Oak Ridge Today

TVA will use natural river processes for ash from Kingston spill

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The Tennessee Valley Authority will rely on natural river processes and long-term monitoring to take care of ash in the Clinch and lower Emory rivers as part of the recovery from the 2008 coal ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant, a press release said.

The process, known as Monitored Natural Recovery, was the preferred option among several alternatives proposed to manage an estimated 500,000 cubic yards of remaining ash dispersed intermittently over more than 200 acres in the river system, the release said.

The alternatives were proposed in an Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis, which was released for public review and comment in August.

Here is more information from the press release:

TVA’s selection of Monitored Natural Recovery, also called EE/CA Alternative 1, is documented in an Action Memorandum released by the agency. It is based on extensive research, including human health and ecological risk assessments, and aligns with the majority of public comments received on the EE/CA alternatives.

The selection was also approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

Monitored Natural Recovery avoids disturbing legacy contaminants from past U.S. Department of Energy projects in the river system, provides the best balance with respect to effectiveness and implementation, and is the most cost-effective option for consumers of TVA power.

The release said the Action Memorandum has been posted to the Administrative Record for the Kingston Ash Recovery Project at www.tva.com/kingston. It also is available for review at the Kingston and Harriman public libraries.

TVA has encouraged the public to review and comment on the Action Memorandum from Nov. 9 through Dec. 8. Pertinent comments and their responses will be included in a Responsiveness Summary document and placed in the Administrative Record.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporation owned by the U.S. government, and it provides electricity for nine million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.

ORCMA holiday wreaths for sale

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Holiday Wreath

The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association is again taking advance orders for holiday wreaths made from fresh evergreens.

A traditional symbol of the holiday season, the wreaths are made of Fraser Fir (Southern Balsam). Proceeds from the sale are used in ORCMA’s long-standing commitment to the funding of local music organizations, a press release said.

The wreaths are made-to-order in sizes ranging from 14 inches to 32 inches, and in custom larger sizes as requested. Red or maroon velvet bows are also available by order. Prices for wreaths range from $17 to $30 and bows cost $7, the release said.

And, as in years past, people who would like to give a fresh wreath with a bow to a needy family through Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties can order one or more, and the Oak Ridge Chorus will deliver them to ADFAC for distribution.

Wreaths must be ordered by Wednesday, Nov. 21, and must be picked up on Saturday, Dec. 8, between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge. The First Presbyterian Church is located on the southeast corner of Lafayette Drive and Oak Ridge Turnpike. The wreaths will be in the Fellowship Hall.

Call Priscilla McKenney at (865) 482-5374 or Barbara Weber at (865) 463-8269 to order wreaths and bows, or to ask questions.

Two ORHS teams compete in Siemens Competition this week

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Two student teams from Oak Ridge High School will compete this week in the regional finals for the prestigious Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology.

The two teams include James Andress and A.J. Toth, and Kyoung-A Cho and Samantha Wang. The students worked with mentors at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop computer programs to help find protein mutations that suppress cancer and evaluate rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

“We were excited by the potential for machine learning to advance pharmaceutical development,” Andress said in a press release.

“My favorite part of working on this project was realizing that I could program, which I didn’t think I could do,” Wang said.

The two teams will compete in the regional finals at Georgia Institute of Technology on Friday and Saturday. A total of 93 students from 25 states are competing in six regional finals from California to Massachusetts this month.

The Siemens Competition is considered the nation’s premier research competition for high school students.

“These students have invested time, energy, and talent in tackling challenging scientific research at a young age,” Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, Siemens Foundation president, said in a recent press release. “The recognition they have won today demonstrates that engagement in STEM is an investment well worth making.”

The Siemens Competition awards one $3,000 prize to an individual and one $6,000 prize to a team at each regional competition. Winners of the regional events advance to the national finals at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., from Dec. 1-4, when $500,000 in scholarships will be awarded, including two top prizes of $100,000.

The Siemens Foundation said there were also 322 semifinalists announced this year. Local regional semifinalists included John Caughman III, Megan Kelly, and Patrick Williams.

The Siemens Foundation said 2,255 students from across the country participated in this year’s competition with a total of 1,504 projects.

Cathy Toth, mother of A.J. Toth, said Oak Ridge has won at nationals twice since 2008.

More than 600 register for Secret City Half Marathon, road closures scheduled

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Secret City Half Marathon

More than 600 runners have registered for the Secret City Half Marathon and Relay in Oak Ridge on Sunday, and some roads will be closed during the race. (Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Hundreds of runners from 20 states will compete in the Secret City Half Marathon and Relay in Oak Ridge on Sunday, and some roads will be closed during the race.

As of Monday, more than 600 runners were already registered, according to information from organizer Frank Chmielewicz.

The 8 a.m. Sunday race starts and ends at the National Fitness Center on Briarcliff Avenue.

Here are the race day road closures:

  • Emory Valley Road will be closed from about 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. between the Oak Ridge Marina and Briarcliff  Avenue.
  • Briarcliff Avenue will be closed between Emory Valley Road and Laboratory Road from 7:30-8:15 a.m.
  • One lane of Oak Ridge Turnpike traveling east will be closed.
  • Delays could be encountered on Melton Lake Drive due to runners crossing the street to run on the greenway.

The race is being organized by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau with help from the City of Oak Ridge, a press release said. The course includes Oak Ridge streets and greenways, including Melton Lake Greenway on the city’s waterfront.

The event includes a Secret City Half Marathon 4 Kids. This free 13.1-mile fun run is for children from first through sixth grade. It encourages children to exercise by giving them a fun and exciting goal, the release said.

By Sunday morning, participants will have run or walked a total of 12 miles. On race day, children will run the last 1.1 mile. All participants get an official race number, race shirt, and goody bag. Medals will be given to those children who are pre-registered and cross the finish line. The children’s log can be downloaded at http://secretcityhalfmarathon.com/register/half-marathon-4-kids.

For more information, visit http://secretcityhalfmarathon.com/ or the city’s website at www.oakridgetn.gov, or contact Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Josh Collins at (865) 425-3540.

Race proceeds benefit the Anderson County Child Advocacy Center, which helps children who have been victims or witnesses to physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other crimes.

There will be a Saturday evening pasta dinner before the race to raise money for the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge mayor, mayor pro tem seek re-appointment

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The city’s mayor and vice mayor are both seeking to be re-appointed to two-year terms when the new City Council meets on Dec. 10.

Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan and Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller have both written to their fellow City Council members, asking to be re-appointed. (Beehan’s letter is here, and Miller’s is here.)

The mayor and mayor pro tem are not elected by voters in Oak Ridge. Instead, they are appointed by the seven-member council after each regular municipal election.

A new council was elected Nov. 6. One on the incumbents, Ellen Smith, lost in her re-election run, and two other incumbents, Charlie Hensley and Chuck Hope, were re-elected. They will be joined by new council member Trina Baughn.

The mayor leads council meetings, serves as the ceremonial head of the city, and signs ordinances, resolutions, bonds, and contracts, among other things. The mayor votes at council meetings but has no veto power.

The mayor pro tem fills in for the mayor when the mayor is absent or disabled.

Beehan has been mayor since July 2007. Before that, he was mayor pro tem for six years.

Miller has been mayor pro tem since July 2007.

Beehan has been a council member since 2001, and Miller has served since 2003.

The other two council members are Anne Garcia Garland and David Mosby. Council members serve staggered four-year terms, so three are elected in one municipal election, and then, two years later, four more are elected.

The Dec. 10 council meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

New Jackson Square bank has grand opening Friday

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A new bank in Jackson Square will have a grand opening and open house on Friday.

The celebration at CapitalMark Bank and Trust will include an 11:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. The public is invited to visit any time during the day, and Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan and CapitalMark staff will attend the ribbon-cutting, a press release said.

For more information on CapitalMark Bank and Trust, visit www.capitalmark.com.

Oliver Springs undercover drug operation leads to 27 indictments

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The Oliver Springs Police Department has wrapped up a four-month undercover operation targeting illegal drug sales, and 27 people have been indicted on 56 charges, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton.

Thirteen of the suspects were indicted in Anderson County, and the remaining 14 in Roane County, WYSH said. Police say three of the suspects were indicted on charges related to the sale and delivery of marijuana while the rest centered on the sale and delivery of prescription drugs.

Last weekend, Oliver Springs police began rounding up the suspects and at last check had arrested 19 of them, WYSH said.

Two others were found incarcerated on unrelated charges, and six more are being sought.

This story brought to you through an agreement between Oak Ridge Today and WYSH. See more local news headlines on the WYSH website at http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.

Bird feeders to be installed at Melton Lake Park

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The city hopes to cut down on the number of people feeding bread to geese and ducks at Melton Lake Park by installing bird feeders this week.

The new coin-operated feeders will dispense a handful of high-protein pellets for $0.25, which can then be thrown into the Clinch River to feed the waterfowl, a city press release said.

The feeders are being installed on a trial basis by Vaulted Vending.

The press release said Oak Ridge officials have discouraged bird feeding because the waterfowl create a mess and bread can be harmful to them. Feeding them the wrong kind of food can also make them more aggressive.

“We hope the new feeders will eliminate the harmful bread from the bird’s diet and will also move the birds away from the picnic facilities at the park,” said Josh Collins, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director.

The press release said the installation of the new feeders could also produce some money to be used for park improvements.

“These feeders have been successful in numerous other communities that have large populations of geese and ducks,” the release said.

For more information, contact Collins at (865) 425-3450 or visit the city’s website at www.oakridgetn.gov.

World’s fastest supercomputer at ORNL more about research than rankings

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Titan Supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is now ranked as the world’s fastest. (Photo courtesy of ORNL)

The No. 1 ranking for the new Titan supercomputer, designating it as the most powerful in the world, was clearly appreciated in East Tennessee on Monday.

But even as they celebrated a return to the top spot, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where the giant computer is based, said they are focused more on research than rankings.

“We love being No. 1,” said Bronson Messer, acting group leader for scientific computing at the National Center for Computational Science at ORNL. “It’s great recognition. But what really matters is what science will do with the machine.”

[Read more…]

Reception for retiring superintendent on Monday

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A Monday evening reception will honor Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Tom Bailey, who is retiring at the end of the year.

The reception starts at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, in the School Administration Building at 304 New York Ave.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education is hunting for a replacement for Bailey, who has been superintendent since 2002, and could consider a replacement on Dec. 8. The search is being conducted with the help of Ray and Associates, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Roane State Foundation board adds Eric Barger

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Eric Barger

Eric Barger

Business leader Eric Barger has joined the board of directors for the Roane State Community College Foundation, a press release said.

Barger is vice president of C.R. Barger and Sons Inc., a Roane County company founded in the early 1960s by Eric’s grandparents, C.R. and Mary Barger. A 1994 Harriman High School graduate, Barger completed his associate degree at Roane State in 1997 and then earned a degree in civil engineering from Tennessee Tech University.

“Roane State helped me reach where I am at today in life and business,” Barger said. “Joining the board allows me to be a part of the future of Roane State, and that is exciting.”

Barger serves on the board of directors for the National Precast Concrete Association Educational Foundation. He is a member of the National Precast Concrete Association, American Society for Testing and Materials, Tennessee Onsite Wastewater Association, and the American Concrete Institute.

“We are very excited that Eric has agreed to join our board,” Roane State Foundation Executive Director Paul Phillips said. “He is a distinguished alumnus with passion for Roane State’s mission.”

The nonprofit Roane State Foundation provides financial support for the college’s students and program.

For more information, visit www.roanestate.edu/foundation or call (865) 882-4507.

Anderson County Veterans Day parade this evening

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The 6th annual Anderson County Veterans Day Parade starts at 6 p.m. today in downtown Clinton with the theme of “Showing Our Veterans We Care.”

More than 50 entries have signed up for the annual parade, which will begin on Market Street, wind its way up Main Street, and turn right after the Anderson County Courthouse before ending at the Clinton Community Center. The parade will be followed by a ceremony honoring veterans at the Ritz Theater on Main Street.

The parade will be held even if it is raining, “unless the skies open up or thunderstorms pop up in the area,” according to WYSH Radio in Clinton. If that happens, the parade will be called off and everyone will head to the Ritz for the Veterans Day ceremony, but so far it looks like organizers will be able to get the parade in.”

The public is invited and encouraged to line the streets of downtown Clinton and show their appreciation for the nation’s veterans, WYSH said.

This story brought to you through an agreement between Oak Ridge Today and WYSH. See more local news headlines on the WYSH website at http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.