to be repaired, replaced, and painted, among other things—has to be renovated or vacated for the Head Start program to receive funding in the 2015-2016 school year.

 

It’s 70 years old and in need of repairs. Federal officials want it renovated or vacated by next year in order for the school system to continue to receive Head Start funding.

So, on Monday, the Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider what to do about the Oak Ridge Preschool, a building on New York Avenue that’s been on the repair wish list for years.

The school board will consider three options:

  • stay in the building and renovate it;
  • move the Preschool and its roughly 200 students to a different site, possibly by leasing space;
  • move the Preschool classes and split them up among the elementary schools.

There is one option that is not on the table, school officials said Thursday.

“We have no intention…of shutting down the Preschool in any form or fashion,” said Chris Marczak, Oak Ridge Schools assistant superintendent. [Read more…]

Council approves $1 million contract for Jackson Square parking lot project

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Jackson Square Plaza Improvements Map

Note: This story was updated at 11:35 a.m. Oct. 29.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday awarded a $1 million contract for a project funded with help from a state grant to rebuild the Jackson Square parking lot area.

The contract was awarded to Rich Construction Inc. of Lenoir City. Oak Ridge officials will have a pre-construction conference in 10 days, and they are hopeful that work will start in late November, City Manager Mark Watson said.

He said the project could take 180 days, or about six months. That means it would be done before the Lavender Festival in 2015.

The work will include a landscaped pedestrian plaza with parking, an interactive fountain, stone pavers, curbing, asphalt paving, utilities, benches, sidewalks, and upgrades under the American with Disabilities Act. There will a slight increase in the number of parking spaces. [Read more…]

OREA has ‘Meet the Candidates, Meet the Educators’ at ORHS today

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The Oak Ridge Education Association is having a “Meet the Candidates, Meet the Educators” event at the high school this afternoon.

It’s scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. today (Wednesday, October 22) at the Oak Ridge High School amphitheater.

“Because of the plethora of candidate forums in recent weeks (and the number of candidates), our event will not be so much a traditional candidate forum as much as a ‘conversation’ about public education,” a press release said. “Each candidate will have the opportunity to speak for three-five minutes on their views on educational issues pertinent to the office that he/she is seeking. Once each candidate has spoken, the event will transition into a ‘meet and greet,’ during which you can chat with individual candidates about questions that you have. [Read more…]

Guest column: Smith responds to Progress PAC endorsement

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Ellen Smith

Ellen Smith

By Ellen Smith

I was surprised and gratified by the recent news that the Progress PAC (the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce political action committee) endorsed my candidacy for City Council. To my dismay, several citizens have told me that this endorsement indicates that I have somehow “sold out” to the Chamber of Commerce. I am writing to respond to their allegations.

The Progress PAC endorsement was a surprise to me because I have never been aligned with the Chamber, I have strongly opposed some Chamber initiatives in the past, and I am not shy about my support for principles like conservation of publicly owned open space and putting the interests of existing residents and owners ahead of the interests of new business development.

However, I respect the Chamber as the main representative of and advocate for a very important element of our community—and a group whose members and volunteers who are passionate about the future of Oak Ridge. We share many common goals and interests for this community, and if we are going to make progress as a community, it’s necessary for government, the business community, our nonprofit sector, and (ideally) all citizens to try to understand each other’s interests and needs and work together for the benefit of all. [Read more…]

Letter: Callison appreciates Progress PAC endorsement

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Kelly Callison

Kelly Callison

To the Editor:

I appreciate the endorsement from the Progress PAC and the support from a broad range of residents.

As I have campaigned across the city from Glenwood to West Hills to Woodland, the concerns are the same as those of the PAC: the desire for exceptional schools, quality housing, and retail and industrial growth. These are the things Oak Ridgers are concerned about, and I intend to focus on these issues and bring the city together to move in a positive direction.

Kelly Callison

Oak Ridge City Council candidate

Council to discuss DOE funding, support tonight

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Oak Ridge City Council

The Oak Ridge City Council has a special meeting tonight to discuss U.S. Department of Energy support and funding. (File photo/August 2013)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council will discuss U.S. Department of Energy funding and support during a special meeting tonight. It’s described at least in part as an “information-gathering session.”

The special meeting was called by City Council members Trina Baughn and Charlie Hensley. Hensley, in particular, has raised questions about whether DOE is paying its fair share to the city.

Here’s the language outlining tonight’s discussion:

“to discuss and possibly take action on a plan to engage DOE officials with regards to their obligations to the City of Oak Ridge and its citizenry. Let it [the special meeting request] include formally requesting, in writing, a DOE Community Assistance Review as allowed within AECA 1955, PL 84-221, DOE Order 2100.12A, and other supporting legislation, including those self-sufficiency plans dating from 1980 through a Council Resolution and other joint local government collaborative action to include a specific date for a response.”

[Read more…]

Letter: Baughn endorses Garcia Garland

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

To the Editor:

This election cycle, some candidates have characterized City Council deliberations as combative or regressive. The truth is, however, that of the hundreds of decisions made every year by City Council, the majority are made by unanimous vote. The same is true of the Board of Education and our boards and commissions.

A well-balanced government should not be stacked with all like-minded people whose primary goal is to achieve harmony. Some might argue that unanimity, which should not be mistaken for progress, is what has gotten us into many of the messes we are in. No, an elected body should allow for all voices to have the opportunity to be heard and considered. [Read more…]

Garcia Garland running for re-election to City Council

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Anne Garcia Garland

Anne Garcia Garland

Oak Ridge City Council member Anne Garcia Garland is running for re-election in the November 4 municipal election.

In a press release, Garcia Garland said the City Council has now begun to function like a team, the vision she had for it when she was first elected.

“The five members who have been meeting to consider policy and long-term planning have begun to realize how much more can be accomplished in this way,” Garcia Garland said. “I believe that if we can do this as a Council, then we should be able to work in a similar manner with the Board of Education and move forward together.”

Actions by the city government have shown that TIFs (tax increment financing) are useful for investing in new businesses, and the growth of the Illinois Avenue corridor is healthy, Garcia Garland said. She said Council encouraged the Kroger development by changing zoning and permitting traffic signals, and that center inspired the investment in Oak Ridge by the new mall developers. [Read more…]

Savara has meet and greet this evening

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Aditya "Doc" Savara

Aditya “Doc” Savara

Aditya “Doc” Savara, a candidate for Oak Ridge City Council, has a meet-and-greet this evening.

“With so many people entering the race for Oak Ridge City Council, it’s helpful to have a chance to get your questions and issues heard,” Savara said.

The meet-and-greet is on East Drive between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. today (Sunday, October 19).

To RSVP and receive further details, send an email to docsavara@gmail.com.

Save the Date: Second public meeting on Clark Center Park on Oct. 27

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Clark Center Park Water View

A view of Melton Hill Lake near a boat ramp and between two picnic areas at Clark Center Park in south Oak Ridge.

 

The second public meeting on Clark Center Park will be held during the Oak Ridge City Council work session scheduled for Monday, October 27, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building at 200 South Tulane Avenue.

The first meeting was in August. The 80-acre park could be transferred from the U.S. Department of Energy to the city.

The DOE’s Oak Ridge Office is in the process of reviewing the agency’s land holdings across the Oak Ridge Reservation, including Clark Center Park (formerly known as Carbide Park). [Read more…]

Progress PAC endorses three each for City Council, BOE

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Kelly Callison

Kelly Callison

Ellen Smith

Ellen Smith

Warren L. Gooch

Warren L. Gooch

 

The new Progress PAC political action committee has endorsed three candidates each for Oak Ridge City Council and Oak Ridge Board of Education.

The three candidates endorsed in the City Council race are Kelly Callison, Warren Gooch, and Ellen Smith. The three endorsed in the School Board race are Bob Eby, Paige Marshall, and Laura McLean.

“PAC board members feel these candidates best support exceptional schools and jobs in Oak Ridge via teamwork between the Board of Education and City Council,” a press release said. [Read more…]